Our Process

For nearly a decade, Dotted Eighth has managed digital transformation projects for music rights management organizations, music tech start ups, music publishers, music-focused nonprofits, and more. Our thoughtful, strategic, and collaborative approach leverages Agile project management methodology to deliver custom solutions that drive organizations forward.

We use Agile project management methodology, an iterative approach to project management where the project is broken into two-week “sprints.” At the end of each two-week sprint, we present to project stakeholders the tasks, milestones, or deliverables developed during the sprint.

Based on our client’s feedback, we continue to the next sprint or recalibrate. This iterative approach allows us to use data to inform future sprint decisions and deliver the desired results in a timely manner.

During Agile development, it’s common for new requirements and goals to be revealed. With the sprint structure, we’re able to adapt and update our project plan as needed to accommodate new insights and requirements.

Project phases

In the Discovery phase, we collect the data and information we need to understand our client’s organization, including business processes and goals, key stakeholders and audiences, and project priorities. During regular business process review workshops–which typically include executive sponsors, departmental heads, and power users–we’ll gather requirements in the shape of actual user stories (how the service users will interact with the solution), determine priorities, and create a backlog to work through.

At the completion of the Discovery phase, we’ll have defined the Configuration Roadmap and outlined in- and out-of-scope items. The discovery phase produces the following items:

• Solution Definition – Specifications, wireframes, and user stories.

• Configuration Roadmap – A delivery-focused project map that tracks features as they progress through the pipeline.

Once the Configuration Roadmap is in place, Dotted Eighth begins constructing the solution. This is where Agile project management methodology allows us to iterate, as work is completed in two-week “sprints” and regularly tested and reviewed by key stakeholders.

With sprints, we’re able to evaluate work in relation to the original requirements list, ensure that important milestones are met, and adjust as necessary. Our goal is to ensure the solution is properly configured so that it improves efficiency and drives user adoption.

In many projects, data management work is required. During this phase, we first evaluate the current state of the data, determining whether the data is accurate and accessible. Depending on our findings, we may recommend data cleanup and/or provide best practices for ongoing data entry. If there’s a strong data management strategy already in place, we’ll move into data template preparation and historical data migration.

After reaching the end of the Configuration Roadmap and completing user testing, we’ll select an official release date. Prior to release, we’ll conduct comprehensive training. Training can be in the form of end-user training or train-the-trainer-style training. Resources and documentation to support ongoing maintenance and end-user activity may also be provided. Post-launch, ongoing support is available, if needed.

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Dotted Eighth helps clients design and implement solutions that bring technology, processes, and team members together. How can we help you?

“Our experience with Dotted Eighth was transformative for our business. We hadn't considered how a CRM platform could be the solution to our unique workflow challenges and data management issues. Now, we can’t imagine running our business without it. What Guy and his team accomplished for us has streamlined operations, improved data quality, and increased revenue.”

Michael Prommer, President & CEO | Defend Music