ViKiwi

Getting started using ProjectDiscipline™

1. Set up the master account (you will be the holder of the master account):
   1. Go to www.projectdiscipline.net and click on "Sign up".
   2. Fill out all the fields and click "Submit". 
   3. Check your email for a message from ProjectDiscipline.  Click on the link to activate the master account. 
2. Set up the first project and its categories (you will be the Project owner for all the projects that you create):
   1. Click on "Create new project".
   2. Type in the name of the first project and click ü. 
   3. Click on "Create category" in the left-hand margin.  Type in the name of the first category and click ü.  Repeat this process for all the categories for this project.
   4. You have now set up the first project and its categories. You can delete or rename the project and/or its categories at any time.
3. Enable other members of the project team to access ProjectDiscipline:
   1. From the "Project list" ("Home" page), click on the project you have just created.
   2. Roll your cursor over the "Project" tab at the top of the page, and click on "Share".
   3. Click the button "Invite to project", type in the team member's email, customize the message or leave as the default, and click ü.
   4. Click the "x" in the top right hand corner to close the window.
   5. Each team member will receive an email from ProjectDiscipline inviting her/him to join the project.  S/he needs to follow the instructions to sign up.  Once s/he has signed up, you will see her/his display name in the list of "Project collaborators" the next time you access the project or refresh your browser.

   Helpful shortcut: After an invited colleague appears on the list of "Project collaborators" for one project, add her/him to you "Friend list" (Here's how).  Now, it is much easier to add her/him to any other project (Here's how).
   

4. Everyone is good to go once they have signed up.  As the holder of the master account, you can change or add projects, categories or collaborators at any time.  You can get more help at ProjectDiscipline User Support.

Information Technology Management

ViKiwi brings a structured approach to IT management for your IT projects. We use Agile software development techniques and technology best practices to produce a high quality solution.

Examples of IT management activities in a project based on the Unified process:

Project charter which includes a vision document
Initial use case model / business requirements
Business case with success criteria and financial forecasts
Risk assessment
Project plan showing phases and iterations
System architecture documentation

Information Design and Information Architecture

ViKiwi has extensive experience designing user-centered software to maximize usability. Whether the audience are customer service representatives, attorneys, or educators, we can establish a design that is tuned to the needs of the audience. 

ViKiwi has knowledge of best practices in information design and can bring the right resources to a project to assure success.

   Information Architecture
   Wireframes
   Website Maps
   Visual Design
   Personas
   Software Human Factors Expertise
   Usability Testing
   

Vendor selection & management

Selecting a vendor for a particular project is complicated because it requires a disciplined process to ensure due diligence is followed. Far too often a single product demonstration creates excitement and teams rush to purchase the one product without a structured approach. This creates risk and opportunity costs unnecessarily.

ViKiwi can help you to develop requirements criteria and decision matrices that fit the situation. ViKiwi can also help you to manage the selection and deployment of small and large systems.

Needs definition

Technical methodologies often neglect the business processes that are upstream from a project and this can leave a gap between the written user requirements and the actual needs they have. ViKiwi can help develop higher quality definitions of business needs and requirements that improve the success rate for resulting projects.

Areas of experience include:

Situation and Needs Analysis
Requirements definition
Developing business cases and business plans
User centered design
Facilitate discussions between IT and business users

Strategic Planning

ViKiwi can assist in developing an innovative strategic approach to specific business and technology problems.

For example, ViKiwi can help determine how to move business functions from the back office to the customer website.

ViKiwi can help with developing strategies and strategic planning. This includes defining a strategic planning approach or framework that is compatible with your situation, and then working through that approach with participating team members.

Business Process Improvement

ViKiwi has substantial experience leading efforts to improve and upgrade business processes. ViKiwi can work with you to develop an understanding of your current state and future state and establish a path to that new future that brings business and technology improvements to life.

Areas of experience include:

Web-based self-service applications
Opening new accounts
Electronic signatures
Inbound paper and document management

Website Development

ViKiwi has substantial experience with website development including:

• Ruby on Rails; Mongrel, NGINX, Capistrano
• Java platform
• Information Architecture - Site Maps, Website Design
• Quality Assurance; Continuous Integration
• Hosting