Case Study: IT Consulting Services
SITUATION
A successful affiliate marketing business that teaches marketing methods to a network of entrepreneurs, business owners, and managers wanted to be the first in the industry to establish a social media network that would enable its members to create communities, communicate via postings, purchase software, and view ratings of products and services. Ultimately, their goal was to increase customer memberships, renewals, and sales.
CHALLENGE
The client needed a team of technology experts to design, develop, and implement a customized social network using Pluck, their chosen CMS technology, to the standards of their business requirements. The solution needed to function on all mobile devices (smartphones and tablets) and also integrate seamlessly into the client’s existing system and tools (InfusionSoft). The client needed consultants who could work less than full-time but be available for fluctuating workloads during the duration of the 12-week project. Strong people skills were required in addition to technical skills, as these experts would report to the Director of UX and Web Operations, collaborate with Pluck’s implementation experts in a blended team, and lead others involved in the project to deploy the social networking solution.
SOLUTION
AIM Consulting recommended a strategy utilizing RAPID app development as the delivery methodology, a combination of Agile and Waterfall methodologies that pairs Agile’s iterative approach to development with a predetermined estimation for the number of iterations needed to meet the business requirements.
AIM Consulting recommended a full team of consultants to deliver on the objectives: an Information Architect to determine the requirements, page layouts, and screen flows; an Integration Technology Lead to analyze the requirements for integration with Pluck and the client’s existing systems and both build and test the integration code; and a Business Analyst/Functional Lead to design and integrate the business model, produce business requirements, and create test cases.
RESULTS
AIM Consulting delivered a social networking solution that met the technological and business requirements and was implemented at an accelerated deadline in time for a product launch at a key national trade event. In addition to social networking capability, the design included member access to eLearning courses and subscription content, an online tool for selling products to customers, user tracking to target future sales opportunities, and server content hosting, all of which contributed to meet the client’s objective of increasing customer memberships, renewals, and sales.
