ASSESS

What is required to be delivered

How often do requirements change?

In the social sector domain, in which Microware specialises – the social sector, for example, the end product can often not be visualised at the outset, over time, the client fine-tune, and often enhance their requirement when they see prototypes and screens, assimilate the information therein, and realise what additional features and inputs are required to build robust process and to produce substantially more practical outputs, supporting planning, operations and decision making.

On the other hand, in the corporate segment, and in telecom, the final solution and its efficiency and robustness are all that matter, and our experience is critical to provide the path from the start to the end point for the client. Hence, the expert team, which comprises IT resources with decades of experience of similar systems engage with the client to understand the requirements, and also guide them in developing more refined specifications.

BLUEPRINT

No program or system, we feel, is every perfect – it needs constant tuning and enhancement, however, the performance of a system depends critically upon the design – the design of the data store, the processes, data exchange, the workflow, and the user interface – and different skills may be necessary for all, with user inputs also essential in some. With over 200 systems delivered, across verticals and thematic areas, across platforms and with focus on different audiences, Microware is well placed to deliver design that work, and are, in most cases, generic in nature, thus reducing the requirements for vendor client interaction in the future for minor configuration and modification requirements.

CONSTRUCT

Multiple platforms exist for development and deployment, and the selection of the right platform is not a trivial issue. To keep in mind are factors like ease and time for development and testing, tools available, cost and availability of developers, future enhancements and support from the OEM. Microware prefers Microsoft technologies for the web and client server applications, however, based on user need, we have also used PHP, Java and others. Back end database, rapid deployment platforms, are used as required. Mobile platforms development cover the three standard platforms – iOS, Android and Windows mobile, and HTML5. Some of the path breaking solutions are using lower level languages, and even flat files or proprietary structures in place of databases – to provide substantially better performance in terms of response times. It is to be noted that in the development sector, Microware provides source code in escrow to clients, so as to ensure that projects which directly affect the underprivileged, or those who work towards building capacity and infrastructure, are never in a position to be utterly dependent upon us. Testing, and our unique QA protocol, are things that we have not touched upon here – however, in short, we believe in setting up teams that monitor progress regularly, and provide for multi level testing, including modular verification and audits.

DELIVER

The delivery, for most programs, is modular, while for some, it is the complete solution in one go. Based on requirements, we may need to have simple training programmes, or maybe complex ToT (Training of Trainers). Re-training is something which is often required, and we follow a stringent set of standards for hands on as well as classroom training. It is important to also realise that delivery, post piloting and User Acceptance, still involves minor fine tuning and hand holding for a while – all these are factored into our proposals and costing, and this is why we have not had a payment default for the past twenty years – even in the more complex systems, including ones in the Government space.

EXPERIENCE

A system, by itself, does need support – whether it be configuration, training, enhancements (including reporting) and modifications. The customer delight lies in quick responses, as well as studied recommendations that improve the functioning of the system. Based on needs, we operate 24x7 AMC helpdesks, and also insist on involvement of original developers and senior management teams in regular reviews of implementations.
A feedback system, moderated by a client end nodal officer, provides for field users to submit recommendations and issues – this is critical to ensure quality and timeliness in spatially diverse and complex programmes.