The Xorbix Way

The Xorbix Approach to Agile Software Development

Author: Tom Campbell

13 August, 2024

I recall that in years past my children would ask me what Xorbix, and I did. I would tell them we create software, they were like “cool, like games on Xbox?” Then I would explain that we make software for companies to help them in their business. I guess I was not the cool dad. Back then when we built software, we followed the waterfall method, collecting all the requirements, doing the design, building the software, and then testing the software. But even back in the early 2000’s we at Xorbix always liked to keep the clients closely tied into the projects.  Every couple of weeks we would show off parts of the software so we could get their feedback. We never wanted to get to the end of the project and get surprised that what we collect in the requirements gathering meetings was not what they actually meant. Or even more common, a process had recently changed. 

Over the years Agile has become popular and we moved that way too, except we still gather all the requirements up front so we can provide our clients with a solid estimate of what their custom software will cost. Oh, how we would love a company to come and say let’s build this in two-week sprints, and whatever it costs in the end is fine with us! Instead, we have the “Xorbix Way”. The Xorbix Way is part process and part client satisfaction. We have our process that we follow, but we bend it to fit the client’s needs and wants. Over the years we have been mostly a Microsoft shop, but if a client walks in and says we love PHP, well gosh darn it, we will build you your software in PHP. The same goes with AI tools, we have guys trained in Azure OpenAI and Databricks, but we will also work in AWS and Google. In fact, I’ll discuss in another blog post how we like to have our engineers train and certify on many different platforms. 

So back to the process…. As a software development company, our delivery process now follows the Agile Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), encompassing Discovery, Design, Development, Testing, Deployment, and Managed Services, ensuring a flexible, iterative approach for seamless and efficient project execution. But we also adjust our process to meet the client’s needs. We generally work in 2-week sprints, but if a client needs one-week sprints, we adjust to meet their needs. Not only is our development process Agile but so is our company and our engineering teams! 

As mentioned before, depending on the size of the project we like to do all the discovery up front. Be it a day or 3 weeks of meetings, we want to understand the full scale of the project and give you a good solid estimate so that you understand what it will cost to build your software solution. 

Once we have the full requirements we work on UI/UX design, we also try to do this all at one time to get a good understanding of what is going to be produced. Once we are in the sprint development phases, the UI design can be changed. Putting quality UI designs together really helps show the customer what we are building for them, but once we actually start coding, and they actually start touching their software, they have awesome feedback! 

And then we start writing code. During development, we utilize an Agile approach, translating designs into functional software through iterative two-week sprints. This fosters collaborative engagement between our team and the customer. Once we get started, we have bi-weekly or weekly meetings with the customer to give them status and show them their software. At the start of the development, we have less to show, but as we go, the client gets to have a live feel of what is being built. We do not encourage them to use the software as beta software at this point, but we want their feedback, often they realize that what they thought they wanted might not have been the case. We discuss and adjust to get them what will work best for their needs. 

We do QA during each sprint and then again after all development is completed. We conduct extensive testing to verify software reliability and security, preparing the product for successful deployment. We also expect the client to perform beta testing, we like them to have some skin in the game, and to spend the time to make sure the software meets their needs. 

Deployment is an interesting area. We will carefully deploy the solution into the production environment, seamlessly integrating with existing systems and minimizing disruption. That sounds great but there is a lot more to deployment than that. We have development deployment, staging deployment, and production deployment. We QA each deployment. Depending on the client, deployments can be automatic, or they can be done manually via FTP. Each client’s needs are different, and we try to meet those needs. 

Finally, the project is complete, and you are done with Xorbix!!!! Wait, we do not recommend just building your software and moving on. In this software era SDKs, APIs, and requirements move fast and require constant updating. We recommend Xorbix’ Managed Services where we can provide ongoing support, monitoring, and maintenance to optimize performance, adapt to your evolving requirements, and ensure continuous improvement of your software.  

The Xorbix Way is more than just a process; it is a philosophy that combines methodology, flexibility, and client care, all driven to meet our client’s needs. Our journey from the waterfall method to an Agile approach reflects our commitment to continuous improvement and client satisfaction. We have always engaged closely with our clients throughout the project lifecycle, to ensure that the software we develop meets and exceeds their expectations. Our adaptability extends beyond just our development process; it permeates our entire company culture, enabling us to work with a variety of technologies and platforms. This approach has allowed us to build a strong, diverse team and deliver innovative solutions tailored to each client’s unique requirements. As we continue to evolve and adapt, the Xorbix Way remains our guiding principle, ensuring that we deliver high-quality, custom software solutions that drive business success.