Hi All,

Many times a week we showcase your processes and skills to existing and potential clients.

One of the most typical showcase is the test asset that we do for Free to potential clients.

We dream of such info usually when we expect details on test asset:

* DB schema to explain more what the objects in system are

* Sitemap/sketches explaining what the resulting pages should look like?

* Overall logic of what’s beeing looked for

* Accesses needed (prefferably slicehost.com as hosting, github.com for version-control system and ofcourse RubyOnRails )

Usually test assets rock when they’re not 8-16 work-hours long BTW and not too urgent

In recent weeks I have spent a lot of time communicating back and forth with some of our clients who are in the “thick of it” as project deadlines approach. As mentioned before here, a good deal of our internal processes revolve around web based collaboration tools, but sometimes picking up the phone to touch base is simply the best way to keep the wheels greased.

The key to these conversations is another topic we’ve touched on before, open and honest communication. In short, being transparent and “communicating obsessively” makes all the difference when you get down to crunch time on a project.

Here are the steps we take to make sure we remain transparent during the busy times when development workloads can sometimes push standard communication practices down in priority.

• Our client managers take the lead on providing daily Basecamp posts that detail the day’s plan in the morning and recap accomplishments at the end of the day.
• We also push individual developers to provide detailed comments within the clients chosen ticketing system whether it be Sifter, Lighthouse, Pivotal Tracker, or Jira so that clients have a better wide view of the project’s velocity.
• Whether through Skype or IM, we like to provide the option for quick chats a few times a week to discuss paint points, breakthroughs, or feedback.
• Finally, we have the actual voice or video chat where we set an agenda, discuss the broad points down to the fine details. These can happen weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, and allow everyone to say exactly what they mean to the whole group.

If you’ve got your own thoughts on how best to keep the lines of communication open and transparent on your own projects, we’d love to hear them. We’re always looking to improve our efficiency and learn from our partners.

We’ve been talking a lot about Quality Assurance (QA) procedures internally recently.  We are a company that is continuously trying to improve our processes and I am amazed at the relentless process flow improvement and new procedures that Timur our CTO, and the lead managers in Kazan are always implementing.

One thing that we’ve been focused on internally lately is continuing to build a culture of quality within Flatsourcing.

A few thoughts on Quality when it comes to output (this can apply to writing code, prose, music… anything).

• Quality comes from focus, you must be in a relaxed state, concentrating completely.
• Quality comes from review. Remember in high school when you didn’t feel like reviewing your rough draft before you turned in your term paper? Well, Quality only comes when you review your work.
• Quality comes from taking pride in your work.
• Quality comes from respecting your client.

I’d like to focus in on my final point, because in a client business, it is the most important factor.

Many of our clients are pretty high profile companies, extremely professional, and experts in their fields.  We take pride in hand picking our client roster, just like they hand pick us.  Because of that diligence, we work for a wonderful group of clients, and I’m very proud of who we have the privilege of working for.

Because they are high-powered, their time is valuable, and they have hired us for our expertise and professionalism as software engineers.  We often showcase this by doing a test task for them at the start of the engagement.  They are hiring us to extend the capabilities of their company.

One of the most important things about the way we work with our clients is our contract structure, which is retainer based.  We work as if we were our clients employees, precisely so that our incentives don’t get misaligned and we aren’t at odds over change orders and other things that happen in project-based engagements.  We want to work with our clients, not against them.

Once we are engaged, it is our job to make our clients jobs easier.  We do this by producing excellent work, and eliminating headaches for them.

High Quality work is one of the biggest headache eliminators.

One of the most frustrating things to a client is to have a ticket checked back in as completed, go and look at it, and have an silly and obvious bug that makes the code not function.  Something anyone can see is not right.  This is a waste of their time to see it.  They have to check it back in and send it back for repair.  This is frustrating and a waste of their time.

We strive (and are continuing to strive) to show the highest level of respect for our clients by making sure that we have QA-ed our work, so that these bugs don’t get through to clients, waste their time, and show a lack of respect on our part.

I believe when you instill a culture of respect for your clientele producing Quality work follows naturally.  We are committed as a company to deliver to our clients on this promise.

- Chris

We’re often asked why we focus on retainer based contracts and have to field some concerns about what a client can expect to get for their money. Simply put, a full-time developer is not just a full-time developer. Rather a full-time developer is a fully supported team to help you see through your projects.

A client team consists of a few people, and while we have likely been retained for development work, there is often much more that goes into it. Below is a list of the types of skill sets a client can potentially have access to with Flatsourcing.

• Production Designer – Otherwise known as a front-end developer, this person focuses on the getting the artwork into a usable interface
• RoR Developer - The most commonly requested resources in the Flatsourcing family. This is a person who architects and builds your product. While not all developers are equally experienced, we often blend skill sets on a team to ensure that all clients receive the highest quality of work.
• Art Designer – This person focuses on the user interface that will comprise your software. Whether designing a UI from scratch or working with an outside designer, the Art Designer provides another level of flexibility to your team.
• Client Manager – This person is your contact on all projects. All of our Client Managers have technical backgrounds and exceptionally strong English skills. Depending on the client, the Client Manger is often the primary contact on your contract.
• Project Manager – This is a person that can assist you to realize your project’s goals by allocating daily tasks, structuring your specifications, and determining delivery processes. Often this role is filled by a Client Manager, but when necessary a dedicated PM can be added to a team.
• Business Analyst – If you’re considering a business that relies on web applications, this person can help you navigate the internet business environment. The Business Analyst also initiates monthly calls with each client to get a bigger picture of business goals and provide updates on improvements to how Flatsourcing can help you achieve these goals.

Of course, not every client has a need for each of these resources, but by building a team of complimentary skill sets for each client, we can improve the chances for success across the board.

To find out more about how we can help you, get in touch with us now.