3. INTRODUCTION & MANAGEMENT
SUMMARY
why Plumsmedia
The ability to meet your requirements now and tomorrow. Plumsmedia
has successfully implemented web design solutions for the past 6 years.
Clients include local, national and international companies. The building
blocks behind this success are based upon design, integration, flexibility,
functionality & communication.
communication
It is vital that your solution communicates effectively with your target
Champions Real Estate Group
audience. Plumsmedia achieves this by listening, understanding and
empathising with this audience. Flexibility & functionality foremost in
attaining this objective is the provision of a flexible & functionally rich
application which will enable users to easily use all of the features of the
website.
integration
Integration in todays computing environment is vital. We ensure integration
with our client’s current business practises. Future business processes
are also considered and our development team uses current technologies
and an underlying framework that caters for future development & the Asset Group of Companies
extension of current processes.
design
Plumsmedia’s designers & developers have over 6 years combined
experience of best practice in web site designing & software development.
Our philosophy is that the best web projects are focused on simplification,
and on creating unified navigation and user-interface design. For the
above reasons Plumsmedia recommends the implementation of our
proposal.
AmbulancePro
The Woodland Custom Homes
03
4. COMPANY BACKGROUND
background
Since its launch in 2001, Plumsmedia has become one of the leading
web design & development agencies. Plumsmedia was founded
through a desire to provide creative solutions in a technical world.
Our talented team includes designers, developers, and marketing
experts with extensive experience in building and maintaining solutions
for clients throughout the globe.
DataWiz Rechnologies
dx | designlinx
Dubai USA
Elmar Solutions
04
5. COMPANY BACKGROUND
continued
A host of major companies.
Plumsmedia is the head of different IT companies who combine to provide
continual communications services to organisations throughout the globe.
Plumsmedia is a fully integrated communications agency offering a broad
range of marketing communications related services under an umbrella of
strategic disciplines:
In more detail Plumsmedia provides the integrated services required for
all modern communications projects.
The Houston Independent
Real Estate Brokers Association
Apex Hospital
Printing & Publishing Graphic Design Inkjet printing Web site design
Services Logo Design Solvent printing Search engine
Stationary Offset printing marketing
Case Report Forms Digital Printing Website designing Directory submission
Package and Labels Corporate Compaign Domain & hosting and link development
Clinical Protocols registration Site analysis
Clinical Trials Consulting
Data Sheets Software Development
Production Manuals
Regulatory Documents
Scientific Papers
Toxicology Reports
05
6. RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
clients
A list of our clients is available at the front of this document. Case studies
on some of the projects we have worked are in the appendices and further
details and case studies are available on our website.
experience
Our ability to deliver an effective solution for this project is based on nearly
6 years experience marrying high quality design with effective technology.
Plumsmedia has considerable experience in designing usable, fully content
Ideal Towing
managed, database driven web solutions - on time and to a fixed budget.
We are able to meet your key business aims and provide examples of our
solutions working for our clients.
Name: London Portal [U.K]
URL: http://www.ourlondon.info
Name: MARTHATURNER [U.S.A]
URL: http://www.marthaturner.com/magazine
Name: NIFC-PEMS College [Netherlands] Jacobs Realty
URL: http://www.nifc.nl
Name: ABS Nederland BV. [Netherlands]
URL: http://www.abs-nederland.nl
Name: Keller Williams Realty [U.S.A]
URL: http://www.kwmet.com
Name: International Shipping Lines Employment Corporation [Netherlands]
URL: http://www.islec.nl
Karpas Properties
Name: PEGGY WEST [U.S.A]
URL: http://www.peggywest.com
Name: APEX HOSPITAL [U.S.A]
URL: http://www.apexhospital.com
Name: DATAWIZ TECHNOLOGIES [U.S.A]
URL: http://www.datawiztechnologies.com
Name: DESIGN LINX [U.S.A] Keller Williums Realty
URL: http://www.designlinx.com
Name: HIREBA [U.S.A]
URL: http://www.hireba.org
Name: CHAMPION REAL ESTATE GROUP [U.S.A]
URL: http://www.championsrealestategroup.com
Name: KARPAS [U.S.A]
URL: http://www.karpas.com
06
8. RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
continued
projects currently in progress
• eRx online Prescription Technology.
• General Consulate of Pakistan Houston
• BullsEyes 10 Employee Evaluation Kit.
• Everyone’s Services Inc.
• Assets Group of Companies
key team members
During the development of your project Umair A. Ghani will be assigned Matthews Kang
as project manager. No design or development work will be
subcontracted outside Plumsmedia. Project development and
management are keys to the success of any web project - including
your own. The proper establishment of the project requirements and
objectives and effective project management are required to ensure
these goals are met. We apply considerable care at every stage of the
project to ensure a successful outcome.
Merchant 2 Merchant
Pepsi
Rhine McNeill Properties
08
9. PROJECT MANAGEMENT
project development and management Key to the success of any web project - including your own - is the proper establishment
of the project requirements and objectives and effective project management to ensure these objectives are delivered. We
apply considerable care at every stage of the project to ensure a successful outcome.
Our full time project manager will be assigned to your project and using our well established work flow process will mean
that your project will be expertly managed and risks reduced. Further details on our work flow process can be found in the
appendices section Plumsmedia Work.
project management methodology
We use an in-house methodology developed over 150 web projects utilising key elements of Prince 2. The key elements
include:
• Project planning – identification of the key activities and milestones in a single, coherent project plan. This will include
details of the agreed review processes and timescales.
• Milestones Management – ensuring adherence to the milestones that form the project’s critical path.
• Stakeholder Management – identification of the key players and management of their engagement with the project
• Outcomes – ensuring the timely delivery of the outcomes to an agreed quality standard.
• Budget – defining an agreed financial budget and ensuring that the project delivers within that budget.
• Team management – establishing the project team, clarifying roles and responsibilities, maintaining effective communications
and issue resolution.
ebusiness supplier certification
As one of the few holders of e-business supplier certification, Plumsmedia has proven (through an audit of our processes,
financial background and technical capabilities) that we are financially stable and have stringent project management, work
processes and security procedures in place. All correspondence (calls, mails, documentation, etc.) between Plumsmedia and
our clients is stored in our secure Lotus Notes databases. Our servers are backed up on a weekly basis. Backup servers can
be put into operation at short notice and internal equipment sits behind a Firewall with all PC’s running their own software
firewall and anti-virus software.
project tracker
At the beginning of the project, all stakeholders will be assigned access to the Plumsmedia Project Tracker. From here you
will be able to monitor the project in development (in real time), access all project documentation (including specifications,
ER diagrams, design guidelines, etc.) and see a break down of the entire project in to its component tasks with a checklist
that shows how far your project has developed. More details on Project Tracker are provided in the appendices. project
management deliverables:
• Project plan
• Project functional and content specification
• Project schedule
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10. PROJECT MANAGEMENT
continued
Requirements Definition
Stakeholder access to Project Tracker
Kick off meeting between Plumsmedia and Customer.
Technical, functional, content, marketing & creative requirements defined
Clear consensus established on goals and objectives
Project Definition & Schedule (PD&S) supplied to Customer
Feedback on PD&S supplied to Plumsmedia Design
PD&S agreed and signed off by Customer
Creative Design
Design research by Plumsmedia
Design concepts supplied to Customer
Marketing research conducted by Plumsmedia
Start of content collation by Customer
Designs Finalised, Implementation Begins
Feedback on the design concepts to Plumsmedia
Designed concepts progressed and signed off by Customer
Marketing research findings supplied to Customer
Continuation of content collation by Customer
HTML & CSS templates build
Implementation
Interface and CMS integrated by Plumsmedia
Bespoke development requirements implemented
Online testing of web site by Plumsmedia
Feedback on initial online version to be supplied to Plumsmedia
Revisions implemented by Plumsmedia
Testing, Training, Full Launch & Handover
Content population
Final online testing by Plumsmedia
Final alterations and developments implemented
Site completed
Site launched
Start of site marketing
10
11. DESIGN
design approach
We have provided a couple of different design concepts (on the following pages) with comments. Whether going
for the full redevelopment or a simple reskin of the existing site, Plumsmedia’s experienced designers would
provide the right design that meets your needs and resolves the problems with the current site design. The
approach taken in our designs was first to identify flaws within the existing site. It was felt that Company needed
a more effective area to advertise and display products to the user. Therefore expanding the top area for a new
flash animation and advertising would be the most suitable solution to this. In addition to this, it was felt that
the expansion of the area where the products are also displayed would generate more hits and provide a better
understanding to the user of what products the company has developed.
When approaching the design it was imperative that the displaying of logos of some of your blue chip clients
would assist in getting this message across. In addition to this, the flash area could be used to display quotes
and testimonials from previous clients making this message more apparent to the user. The site uses color and
space to distribute its information better within the site. By taking this fresh and innovative approach within the
design it should make company stand out within this industry. It was also felt that the positioning of the logo
in a more dominant position on screen would allow customers to remember the site and make the site feel very
different and unique in design.
In our suggested designs, it was felt that the injection of more colour into the site would help reflect the exciting
work the company is involved in. By continuing this modern and up-to-date feel, it was felt that the distribution
of information on the page differently would help make the company stand out within the market place. We
have continued the use of the fade seen within the company’s logo but in a more unique way as can be seen
at the bottom of the page.
Within the news CTA only one article has been chosen to display at any time. This makes it seem to the user the
site is continuously being updated and will continue to attract traffic towards the site. Another feature we have
included is the extra links tab which would animate itself on mouse click. This would display links towards other
sites company are involved in. This provides a more fluid approach between all the sites, which is missing from
the existing site. It is felt that this is an important feature for any company as it will generate traffic towards
other areas they are involved within.
design credentials
Plumsmedia operates a strict separation of design and development. All design work is carried out by designers.
Our designers are all degree educated in Digital Art or Graphic Design and have experience in working on over
200 web projects. Additional skills include brand development, design for print, 3D design and multi-media
design.
how the design process will work
After detailed discussions with the company, our designers will carry out further research. This is the Creative
Design phase, the outcome of which will be design concepts on key areas - such as the web site home page.
Additional concepts for other key areas can also be produced. Following feedback from company, the designs
will be progressed further until they are ready to be signed off
11
12. DESIGN
continued
Following sign off, the designs are transferred in to web page templates for integration with your content
management system This will include creation of any graphics or icons necessary as part of the project. Templates
will adhere to strict accessibility guidelines (discussed in the next section) and all content is kept strictly separate
from design elements. This will ensure that future design changes can be made quickly without impacting on
content. Templates and graphics will be optimised to reduce file size and tested to ensure the code fully complies
with W3C guidelines and is valid XHTML 1.0 Transitional. Usability testing can be built in to the process and
we will ensure the site is easy to use with clear navigation enabling all site visitors to find information simply
and quickly. Prominent calls to action will be included to encourage users to interact with your site - such as
delve deeper in to the content, make contact, and view the product demos.
Once the web site templates are ready for integration, Plumsmedia can work with (or provide support to) the
customer if integration with Expression Engine is required. Integration costs for Expression Engine are provided
as an hourly rate as our limited knowledge of EE means we would be unable at this stage to provide an accurate
quote for integration costs. If the company wish to do the design integration with EE themselves, Plumsmedia
would deliver valid HTML/CSS templates and guidelines/instructions for company to follow. We have worked
with a number of organisations in this way.
design deliverables
• Design concepts
• Finalised designs
• Online design and branding guidelines
• Design templates for integration with chosen content management system
• Additional design requirements (icons, ‘skinning’ of components, etc.)
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13. SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
METHODOLOGY
In today's fast changing business environment, new software or Applications must be developed quickly so that
they deliver the greatest return on investment. Plumsmedia development process is designed to help organizations
deliver application releases quickly, while ensuring that solid software engineering and risk management practices
are incorporated throughout. Our team development technique is innovative, proven and a repeatable multi-
phase process to yield production-caliber, deployable solutions in the shortest possible time. Plumsmedia
represents the best practices and techniques that Plumsmedia has refined to deliver high-priority business value
at a rapid pace.
The development strategy includes the following steps and services:
define and clarify
Understanding our clients' business and brand is the critical first step. We work with you to clearly understand
your immediate business needs and long-term goals, the competitive landscape and operating and technical
environments. The define and clarify phase establishes the business case and lays out the business requirements
that are to be accomplished. Industry patterns representing standard business processes and dominant workflows
are analyzed to provide context and direction for the clients' immediate needs and long term goals. We agree
on the business objectives and create a strategic plan of action. Together we define how the success of the
project will be assessed.
design and architect
What will the solution be? Who will use it and how? What will it do? How will it work? What will it look like?
Once we agree on project objectives, we define the functional, technical, and creative requirements. We
document them and work with you to refine them. The main deliverables from this phase are the object models,
technical design specifications, detailed user interface design, working components that comprise the infrastructure,
systems test plan, and a refined project plan.
13
14. SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
METHODOLOGY
continued
develop
The develop phase consists mainly of the coding, assembly and testing necessary to create a production-caliber
application. We use proven software engineering techniques, team-based development tools, frequent checkpoints
and traditional code reviews to ensure collaboration and high quality. Since the scope and design of the
application were validated and approved in previous phases, the team is well positioned to deliver a fast and
on-target release. Short, incremental code, assembly and test cycles are used to allow project teams to constantly
monitor the quality of the application. Each project team is also assigned a quality engineer to coordinate
testing efforts. The result is a working prototype of the deliverable that is ready to be tested and refined. The
final 'Build' results in a stable application release that is handed off for further integration and/or user acceptance
testing. These stages depend on our clients' staging and implementation processes.
deployment
We now build the final product. If required, we integrate the solution with the clients' existing systems. We
test and assure the functionality of the deliverable. We make sure you understand how to manage and maintain
it. The goal is to empower our clients to start realizing tangible business benefits from new application both
quickly and efficiently.
subsequent releases and enhancements
Many project plans are often based on incremental application releases to allow early return on investment and
ease the burden of change management. The project team simply loops through multiple
define/design/develop/deploy cycles until the overall scope of the application is achieved. For a period after the
launch, we'll monitor and analyze how the solution performs against the success criteria we defined in the
define and clarify phase.
14
20. ACCESSIBILITY & USABILITY
accessibility
All code will conform to all regulatory specifications. Care will also be taken in the construction of your site to
ensure that it is accessible to those with impairments and adheres to the UK Disability Discrimination Act. In practice
there must be a compromise between design, usability and accessibility. Plumsmedia Design will:
• Meet the requirements of level AA (the highest standard) with those elements not met (your content may impact
on this) agreed in advance between Company and plumsmedia.
• Meet Bobby guidelines
• Enable Keyboard controls for all functionality i.e. access keys for section headings
• Ensure link clarity
• Provide a non-visible page map (in HTML) that lets users (especially those with screen readers) skip to the main
content
• Allow users to change font sizes
• Provide an automatic site map
As part of the final development process, we will test the site through a number of automated systems (such as
Bobby, W3C Validator, W3C Link Checker) to ensure that the requirements are met. A report on your accessibility
conformance can be provided at the end of the project and included as a key deliverable within the contract. We
can also provide reports on conformance for some of our more recent sites to prove that we work within the W3C
guidelines.
usability
If they can’t use it, they won’t use it. Without a user friendly site, you won’t get the return on investment you
deserve. A usable web site increases customer use and loyalty. Our Managing Director gave a Usability Masterclass
to leading Scottish companies as part of the Scottish Enterprise EBusiness Week. All staff are trained to understand
the principles of good usability and use those skills in the development of all sites. During the implementation
stage, navigation and usability will be constantly tested and evaluated with a minimum of six users. Additionally
we can work with external usability testing companies who will audit the site in development and provide expert
usability evaluation.
browser support
The benchmark audience for this site will be those with (at least) an HTML4.0 capable browser, on a connected
device with the ability to display colour at a resolution of 800x600. However, our development & design methods
will ensure your site will be usable at other resolutions.
The site will be designed for use in the following browsers:
• Windows
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0+
• Netscape Navigator 6.0+
• Firefox 1.0+
• Opera 8+
• Mac OS X
• Netscape 7.1+
• Firefox 1.5+
• Opera 8+
• Safari 1.2+
accessibility/usability deliverables
• AA validated design templates
• An agreed navigation architecture for the site
• Design templates tested across browsers/platforms
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21. DIGITAL MARKETING
Plumsmedia promote - search engine optimisation
Without visitors your site serves no purpose. Correctly applied Internet marketing and optimisation can provide
a highly cost effective way to attract and grow your customer base and increase your average customer spend.
Plumsmedia offers a range of Search Engine Marketing solutions designed to suit all sizes of business that will
generate traffic for your website. At the beginning of the project, we will interview key members of the company
and carry out competitor benchmarking.
We focus on using the most effective techniques including Pay Per Click (PPC) Marketing, Search Engine
Optimisation and Link Building. The Promote service has 4 different options.
All of our services are designed to offer value for money and a good Return on Investment (ROI). Our FAST, SEO,
and PRO products are aimed at clients new to Search Engine Marketing or with small to medium sized budgets.
For more complex, higher budget projects we offer our Promote BESPOKE service. Here we work with you to
tailor our Search Engine Marketing service to precisely meet your objectives.
An additional part of our standard services is the inclusion of features within your CMS that give you control
over web page titles and the hidden Meta data stored in every web page. Access is also given to your monthly
site stat reports - which show your hit rates, popular pages, referrer sites and the search terms people are using
to find you. This will allow you to change areas critical to good search engine listings, re-submit your site to the
search engines, and monitor the results.
Good online marketing is the key to any successful web project. The type of Promote service you take is entirely
down to you and the results you wish to achieve. Some case studies are available where we show the results
we have achieved for our clients and further information on the Promote options is shown in the appendices.
email marketing - self service
Email marketing is the perfect medium to promote Company. Plumsmedia has developed a powerful email
marketing system, available on a monthly rental and in use by clients such as TAG Theatre, Graduates for Growth
and Fife Council’s Fife Rights Forum. Rental cost is based on your list size (with a starting band of 10,000 email
addresses), not on the number of emails you send.
Plumsmedia Emu would capture and store the data collected from all your online forms. This data can then be
managed, exported and even matched with data in other databases you may hold. Multiple lists can be stored,
segmented and targeted. Full graphic rich email creation software is included and the system would also
automatically create text only layouts. Emails can be scheduled up to a year in advance and once sent, you have
access to graphical reports that show you how many emails were sent, who opened them, who clicked on the
links, etc.
Full details on Emu can be found in the appendices.
21
22. DIGITAL MARKETING continued
email marketing - managed campaigns
Plumsmedia manage and run email marketing campaigns for clients such as the University of Glasgow & Fraser
Serviced Residences. If you wish to outsource your entire email marketing distribution, Plumsmedia can provide:
• Email design
• HTML email template - tested in Outlook, Hotmail, Lotus Notes, etc.
• Campaign set up
• Data import
• Mail merge
• Managed send
• Auto handling of unsubscribes & bounce backs
• Live reports
viral marketing/e-cards
For something a little more outside the box, viral marketing and e-Cards could be the answer. Plumsmedia can
provide the full service from idea to build to distribution. e-Cards can be anything from single images to
interactive multimedia presentations that help you gather valuable marketing data.
22
23. SUPPORT & MAINTENANCE
testing
Prior to public launch the web site will be extensively reviewed and tested to ensure it meets the agreed project
specification and is error free. Technical testing takes place throughout development - unit tests, black box tests
and white box tests are performed. All tests, test procedures and results are documented
ongoing developments
The Internet, like any business, does not stand still - and neither should your web site. Whilst your CMS will give
you much of the control you need to grow and control the site over the short term, Plumsmedia is fully aware
that new needs and requirements will surface as your business changes. Plumsmedia is here for the long term
and actively looks to establish long term relationships with our clients. Our philosophy is that every customer
should be given a personalised service. Your account manager will ensure that the project meets or even exceeds
the agreed performance standards and knowledge transference, which will result in enhancing our understanding
of the company, thus continually driving improvements in your web sites performance.
maintenance
Support and maintenance on any bugs or errors is provided on all developments and implementations provided
by Plumsmedia and is covered by our Service Level Agreement. If you opt for the support licence option, you will
benefit from all future upgrades.
service level agreement
Following launch of your web site and as part of the handover pack, a full Service Level Agreement will be provided.
This will detail the service contact, response times and agreed level of cover for your services. A copy of our
standard SLA can be provided upon request.
helpdesk
All support requests are logged in our Helpdesk system and tracked until resolution. Each support request is
assigned to the appropriate team members with clear timeframes established. At all times the client is kept
informed on progress. Helpdesk requests can be submitted by telephone, email and our online request form.
ip
Copyright for all front end design elements and database content will pass to company Technologies upon receipt
and clearance of all outstanding payments.
stats
Your cms will link to live statistics on your site visitors. Full details on the information available can be found in
the appendices.
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