robust, fail-safe processes to ensure technically excellent solutions and complete customer satisfaction. Named the CM Consulting 7-D^© Model, our approach consists of the following seven phases:

• Direction. We work closely with Microsoft early in the product development process to understand the technology and capabilities of new software products. We then work just as closely with you to understand your high-level business requirements. We provide honest, objective direction and advice about how the features and benefits of SharePoint technologies map to your requirements
• Discovery. If a SharePoint-based solution is suitable for your high-level requirements, we will work closely with your business sponsors, key stakeholders, IT staff, and project managers to delve into specific requirements. We apply a range of proven techniques to discover and gather all of your solution requirements, and we ensure that business, technical, functional, and non-functional requirements are all identified. Our copyrighted discovery process ensures that we gather details of all your business needs and technical requirements.
• Design. After all of your requirements have been defined, we use our extensive experience to produce unambiguous design specifications. Our design process is iterative—we keep you in the loop to ensure that our designs evolve to meet all of your requirements. Our copyrighted SharePoint design worksheets include functional specifications, non-functional specifications, and numerous planning worksheets for each part of your solution.
• Development. Your SharePoint solution may require custom development so that it meets all of your requirements. Our SharePoint development track record contributed directly to CM Consulting achieving Microsoft Gold Partner status. Our developers collaborate frequently with the Windows SharePoint Services and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 product groups at Microsoft.
• Documentation. As part of your SharePoint-based solution, you will require robust documentation that will help you operate the applications efficiently and to your best business advantage. Our dedicated content authors at our sister division, Content Master, provide professional documentation, operation guides, and professional training materials to help you gain the most from your SharePoint solutions.
• Deployment. When your solution is ready to go live, we will work with you to define a robust roll-out plan that will ensure a seamless and problem-free deployment. Depending on your requirements, we can stage pilot roll-outs and user-acceptance testing, and we can help you manage testing, staging and production environments. Our copyrighted SharePoint deployment planning worksheets and processes will help ensure a seamless and problem-free deployment.
• Delivery. When your solution has been deployed, we will continue to engage with you to ensure the smooth-running of your SharePoint-based applications. Typical options include training your staff and providing operational support. Our aim is to provide end-to-end SharePoint solutions that maximize the delivery of benefits to your organization.