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Software Development

Software Development

Our Software Design and Development engagements focus on simplifying architectures, services and approaches with a minimalist mind-set.  Complicated approaches generate imperfect solutions, so let’s unravel the tangle of interdependencies, mismatched tools, and inconsistent coordination. Whether it’s creating a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), starting with Test Driven Development (TDD), or building the right balance of services and micro-services, we promote user-centered designs, effective decision making, cost reductions, rapid releases, and secure operations. Download our software development capabilities document.

Continuous Delivery Pipeline

Often software development projects are delayed and cost more due to increasing product requirements backlogs, diversity of systems, rapidly evolving technologies, and differing needs of end-user groups. Deploying the proper framework is a critical part of any successful software development and operations effort. Agencies looking to optimize their Agile processes, modernize technology stacks, and ensure code quality and rapid delivery can reduce maintenance costs by having a properly designed technical solution that will provide a higher return on investment. Implementation of the plays in LATCH’s SAFe DevSecOps Playbook supports a continuous delivery pipeline to facilitate continuous delivery, higher success rate of new releases, and accelerated releases of defect fixes to production.

We use Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD), a process framework and set of tools and techniques (e.g., test automation, deployment automation) that moves code from developers through the environments while incorporating automated security and testing activities. CI/CD supports a Continuous Delivery Pipeline which provides the ability to release code to end-users without manual intervention. Our pipeline can be augmented and tailored to suit Agencies’ unique requirements. LATCH’s approach fosters improved collaboration between developers, testers, security personnel, and business stakeholders, resulting in delivery of changes in a matter of minutes so development teams can turn their attention to what’s really important: building a great product.

SAFe DevSecOps Playbook

Becoming a 21st century Federal Agency requires more than just the latest IT innovations and modern technologies. At the risk of innovation fatigue, Agencies are being asked to solve the latest IT, data, and security challenges while navigating an ever-evolving technology landscape. In the end, achieving mission success is defined by flexible, adaptable, and highly structured frameworks executed by knowledgeable experts with proven experience. It starts with redefining what it takes to achieve success outcomes that are faster, more consistent, secure, and deliver business value to internal and external Agency stakeholders.

DevSecOps

LATCH developed and executes a Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) DevSecOps Playbook that defines a set of technology and management plays to deliver immersive, usable, and accessible digital experiences using an iterative development lifecycle, continuous security, and integrated operations for rapid release and production support. We use the SAFe enterprise-scale processes to synchronize Agile software teams into a single unit while maintaining separation of duties. SAFe is designed for the cross-team, geographically dispersed environment, allowing delivery teams to act independently, but in a coordinated manner.

Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe)

Properly executed Agile DevSecOps software development centers on rolling wave requirements definition, planning and development, where maximum flexibility is maintained until Sprint kick-off. We manage a flexible, top-down perspective through Epics, Roadmaps, and Sprint plans. We also include bottom-up details such as a backlog, User Stories, and Features so that Product Owners, Stakeholders, and Senior Leaders are able to drill down to the documentation they need to synchronize large scale efforts. The delivery teams retain the flexibility to respond to change in bite-sized increments with security design and testing woven throughout the process.

Solutions

SAFe DevSecOps Playbook

UX Research and Design

We build and deliver modern digital experiences that promote accessibility, ease of use, personalization, and user-centered design. The emphasis on users’ interactions with digital products necessitates best practices in user experience (UX), user interfaces (UI), human factors engineering (HFE), and information architecture (IA). Across our body of work, we bridge the gap between next-generation digital experiences and Government policies and regulations by bringing the professional expertise to ensure that our UX research and design has measurable impact, integrates success metrics with web analytics, and provides a productive return on investment (ROI).

Google Design Sprints (GDS)

GDS is a methodology based on modern design thinking that focuses on rapid iterations, an immersive experience, accelerated collaboration, and decisive decision making. GDS is a part of our “fail fast, recover fast” culture that increases the value of digital products by providing exceptional user experiences and a faster time to market while minimizing quality, schedule, and security risks through early discovery, collaborative ideation, and open thinking.

Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe)

We use the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) to manage and coordinate our internal and customer-facing efforts with well-defined and understood practices at the Portfolio, Product, and DevSecOps tiers. We use our SAFe processes to create the structure around the GDS.

Human Factors Engineering (HFE)

HFE is a multi-domain specialty that examines the intersection between humans and machines using techniques and understanding taken from fields as diverse as engineering, psychology, neuroscience, and physiology. The goal is to increase the productivity, safety, and satisfaction of human-computer interactions. UX is a sub-set of HFE that focuses specifically on digital products, and we derive our processes from HFE best practices and standards that generate repeatable, reliable, and reusable results. In our HFE work, we advocate a balanced approach that includes both quantitative and qualitative insights.

Solutions

Google Design Sprint

21st Century Approaches to Modern Software and Services

Avoid innovation fatigue by focusing on modern frameworks, technology stacks, and design patterns. Schedule a consultation about how to achieve mission success by building a mature, user-centric approach to continuous delivery.