At Computing Australia we have developed a significant number of computer software and web applications.

Many companies find themselves in the situation whereby an “off the shelf” solution either doesn’t meet their business needs or the cost of customisation becomes a significant investment. But how do you know what is out there? How do you know what your business actually needs?

In all cases we recommend that a thorough needs analysis be performed to ascertain exactly what is required in your particular business.

While it is easy to generalise based on industry profiles it is clear that every successful business is unique and they build their own methods and procedures that control the enterprise. Software needs to be the same – there is little point in implementing a software package that fundamentally changes the way you have to run your business because the underlying impact of issues like staff training, work culture etc will all be impacted.

You cannot afford to take a productivity hit to a successful competitive business.

We will not undertake a software development project without first performing a complete needs analysis. So what is involved in a needs analysis? Here are some examples of our approach:

• Existing software – generally companies are already using a wide range of software products – many of which are not meeting needs, but the manner in which they are being used defines current work practices. It is very useful to gain an understanding of the strengths and failings of this software.
• Existing infrastructure – the quality of your network, computers and servers will all influence the planning for new software.
• Staff consultation – don’t leave your staff behind in the planning process. Staff have a great understanding of what they need to improve their own jobs or departments. It is imperative that a series of informal meetings be convened to allow everyone a say in what the new software should do and how it should function.
• Business structure – is the company centrally located in a single office? Do you have mobile staff who would benefit from additional functionality while they are away from the office? Do you have multiple branch office? Do you have overseas offices?
• Definition – if you define what the requirements are for the software – how it should work, what it should do, what it should look like etc then you are more likely to get what you want.

Computing Australia offer an end to end consultancy service that ensures every aspect of the development is not only defined to meet the above points but aso to lay the ground work for ongoing successful communication during the life of the development.