Frequently Asked Questions

The list of the most common questions and answers giving basic information about how SSA Group's consultants work and what recommend during the software development process.

  • What is the recommended software development life cycle?

    The development life cycle is unique for each project. The sequence and methodology of project activities are designed considering the project scope, technology stack, safety requirements, team structure and so forth. The common software development life cycle is as follows:

    Software development life cycle
  • How do you secure software development process?

    SSA Group has implemented software development standards that regulate security measures. Among them are:

    • adherence to the approved coding security standard;
    • using version control systems;
    • using static code analysis tools;
    • using automated deployment tools;
    • multilevel access control to Development, Testing, Staging, Production environments and data depending on the roles on the project.
  • How is the testing process organized?

    There is no single universal testing strategy suitable for every project. Each project requires its own specific approach. Our consultants will analyse project requirements, technology stack, solution architecture, the existing software development process and then come up with the optimal testing process, QA specialists and testing tools needed for the project.

    We can also recommend our article and video with tips on building an effective testing process.

  • How do you secure the information within the company?

    To ensure information security, we adhere, in particular, to the following:

    1. Pre-employment background checks are conducted
    2. NDA is signed with every employee
    3. Designated Security Officer in staff who implements the internal security program
    4. Secure offices with Access control systems and CCTV
    5. Virus protection
    6. Secure infrastructure:
    • Secure Cloud service providers
    • Access via MS Active Directory
    • Continuous backups
    • Use of VPN, Remote Desktop, Firewalls, access control lists at the level of network routers (gateways) preventing access to our network from the outside
    • Firewalls on the servers limiting incoming connections
    • Every employee has access only to the project or component/piece of code of the project he/she needs to perform the project tasks
    • Employee PC hard drives can be encrypted upon customer request (e.g. BitLocker for Windows)
    • User passwords are stored in a one-way hash and are regularly updated
    • Use of licensed software only
  • How do SSA Group's solutions comply with the GDPR?

    We analyse the project scope and implement the necessary measures to meet GDPR requirements. Among them are access levels, setting up CI/CD, data anonymising and more. SSA Group’s consultants organise and manage the development environment to exclude having access to the personal data of users. If our specialists need users data for testing, we apply anonymisation tools. We follow the Microsoft Security Development Lifecycle practices throughout all phases of the development process to build highly secure software and address security compliance requirements.

  • What is the recommended team structure?

    The company adheres to the detailed business process for forming a project team. Depending on the list of required IT consultants and their specialities we will come up with the optimal team configuration, both in number and in the management structure.

  • How do you ensure collaboration between departments?

    The Project manager is appointed for the project. He or she determines the required team structure. Then the project manager forms a team of specialists from different departments and manages their activities.

  • What development methodologies do you use?

    We analyse the project scope and requirements. If the software development process is already established, we will adjust and integrate into it. If the project is still being prepared for launch, we will suggest an appropriate methodology for it. Scrum or other Agile methodologies are commonly used in most project teams.

  • What project management tools do you use?

    Our team will analyse the toolset the client’s project team is already using and adjust to it. If the project is still being prepared for launch, we will suggest appropriate project management tools for it. The most popular project management tools are Jira, Gitlub, Azure DevOps, Confluence, Redmine and more.

  • How do you ensure employee productivity?

    The working hours are regulated by the company’s charter. We have an 8-hour workday and a 5-day workweek. The consultants’ daily reports include the start time, end time, breaks, and the list of tasks completed during the working day.

    Each team is led by a Project manager. In the absence of an appointed Project manager, this role is performed by the Team Leader or Head of the department. The Project manager distributes tasks to team members, monitors the progress of their implementation and controls the results. Also, the Project manager conducts regular project meetings, handles issues related to holidays, sick leaves and days off.

    The company carries out regular employee appraisals whereby we collect feedback from the client and team members, perform code reviews and technical assessments based on competency matrices.

    There is a 3-month trial period for new employees. Summing up the trial period, the company considers feedback from the client and project team members.

  • What is SSA Group's employee retention strategy?

    A senior team and competitive salaries are the primary retention factors in the company. It is also crucial to cultivate corporate culture by providing team building, anniversary celebrations, corporate events, and other HR activities to establish interpersonal connections within the teams. In addition, there is a number of employee benefits and compensation in the company.

    All these corporate activities contribute to increasing the level of work performance and employee retention. Teams make work more efficient since teammates learn from each other and observe the quality of each other’s work. The innovation and creative process become faster, too. When a team tackles a challenge, the project benefits from multiple perspectives and skillsets.

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