The final website is often seen as proof—one way or another—of the overall success of a project. Admittedly, it is the most visible and easily measurable criterion, but it is not the only one.
The finished site is often considered as proof — or not — of the overall success of a project. Certainly, it's the most visible and easily measurable criterion; but it is by no means the only one. In reality, a lot of time passes between the signing of a contract and the delivery of a site: many discussions, teamwork, negotiations, and adjustments. The essence of a project in fact relies on its management and good cooperation among the different stakeholders.
The commitment of each participant is essential, and we make it a priority for the project owner to be involved in their project: a single, identified contact person, responsiveness, and contributions.
From sales to developers, including web designers and project managers on both sides, around ten people may be involved in the same site and contribute to its creation. The relationships between these various participants and good organization provide a solid foundation for successfully carrying out a project.
Our project management methods are based on so-called "agile" methodologies, and specifically on Scrum — for which the Wikipedia page is particularly clear. If we cannot apply it to the letter, we aim to get as close as possible and to uphold the following principles, which are the most important to us:
- The human qualities of participants matter more than their technical expertise, at least to ensure smooth progress and fruitful collaboration throughout the project
- Project progress using an iterative process...
- ... linked to delivering features "as they are ready" for testing
- Close collaboration with the client throughout the project
- Dividing the project into 3 main phases, each representing about a third of the project
In summary, the goal is always to stay focused on the project's core needs. For example: we start by ranking modules in order of importance to the project's objectives. In practice, everything is open to negotiation and adjustment throughout the project...
The 3 main phases of a project — adapted to Drupal CMS
- Phase 1: Preparation and planning for the project — This phase includes drafting a production document negotiated between both parties and finalized. It also includes the site's wireframes and graphic design.
- Phase 2: Development — This is the design phase in the truest sense. This stage covers deploying Drupal, installing, and customizing all the modules. Deliveries and tests take place progressively with the project owner throughout this phase.
- Phase 3: Getting started with the site — This includes entering content, testing, debugging, and training on using the Drupal CMS. At the end of this third phase, the site is installed on the production server and either skills transfer or the start of the maintenance phase takes place.