​​When businesses are frustrated with their current software, it is natural to believe that a custom solution is needed. However, this is not always the case. At ProActive we have your best interests at heart. Before we recommend a custom solution, we first want to understand your requirements and work with you to ensure that all options have been evaluated. Our goal is to help you solve the problem, not just to write software.

ProActive engages clients in a three-step methodology for determining the best solution: Discovery -> Analysis -> Resolution.

Discovery:

At times, the perceived problem is not actually the root cause. During our Discovery phase we work with you to understand the root of the problem and help identify the correct solution. Three important questions are asked to arrive at the correct conclusion:

1. What efforts have been made to remedy the problem and what were the successes or failures?
2. Does a solution already exist in the form of an off-the-shelf solution so as not to reinvent the wheel?
3. What will bring a better return on investment: building upon an existing platform, creating a custom solution, or altering the existing business processes?

The answers to these questions are different for every situation, every business and every process.

Analysis:

After the Discovery phase, an analysis of the information is necessary to determine whether it would be more cost effective to build a custom solution to match your processes, or to adjust processes to fit an existing solution. Often, for small businesses, it may be easier to change processes. However, mid-sized or larger businesses may find that it is significantly more cost effective to write the code to match the business process than it is to try to change the process and all the moving parts.

The results of this Analysis is incorporated into a “Functional Design” document – what does the system need to do from a user perspective and what systems will it integrate with? This tells us everything we need to know to refine the processes and workflow, and it becomes a key point of reference throughout the duration of the project.

During this phase, ProActive will also engage in a discussion of the after-implementation plans to ensure that you have looked at all costs associated with the solution. We will define the ProActive Roadmap and the ProActive OpsMap because our process does not stop at installation and implementation. Please see the Managed Development (LINK) tab to find out more.

Resolution:

Once we have defined a solution and plan, ProActive will completely manage the entire software development process. Our team will design the solution, write the code, test the solution and work with you throughout implementation and training. We manage the entire process so you can focus on your business, not software development.

After implementation, depending on the ProActive RoadMap and ProActive OpsMap, ProActive will provide support, admin, monitoring, enhancements and upgrades. Of course, the ProActive RoadMap and ProActive OpsMap can be adjusted based on need and circumstances at any time during the year but, regardless, we will review both annually to ensure that they remain aligned with your business strategy and needs.