The launch process can take anywhere from 15 to 90 days. The time range is contingent on how much customization is required, and how prepared the client is (readiness of design, and access to needed data). The average launch for a typical new client is approximately 60 days. This is approximately 1/6th the time of the traditional build and deployment process.
When we engage with a client, the first thing we do is assign a Production Manager to the account. This individual is responsible for the entire launch of your project. Within Oxcyon, the production manager is given dedicated resources (like programmers, analysts, and database engineers) to do the heavy lifting of migrating your data, building your site the way you want it, and then launching it.
Oxcyon's Online Issue Management System
Keeping all requests accountable, and your project on schedule
Oxcyon will grant news client access to our Online Issue Management system. This is an essential tool for us both to track each request until the project is completed. This allows for a real time audit trail, providing auto email notifications to you, as we accomplish each task. During this time, you are able to contact us via phone, but encourage the use of the issue management system whenever possible to keep things accountable.
Working from an existing design helps to accelerate the process. If you are interested in introducing a new design for your new project, that is fine, but we typically are looking for an approved screenshot during the kick off meeting. This picture 'speaks a thousand words' and gives us everything we need to visually connect your vision to our product. Whatever data needs to be imported into your new centralpoint portal should be prepared, scrubbed and ready to give us as soon as possible, again to accelerate the launch.
Given the size and flexibility of our modules, applying the functionality to your site is clock work. You are able to witness our development via a live link to our development environment during the build. This allows you and your staff to see we are on schedule, and gives you the opportunity to tweak, and move the furniture around prior to launch. After this is completed, and all content has been migrated, it is time to conduct quality control. Typically, we allocate two weeks for your team and ours to conduct all aspects of quality control. During this time, we will explain exactly what we did, and moreover, how we did it. This becomes a live example for us to conduct training. Typically these training sessions are done via web conference with your relevant team members, and by the time the project launches, you know exactly how to use it, and change it, if need be.
After the quality control is completed, we will then prepare the site for launch. When the site is ready for launch, we will we can either migrate the site to your live server, or if we are hosting, we can migrate to one of our live servers. Our services do not stop there, we provide continued support after the launch, and through the duration of your service agreement with Oxcyon.
How to effectively prepare for your new project launch:
1.) Give careful thought to who your Audiences are. This means how would you, or should you segment your portal to address the needs of different groups. In other words, should there be a different design considered for each group of users, and if so what would that look like?
2.) Do some thinking about your taxonomy. You may feel comfortable assigning 'types' to your news or events...but have you thought about how you may relate a news article (tagged 'press release'), to an event (tagged 'shareholder meeting')? This shared taxonomy type, may be something more universal like 'Press Room'. It is not imperative you have this under control before launch, but we highly recommend you start thinking about how 'it all' will end up relating together. In this way your content can naturally suggest other dissimilar items on virtually every page.
3.) Who will be the point person for this project? This need not be a technical resource, nor a specialty marketing resource....just someone who is willing to take on the role of governing certain rules, to help everyone in your organization organize their local content, to benefit the larger organization.
4.) What data should you collect so that we can import it? Since Centralpoint offers data migration tools, this means that any data you have, or old file folders containing thousands of documents, images, or other information can now be organized. You may want to create a list of 'data housekeeping', so that we can make better sense of it all.
5.) Do you have a vision of what the finished portal will look like? Since so many wonderful portals have been built before, take a look around on the web...especially within your vertical. Our advise is 'follow the leader', look to the leading organizations in your vertical and learn some lessons (that they already have). Collect a list of interesting feature items that you may want to use, and then assemble a screenshot around it. You can also glean some wonderful ideas from other leading organizations NOT in your industry. We often visit sites including The New York Times, AOL, MSN, The Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Yahoo, and even templatemonster.com to get some inspiration about what these leaders are doing.