Project Balance excels at software development and it is central to almost every project in our portfolio. The key to the success of our software development work is including you and team stakeholders in project decision-making throughout the project, starting from requirements gathering through to end user training. We follow the Principles for Digital Development and with special focus on user-centric design. We encourage our development team to interact directly with end users so that they can really understand the goals and needs of the client and build products that truly meet your needs.
Our team has experience with both Microsoft and open-source development stacks, working on both Microsoft and Linux operating systems. We are skilled in designing scalable and flexible systems using microservice architectures and proven design patterns.
For mobile development, we prefer to use cross-platform coding frameworks that allow developers to create apps that run on multiple operating systems, such as iOS and Android, using a single codebase. This approach reduces development and maintenance time and costs, as there’s no need to build separate apps for each platform. Our preferred frameworks for mobile application development include React Native and .NET MAUI (formerly Xamarin).
We have experience deploying and managing systems across various environments, including cloud platforms like Azure and AWS, on-premises data centers, and co-location facilities. Our approach is tailored to your environment and organizational goals, using the best technologies for your needs.
Requirements Gathering
Project Balance excels at requirements gathering and user-centered design. Our approach to capturing effective requirements involves gathering input from all stakeholders and then clearly defining the software product’s user interface, navigation, and data collection processes using techniques like use cases, workflow diagrams, data dictionaries, wireframes, and storyboards. We also capture requirements for output reports and dashboards, design storyboards, and document the business rules necessary for data calculation and transformation to support informed decision-making. This collaborative process ensures a shared understanding of the requirements, enabling your team to effectively prioritize and approve the features and functions to be developed. Gathering detailed requirements and having a shared understanding of what should be developed and the expected output is key to our successful product development.
Technical Architecture and System Security
Beyond user needs, our requirements-gathering process also involves documenting the technical specifications to develop and deploy a software project. This comprehensive design document details every project component, including database design, overall technical architecture, integration and interoperability with any third-party systems, security requirements, server setup, and other relevant technical details. This architecture step also informs the client of the projected costs of running the product post-deployment.
Tied closely to the technical architecture is the system security. We apply industry-recognized security guidelines throughout our software development, hosting, and maintenance processes, including:
- OWASP Guidelines: Protecting against common security vulnerabilities (e.g., injection attacks, broken authentication)
- NIST Secure Software Development Framework (SSDF): Best practices for secure coding, testing, and deployment
- ISO/IEC 27001 & 27002 Standards: Global standards for information security management
- Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC): Building security into every phase of development:
- Secure by Design: Integrating security from the planning phase
- Threat Modeling: Identifying potential risks early in the development process
- Secure Coding Practices: Following best practices to prevent vulnerabilities
This approach helps us minimize security risks and protect sensitive information effectively.
Agile Approach
Project Balance follows agile software development principles, focusing on clear communication, close collaboration with clients, and delivering working software at every stage. We prioritize flexibility, adapting to changes to ensure maximum business value.
For single software tool development, we collect all requirements upfront, then break the project into manageable iterations, each with clear, demonstrable deliverables.
For long-term projects spanning several years, we plan in 4–6-month development cycles, providing regular product updates and deployments to maintain progress and alignment with business goals.
We know that communication with clients about project status, deliverables, and challenges through schedule documentation and mid-project demonstrations is essential for establishing a team-oriented and innovative environment for optimal productivity.