What is CSG's Environment Assessment?

custom software development, developing your strategy

Depending on who you ask, anywhere from 30-70% of all software projects are considered a failure (over time/budget & didn't accomplish goals). We know that is a very broad range, but it is a broad category, so let’s keep moving.

We at CSG know there are shortcomings on both the professional service provider’s (PSP) side of the equation, as well as the client side. Rather than wasting your time explaining what all of those are, we address the major issues with our proven process that we call an “Environment Assessment”.

environment assessment

Let’s paint the picture and level the playing field. Something is going on in your organization; your team is experiencing pain. There are too many steps in a process. There are too many people involved. There are still manual/handwritten processes that are prone to error, etc.

With issues like these, often leaders in organizations ask their own team to ‘solution’ it and find out the best way to remedy the issue. What happens is that individuals or teams of employees who know this legacy process try to fix it with technology in the form of off-the-shelf software, SaaS offerings, or some Excel magic.

Inevitably, the vast majority cannot bring their proposed solution to fruition, and experts are called upon to clean up the rest. Being that this is a project-based industry, PSP’s jump at the opportunity to “knock this one out of the park and see what else they want us to do after” in the legacy ‘land-and-expand’ mentality.

This is where it needs to stop.  RIGHT. HERE.

Rather than having an introductory meeting and immediately quoting how much it would take to get it done, we at csg have inserted our proven “Environment Assessment” method into the equation. 

Think of it this way; if you went to the doctor and said, “I’m having some back pain, and I can’t do things the way I used to… I think I need the spinal fusion surgery that Tiger Woods had,” WE HOPE that the doctor would first ask some questions, run some tests, evaluate all the options before scrubbing up for surgery.

We at CSG act more like holistic doctors who evaluate and consider all areas of a client’s organization before diagnosing a solution of any kind. Our tenured solution architects interview an average of 8-12 of your team members, ask a broad range of questions about the issue in question as well as cross-reference all of that with the organization/department’s long-range strategy.  Everyone’s perspective is important; strategy is important; expertise is important; but it is in the harmonizing of it all where the magic happens.

We detail everything we heard from your staff, what we saw in your systems and what we would recommend if we were in your shoes. 

This may be why our clients work with us, on average, for over 8 years. We act in the best interest of your organization by asking the tough questions, consulting on the optimal solution, and actually having the chops to get it done.

 

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