In the last blog post we went over the first step in implementing a compensation management tool, which is needs analysis. Specifically, we talked about the importance of open communication between the client and developer. The necessity of this communication becomes a factor in the next step of the implementation process, which is actual development. This is where the developer takes all of the information they got from the client during the analysis period and starts to shape it into the actual system, build to the specifications laid out by the client.
After the client signs off on the mockup produced at the end of the analysis process, the work on the actual system begins in earnest. The developers will go in and start configuring the system from the inside out, to the specifications set by the client. These specifications don’t merely include things like pay program and organizational structure, though. Things like the verbage of the client’s organization, their logos, naming conventions, and color schemes are set up at this point. The developers will also put any other administrative or aesthetic guidelines into place as specified by the client during the analysis period.
I know that the point about the importance of communication during the analysis process feels like it’s been overemphasized at this point, but I can’t stress enough how important it is. The more information given to the developers about how the client wants the system to operate, the more expedient the actual development process is going to be. That’s because the development process involves less cooperation between the developers and the client, as they’re busy creating the system in the first place.
Generally, the analysis process takes about 2-3 weeks, and the development process another 2-3 weeks. The last thing that either the developer or the client want to happen is to come out at the end of those six weeks with a system which doesn’t meet the needs or wants of the client for whatever reason. The more thorough the analysis process is, the less chances there are of hitting any major snags along the way which can delay implementation.
Though this step is titled “development,” that doesn’t mean the system is complete after the first six weeks. At the end of this stage, the developer will show the client a preliminary system in order to make sure they’re on the right track. The system should have the necessary organizational structure and pay systems in place, as well as the aesthetic specifications requested by the client. It should also have all of the necessary screens in place for each of the classes of users. At this point, the system as it stands is shown to the client for them to sign off on. If everything looks satisfactory to them, then it’s off to the next step of the implementation process: communication.