Web Application Process

The first step in the custom web application process is to request a consultation. In this initial meeting, we will discuss what type of application that would best suit your needs and the options that are available to you. To request a consultation, please put in a ServiceNow request, and a business analyst will reach out to you within 3-5 busness days.  

After the initial consultation, a business analyst will schedule additional discovery and requirements gathering meetings for the project. A member of the development team and quality assurance team will also be present. This allows all parties to quesions and better understand your needs and the scope of the project. 

Once we have gathered the project requirements, CWS will provide you with an initial cost estimate and estimated project timeline. This cost estimate can vary by 20% on the projects final costs. It will also show you the breakdown of costs and possible alternatives to different features that may reduce your costs. We will give you an estimated project start semester and when we are projected to complete your project. If we are not able to start on your project in the semester expected, we will reach out to you.

Once you have reviewed the Cost Estimate and all parties agree on the cost of the project, you will then sign a contract with CWS so that we may begin the development work. Please read through this contract carefully. We are always available if you have questions or would like to discuss the contract terms. 

Development: CWS students will take your ideas and turn them into a reality. With the help of their technical leads, we will design and develop a web application that meets each of the requirements initially set forth. We use an agile methodology. This means that we as each reqirement is developed, tested, and put into a release to "Go-Live".

---

Types of Testing:

Accessibility: All applications are accessibility tested to meet the standards provided by the State of Alabama, Department of Education, and Auburn University.
Quality Assurance: The Quality Assurance team in OIT will test your application to ensure that the application is of quality before it is live. This testing can take a few days to a few weeks, depending on the size of the application. This time is included in the estimated project timeline provided to you.
Security Testing: Once the application has been tested by the QA team, it will go through security testing to ensure that it is not vulnerable and meets the security standards released by the Cybersecurity team at OIT.
User Acceptance Testing: Finally, after the application has been security tested, it is ready for user acceptance testing. Each requirement must be tested by the end user and signed off on in order for the site to go into production. This ensures that the site was develped to meet the requirements initially set forth.

Client Demo: After all of the testing on each requirement is complete, the application is ready for "Go-Live".  On new projects and significant enhancements, before pushing the application into production, we give our students the chance to demo the application so that you can see all  of the hard ward they have put in. The developers will also create tutorials for the application if they are necessary.  

Go-Live: This is an exciting day where the initial idea that was brought to CWS is ready to make its appearance on the World Wide Web. Members from the QA, Security, and Development teams work together to make this transition a success.

Depending on the size of the project, there is a period of time (usually 2-4 weeks) after a project goes live that the client is considered a VIP, we call this hyper-care. If there are any issues with the application during the hyper-care phase, you have direct access to one of the CWS technical leads to get the issue taken care of promptly. After the hyper-care phase, you will put in an incident ticket through ServiceNow for any issues, and a new request ticket for any additional enhancements. 

As part of your contract with CWS, you will pay a monthly maintenance fee for your application. This fee covers 2 hours of development work should anything on the site need a quick update, such as a link changed or button added. This also covers the hosting of the application. Maintenance continues for the life of the application.