Cascade Stream’s work process is adaptable according to the project and the client’s preferred practices.   Projects with a defined deliverable may be managed starting with a written proposal which includes:

• requirements
• description of the work product
• tools and techniques that will be used
• development approach / work breakdown structure
• assessment of potential risks involved.

The work breakdown structure included in the proposal is the starting point for project tracking, which aims to give the client a transparent view of progress throughout the development.  Periodic status updates include projections showing current estimates for the time needed to complete the project and a detailed summary of work performed to date.

We like to show the work breakdown structure as a hierarchical tree, with the time tracking aspects overlaid directly on the structure.  Each node includes estimates for time worked to date and time remaining to complete.

Example work breakdown structure for a plug-in development, with time tracking estimates (in hours) applied to each task node

Another view of project progress is the burndown chart.  This is a useful tool to help recognize unexpected cost overruns and detect execution problems as early as possible.  It tracks the time worked to date and the estimated time to completion against a baseline projection established at the start of the project.  Every vertex or kink in the “actual” trace has some identifiable discovery, challenge, or “ah ha” moment behind it.

Example burndown chart showing project progress after 73 hours of work and comparing against a baseline projection

We are happy to answer any questions about our engineering process and status reporting to clients.  Feel free to begin a conversation through the contact page.