Client's Path

In this article we will explain in detail how our client path looks like, from start to finish. We will explore all the phases the business or person goes through when it comes to tech project development, why it might be needed, how to choose the right provider and how to get the maximum ROI from your investment.

Part 1: Idea

Every journey begins with an idea. For us, this idea is centered around how technology can be leveraged to fulfill a specific need, optimize a process, or simplify aspects of life. Whether it's in the realm of business efficiency or consumer convenience, the essence of your idea is to serve a meaningful purpose and address specific needs.

At this initial stage, it’s crucial to consider the key questions your idea seeks to answer:

• How does it propose to use technology innovatively to solve this problem?
• What specific problem or need does your idea address?
• In what ways will it improve efficiency, convenience, or quality of life?
• Who is the target audience, and how will they benefit from this solution?
• What makes your idea stand out in the current market landscape?

Your concept may start as a broad vision, but as we explore these questions together, it begins to take a more defined shape. This is where your idea starts its transformation, evolving from a concept into a viable, impactful solution. And guess what, this is already the stage where LANARS can help you by our Discovery phase. You can check more about “What is Discovery Phase and How it Helps You Build a Better Product” in our Medium post here.

Part 2: Choosing the right provider

Choosing the right partner for your project is crucial. It's a big decision that can really affect how successful your project will be. We understand how important this is, and we want to help you make the best choice. So, we've put together a few tips that we hope will guide you in finding the right partner for your needs:

1. Expertise and Experience: Look for a provider with a proven track record in your specific area of need. Their expertise and experience in similar projects can be invaluable.
2. Client Testimonials and Case Studies: Assess their credibility through client testimonials and case studies. These can provide insight into their approach and the outcomes they’ve achieved.
3. Technological Compatibility: Ensure that their technological capabilities align with your project requirements. The right provider should have the tools and knowledge to bring your idea to life.
4. Communication and Support: Effective communication is key. Choose a provider who values transparency and offers robust support throughout the project.
5. Cultural Fit: Consider the cultural alignment between your team and the provider. A good cultural fit can enhance collaboration and understanding.

From a project manager perspective we would also recommend checking if a potential vendor has the right development processes in place - ask them to give you a tour on a project lifecycle and their management activities at each stage and we hope this link here might help.

Part 3: Let’s roll

So, congrats on selecting your tech partner! It's like getting married, but with a contract and an expiration date. At this stage you’ve already received a high level proposal, chosen a cooperation model - like fixed price, time & material or dedicated team and ready to roll. But first, make sure that your understanding of deliverables is the same as your vendor’s. What you need is a Specifications document. We’re sure your vendor has already explained that to you, but just to make sure, here’s what a Specifications document must contain:

• wireframes
• user stories
• system requirements
• functional requirements
• security specification

These are high level points, meaning they are must have before you start actual development and they’re also needed for a detailed estimate. But let’s move further…

Part 4: UI/UX design

So after all preparations are ready - guess what? It’s still not enough to start development, because there’s one final and important aspect - UI/UX design. It can really affect the budget as you might want to add animations, complex screen transitions and let’s face it - design-wise you can implement one function in multiple ways: some of them are simple, others require more development efforts. So, complete the design part, you might even want to make a clickable prototype, why not? This will help you to visualize the end result and you might want to make some changes beforehand.

Part 5: Start of development

Before we jump to development itself, we would just emphasize on previous checkpoints: Discovery, Specifications, UI/UX design and estimate. Make sure that estimate is transparent, understandable and with a good breakdown per feature. Ok, how do we start development?
Now, we're ready to begin the actual tech part of it. This phase is where ideas and designs transform into tangible solutions. Here's how you would proceed:

• Kick-Off Meeting
  The development journey begins with a kick-off meeting. This is an essential gathering where all stakeholders are brought together, including the development team, project managers and you. During this meeting, you would discuss and align on the project goals, timelines, roles, and responsibilities. It’s a great opportunity for everyone to get acquainted and set the right tone for collaboration.
  
  
• Planning
  Adopting the Agile methodology is a widely accepted best practice in the world of software development. This approach involves dividing the entire project scope into several segments known as 'Sprints.' Each Sprint focuses on a specific set of functionalities or features, which are developed and then presented to you in a demo call at the Sprint's conclusion. Here’s how it works:
  
  

1. Sprint Planning: Every Sprint is meticulously planned, with clearly defined goals and a set timeline. This ensures a structured development process, with each Sprint having a specific start and end date.
2. Project Schedule Overview: as a result, you’ll receive a comprehensive project schedule. This schedule outlines each Sprint, detailing when it begins, what will be developed, and when it concludes with a demo presentation.
3. Regular Updates and Demos: At the end of each Sprint, there has to be a demo call where the developed functionalities are demonstrated to you. This is an opportunity for you to see the progress firsthand, provide feedback, and make any necessary adjustments moving forward.

This planned and iterative approach allows for greater flexibility and adaptability throughout the development process. It ensures that you are consistently involved and updated, making the project's progress transparent and aligned with your expectations.

Part 6: What happens in the background

There are, quite frankly, a multitude of activities happening in the background – a lot more than one might initially perceive. However, detailing all of these processes here would be quite extensive, possibly taking an hour or more. For a comprehensive understanding, we invite you to read our detailed post that describes the development process, using app development as an example. LINK

Part 7: Release

Wow, finally we get to release - you’re excited, your team is excited, your dog, if in place, is also excited. Your idea had a long journey and now you and other people can experience it in the real or digital world. Now is the time to focus on business, and split responsibilities: you are in charge of business and scaling, your tech partner is in charge of support and implementing new scopes if any. It might be that the journey has just started.