Our Total Quality Management
Methodology
What is it?
PERFORM is our new spiral development-based TQM (total quality
management)
methodology that we will follow in each and every project. PERFORM
will eventually be
adapted to our various products. The first edition of PERFORM will be
devoted to
Training and Documentation projects.
How Does it Work?
The fundamental element of PERFORM is an industry-standard
development process
known as "spiral development," which is a fancy term for "do a little bit of
development,
then get feedback from the customer before you proceed to the next
level of
development." We have improved on that methodology by incorporating
our internal
prepare/measure/decide process to every step in a project - even from
the point at
which we are deciding if we have the ability to perform the work. Let's
take a look in
more detail...
Phase 0 (zero) - Opportunity Review
Each new opportunity presents promise and risk. During Phase 0, we
assign a
business development leader, who prepares the case "for" doing the
project, as well as
the risks, including such things as "do we have the right people?" and
"are they
available at the right time?"
Phase 1 - Proposal Review
This critical phase of each project is the point at which we decide to
proceed with a
proposal, or not. Considerations include those that were a part of
Phase 0, plus a
risk/reward analysis, and an assessment of risk to us as well as to the
potential
customer.
Phase 2 - Kick Off
Most proposals are submitted with at least some doubt as to scope,
requirements, etc.
When we are successful with a proposal, we want to minimize any
uncertainty that we
possibly can, prior to starting work. This review is held with the
customer in attendance,
and includes an introduction of our technical team and our leadership
team, the
customer's team, and a discussion of known issues or known scope
areas where
further definition may be needed. Also, a communication plan for the
team is agreed
upon.
Phase 3 - Requirements Definition
This is where we put pencil to paper on your project. From here on out,
in all phases of
the PERFORM methodology, the idea is to only go as far as we can
without introducing
risk, before reviewing our work with the customer. During this phase, we
develop plans
for how to structure your product, what technologies should be used to
deploy, who is
the target audience to use your product, etc.
Phase 4 - Concept Development
Typical deliverables for this phase include storyboards, a complete
listing of planned
presentations and documents, and where practical, prototype training
presentations
and documents. We recommend involvement of a select subset of the
customer's
target audience participate in this review.
Phase 5 - Spiral Development
Here, we deliver the "meat and potatoes" of the project. We apply the
appropriate
resources to complete the work with quality, on time. This phase may
contain multiple
"spirals," which are simply repeated cycles of "adjust
design>develop>review>repeat"
until the customer is satisfied with the results. Next, the product is ready
for
implementation.
Phase 6 - Implementation
Implementation is the movement of the product from the design table to
the field, and
includes making materials accessible to users, observing the use of the
material in the
field, and noting areas of potential improvement.
Phase 7 - Muli-year Cycle Review
This is an annual review of performance and opportunities for
improvement, reserved
for multi-year programs.
Methodology
What is it?
PERFORM is our new spiral development-based TQM (total quality
management)
methodology that we will follow in each and every project. PERFORM
will eventually be
adapted to our various products. The first edition of PERFORM will be
devoted to
Training and Documentation projects.
How Does it Work?
The fundamental element of PERFORM is an industry-standard
development process
known as "spiral development," which is a fancy term for "do a little bit of
development,
then get feedback from the customer before you proceed to the next
level of
development." We have improved on that methodology by incorporating
our internal
prepare/measure/decide process to every step in a project - even from
the point at
which we are deciding if we have the ability to perform the work. Let's
take a look in
more detail...
Phase 0 (zero) - Opportunity Review
Each new opportunity presents promise and risk. During Phase 0, we
assign a
business development leader, who prepares the case "for" doing the
project, as well as
the risks, including such things as "do we have the right people?" and
"are they
available at the right time?"
Phase 1 - Proposal Review
This critical phase of each project is the point at which we decide to
proceed with a
proposal, or not. Considerations include those that were a part of
Phase 0, plus a
risk/reward analysis, and an assessment of risk to us as well as to the
potential
customer.
Phase 2 - Kick Off
Most proposals are submitted with at least some doubt as to scope,
requirements, etc.
When we are successful with a proposal, we want to minimize any
uncertainty that we
possibly can, prior to starting work. This review is held with the
customer in attendance,
and includes an introduction of our technical team and our leadership
team, the
customer's team, and a discussion of known issues or known scope
areas where
further definition may be needed. Also, a communication plan for the
team is agreed
upon.
Phase 3 - Requirements Definition
This is where we put pencil to paper on your project. From here on out,
in all phases of
the PERFORM methodology, the idea is to only go as far as we can
without introducing
risk, before reviewing our work with the customer. During this phase, we
develop plans
for how to structure your product, what technologies should be used to
deploy, who is
the target audience to use your product, etc.
Phase 4 - Concept Development
Typical deliverables for this phase include storyboards, a complete
listing of planned
presentations and documents, and where practical, prototype training
presentations
and documents. We recommend involvement of a select subset of the
customer's
target audience participate in this review.
Phase 5 - Spiral Development
Here, we deliver the "meat and potatoes" of the project. We apply the
appropriate
resources to complete the work with quality, on time. This phase may
contain multiple
"spirals," which are simply repeated cycles of "adjust
design>develop>review>repeat"
until the customer is satisfied with the results. Next, the product is ready
for
implementation.
Phase 6 - Implementation
Implementation is the movement of the product from the design table to
the field, and
includes making materials accessible to users, observing the use of the
material in the
field, and noting areas of potential improvement.
Phase 7 - Muli-year Cycle Review
This is an annual review of performance and opportunities for
improvement, reserved
for multi-year programs.