Ireland
Lonsdale Road
National Technology Park
Limerick
Ireland
Phone: +353 61 337632
Email: sales-eu@action-point.com
US
PO Box 10285
Torrance CA 90505
Phone: +1 310 997 0681
Email: sales-us@action-point.com
Core to Action Point’s software development offering is our company methodology. This defines how we conduct our business, and has been designed to ensure a consistency of service to all of our clients. We strive to deliver the highest possible level of quality and that all of our developers are working in line with industry recommended best practice. When comparing us to a competitor, ask them about their methodology. Is it as comprehensive as ours?
The key components of this are
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Communication
The single most important underlying factor in a successful project is communication. From concept and requirements gathering through to delivery and post deployment support, the one thing that ensures a successful delivery and a satisfied customer is communication. At Action Point, we make a point of this and guide each and every client through our processes to ensure that we deliver exactly what the client needs, which quite often differs from what they initially ask for!
Good Architecture
In the same way that you wouldn’t build a house with a good architect and good plans, we won’t write a line of code until you are satisfied that we understand your business and the requirements of the application in that context. Our software architect will work with you to deliver the overall design of the application so that you are completely involved in the process. This process results in the client being presented with a document detailing a high level design of the system, an estimate of the time required to deliver the application, along with any potential risks.
Project Management
Every project that Action Point undertakes is fully managed by one of our project managers from start to finish. The project manager ensures that communication is maintained between all stakeholders and that a high level of progress is maintained throughout the development cycle. This means that you, the client, is fully informed of progress, and that each team member involved in the project is fully up-to-date at every step of the project.
Extensible Code
All the code that is produced by Action Point is fully extensible, so that it can be easily added to or maintained in future. This means that all components are documented, and code is fully commented through-out. A consistent level of code is ensured via regular coding reviews conducted by our senior developers throughout the development process.
Furthermore, we encourage all our developers to use components from our library, which means that you, the client, get the advantage of leveraging previously written and tested code to improve delivery time and guarantee a higher level of quality.
Code Level Logging
Logging is a very important aspect to coding, and something which is overlooked by many software houses. Logging involves adding additional code to every file which tracks every event that occurs while the program is running. If any error occurs we can open the log file, and track the sequence of events which led to the error, and can pinpoint exactly where the issue occurred. This means that we can guarantee that no time is wasted in locating issues during testing and post deployment.
Revision Control Systems
Action Point uses Tortoise SVN to keep track of different versions of files, components, and code bases. This means that no matter what, we can easily revert to an older version if a code change introduces any unexpected behaviour. The system also allows different developers to work on different sections of the same file, which ensures that progress is made fast, as no-one is waiting for another developer to finish their bit.
Bug-tracking Systems
Action Point uses Bugzilla to track all change requests and reported bugs. The system is deployed so that internal staff and external clients can log issues which will be followed up by the developers. This is another key component which ensures that no issue is forgotten prior to release.
Quality Assurance Processes
In Action Point we provide 3 levels of testing as part of our QA process.
- Developer testing
- Internal testing team
- End-User Acceptance testing
All development staff must fully test their own code before releasing the component to the internal testing team. The internal testing team, perform more rigorous testing, and revert the component back to the developers to make any required modifications. Once the internal testing team is satisfied that the component is fully tested and virtually bug free, it is released to the client who is encouraged to perform their own testing before the program is released to a production environment.
Post Deployment Support Service
Action Point strive to develop a long term relationship with all of our clients, which means that we will be there for you post deployment, and long into the future should you have any issues or should you require a new feature to be added to the system.
