Design For Your Needs
We keep mentioning design because it is critical to every product that we build. The attention we pay to every aspect of design, from the system level down to the details of displaying data, is something that sets us and the products we develop apart. Every project, whether it is a dynamic web site, database application, or information management system, will therefore always begin at the structural design level, as we work out your real needs, how the product will really be used, and what might further improve productivity that wasn't envisioned in the initial proposals. As we develop the structural shell and program modules for it, we will continue to review design at the lower levels and modify functionality when necessary to improve the user experience. That focus on design will continue down to the last details of graphic layout and information design.
While these initial consultation and design phases are similar for every project, there are issues and steps involved specifically with creating a data management system as opposed to other types of web applications, whether this system generates and tracks commercial leases, reports and graphs financial performance, manages internal projects, or handles any other business information. Here is an overview of some of those issues that are common to many information management projects. We hope this will be helpful as you begin to think about developing your own custom information solution.
How Is Your Data Currently Stored?
Do you already have a well-designed relational database on a server? If so, we have a headstart. We will take a look at your data structure and suggest improvements, but our focus can now move directly to creating a productive and elegant interface to your data.
Does your business data reside in a spreadsheet or desktop database? If so, ongoing data synchronization is not an issue, since we will be replacing your current data storage scheme with a server-based solution. We will restructure your data to fit the needs of the specific application we are building, import your current desktop data, process it to resolve common problems like poor formatting and redundant records, and convert the typical flat-file data schemes to a proper relational database design which maintains master lists of data such as customer records.
Do you not have any data storage scheme at all? In this case, we are starting from scratch. There are no issues with importing, restructuring or synchronizing data to resolve. We will work with you to design your data structure from the ground up, implement it in the database server and create a web interface to access and update it.
Is your data in a legacy database or an enterprise accounting system? This is the most complicated scenario. Ideally, we would get read-only access to views of that data. Unfortunately, this ideal solution rarely occurs, either because of constraints in the existing system, security concerns, or other obstacles. Often we end up with a simple data export, even just a text file, that we need to process. Whatever form the data takes, the same processes of data restructuring and importing described earlier must occur, but will now be set up as procedures that run regularly to keep the new database synchronized to your existing system. All of this requires a small amount of cooperation with your IT department.
Once Data Has Been Imported...
Whichever scenario above applies, in the end we have imported existing data (if any), set up procedures to keep that data synchronized with external systems (if applicable), and have designed a new data structure for your specific business application. Here is where we enforce business rules and add any other automatic calculations, regular archiving of old data, or any other functionality which needs to happen automatically behind the scenes. You now have an efficient server-based database custom designed to meet your needs.
Creating the Front End Application
Everything described above happens behind the scenes. Now we develop the interface to let you access your data. The most robust and user-friendly solution is a web interface. Here we set up different classes of users, some of which may have access only to specific data. Here we create custom reports and graphs which may let you compare certain data with prior periods or between customers, or control which fields are displayed, or filter the reports on different criteria. If we are creating a data storage system from scratch or replacing a desktop application, here is where we create an efficient and simple data entry system. Here is where we create electronic forms like shipping documents or leases. All of this functionality is up to you.
A Note About Hosting
The system we develop may be hosted internally on your company servers or externally. We are happy to assist with external hosting if that is required. Your system may be integrated into an existing web site or be developed as a completely new site. All of the options depend on your specific situation: your network security structure, the cooperation of your IT department, your current web sites and servers (if any), etc. Some corporations have strict technology standards; keep in mind that our ability to create applications this powerful at reasonable cost depends upon specific underlying server technologies. Without these core technologies, the cost and time required will increase.
