o Planning and Strategy
o Development
o Testing and Debugging
o Training and Launch
o Support and Evaluation

At Frontier, we believe that time invested in planning pays huge dividends in the development process, meaning less aggravation, improved timelines and fewer surprises. That's why we begin each project with a series of brainstorming sessions, including key client stakeholders and development team representatives. Together, we work to identify project objectives, target audiences, success factors, desired information elements, and required functionality. With this information in mind, we brainstorm ways in which to use the Internet to meet the needs of all key stakeholders. We use this information to develop a Strategic Development Plan (SDP) that outlines the detailed specifications for the project. The SDP confirms our understanding of each project and serves as a blue print for both the client and Frontier teams. In addition to defining the project scope, the SDP contains a clear site architecture, critical path, content requirements document and formal production estimate for site development.

With this document in hand, our team moves forward with one of our experienced project managers at the helm, maintaining contact, monitoring budgets and timelines, and coordinating resources to insure that the project is delivered in a way that fully satisfies the project objectives as outlined in the SDP. We employ a number of strategies in managing long-term and complex projects with multiple stakeholders including regular client meetings and written reports to ensure that stakeholders are fully informed of project milestones and progress and the creation of client extranets that allow for the monitoring of progress throughout the development process. Changes made along the way are carefully monitored and tracked through the use of change request forms, insuring that we all remain on the same page throughout development.

Project development melds creative, production and technical talent. On the creative side, graphic and information designers analyze requirements, audience and objectives to produce strategically focused design concept alternatives that meet the site objectives. The focus is on the user, resulting in interface concepts that are not only visually appealing but also functional and usable. Our team has extensive expertise in layout and design, in web based graphic development, in branding and in usability. We develop a logical, extensible, modular design that is both sufficiently standardized to allow the benefits of consistency to be achieved, but flexible enough to accommodate future change.

Once interface concepts have been approved, our production team moves into action, using advanced development technologies to create page templates that are easily replicated and maintained. Frontier employs Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to ensure consistency throughout the site. Similar to styles in MS Word, CSS allows the appearance of all headings and body text to be updated from a single location on the site. In addition, we use Server Side Includes (SSI) to incorporate consistent elements such as navigation, page headers and footers into each page of the site. Again, this simplifies changes to navigation and other consistent information elements and makes the addition of new pages or site sections a matter of changing a single file. Templates are cross browser and cross platform tested to ensure compatibility with major PC and Mac browsers.

On the technical side, our team undertakes the task of technical planning and documentation, building the site on paper before moving ahead with actual implementation. We work closely with our clients through the planning process and beyond to ensure that the tools we develop are not only technically compatible, but that these tools also fit with our client's structure and processes. Once the system has been designed to the satisfaction of both the development and client teams, our developers begin creating databases and coding and scripting the site and application. The actual functionality of the system is incorporated into the page templates created during production and the application begins to come together in a way that is representative of the final product.

Testing and debugging are critical to ensure the site will serve its purpose, generate a positive user experience and gain rapid adoption as a business tool. We are well versed in issues of compatibility and perform extensive cross browser / cross platform testing throughout development to ensure that our work meets the highest standards, rendering gracefully no matter what the technical profile of the user. Our entire development team tests and re-tests every aspect of the application, including application executable and source code, to ensure usability, compatibility, and quality. In addition, we encourage all of our clients to include end user testing as a part of the development process. Results are closely analyzed, and adjustments implemented accordingly.

Prior to launching the application, Frontier work with the client team to insure a clear understanding of the site structure and functionality. When necessary, we develop both online and hardcopy documentation to provide support for internal stakeholders in using and maintaining the tools we build. These documents range from a sophisticated support system including detailed explanations of coding, Server Side Includes and site structure to simple maintenance instructions and help documentation. In addition, we often provide one-to-one training to site administrators.

We view our clients as partners and work hard to ensure they reach their goals. That means continual support in the form of training and maintenance, and evaluation to ensure that the application we build together meets our client's goals and objectives. We work with each client to determine possible enhancements and to ensure that the tool we build grows with their business.