In order to identify the scope, risk and optimal solution you need skilled development resource with applicational knowledge who know what to do. By involving technical services early, a solution can be analysed as being technically feasible and the level of risk understood. Equally important is knowing when not to modify and identifying a standard solution.

After confirming a development task you will be sure to get a real estimate with documentation to highlight any risk elements and business assumptions so that everyone knows what will be delivered and how it will work. By getting it right now you can avoid costly redesigns.

The specification will detail technically how the solution will be programmed and at a higher managment level outline the benefits and risks. For some organisations this can be farmed out to local IT resource or otherwise.

Development solutions should always result in a long-term business saving, whether in actual reduced manhours or in increased production. With the right development resource you will achieve this goal. The solution will be flexible (in terms of business logic setup and upgradeability) and end customer focused. Close liasion during the lifecycle, with possible prototyping for larger projects, will ensure successful delivery.

Testing is key. Good testing saves many hours rework and application consultant retests. The developer's unit testing will cover as many scenarios as practical and the testplan will help to identify and pinpoint complex testing scenarios. 

Post delivery, detailed integrated testing, closely supported by the developer, will confirm the solution operates as intended. Data quality and setup considerations will also be checked to ensure that when problems occur we know where the problem lies.

After the development phase is delivered, a lasting support relationship protects the customer from the elements whatever the future brings.