How We Do Business

We have extensive experience in all areas of software development, as our featured case studies and testimonials illustrate. But the way we do business makes us different. We like to keep things simple. It's easier for everyone involved, which we think you will find is just one of the refreshing things about RoleModel.

We define the value that we add simply. Ultimately, it is what you say it is. Wherever possible, though, we want to create significant quantifiable improvement in your profits and/or your processes. We think that just makes sense as an objective way to define value.

Step One: The Assessment Meeting
Assume you are interested in working on a software development engagement with us. The first thing we want to do is have a conversation with you, at our place or yours, to answer the following questions:

• What are your most critical needs for value?
• How much value, preferably quantifiable, can we can add in those areas?
• What steps should we take together, and in what order, to deliver the value that you need?
• What is a preliminary estimate of effort for each of the steps?
  Is there a fit between our approach to software development and your organization?

This conversation usually takes 1-2 hours. If the answers to these questions lead us both to believe that there is a good opportunity and a good fit for both parties, we can start working together. The first step is to agree on the parameters of the relationship. We use a brief Relationship Proposal to do that. It's not a contract (we'll cross that bridge when we come to it). It simply describes how we'll work together.

Step Two: The Ongoing Relationship
Traditional approaches to software development tell you that you can't develop high-quality software quickly. RoleModel uses a refreshingly different approach to do just that. Here are some of the high points:

• Our team is like a high-performance car that you get to drive. We let business people make informed business decisions. We let you do whatever is technically possible in order to stay on the road of reality.
• When needs change or problems arise, we'll adjust together. We'll be honest and we expect the same from you.
  
• You'll have a working system at every step. The project can stop at any time and you can get the value purchased to that point. You get the code and all the tests that verify what the code is doing as well as any other deliverables you desire.
  
• We deliver value early, and we keep it coming in each iteration.
  
• We work at maximum speed given the rate at which you would like to invest, and we sustain that pace for the life of the project or until you determine you want to change the pace.
  
• We produce code that is unusually adaptable to the changing needs of you and your customers.
  

Radical? Perhaps. But we believe it is honest, realistic, and effective…and so do our clients. We know that doing things this way will let you realize value sooner, and will let you increase that value continuously over time.

Part of the ongoing relationship is measuring the value that we produce at each step of the way. Wherever possible, we want to work with you to quantify that value in terms of profit improvement (reduced costs, increased revenues), or in terms of process improvement. At a minimum, we want to loop back when the project is done to quantify the value that we produced together, and our contribution to it.