Concept

The emphasis is on TIME and MONEY. You as a customer know how much it is going to cost and how soon are you going to get the deliverable. Predictability and assurance is the hallmark of this model.

In this model both of us agree to a fixed price and timelines for a project at the beginning of a project. This is a popular engagement model which clients feel comfortable dealing with as it gives them a budget and timeline that is fixed. ERC has perfected this model and is adept at delivering at high quality software in time and within budget.

Applicability

This mode of engagement is ideally suited for developing known and well understood solutions with relatively low to medium levels of complexity. This model is well suited for projects that have clear specification documents and sufficient amount of detail so that all risks are identified and all assumptions are explicit.

These projects typically leave little scope for changes and additions during the project execution. As a customer dealing with this model, you would be a knowledgeable person in the business domain and will have an understanding of the software development process. This model's success hinges on the active cooperation of the client. It assumes that the client will provide timely and relevant feedback & decisions.

Process

You will provide a detailed specification document to NDPL. NDPL along with you will review the specifications and ensure that all assumptions, details are made explicit. NDPL will prepare an effort analysis and propose a fixed price and fixed time frame for the project execution. NDPL also will highlight the scope of change and possible risks during the execution phase.

You and ERC will enter to in an agreement that covers visual aspects, documentation, application design, testing, support period, change management, communication protocols, milestones, timelines and commercial details. The project is executed as per the agreement.

We can help you in evolving the specifications for the particular project at a fee. ERC's business analyst discusses the project in detail and prepares a low level specification document laying bare the various elements of the project.

Benefits

As the name suggests everything is fixed in this model. There is limited risk to both parties as the scope, price and timelines are fixed in this model. The advantage of this model is the mitigated risk that it offers to the stakeholders. This risk reduction is however based on the quality effort that precedes the agreement phase. The higher the detailing, lower are the surprises. ERC offers business consulting services during the specification stage.

There will be minimal scope to implement any new ideas or new requirements during the execution of the project. The application will be designed based on mutually agreed specifications. This obviously limits the changes that can be included during the execution of the project. This is a good model for all projects where the specifications of the project / product are clear and well documented with all aspects of estimation and change management mutually agreed upon.