IT Project Management Services

We support you by helping you to attain more planning security and shorten project runtimes. We want you to have more flexibility in deciding how you do what really counts: develop systems with future-responsive architectures. Systems which meet requirements, have a high level of quality and which are delivered on time and within budget.

For this we offer you in-Step – a whole new kind of management tool. in-Step was designed especially for IT projects and supports the core tasks which have to be performed in every project: project requirements, change, configuration and risk management. But before you start using the tool, you will need to decide on the approach you want to take in your projects. Do you want to work with agile principles or a formal process? Do you want to employ an accepted standard, like the V-Modell XT, or your own process model? How do you want to carry out requirements and change management, according to which methods and using which tools? However you answer these questions – we provide the solutions.
Our services in the area of project management center around:

• Developing Company-Specific Processes for Software and System Development
• Adapting Proven Process Standards, such as the V-Modell XT
• Individual Development of Tools which Optimally Support the Chosen Development Process
• Developing Specialized Tool-Based Processes for Requirements, Change and Project Management
• Consulting, Workshops and Coaching aimed at Introducing a Process Standard
• Consulting in Systematic Process Improvement based on a Maturity Model, e.g. CMMI.

Developing Company-Specific Processes for Software and System Development

Do you want to do things your way when developing a process for software and system development? That doesn't mean you have to start from scratch. We offer you a range of process templates, for an iterative requirements-oriented process or for agile development, for example. These templates define the activities and results of a project. They include automated templates for typical project results in a prestructured product library. The process templates are completely tool-supported and can be used immediately for project planning and realization, as well as for requirements and configuration management. We start with the template which comes the closest to what you have in mind and analyze your requirements for a customized development process. Then we adapt, modify, extend or exchange parts of the template and corresponding tool-support. There's no a faster way to get a tool-supported process that's optimally tailored to your company culture, organization and development technology.

Adapting Proven Process Standards, such as the V-Modell XT

Do you want to use a recognized process standard like the V-Modell XT or the British project management method PRINCE2® in your IT projects? We adapt the standard processes to your specific company situation according to your guidelines. in-Step provides complete tool support for the most popular standards: with wizards for tailoring, project planning, product creation and quality assurance, with a central product library and automated templates for the projects results. Tool functions facilitate requirements, change and risk management, planning the project, as well as keeping track of workloads, schedules, costs and resources. We set up the tool for your specific needs in order to make the process standard easy to use – so it quickly finds acceptance within your team.

Individual Development of Tools which Optimally Support the Chosen Development Process

It's often the little things which decide whether a new approach finds acceptance or not. We automate frequently recurring planning and assessment steps, creation of results, document generation and a lot more. We provide tool support using in-Step which makes working according to your process easy and convenient. Practical features include functions for generating evaluations and individual reports to document your projects' current level of development and how much progress has been made. We also develop interfaces for tools and systems which enter into the work process sooner or later.

Developing Specialized Tool-Based Processes for Requirements, Change and Project Management

Are you looking to improve requirements, change or project management in your projects and haven't found a method which meets your particular demands? Or have you developed your own method but can't get the corresponding functional assistance from ready-made tools? We analyze your specific needs, develop approach concepts, define the results and build the tools to support it all. The result is a tool-based process which is especially designed to fit your needs and which makes working in your projects easier, while contributing to a higher quality of results.

Consulting, Workshops and Coaching Aimed at Introducing a Process Standard

We work together with you to plan the introduction of a process standard. We provide the technical environment for process-based project work on a LAN or the Internet and train the project team in using it. We then optimize the standard and the corresponding tool support based on user feedback.

Introduction and application consulting for the V-Modell XT is one of our major fields of expertise. We are able to offer you the latest know-how and extensive experience in this area. This is because we carried out our first pilot projects in the commercial and public sectors immediately after V-Modell XT was released. We were providing support for the users of V-Modell 97, i.e. the predecessor of the V-Modell XT, with tools and consulting. If you use the V-Modell XT for customer projects, we build the technical infrastructure for you and help you set up the project all the way down to determining the content of the tasks, such as defining the requirements in the project. We are happy to provide you with consulting which goes above and beyond this: we support you in defining your tasks as the client on the control board for the subsequent supplier project. While we're on the subject of supplier projects: our consulting services in this area range from procuring the technical infrastructure, to setting up the project and organizing the work process, all the way to defining actual tasks such as structuring the system.

Consulting in Systematic Process Improvement Based on a Maturity Model, e.g. CMMI

Do you consider improving the software or system development process to be a long-term goal? Would you like to base the improvement process on a quality model, such as SPICE/ISO 15504 or Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI)? If so, we advise and accompany you along the way. Improving the software and system development processes always means – regardless of what quality model you decide to use – making radical changes to the approach your team is used to. The hurdles which stand in the way of acceptance can be overcome. Another thing: if you don't just want to improve the development process in individual projects but for the organization as a whole, you can't leave out the projects which are currently running. This means that additional risks arise in these projects. We help you to find the right degree and appropriate speed for making changes. Our approach: process improvement should be structured as an iterative project. We offer you a pragmatic, tool-supported method to carry it out.

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