Discovery Phase Services for Software Development Projects

Go Wombat’s discovery phase services help clarify your software development project, define its scope, set clear budget expectations, and increase its efficiency across the board before the first line of code is even written.

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Our discovery phase services

Our discovery phase service for software development is perfect for organisations that need to build high-quality functional tools in the most efficient way possible.

It’s common for companies to experience setbacks due to poor planning in their software development projects, but these mistakes can come at a high cost.

Unveiling the potential challenges and pitfalls involved in the development of a project is now a must.

At Go Wombat, our professional developers have extensive knowledge and experience creating software solutions from the ground up, so they understand the value of the preliminary work that needs to occur.

Ready to find out more? Get in touch with us and our team of experts will be glad to help.

The importance of the software discovery phase

The discovery phase plays a crucial role in the development of your software. It gives a map of the territory, so everyone can agree on where you are going and what you’re going to build.

Getting this stage of project initiation right can save you money and stress down the line.

Without a proper initial road map, you might end up with a product that doesn’t cover all your needs or paying for unnecessary functionality. And a poorly defined project from the outset will likely lead to cost and time overruns.

Almost half of all software development projects exceed their estimated budget due to lack of proper discovery research. To minimise these risks, Go Wombat can partner with you, starting at the discovery phase.

As part of our discovery phase service for your software project, we bring an external view with deep technical expertise to shine a light on everything. We can help you determine what is needed for your project and what isn’t.

Neglecting this phase can result in:

Incorrect estimations of resources
Lack of vision for the project
Lack of clear risk assessment
Exceeding budget expectations
Lack of clear planning

What is the discovery phase?

At this initial stage of a software project, information is gathered in order to give all parties involved an in-depth understanding of your business, the project, and the target audience.

It’s important to gain insight into both your expectations of the product and those of the end-user. The main aim of this discovery phase analysis is to provide the customer with a thorough and accurate quote regarding the budget and timeline.

What’s more, at this stage you can determine whether there’s enough supporting evidence for the execution of your project and, if so, define what the steps will be to make it happen.

Understanding the process of discovery in software solutions

Every business is different, which means that every software solution needs to be tailored to the organisation it’s being built for.

The discovery phase helps define the pain points that your piece of software needs to address as well as the features it needs to resolve these challenges.

This allows our team to list the resources, potential setbacks, and tasks required to complete your project successfully within the designated time frame.

Discovery phase steps

The exact rollout of discovery phase services can vary depending on the project, but these are the basic discovery phase steps we take in the vast majority of our endeavours:

It’s possible to start a project without a clear idea of what objectives are.

Having an outside view can help us define these. During the discovery phase of a project, Go Wombat can bring an extra set of eyes and help you look at your goals from a different angle.

It’s possible to start a project without a clear idea of what objectives are.

Having an outside view can help us define these. During the discovery phase of a project, Go Wombat can bring an extra set of eyes and help you look at your goals from a different angle.

Here data is gathered and analysed on potential users, your own organisation, and the current market. This analysis helps form the basis for what features you will include and what your project plan should look like.

At Go Wombat, we develop a technical solution, meaning you receive a detailed architecture of the future product.

Throughout the process, documentation will be created so that everyone involved has a shared understanding of what’s to be expected from developing the software, its functionalities, and the course of action.

Completing a project without the discovery phase

As we mentioned before, the discovery phase works like a map.

It’s possible to get to your final destination without ever looking at a map. However, it will probably take you a lot of extra time and effort - plus, you may never get exactly where you need to be.

Only about half of projects of any type actually come in on time and under budget. The main culprit: lack of proper planning from the outset. It goes without saying that skipping the discovery phase increases the risk of such setbacks.

During the discovery phase, our researchers develop a clear path forward, taking into account the cost, potential challenges, business benefits, and all other necessary factors that will influence the success of your project.

Let’s take a look at some of the major challenges that our discovery phase services can help you identify and solve early on.

Under budgeting

During the first discovery phase steps, our team will set the scope and define the basic tasks that are required to complete the project. This will help guarantee that the project stays within budget and that any potential setbacks are included in your cost projections.

Risk management

How many developers will be working on your project? How long will it take for you to receive the first deliverables? What will these consist of? The project discovery phase can help answer all of these questions, set the right expectations, and make the entire development process more transparent for everyone involved.

Communication standards

The discovery phase gives us the opportunity to understand the actions you need to complete using the software being built. This allows us to create the right list of functionalities, determine which ones are absolutely necessary, and avoid focusing on the development of features that won’t be used.

Coding standards

Risk management is a major part of every successful project. But, it’s impossible to assess signs properly without a profound understanding of the tasks that need to be completed. The discovery phase can help minimise risks and ensure that you have a contingency plan whenever you run into a setback.

Discovery phase deliverables

Generally, you should leave the discovery phase with a set of documentation detailing such aspects as the estimate, user flow, and architecture.

More specifically, Go Wombat provides discovery phase deliverables that include the following elements:

Vision and scope (including business goals)

Software requirements specification

Business goals

Development plan

Use case diagram

Feature list

WBS (work breakdown structure)

Accurate cost appreciation

From the discovery phase to next steps

The discovery phase lays the foundation for your project. This takes anywhere between two to four weeks depending on your requirements.

The team members may vary as well, but any given project might include these roles:

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Product owner (you)

Project manager

Business analyst

Solutions architect

Leading software developers

UX designers

QA engineer

After this foundation of business analysis and project initiation is laid, then our team can start creating wireframes, building documentation, and assigning responsibilities based on the features that need to be included.

This is another major milestone in your project development, so the transition between both is essential.

At Go Wombat, we understand this, so we make sure that the same team of experts working on your discovery phase deliverables are directly involved in the creation of your bespoke software.

Do you need a team of knowledgeable developers to help you address an issue specific to your business? Schedule a meeting with our team and hear our solutions.

Discovery phase checklist

Upon completion of discovery phase services, you should have a firm grasp of:

The end-user

You will get insight about your end-users, including their pain points and their requirements.
The big picture

You will have a clear understanding of how the new piece of software will improve your organisation in the short and long term.
The current status

You will also get an update on your current business performance, identify areas of improvement, and find the right collaborators.
The historical data

You will know whether a competitor has created a similar solution, the technology used, and how these projects performed.
The desired outcome

You will also have a clear set of expectations for your software, making it easy to assess its performance and success.
The technical solution

You will know the architecture of your software solution and how it should be built to deliver the right results.
The project plan

Finally, you will have a clear idea of what your project will look like, how it will be created, and approximately how long it will take.

Discovery phase services FAQs

The discovery phase is the first phase of a software development project when planning and business analysis occurs. During this time, the project team gathers information to understand the project requirements, constraints, and objectives. The discovery phase helps to define the scope of the project and identify any potential risks or challenges.

During the discovery phase, the project team may provide a variety of services including:

Stakeholder interviews, which is basically getting various stakeholders’ perspectives on the needs and goals of the project
Requirements gathering
Risk assessment
Feasibility analysis, which can give you insight into whether the project is technically and financially feasible
Scope definition, in which you and the service provider decide what’s to be included and excluded in the project

It really depends on how big and intricate the project is. It may take two to four weeks or sometimes even several months to complete the discovery phase.

The discovery phase typically involves the project team, including the project manager, business analysts, developers, and subject-matter experts. The project team may also involve stakeholders, such as the client or end-users, to gather their input and ensure that the project meets their needs and goals.

The output of the discovery phase is a detailed project plan that usually includes the scope of the project, project objectives, requirements, risks, and a proposed timeline and budget. The project plan serves as a roadmap for the rest of the project and helps the project team stay on track and meet the project goals.

Ready to start your project? Our discovery phase services will set the tone

Every successful software development project requires a significant amount of research.

The discovery phase lays the foundation for an effective and predictable development process. Not only does this improve the accuracy of the estimated budget, but it results in a more streamlined project that requires fewer resources and delivers better performance.

Ready to start your next software development project? Find out how our discovery phase services can help.