Systems Analysis/Business Process Analysis
Our staff has years of experience in a broad range of industries. We can work with your staff to review your current systems, procedures, and goals and to help you identify opportunities for improvement through the application of information technologies. We can also assist you in locating and evaluating commercially available packages and in weighing their costs and benefits relative to creating a tailored solution. Some of our areas of experience are:
- Accounting
- Banking
- e-Commerce
- Marketing
- Performance Improvement
- Wholesale Goods
- and others ...
Requirements Definition
Understanding and documenting user requirements is essential to successful software design. We work with your staff to thoroughly understand your needs and to translate those needs and goals into specific requirements. Requirements definition identifies the following
- Purpose and desired results of the project
- Users - roles, skills
- Major functionality and features
- Existing systems that will be interfaced or replaced
- Constraints and special requirements
Functional Specifications
Functional specifications are a refinement of the requirements definition into a more detailed and technical description of functions, inputs and outputs, business rules, etc. These specifications fully describe functionality but not the implementation of that functionality.
Detailed Specifications
Detailed specifications or design documents are the blueprint for construction of the software. This document includes the software architecture, database definitions, user interfaces, report layouts, inputs and outputs, algorithms, etc.
RFP Development
Cognition can help you translate your requirements definition or specifications into a request for proposals to be submitted to prospective vendors. This includes adding performance requirements, vendor selection criteria, etc.
Prototyping
An excellent way to ensure that users and developers are "on the same page" is to create a prototype or mock-up of the software. Prototypes are often easier to understand than written specifications and give users an opportunity to test the look and feel of the proposed design. Prototyping helps reduce overall development costs by identifying requirements and design problems early in the development cycle.