McDonald Bradley offers an extensive portfolio of information lifecycle management capabilities.


McDonald Bradley: Technology Capabilities

» Systems Integration and Software Development
» Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V)
» Emergency Operation Center Support Services
» IT Support Services

 

Systems Integration and Software Development
Supporting the full development and implementation lifecycle 

McDonald Bradley's twenty years of systems integration and software development expertise coupled with our proven program management processes enable us to provide state-of-the-art systems and applications that meet client requirements, are fully documented and supportable, and are delivered on-time and within budget. Our continued commitment to improving systems and processes is key to producing higher quality systems, reducing cycle times, lowering costs, and improving schedule predictability.

McDonald Bradley provides services and solutions across the entire development and implementation lifecycle. We specialize in requirements analysis and specification, off-the-shelf product evaluation, software design and development, integration and customization, and testing and maintenance. Our services and solutions include:

  • Planning
  • Project Initiation
  • Requirements Analysis
  • Security Life Cycle
  • Design
  • Development
  • Integration
  • Testing
  • Implementation/Deployment
  • Maintenance

The breadth and scope of our systems integration and software development capabilities enable us to provide proven solutions for enterprise applications and legacy systems maintenance and modernization as well as migration to web-enabled platforms. Our approach minimizes risk, maximizes technology investment, and delivers total systems development and integration services and solutions that fulfill our customers' unique needs. Our systems development and integration capabilities include:

Enterprise Architecture

McDonald Bradley develops architectures following Enterprise Architecture standards such as OMB's Federal Enterprise Architecture Framework (FEAF). Our architects know when and how to apply the Zachman Framework, DoD C4ISR Architecture Framework, or The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF). We are also experts in business process modeling using Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN), the IDEF methodology, and Unified Modeling Language (UML).

Through analysis of our customers' business processes, we can model their Enterprise from numerous perspectives using such tools as IBM WebSphere Business Integration Modeler or Popkin Software's System Architect.

We are a leader in Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) development and implementation. We can create web services that yield an open and distributed Enterprise Architecture without incurring huge costs for replacing existing hardware and software infrastructure. Through the use of Simple Object Access Protoco (SOAPl), eXtensible Markup Language (XML), and Web Service Definition Language (WSDL) technologies, McDonald Bradley delivers a secure and effective means for sharing enterprise information and maximizing user productivity.

Requirements Analysis

Employing proven processes and System Development Life Cycle methodologies is vital to McDonald Bradley's success in designing software applications and systems. A first step in our design processes is requirements analysis. Our experienced teams use time-tested techniques to identify, gather, and document requirements through stakeholder interviews, facilitated sessions and requirements workshops, reviews of specifications and contracts, and rapid prototyping of critical components such as GUIs so users can provide instant feedback.

We apply the latest methodologie, techniques, and tools to capture, model and ensure that requirements traceability throughout the entire SDLC. We are experts in integrating requirements analysis into the Federal Enterprise Architecture process using approved architecture models as well as in applying the Zachman Framework. We have experience using all the major methodologies to create usage (use case), process, user interface, entity, and architectural models using tools such as the Rational Unified Process (RUP), Popkin, DOORS, and others. We rely on clear communications and work collaboration to create, refine, and maintain requirements. We help create dynamic environments that support both centralized and distributed development teams through Internet-accessible, shared versioned repositories.

Web Application

Whether developing a series of inter-connected applications or a standalone system, McDonald Bradley applies expertise spanning the web-based world through industry standard technologies such as Microsoft's Visual Studio.NET (ASP.NET, VB.NET, and C#) and Java/J2EE. In addition, we apply the latest XML standards and technologies. Our participation in the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) places us at the forefront of web technology.

Our projects include systems that leverage Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMS) (such as Oracle, DB2 and SQL Server) at various levels of complexity, operating under mixed and diverse platforms (such as MS Windows, Solaris, Linux, UNIX, and Multiple Virtual Systems (MVS)). We are experienced in the migration of thick client applications to the web/thin client world, spanning the development and porting of data from platform to platform. In support of these tasks, we develop functional and technical requirements, architecture, and system design elements. Our personnel are skilled in identifying and documenting the details of frameworks to integrate multiple COTS and legacy systems. These activities includes integrating databases, applications, and business processes.

McDonald Bradley personnel are known and recognized for their technical expertise in advancing and applying the latest web technologies and languages such as web services, Java, XML, semantic web, and portal. Our Associates have authored several books in these technologies, including:


Systems and Applications Support

We pride ourselves on our commitment to our customers, whether supporting and enhancing legacy systems and applications or developing and integrating new systems and applications. We support our customers' business process with COTS and GOTS integration and custom development across various platforms and environments. We are skilled in the planning, design, development, deployment, maintenance, and subsequent support of systems of diverse scales and visibility.

COTS products often do not provide all of the desired functionality; they require customization to interoperate with other products or existing legacy applications and systems. At McDonald Bradley, we not only conduct the necessary analysis to choose the suite of products that best operate with each other, but also customize, configure, and/or develop interfaces to ensure interoperability among applications across environments and enterprise disciplines. We apply industry best practices where customization must be achieved. We leverage the specific COTS or GOTS established procedures and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to ensure all components function as one fully integrated system.

One example of our COTS integration is an electronic commerce solution we developed to support the adult and community education requirements of Fairfax County. The solution's main component consists of a COTS web-based registration system that has been tailored to satisfy the County's requirements. The registration system provides an up-to-date online catalog of courses offered. It allows a student to register in a class, to pay for the class with a credit card, and to interface with the County's existing system of record for class registrations.


 


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Why McDonald Bradley?

Our continued commitment to improving systems and processes is key to producing higher quality systems, reducing cycle times, lowering costs, and improving schedule predictability.

 
Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V)
Mitigating complexity and risk
in large IT programs
 

» White Paper

Applying IV&V to SOA

Independent
Verification and
Validation (IV&V)

 

Why IV&V?



The size of most information technology programs means they are fundamentally complex, risky, and difficult to manage. Independent verification and validation (IV&V) is a strategy and process for ensuring that complex programs deliver expected benefits on time. It's more than a process for assessing what went wrong after the fact. It gives agencies the visibility and tools they need to proactively ensure the success of their programs - from beginning to end and at every stage in between.

Why McDonald Bradley?

McDonald Bradley has an established IV&V practice in civilian, defense, intelligence, and homeland security programs. We have over 20 years of experience; a staff of qualified, cleared IV&V professionals; and proven services and procedures. We deliver consistent, repeatable solutions using our Quality through Verification and Validation ( QV2™) methodology and toolset.

With our expertise and QV2™, we integrate verification and validation into every phase of the software development lifecycle – using the ANSI/ISO 12207 model and ITIL framework approach to:

  • Perform an objective, third-party review and evaluation
    of all program elements
  • Provide information for effective management oversight
  • Establish disciplined processes and achieve
    quality and value in operations
  • Develop and implement prevention and mitigation strategies
  • Resolve problems before they escalate into delays,
    overruns, and failures

McDonald Bradley serves agencies as a trusted advisor, helping them use IV&V as the foundation of high-quality programs that consistently meet their requirements.

QV2™ = IV&V

Our QV2™ methodology works continuously throughout the life of a program to monitor risk, resolve problems, and improve quality.

Derived from SEI CMMI and IEEE standards and proven in legacy and new environments, QV2™ helps agencies integrate consistent structure and discipline.

QV2™ combines industry best practices and project-specific improvements to increase maturity and gain SEI CMMI compliance ratings.

During application or portal development, COTS integration, and maintenance projects, QV2™ drives critical success factors for project activities such as:

  • Project Management Assessments - Controls schedules, cost, and risk; and establishes performance measurement baselines and reporting for OMB Memo M-05-03 compliance
  • Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM) Assessments - Validates stakeholder and enterprise needs
  • System Configuration Assessments - Ensures repeatable results
  • Test Assessments - Supports independent system regression, performance testing, and reviewing performance mapped against RTM
  • Risk Management Assessments - Identifies, prevents, and mitigates risk; supports definition metrics programs
  • Communications - Boosts teamwork, pride, and ownership
  • Lessons Learned - Improves the quality of subsequent deliveries and future programs

IV&V Benefits

For executive management:

  • Identifies risks earlier for management, mitigation, and resolution
  • Increases on-time and on-budget success
  • Eliminates surprises!

For program managers:

  • Provides ongoing status indicators and performance reporting
  • Identifies and monitors risks
  • Addresses issues as early as possible

For development staff:

  • Ensures delivery by providing early insight into potential issues
  • Provides opportunities for improvement while minimizing disruptions

IV&V Services and Solutions:

  • Validate project processes and recommend improvements
  • Validate system reliability through independent testing
  • Verify requirements validity, conformance, and
    traceability from design through testing
  • Validate information and system security
    through critical analysis and testing
  • Validate SOA systems, data readiness, and data interoperability
  • Determine and evaluate project performance metrics
  • Evaluate project risks and containment methodology

Our QV2™ methodology and a proven suite of IV&V processes, applications, and best practices support all of our services.

Proven Performance:

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

Challenge: The Department lacked processes for requirements analysis, requirements management, and software change management.

Solution: McDonald Bradley helped the department establish:

  • Proactive processes for requirements management
  • Control over requirements and software changes
  • Integration and acceptance testing

Results: With its new processes in place, HUD has stabilized its planned release schedule and requirements validation. The Department has had no release recalls in more than three years and has saved over $8 million by avoiding software rework.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

Challenge: The Office had loosely defined processes and procedures for systems development.

Solution: Using its QV2™ methodology, McDonald Bradley implemented new, disciplined processes for development and quality assurance.

Results: With the new processes, reduced error rates have translated into a 10% cost decrease for rolling out over 500 maintenance and enhancement releases on the agency’s most high-profile systems.

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC)

Challenge: The Corporation needed to implement full lifecycle quality assurance for systems and software development across a multi-team environment.

Solution: Using its QV2™ methodology, McDonald Bradley incorporated quality assurance capabilities and processes into 30 different PBGC business systems.

Results: Its new quality assurance capabilities allow PBGC to:

  • Build quality into development lifecycles from the earliest phases
  • Operate its development teams in a more disciplined,
    predictable fashion
  • Make teams more accountable to the users/owners
    of the systems they’re developing
  • Reduce defect rates by more than 10%

Superior Court of the District of Columbia

Challenge: The Court needed to integrate COTS solutions into stove-piped business systems using established IT processes.

Approach: McDonald Bradley conducted an independent review to assess processes, requirements, risk, and stakeholder needs.

Results: After identifying and resolving the revealed issues,
the Court was able to:

  • Improve quality, functionality, reliability, and user acceptance
  • Meet mandated case management and federal reporting guidelines
  • Strengthen their IT processes and achieve CMMI Level 2


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McDonald Bradley
has an established
IV&V practice in
civilian, defense,
intelligence, and
homeland security
programs.

 

Click below to download the IV&V datasheet

IV&V Datasheet

 
Emergency Operation Center Support Services
Coordinating an effective response during emergency situations
 


McDonald Bradley provides customer support and assistance with web-based Crisis Information Management Systems (CIMS).

Why McDonald Bradley?


Coordinating an effective response during emergency situations requires quick, easy, and consistent access to vital information. Working with Emergency Management Organizations, McDonald Bradley, Inc. (MBI) provides customer support and assistance with web-based Crisis Information Management Systems (CIMS). We identify our clients' work processes, setup and configure their selected COTS web-based CIMS products (e.g., WebEOC - see proven performance below), perform system maintenance, and support operations for EOC systems ranging from a simple single installation to complex multi-tiered environments.

Identifying Processes
McDonald Bradley recognizes that organizations operate and function differently. Learning and understanding each organization's processes enables McDonald Bradleyto provide our clients with useable and appropriately installed and configured products that mirror the business practices in which they operate. McDonald Bradleystaff conducts interviews and facilitates meetings with CIMS users to identify their duties and responsibilities, while ensuring the system functions are synchronized with their operating policies and procedures, and maintains interoperability among all users.

Implementation
We configure our client's CIMS so it works efficiently and appropriately to the business process established by the organization. Using COTS applications for managing crisis information requires adapting and configuring the application to the needs of the specific environment, which enables the users to effectively manage, communicate, and share their information.

Maintenance and Support
McDonald Bradley works with their clients and CIMS software companies to ensure established systems remain current and run efficiently. We systematically orchestrate updates to the CIMS while maintaining interoperability with crisis management partners. Further, McDonald Bradleydocuments and assists with correcting system anomalies while tracking reported issues through the remediation process.

Managing Complex and Multi-tiered Environments
Since multiple groups can be involved with emergency situations, McDonald Bradley configures CIMS applications to provide an effective tool that communicates and shares information from various groups or organizations. This funneling of information from interrelated entities ensures fully vetted and actionable information is available for the decision makers in a timely and manageable format. This approach is depicted below:

Proven Performance:

Fairfax County Office of Emergency Management, Fairfax, VA

Challenge: The Fairfax County Office of Emergency Management (OEM), in cooperation with its internal and external partners, was tasked with enhancing public protective actions and mitigating against, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from natural, technological, and terrorist related emergencies. Quick, easy, and consistent access to vital information was needed. The linking of local, state, and federal agency critical infrastructures and business partners was vital to Fairfax County's ability to provide efficient, fast, and reliable support services in all situations.


Solution: McDonald Bradley installed, configured, and implemented a well-tested solution using WebEOC, a web-based CIMS product developed by Emergency Services Integrators (ESI). Recognizing the need for data sharing and data interoperability, we designed and implemented the Northern Virginia WebEOC installation, which encompasses information from Fairfax County as well as ten neighboring jurisdictions within Northern Virginia. Further, McDonald Bradleyworked to promote data interoperability from the Northern Virginia installation among the emergency management groups from Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia, which comprise the National Capital Region.


Results: McDonald Bradley is known and recognized throughout the National Capital Region for our technical expertise and efficiency with analyzing processes, developing requirements, implementing solid solutions, and promoting data interoperability through its successful efforts with WebEOC. McDonald Bradleyprovides multi-level training programs to help users understand and fully utilize their implementations.


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Click below to download the Emergency Operation Center Support Servicesdatasheet

EOC Datasheet

IT Support Services
Maximizing and aligning IT resources
with your mission

 
McDonald Bradley helps agencies realize the full value of their systems with a broad range of IT support services

Why Support Services?


The aim of any support service is simple: to maximize the value of systems by making sure they operate as expected and that the capabilities they deliver can be fully used.

This goal may be simple to state but can be extraordinarily difficult to achieve. Support must address every element of the enterprise, including technology, people, processes, and the specifics of an agency's actual mission. All of these components are fraught with complications, concerns, and issues that become barriers to full productivity and efficiency.

Our comprehensive, responsive support provides both strategies and practices for breaking through these barriers. It is an enterprise asset that enables agencies to protect their investments in systems, applications, and information.

Why McDonald Bradley?

McDonald Bradley helps agencies realize the full value of their systems with a broad range of IT support services. Our qualifications include:

Recognized IT Support Expertise

  • Extensive experience in legacy, multiagency, and multi-vendor environments
  • Proven ability to rapidly deploy and scale
  • Depth of expertise in supportive new technologies including service-oriented architectures (SOAs)

Proven Past Performance

  • Managed data infrastructure for the Department of Justice for more than 10 years
  • Provided help desk and training support to over 5,000 users at FDIC, DoD, DOJ, HUD, WMATA, and other agencies

Network Support Services

McDonald Bradley designs, constructs, manages, and maintains the networks that connect users to systems, applications, and data. We help agencies:

  • Lower their IT costs
  • Ensure availability and security o Maintain service quality
  • Scale to keep pace with demand
  • Deploy new capabilities

We have extensive experience supporting a wide range of networks - from office LANs to the infrastructure underlying service-oriented enterprises (SOEs). Our capabilities include:

  • Capacity planning and migration strategies
  • Network design and architecture
  • Installation and support for LANs/WANs
  • Network security
  • Troubleshooting and issue resolution

Help Desk and Desktop Support Services

McDonald Bradley provides the friendly and professional support that users need to do their jobs effectively. We serve users who:

  • Encounter technical difficulties
  • Need software or equipment installed
  • Need special reporting

Based on over 20 years of agency experience, our multi-faceted approach to delivering support includes:

Thoroughly trained and experienced personnel

  • Effective Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and proven metrics
  • Methodologies for consolidating multiple services and facilities
  • Consistently reliable and courteous ticket tracking and resolution

All of our support capabilities meet Help Desk Institute standards.

Training Support Services

McDonald Bradley helps you train your staff to be fully productive system users. We maximize the value of your systems with training that:

  • Enables employees to fully use all functions and capabilities
  • Provides a customized curriculum and training materials
  • Tracks and reports student competency metrics
  • Meets individual needs
  • Includes job-specific training and on-the-job support
  • Supports train-thetrainer approaches

Our curriculum support specialists have designed and delivered courses for defense, civilian, and intelligence agencies.

Our Certified Technical Trainers and subject matter experts integrate their skills and experience with your practices and procedures to create and deliver a customtailored base of knowledge to your users.

Proven Performance:

Network Support

Challenge: The Department of Defense (DoD) needed to avoid incompatibilities with existing infrastructures as it deployed the service-oriented architecture of its Net- Centric Enterprise Services (NCES) Early Capabilities Baseline (ECB).

Solution: McDonald Bradley combined best-of-breed COTS products and wellknown commercial standards to ensure flexibility and extensibility.

Results: NCES ECB continues to win awards for excellence and innovation. In 2006, it was recognized as the Most Innovative Government Program and as a Best Contribution to the Development of Net-Centric Warfare Theory.

Help Desk Services

Challenge: The Drug Enforcement Administration( DEA) needed worldwide enterprise help desk support services to resolve end user problems with hardware and software on unclassified and classified systems.

Solution: McDonald Bradley implemented a 24 × 7 help desk solution that included benchmarks based on formal service level agreements (SLAs); an automated tool to collect and analyze a range of performance metrics; and documented processes for consistent, structured troubleshooting.

Results: An independent audit conducted after one year verified that DEA help desk services were operating at CMM Level 2 in all areas and, in some cases, CMM Level 3. With this improved help desk service, DEA significantly enhanced systems availability and increased employee productivity.

Training Support

Challenge: Each geographically-distributed Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) has diverse training requirements. The DOJ needed an innovative, repeatable, and cost-effective training solution to meet these requirements while overcoming logistical challenges and gaining visibility into training progress and student status.

Solution: McDonald Bradley delivered nationwide training by setting up temporary training environments. We established a LAN environment using laptops and a server to isolate the training environment from production. We designed the training room’s configuration within space constraints to create an environment that promoted effective learning. We customized each class according to divisional requirements and end-user computer literacy levels. We recommended and delivered alternatives to classroom training such as one-on-one training sessions for executives and persons with disabilities, technology based training, and brown-bag lunch seminars. McDonald Bradley designed and developed a tracking program in Microsoft® Access to manage training records.

Results: We have trained over 7,000 geographically-distributed employees. By providing its workforce with relevant and timely training based on our proven approach, DOJ has been able to increase both performance and job satisfaction.

With our integrated tracking program, DOJ now can easily track attendance, student status, and training effectiveness.


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McDonald Bradley
has an established
IV&V practice in
civilian, defense,
intelligence, and
homeland security
programs.

 

Click below to download the IV&V datasheet

IV&V Datasheet