Your step-by-step guide to our scoping process

You wouldn’t build a house before consulting with an architect and creating plans but a lot of people start software development projects without any forward planning. It’s absurd!

We don’t embark on a project before scoping it. Without scoping, your expectations and requirements of your project cannot align and your return on investment (ROI) will be hard to quantify.

We also know that there's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach. That's why we'll work closely with you to flesh out your idea and develop a solution tailored to your project's unique needs.

Our comprehensive scoping process will clearly establish your project's objectives and requirements.

In turn, you'll get valuable feedback to drive your project forward, and we’ll be able to identify technical risks, test assumptions and assess your strategic requirements.

Here’s what you can expect from our scoping process:

Step 1. We’ll meet with you

No project can get started without a meeting (or several meetings) so we can get to know you and determine the requirements of your project. We’ll use this time to ask the right questions, get a better understanding of the purpose of your project, workshop ideas and gather the necessary information to move forward.

We’ll ask you things like:

• What are the critical features required for your project?
• What are the ‘wishlist’ features for your project?
• How will people use the product/service you want to create?
• Where will people use the product/service you want to create?
• Who is the primary audience for your product/service?
• What platforms will be suitable for your project?
• How do expect your project will grow and advance in the coming months and years?
• Do you have any constraints for the project? (E.g. strict deadlines, budgets to adhere to etc.)

This stage of the scoping process is also a great opportunity for you to ask us any questions about our development strategies and how we work with our clients.

Please be sure to provide any notes, sketches, mind maps or other material you have put together in planning your project. This will give us further insight into your idea and allow us to go away and adequately plan and research options for your venture.

Step 2. We’ll research and plan your project

If you’re satisfied after our meetings and discussions, we’ll move on to researching and planning your project.

In this phase, we determine critical factors such as:

• Who are your market competitors? And how can you differentiate your project to stand out?
• What platforms will be best suited to your project? (e.g. a web or mobile app, a custom-built software program or integrating legacy systems)
• What can be streamlined to deliver your project in its leanest form?
• What is the quickest path to take your project to market?
• Can we launch your project with the essential elements and add on more intricate features down the track? E.g. determine the minimum viable product (MVP) to get your project to market sooner rather than later.
• What timeframes and costs will be associated with your project?

Step 3. We’ll put your project to the test

After we’ve established your project’s objectives we’ll need to test your assumptions and ideas to see whether they are viable.

For example, certain aspects of a project may not always be possible due to technical risks or constraints, or it might be more beneficial for your project to be built on a different platform to what you had in mind.

We do the testing in this part of the process to avoid meeting serious disasters during the development phase of your project. It not only saves time and makes production more efficient, it’ll also avoid any setbacks in the long run.

In this phase we’ll also assess your strategic requirements and explore any opportunities that may give your project the advantage it needs. 

Step 4. We’ll give you detailed project plans

Once your project objectives are clearly defined we will work with you to design and document the project scope.

Inoutput can deliver any or all of the following:

• Functional specification – this can include detailed functional user stories
• Wireframes and prototypes – static or interactive wireframes
• Project scope definition – clarification of assumptions, requirements and dependencies
• Technical specification – recommendations for system technologies and build method
• Technical risk assessment – identification of technical challenges
• Critical path and project schedule – definition of project phases and milestones
• Estimate of project – this includes a detailed estimation of how long the project will take to get from point A to B, as well as a breakdown of the project’s costs. 

By the end of the scoping process you'll have a tangible document that gives you a comprehensive overview of your project.

As we offer scoping as a stand-alone service, you’re welcome to put your project plans to use in any way you choose. Perhaps you’ll take some time to absorb the information, compare different suppliers or maybe you’d like to get started on building your project straight away.

Whatever you decide, you can move forward with your project with confidence and a solid plan to bring it to fruition.

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Want to know more about our scoping services? Give us a call on (03) 9016 3066 or send us details about your project via our contact form.