Introduction
Vertic is committed to using implementation processes that are geared towards safety and security of information, transparency, and reliability; we have implemented an Information Security Management System (ISMS) that is compliant with ISO/IEC 27001:2013, the international standard for information security.
The purpose of this document is to describe the way the business operates, internal and external factors influencing it and to highlight in general terms the potential consequences of a security breach. This will allow the most appropriate mix of control measures to be put in place to reduce the level of risk and to ensure that plans are available and tested to manage the impact of any interruptions that do occur.
Specifically, this document sets out:
The overall engagement process
Implementation proposals and statements of work
Client management process
Development team (outsourced) management process
This document will be updated at least annually and when significant change happens to the relevant areas covered.
The overall engagement process
Vertic is very narrow in its implementation focus; we deliver primarily to the Australian non-profit sector using the Salesforce digital platform. This means, our work is repetitive in its application, our team is consistent (with little churn), and our clients face similar challenges.
Vertic’s overall engagement process has been developed over many years of implementation experience and this document represents the core processes used to deliver our contracted services.
Engagement process
The below diagram illustrates the overall engagement process across Vertic’s implementation processes.
Sales and engagement
The sales process is typically a series of online meetings, client introductions, discovery sessions, and solution demonstrations. Vertic produces two documents during this initial stage of the implementation services process, including:
Implementation Proposal
Statement of Work
Both documents are further described within their relevant section within this document.
Implementation project commencement
Once a Statement of work has been executed (and any other relevant contracts signed), Vertic progresses to the next stage of the implementation process which is to commence the project itself which includes the following activities:
JIRA/Confluence instance configuration & project setup
Shared client folder creation
Solution design workshop scheduling
Commencement invoice dispatching
Implementation project management
The management of the ongoing implementation project will be managed more globally within the Vertic team with a dedicated account manager communicating with the larger team around the following:
Resource availability and scheduling (using Tempo)
Timeline expectations
Overall project status is shared with the larger Vertic team
Ongoing invoicing is managed via engagement with the CFO
Sales and engagement
Vertic’s sales and engagement process is required to produce two distinct documents, including:
An implementation proposal
A commercial statement of work
The implementation proposal
The implementation proposal covers the entirety of Vertic’s proposed services so any prospective client can make commercial decisions with the full knowledge of what is being purchased from Vertic; the implementation proposal must contain at the least the following information:
Client name & project name
Overview of Vertic’s implementation services
Any relevant implementation assumptions
The proposed implementation teams
The proposed implementation costs (indicating the cost model)
An overview of Vertic’s implementation methodology
The scope of the implementation (typically via the cost table)
The commercial statement of work
The commercial statement of work covers the commercial terms of Vertic’s proposed services so any prospective client can make commercial decisions with the full knowledge of what is being purchased from Vertic; the statement of work must contain at the least the following information:
Client name & project name
Reference to the implementation proposal
Investment summary (cost table)
Payment & invoice schedule
Any other relevant commercial terms applicable to the proposed project
Project management processes
This section of the document outlines the required project management processes to deliver Vertic’s services, including:
Client management
Resource management & planning
Documentation requirements
Client management
Vertic’s primary tool for communicating with our clients is JIRA and not email. It is critical to understand that all communication around scope, design, and delivery must be done via JIRA (tickets within this platform) rather than emails. The below summary states the principles under which we engage with our clients:
JIRA tickets in preference of email (emails get lost, are too hard to maintain and track)
No attachments when emails are sent; it is our standard to send links to online documents rather than document attachments (unless this is legally required)
At least fortnightly status meetings with clients to update on progress (usually based on going through JIRA)
Resource management & planning
Vertic’s implementation services are underpinned by a strong resource management process which includes the following key components:
Weekly resource planning meeting (which projects at least 4-6 weeks in advance)
Weekly high level pipeline review to project upcoming capacity requirements
Shared Slack channel with the development team
Documentation requirements
The implementation process requires Vertic’s team to document several artefacts, such as design, test, and solution components. All documentation is produced in either one of a limited set of options, including:
A shared Google document
A shared Confluence space/page
An online screen recording video
In all instances, the documentation must contain at least the following information:
A clear vision and scope of what is being documented
Documentation must be in the language and terminology of the client to foster understanding
Reference links
The referenced table lists all relevant and required document samples and URLs to perform the described functions.