Services

 

User Interface Design

 

Bushe Enterprises provides services throughout the software lifecycle, but BE differentiates itself with expert user interface design and implementations.  We have experience in creating rich, intuitive solutions for users with demanding software needs.  BE has created a structured approach to user interface development that formalizes user's needs and ensures a rapid and reliable path to producing compelling desktop applications.

 

BE has in-depth experience in the following application domains:

  • Financial applications, including portfolio management, buy-side trading, and exchange trading
  • Storage and network management
  • Inventory part management
  • ERP

BE is riding the rising wave of Desktop Java development.  Desktop Java, commonly called Swing, is the richest, most adaptable client platform ever created.  BE's clients have been successful deploying Swing applications for many reasons, including:

  • Swing has the ability to create stunning presentations, including interactive 3D graphics, useful for complex maps, charts and visualizations.
  • Swing is cross-platform, so it will run on your any of the computers in your enterprise, or on your employee's Mac when they VPN into work.
  • Java WebStart allows Swing applications to be installed quickly and easily on any computer, with the ability to automatically update the installations when a new release is available.
  • Swing has a "skinnable" design.  It can emulate the operating system it is running on, or you can make your application stand out from the rest by using the many available Swing skins, or brand your application with a custom skin.
  • Swing is a mature, proven platform.

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    BE has built on Swing to facilitate the creation of complex desktop applications with all the functionality that users and businesses expect.  For example, BE's Swing applications are pluggable, which allows users to buy upgrade editions or limits functionality for certain users, such as assistants or guests.

     

    Software Requirements Analysis

     

    BE's user-orientation lends itself well to the very start of the application development lifecycle - requirements analysis.  Our streamlined process uses extreme rapid prototyping to capture your user's needs.  User experience experts analyze your users, their mission and their environment.  Rapid prototypes quickly get valuable feedback from your users, saving precious cycles.  BE then "hypermaps" the user's needs to software artifacts, integrating your existing assets and creating new ones as necessary.  Depending on your needs, you can save months of time and expense over slow documentation-first processes like RUP.  More importantly, you avoid the shocks that these processes cause when the rubber of requirement documents meet the road of creating usable software.

     

    Software and System Architecture

     

    BE analyzes your system's needs for performance, availability, disaster recovery, data management, security, and integration with other systems to determine optimal system architectures.  BE's architectures can range from exceptionally cheap grids running reliable open source software with locally attached storage to high-end dynamic utilty computing blades using SANs and deploying robust closed-source solutions from industry leaders like Oracle, TIBCO, BEA and IBM.  Since BE is independent of hardware vendors, our recommendations are directed to utilizing your existing assets and lowering your TCO, while ensuring your applications will always perform as expected.

     

    BE creates software architectures as solid as the iron on which they run.  BE doesn't need to drown you in an alphabet soup of standards and technologies.  BE takes the Occam's Razor approach to design, sometimes stated as "Entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity."  We shave off what is unnecessary, leaving architectures that are as simple as possible, while ensuring your application's scalability and throughput outperforms your expectations. BE relies on popular open standards, and the best implementations of them.

     

    Bushe Enterprises' user-centric approach separates our architectures from the rest.  BE emphasises client architecture, a topic usually ignored almost completely.  Most architectures have scores of diagrams and documentation on various server layers with a passing mention of the client, usually limited to a box in a high level diagram with lines to all the "important" entities.  Invariably, these designs come short of meeting the needs of users.  BE's expertise in the user experience and rich clients has exposed the critical need for user-driven architecture that includes the multifaceted needs of the client, including liveliness, caching, validation, data pageablity, multitasking, disconnected usage, transactional coordination, help, etc.  If your software is for your users, then isn't the client, the layer closest to them, at least as important as the other layers?  BE's architectures reduce surprise and cover all the bases.

     

    If you already have architecture in place, BE can work with your architects to assess its viability and recommend improvements.

     

    Development Processes, Planning, and Execution

     

    You can leverage BE's diverse software project experience to create winning processes customized to your environment and culture.  BE can enhance your existing processes or plan something new if you are just starting out or want a fresh approach.

     

    BE customizes development processes for each client's environment, but always takes a common-sense agile approach.  BE's processes promote active stakeholder and user participation.  Active stakeholders combined with rapid prototyping using BE tools, quickly achieves a high level of confidence in the ongoing work, while assuring that your efforts will please your customers.

     

    What used to be revolutionary has become routine.  BE has long emphasized iterative development, exposing risks early, building close-knit teams with high levels of communication, collective ownership, tight standards, code reviews, continuous builds and thorough testing.  A software team run like the crew of a Navy ship - each person's role (or roles) has a playbook taken from a well-designed plan.  When orchestrated properly, the team is greater than the sum of its parts, achieving surprising levels of productivity and effectiveness.

     

    Build and Configuration Management Processes

     

    Build and configuration management are the lungs of a development project.  When they breath full and frequently, the whole body of work gets more energy.  When they sputter, it can bring the development team to a halt.  From the choice of a versioning system or defect tracking tool to a continuous integration strategy your team will thrive on, BE can get you to optimum health.

     

    Services Summary

     

    Bushe Enterprises can provide any or all of the services above for your project.  You will be surprised at how affordable our expertise is.  Let BE do the heavy lifting for your software project. Contact BE.