Systems and Strategic Planning
Success depends on a strong foundation of business practices and supporting systems. We believe in understanding the whole business environment before making any detailed recommendations. Proper planning of the direction of future automation is the key to choosing the right systems for your business. This service area specializes in the up-front planning for future systems, manual or automated.
The following list describes the various concentrated work efforts that contribute to the planning process. Any or all of these competencies can be chosen for a given project.
Specific Work Efforts:
- Feasibility Studies - This effort takes a look at a business area and describes the feasibility that given current or future systems will meet the needs of the client.
- Systems and Portfolio Assessment - This effort examines the current business systems to determine the state of the current systems and analyzes how well these systems are meeting the needs of the business. Recommendations are made on which systems should be replaced or merged.
- Data Planning - This effort looks at all the data from the existing systems and compares it with the enterprise information needs. An architecture is built to reflect the future direction for business information.
- Business Strategic Planning - If there are needs to look at the goals and objectives of the organization before deciding on systems, this work effort includes the future direction of the business.
- Process Improvement - If there is a requirement for improving business processes either before determining systems or as a result of installing new systems, then this work effort is recommended.
- Training - Sometimes customized training is necessary for a specific organizational or analytical skill. Such training includes project management, methodology, or facilitation.
- Facilitation - This work effort is chosen for rapid information gathering of requirements and needs of the organization. Facilitation is the impartial gathering of these needs in a group setting.
- Methodology Implementation - When there is a need for establishing a methodology in analysis and implementation of systems or process improvement, then this work effort is chosen. This work effort may include the choosing of the right methodology for your organization.
- Requests for Proposals - This work may include creation and evaluation of RFP's.
System Requirements, Design & Implementation Analysis
Once the direction of the systems portfolio has been determined, then detailed requirements of the business areas are gathered to determine how future systems will meet the future needs of organization. The requirements can then be used to either choose a packaged solution, or to build a new custom application. When a decision has been made whether to build or buy, then the detailed design process may begin to either design the custom solution or to design the package enhancements. Implementation refers to the stage of installing the new solution.
This service area specializes in the detailed requirements, design and implementation of future automated systems.
The following list describes the various concentrated work efforts that contribute to these processes. Any or all of these competencies can be chosen for a given project.
Specific Work Efforts:
- Systems Assessment - This effort examines the current business systems to determine the state of the current systems and analyzes how well these systems are meeting the needs of the business. Recommendations are made on which systems should be replaced or merged.
- Requirement Analysis - This work effort gathers the detailed data and process needs of a business area which will be used for either designing a custom solution or choosing the proper packaged solution.
- Systems Integration - This work effort examines the current and future systems that are the direction of the business area, and develops the appropriate architecture which allows the integrity and proper sharing of information across applications.
- Database Design - This work effort includes designing the database structures that are used in new application development as well as enhancements to existing systems.
- System Specifications - This work effort includes the design of the application modules for data, processes, screens, forms, and reports. The specifications are detailed enough to present to a programmer for the development process.
- Datawarehouse - This work effort builds an architecture that will feed data from multiple applications into a central data delivery vehicle that provides the proper information to make key business decisions.
- Facilitation - This work effort is chosen for rapid information gathering of requirements and needs of the organization. Facilitation is the impartial gathering of these needs in a group setting.
- Methodology Implementation - When there is a need for establishing a methodology in analysis and implementation of systems or process improvement, then this work effort is chosen. This work effort may include the choosing of the right methodology for your organization.
- System Development - Our staff has expertise in developing systems using emerging technologies - i.e. web development as well as legacy systems.
- Requests for Proposals - This work may include creation and evaluation of RFP's.
Technology Architecture
A successful architecture depends on understanding the current system environment, both hardware and software. It also includes understanding the direction and budget of the future direction of the enterprise.
This service area specializes in the up-front planning for future systems, hardware and software.
The following list describes the various concentrated work efforts that contribute to the planning process. Any or all of these competencies can be chosen for a given project.
Specific Work Efforts:
- Migration Plans - This work effort involves planning the conversion from a legacy system to a new application system and/or platform.
- Emerging Technology - This research intensive work effort is chosen if new technologies are considered for the business. Such new technologies include document management, workflow, and imaging. This work effort includes an emphasis on e-commerce solutions if desired.
- Systems Integration - This work effort examines the current and future systems that are the direction of the business area, and develops the appropriate architecture which allows the integrity and proper sharing of information across applications.
- Feasability Studies - This effort takes a look at a business area and describes the feasibility that given current or future systems will meet the needs of the client.
Project Management
Success of projects depends on the management of the ongoing project using a proven project management methodology. Such a methodology includes the careful planning, scoping, and monitoring of the project. Communication and reporting plans are developed and executed. Project Management includes managing of internal as well as external consulting resources.
The following list of work efforts can be chosen for your Project Management service offering.
Specific Work Efforts:
- Contract Monitoring - This work effort is chosen for monitoring a contract using external consultants.
- Training - Customized training courses are offered for Project Management. These can be customized to reflect the requirements of your organization.
- Facilitation - This work effort is chosen for rapid information gathering of requirements and needs of the organization. Facilitation is the impartial gathering of these needs in a group setting.
Programming
The programming phase is the development of program code from system specifications. This phase depends on a structured development methodology and careful project monitoring. Cosmic specializes in Oracle platforms and other Web-based tools.
The following are a list of specific work efforts that are offered.
Specific Work Efforts:
- New Development - This work effort involves the development of a new customized application or "bolt-ons" to existing applications or packages.
- Migration Plans - This work effort involves planning the conversion from a legacy system to a new application system and/or platform.
- Training - Sometimes customized training is necessary for a specific organizational or analytical skill.
- Maintenance - This work effort includes programming changes to existing applications. This work effort depends on the careful analysis and designing of the changes.
|
