Software Development
BGZ builds custom-designed dynamic Web-based applications. In plain English that means that we create web sites that do things for you and your users.
What we build
Our projects are determined by our clients. They are potentially as diverse as the needs of the communities that use the Internet.To date we have built publishing tools to automate content managment, enterprise systems for selling, tools for e-learning, online polls, systems for managing newsletters, software for conferences, explorable archives for education libraries. We have developed business directories, productivity tools, fashion tipsters, and much more.
Because we are programmers and not resellers we concentrate on constructing systems and tools designed around our clients' business needs. We do not try to shoehorn our clients' needs to fit the features of off-the-peg systems. Where third party applications are appropriate, we work to customise and integrate, so that the software serves the user, and not vice versa.
The Development Process
The first step in any project is to establish the nature of the client's need. Every software project we manage begins with a discovery period. During this time we will work with you to analyse your objectives, define the people who will benefit from the product and how they will interact with it. We will define constraints including budget, technology, production timescale and so on. The discovery phase produces a number of outcomes:- A statement of the project's objectives, scope and constraints.
- A production schedule, with clear, frequent milestones.
- A cost projection
- A close description of the product, broken down into screens and user stories
The production phase follows discovery. Each deliverable is checked against the schedule as it is reached. As production progresses the brief may also shift slightly. The implications of such changes are monitored closely, discussed and documented.
The delivery of a project is an incremental affair, code is reviewed and tested throughout production. When the core functionality is in place, we move into a quality assurance phase. During this time the product is tested and checked both at the code level and from the point of view of the system's users.
Final sign off only comes when the product is usable, robust, and meets the objectives defined at the discovery stage.
XHTMLCreative Programming I can't overstate the value that [The BGZ Team]'s focus and approach has added to our projects over the years.
A. East, Tomorrow London
BGZ Courses We teach open source and open standard technologies. We aim to cover the detail of any topic we tackle, but also to reach beyond that to the principles that underlie the subject.