Phase I - Discovery

The first phase begins during the sales process, continues through post-sales, and can go beyond Go-Live. 

It primarily helps users to:

• Understand the business use-cases
• Define the scope details and system details to start the implementation
• Develop the Project plan and set up the Project team.

The Discovery phase comprises of the following:

Scope Validation

Scope validation is an essential and integral part of the Discovery phase, as it allows both parties to validate the scope and assumptions discussed in the document and define responsibilities of each party involved that includes but is not limited to:

1. Development responsibilities
2. Deliverables and acceptance criteria
3. Milestones and Project plan

AS-IS Process

We identify and understand the pain points of the current business process flows and describe the business need and/or justification for the new implementation. The tasks in the AS-IS process will prove beneficial in providing insights into the current business process and enable a good foundation for the implementation and further enhancements.

TO-BE Process

In this process, we understand all user requirements and detail them into the Requirements Gathering document with as many details as possible. We either use our own format to capture the requirements, or the customer’s existing Requirements Gathering document.

Infrastructure setup

Infrastructure setup typically includes all infrastructure setup to initiate the development process. It includes:

1. Source Systems: Gather information on the source system landscape and obtain required access for the implementation of the project.
2. Pillir’s EdgeReady Platform: Setup Pillir Tenant and relevant platform configuration.
3. Provisioning Profiles and Certificates: Setup company provisioning profiles and certificates with Apple, Google, and Microsoft as appropriate for mobile app deployment.

Devices

Pillir takes detailed descriptions and confirms all devices for which apps are to be created. We gather information on the primary form factor, most used devices, and the devices expected connectivity (100% connected or Offline Apps).

MDM/MAM Software

We validate if a Mobile Device Management (MDM) or Mobile Application Management (MAM) software is in place or if there are any imminent plans to deploy one. We do not need MDM/MAM software, but need to know if it has to be integrated.

Enhancement/Upgrade to Source System or Landscape

We confirm the need for enhancement/upgrade to the source system. For example, the  EdgeReady Plugin requires Java stack 1.5 or above for implementation. If the source system landscape is a lower version than Java stack 1.5, then we must explore the options to upgrade or install a new version of Java stack.

Authentication requirements

We confirm the authentication mechanism and the authorization requirements. An example would be User ID/password or single-sign-on (SSO) authentication. If the system has SSO authentication, we need to know the current SSO landscape.

API discovery

The important step in the Discovery phase is to identify the various APIs to be used in the App development. In this step, the customer needs to take the lead and provide the list of APIs. The typical activities performed in this stage are:

1. Identify the various APIs to be called for the App
2. Identify the sequence in which the APIs are to be called
3. Identify the business logic or validations to be done before or after the APIs are called
4. Setup any test data to test the APIs

At the end of the Discovery phase, all the basic elements required to build the App should be identified and defined so that the App development can be started and executed without any delays.

Deliverables

There are several deliverables in this phase that are crucial and establish the foundation for the implementation. They are:

1. Requirements Gathering document
2. Project plan
3. API list
4. Change order (if required for changes from the initial SOW)
5. System access

Sequence of Events