The success of any IT system is critically dependent on a clear understanding of what it must do. This starts from the business needs and the benefits the solution will provide, but must evolve to address how users will interact with the system, and how the system will interwork with other systems. IPL understands that clear communication and thoroughness are paramount at this stage.

IPL provides a variety of services to support this transformation including business problem analysis, technical requirements definition, technical options assessment, feasibility studies, systems engineering and requirements review. Read more... (PDF, 239kB)

Whether it's modelling the business processes, eliciting needs from stakeholders, analysing the root cause of business problems, or identifying the business benefits, IPL can help. However requirements analysis must go further, translating the business requirements into detailed technical requirements, capturing how the system will interact with users and communicate with other systems, as well as addressing issues such as performance and relaibility. Here too IPL's consultants can ensure that your requirements are clear, unambiguous and complete, whether captured up-front in a system requirements specification, or iteratively in a well kept product backlog. Read more... (PDF, 239kB) and read about IPL's proven requirements analysis methodology here (PDF, 567kB).

Once requirements are understood, the architecture of the solution must be designed, starting from how business processes, people and systems link, progressing through how existing and new IT systems work together, to how the software components of a system interact. The decisions made at this stage have a major impact not just on the operation of the system, but also on crucial areas such as system security, performance and reliability.

IPL has in-depth experience of developing architectures for a wide variety of business sectors and application types, including architectures suitable for secure enterprise web applications, and for high integrity and/or embedded systems.

Whether it is helping to select the right supplier, managing your project or procurement, or reviewing a completed project to determine that the benefits have been achieved, IPL is as comfortable working in a client-side advisory role as it is in a supply capacity. Our depth of experience in solution delivery ensures that we understand the risks facing an IT project, and can manage their mitigation, confidently steering the project around the many potential pitfalls to a successful outcome that delivers the anticipated business benefits.

The range of project services that IPL offers includes procurement support, project management, project review and audit, and design authority.

Procuring a complex, software intensive system is fraught with difficulties. Having the right specialist "on your side" can make the difference between success and a costly failure. There are three key steps in the successful procurement of a complex system: knowing what you want, select the right supplier to deliver it, and managing them to ensure success. IPL can help at all these stages.

IPL's procurement support services include: requirements elicitation and analysis, ITT preparation, bid evaluation, product selection, supplier management, technical authority and project review/audit. Read more... (PDF, 305kB)

IT project managers need many skills. The PM must understand the business benefits and ensure the project is providing a good ROI; ensure the project is planned; monitor and report the progress of the work; and identify, assess and if necessary mitigate risks. The PM also has ultimate responsibility for the quality of the system. But above all, management is about leadership, the PM must motivate and empower the team to succeed.

Agile project management requires a different approach; these activities are still required, however some such as planning may be carried out in an iterative manner, with more team collaboration.

IPL provides project managers, most PRINCE2 qualified, agile project managers and programme managers.

Having provided consulting services in several sectors for over 25 years, IPL's Technical Consultancy team has amassed a wealth of high-value expertise in various specialist technical domains. Some of the areas in which we can provide technical experts include: agile methods, enterprise applications, secure web/mobile applications, embedded and high integrity systems, resilient and distributed databases, and business intelligence.

Agile methods can offer real benefits to projects developing software intensive systems, but bring their own set of challenges. (Download IPL's white paper on this topic here.) IPL has developed large systems using agile methods. IPL's consultants can assist with: adoption of agile methods, which is more successful when supported by experienced agilists; and management of agile projects, which is somewhat different to more traditional project management.

Agile team members must be multi-skilled; all IPL's consultants, including analysts and team leaders (and our qualified Product Owners and Scrum Masters) have a strong background in design, development and testing, in addition to their specialist skills.

Read more... (PDF, 230kB)