JUMP TO: The Beginning | Planning | Development | Testing | Deployment | What’s Next?
Our Agile Approach
It's not just what we build, but how we build it.
The Beginning
The Idea
You have a bright idea and need help bringing it to life. We are here to help with every step of the way.
Let’s Meet
We start with a meeting, where we can learn more about you and truly understand what you need. We’ll define your requirements, establishing what exactly your website or software needs to do at the end of the project and understand just how much this will impact your business as a whole.
Agree Approach
We work together to agree on an approach and timeline for your project and discuss how we’ll go forward.
Planning
Beginning the Blue-prints
Depending on your needs, you can have as much or as little involvement in the planning as you like. You might already know the approach you want to take in detail, or you might just have an idea which you would like us to analyse and plan for you.
We work using agile methods so that means we plan thoroughly and are always ready to adapt if you need us to.
User Experience
As part of our planning process we will define your UX and design requirements to make sure your user journey is the best it can be.
Features and Stories
We begin breaking down your project into smaller sections and deciding which features need to be built first.
Then we break down the features into smaller tasks called ‘stories’. Stories are a technical name for tasks, because of how they are written: E.g. “As a user I would like to be able to view my completed courses, so I can track my progress.”
Story-pointing
Here we give each story a numerical value, depending on how much work is involved, then decide which stories need to go into each sprint.
Development
It’s time to get our hands dirty with the build! It is over to the development team to work their magic.
Start Sprinting
Typical sprints are 2-3 weeks, each sprint will include a selection of features which will be worked on. After a developer is given a task, they will first create a local copy of the existing master code so there is no chance of the original code being permanently changed at this stage. The developer also creates another working copy to begin amending, just in case they need to look at the original version or revert back to it at any stage.
Our developer is now ready to begin writing code.
Design
Our design team also works in sprints, alongside our developers, providing material to pass on to the front-end team. Don’t worry, our designers will keep checking back with you during the process to make sure you are happy with the designs before they are built.
Create PR
Once the developer is happy with their work, he/she will line up their work ready to be accepted onto the new server, and raise a ‘Pull Request’. This is a request to the lead developer to check their work and accept it if there are no errors…
…which takes us into our ‘Testing’ phase…
Testing
Now we’ve built it, we’ve got to try and break it. We only write the best code here at BuildEmpire, and thoroughly test to make sure of that.
Code Review & Test Run
Before any code can be pulled, other team members check the code in case any errors have been made. At the same time, automatic bot testing will be happening in case of human error.
If the rest of the team gives it thumbs up… and the automatic software can’t find any faults…
Quality Assurance
Now a specialist Test Analyst looks at the work which has been done and will try to find faults with it from the user’s perspective.
If the test analysts give it thumbs up…
Staging
Your turn to test it. When our test analysts give us the thumbs up we update your staging site where we encourage you to try and break it to your heart’s content.
If errors are found at any stage, we just loop back to development for the fixes and then start the testing process from the beginning again.
Deployment
If we get the thumbs up from you… it is time to go live!
Deploy to Live Site
The work gets deployed to the live site and you are good to go!
Reflect
At BuildEmpire we are always looking for ways to improve and hone our development process. At this point we will get together and take stock of how the sprint went. Is there room for improvement next time?
Retrospective
A retrospective is the chance to reflect on how the sprint went. Did the project run as planned? Was the storypointing accurate? How can we work more effectively next time? Did we have any unexpected issues?
What’s Next?
Is your project finished?
Not yet, still more to go…
Time for the next sprint. Now we go back to the planning stage to decide what should be in the next sprint and the cycle begins again. Working in the Agile way, you will see your project progressing at the end of each sprint. Bugs and issues are picked up individually as we go, there is time for fine-tuning the way we are working together at the end of each sprint.
Yes – Finished everything!
If the project is now completed, don’t worry we won’t disappear. We will stick around for as long as you like maintaining, checking, tinkering with bits you decide you would like to change as your business grows. We hope you won’t have any teething problems with your new solution, but we are here for you if you do. Together we can decide what sort of on-going support package you would like. We are your partner, sitting quietly in the background of your business making the technical wheels turn.
JUMP TO: The Beginning | Planning | Development | Testing | Deployment | What’s Next?
What is it Really Like to Work With Us?
Don’t just take our word for it, take a look at what our clients are saying about our approach. Our strict, transparent process means you get the best service we can offer.
“An excellent, friendly service. Everyone we have met at BuildEmpire has been friendly, knowledgeable and supportive.
We chose BuildEmpire because we felt we could trust them with our project, and they had the right expertise.
BuildEmpire were proactive in bringing our ideas to life, and it worked first time!”
James Stokes
Director
“Apollo’s ACE platform is an innovative approach to course design, development and delivery with the goal of changing the status quo for online learning: make learning fun, engaging and effective.
We needed a platform that could allow us to more easily create custom courses, but that would also enable us to continue to deliver according to our engaging design.
BuildEmpire was able to take our design goals and the Feature set core to Totara, and build us a platform that is truly unique – a truly engaging user experience on the front end for students coupled with Totara’s ease of administration for our staff. ”
Kyle Epps
Senior Technical Product Manager
“BuildEmpire have worked with our major brands consistently over past few years and have supplied exemplary technical support for a large number of sites, whilst also demonstrating a great deal of flexibility in both advancing the capabilities of our sites and responding to new briefs above and beyond the contracted terms.
The team have been great to work with, and have become a valued extension of our own team in supporting our complex digital needs both in the UK and mainland Europe.
Their professionalism, speed of response and adaptability have been invaluable to us and will continue to be so as our business continues to grow.”
James Sizer
Communications Manager
“I have worked with BuildEmpire for many years on various projects, both large and small.
No matter the size of the project there is a consistent theme and that’s they always deliver. Not only that but the solutions they deliver and standard of development is second to none.
This wealth of development coupled with an insightful customer-service oriented account team is why I will continue to use them.”
Stuart Kay
Chief Marketing Officer
“BuildEmpire’s conscientious and thorough approach to understanding our brief at the start of the project meant they provided us with a solution well above our original expectations which has transformed the way we maintain our websites and run our digital marketing activity.
Despite throwing them a few curveballs during the project, BuildEmpire easily adapted to changes and pro-actively provided solutions to any potential problems.
Their open and honest approach helps manage our expectations and their friendly, enthusiastic personality makes them a pleasure to work with.”
Chris Watters
Digital Manager
“BuildEmpire have consistently exceeded the required expertise in many of our projects, and have helped Pennant deliver innovative content, industry leading products, and high levels of customer satisfaction.
We have worked with BuildEmpire for over a decade, and certainly hope to continue to do so in the future.”
Tom Daniels
Operations Manager
“Absolute and unquestionable commitment in delivering an innovative solution that not only met the brief but exceeded it.
BuildEmpire’s dedication and passion to the project was very obvious with exceptional clarity and frequent updates throughout, instilling confidence and trust that the job was in hand.
Working with the BuildEmpire team was a pleasure and allowed us to bring some valued outside in thinking to the project and our organisation.”
Mark Upshall
Head of Category
Think we can help?
Don’t be shy, get in touch!
Got a project idea for BuildEmpire?
If you’ve got a project coming up that you’d like us to take a look at, call us on 0161 641 2434 or send us a message through our Contact form. Alternatively you can contact us by emailing contact@buildempire.co.uk.
Interested in a career with us?
Please take a look at our careers page for any current vacancies, and feel free to drop us a message about recruitment opportunities via our Contact form, or email recruitment@buildempire.co.uk.