Strategy
For Northridge and Northridge Interactive, strategy engagements are always focused on the needs, goals, and challenges of our client—your success is the goal. As depicted in the adjacent diagram, the Strategy Layer is divided into three Stages: Assess, Map, and Plan. All of the Tracks in the Strategy layer are designed around these Stages, whether a package selection process or an audience analysis and marketing strategy process. In the Assess stage we are gathering and organizing information. In the Map stage we are analyzing, discussing, testing, and refining that information. In the Plan stage we are synthesizing recommendations, formalizing findings, and, when desired, presenting the results to your team of stakeholders or leaders.
Delivery
The Delivery Layer is where most projects take place. When we design and build things for you, that‘s a Delivery project. We have various Tracks defined for the different types of Delivery projects, from websites to data warehouses to SharePoint portals. As depicted in the above diagram, the Delivery Layer has five stages, two of which are often treated as a pair: Explore; Analyze and Define; Build and Deploy.
Management
The Management Layer is simpler conceptually and therefore easier to discuss. In addition, the Stages in the Management layer are a bit more abstract, less focused on a linear progression of steps, as seen in the Strategy and Delivery layers. The reason we include a Management Layer in the True North framework is twofold. First, we want to be sure that people know that Northridge and Northridge Interactive have capabilities and facilities for post-delivery services such as managed hosting, support, monitoring, failover hosting, and software maintenance—not only that, but we offer these services for systems that were developed in-house by a client or by another firm our client has used. It is not unusual for a client relationship to start in the Management Layer. Second, Management services bring a unique set of dynamics as compared to Strategy and Delivery services. Speaking to the comprehensive nature of True North, it is important to have a framework that provides structure to the services that we perform for clients in the management area.