Assimilation and Research – Technical competency and industry knowledge are gained through research and experience. Having the benefit of providing technology solutions to many different firms has honed our technical competency and has created a wealth of best practices. But technology is constantly changing. So, before we embark on any major design, we always ask the question whether there are any new announcements that may impact our recommendations. We do not want our clients to become test labs for vendors, but we do want them to benefit from the latest appropriate technology.
Conceptual Design – What problem are we trying to solve? What changes does the company anticipate in the next two to three years that might impact our design – growth, relocation, and new offices are all factored into the design. Does the conceptual design address what we learned from the Needs Analysis? Can the conceptual design be implemented given what we learned in the Technology Audit? Are there other options that should be considered? Finally, based on our previous experience, will it work? The conceptual design is the outline and framework for the next phase of detailed design and specifications.
Detailed Design and Specifications – What is needed to bring the conceptual design to reality? During this phase every hardware and software component is identified. Availability, compatibility, pricing (ROI), licensing, and maintenance options are all researched before we make a recommendation to a client. While not a perfect science, given the rapid rate of technology changes, we attempt to mitigate major problems before they occur.
Review and Validation – Before we complete a network design for a client, we always like to have another pair of eyes review our recommendations. Within Megabyte Concepts we have a peer review process to validate the design and ensure that nothing has been overlooked. Now the ultimate test is the review and validation with you, the client.