Evaluations - changing the game

This is our secret to nailing deadlines, on budget and with all the requirements properly implemented. Get coherent proposals and better results, just by applying some common sense to old software habits.

Lets first look at the goal. As a service provider we want to get your projects done to your budget, to ensure that the end product does what you expect and to ensure that it is delivered against the agreed timeline. Any software company will tell you that. So how can Sentinel guarantee these deliverables, at no extra cost, while so many software projects continue to fail in all three of those areas? Our secret lies quite simply in a smarter approach. We call it an evaluation.

Traditionally, a software company that is successfully chosen from a tender process is asked to commit to their proposal and get it done. The chosen company won the business by creating a proposal without any graphic design work available, nor a technical specification to hand. They had to ask the right questions to get the answers they needed and rarely involve face-to-face interviews with the key stakeholders. Furthermore, you have still seen absolutely nothing and it is very unlikely that the proposal ticks all your boxes.

We believe that this, the first step in any project, is a very weak area prone to problems, disillusion and dissatisfaction. As the chosen company begins the paid process of the design concept proposals and authoring of a full technical specification for their developers, hidden requirements and designs begin to appear. Companies can't ask questions that they didn't even know existed and no extra budget is likely to be available to help them implement what they have since learned since doing the initial proposal. Within a few days of commencement the project is in trouble and inevitably there will be an impact on quality, timeliness and function.

The truth of the matter is that you are going to pay a company for designing and building your website or software application. This process will always commence with some concept designs and a technical document for the development team. So, our philosophy is: why not get this part done first? The benefits are so attractive that going back to the "old" way just won't make sense:

You're going to pay for it anyway, so get it done now
The evaluation will include a full technical specification and design concepts.
A full time and cost proposal is included. Immediately identify areas that could be parked to ensure you reach your goal efficiently and with the ROI you expect
There is no commitment to continue with Sentinel once this has been done
You can review and eliminate any features that appear
Give the evaluation to your tender bidders. Your responses from them will be far more realistic and should come home on time and on budget. Happy client, happy service provider and happy end-users.

A Sentinel evaluation includes:

4 hours of interviews with key stakeholders, usually onsite
3 concept designs for your homepage, including rebranding if necessary
3 concept designs for a typical "interior" page of the site (such as a news or blog section)
A full technical specification document
A time and cost proposal for each feature

Price: £1,600

The complete evaluation is yours to take away with no commitment to continue and no hidden costs.
Contact us now to arrange an evaluation.