"When we leverage iRise, we're seeing our historical software development cycles cut in half. Our previous process resulted in multiple cycles of rework. Using iRise to simulate the portal led to a first-round deliverable that was 95% accurate right out of the gate."

– Business Analyst, Financial Services Group

Background
This customer is a full-service financial planning and investment management firm that offers a strategic, planning-based approach to wealth management, custom-tailored to the requirements of each client. As a component of its diversified investment portfolio options, the company brokers rare coins and precious metals through its Coins & Bullion division.

Challenge
In an effort to establish an Internet presence for cross-selling its myriad financial services, the customer set out to launch the company's first eCommerce portal in support of its Coins & Bullion (C&B) division. The ambitious project was initiated to create a foundation for selling rare coins and bullion online, with features such as a searchable inventory and secure transaction functionality.

On past projects, developers worked directly with stakeholders, interviewing internal clients to elicit requirements and then coding what was discussed. Inevitably, a gap in understanding was revealed along with the initial deliverable, and the parties endured several time-consuming iteration cycles to reach consensus. Due to the complexities of the C&B portal, the customer needed to adopt a more efficient process.

Result
A business analyst on the project team simulated the C&B portal in iRise prior to coding and realized time savings across the development cycle, while delivering a Phase 1 portal that exceeded expectations.

Business analysts presented the interactive iRise simulation during the definition phase, which enabled stakeholders to visualize the portal before coding; thereby, greatly accelerating project review cycles. The time saved was invested into other areas of the project such as enhanced search functionality and improved user experience.

The final iRise simulation was delivered to IT as a blueprint for what to build, which led to additional time savings during the development phase. With a clear understanding of the project, developers focused on coding instead of interviewing stakeholders. The first-round deliverable was 95% accurate, eliminating the need for multiple iterations. Phase 1 of the C&B portal was delivered in just 4 weeks, well below the customer's typical 8-week development cycle.