How We Work

At the core of Lelander’s approach to working with clients, is our focus on human-centered problem-solving and relationship-building. We do this by identifying and understanding problem areas upfront and by bringing the right people together to help define and develop the solution in partnership with our client.

While each project and relationship is unique, our proven process includes four main phases of work—Initiation, Discovery & Design, Development, and Support. Through complete accountability and a commitment to quality and value, our process allows us to empower business leaders to confidently bring their ideas to life. In doing so, we help save our clients time and create business efficiencies, turning pain points into positive experiences.

Below is a little more detail about Lelander’s proven process and what you can generally expect to experience throughout a project lifecycle.

Initiation

Lelander focuses on building a strong foundation with our clients rooted in clear communication and transparency. This starts during the initiation phase and continues throughout the relationship. Our goal from the start is to ensure both parties are well-suited for collaboration and to set expectations for the partnership, fostering mutual understanding from the outset.

As a fit is determined and we learn more about the client’s goals and requirements, our team will work with the client to define their vision for the request and to determine, at a high level, what solution will help us achieve that vision. This phase typically ends with a proposal for a discovery phase customized to the request.

Partnership Alignment

  • Initial Meeting
  • Fit Check—Assess alignment for shared success
  • Expectation Alignment (FAQs)

Ballpark & Proposal

  • Ballpark Estimate (Discovery & Development)
  • Discovery Proposal
  • Initial Invoice / Payment

Discovery & Design

It’s always best when we’re brought in during the early stages of a project, whether that’s a napkin sketch or a simple list of pain points. We understand project requests can come at many stages. Regardless of the situation—whether it’s generating new ideas, rescuing a project mid-stream, taking over a legacy system, or anything in between—our team is experienced at stepping in and providing the support clients need, when and where they need it.

Our Discovery & Design phase typically includes some level of technical and user experience discovery & design efforts. These exercises allow us to get to know more about what problems we are trying to solve and what success looks like, ensuring everyone’s expectations are aligned, and that risks are reduced.

The scope of work for the Discovery & Design phase will be relative to the need. In general, the following steps are typically involved at some level with Lelander’s Discovery & Design phase:

Discovery

  • Discovery Team Assembly
  • Stakeholder Identification & Alignment Work Session(s)
  • Requirements Gathering & Documentation
  • Proposal for Design

Design

  • User Experience
  • Technical Architecture
  • UI Styling
  • Proposal for Development

Development

Once we’ve defined what the solution should look like from technical, functional, and visual perspectives, it’s time to bring things to life. Since we typically work in two-week sprints following Agile project methodologies, our Development phase is iterative, allowing our teams to develop production-ready code and keep short feedback loops with clients.

Because each project is custom by nature, factors like scope, timeline, project type, etc. will influence the details. At a high level, though, the following steps are typically included in Lelander’s Development phase:

Development Kick-off (Sprint 0)

  • Project Setup
  • Development Team Onboarding**
  • Requirement Refinement & Backlog Creation
  • DevOps / Infrastructure Set-Up

Development Sprints (Agile)

  • Code Writing
  • Documentation
  • Testing
  • Demo & Approval
  • Deployment/release
  • Backlog Refinement & Sprint Planning

Support Planning

  • Launch & Post-Launch Planning
  • Proposal for Support Phase

Launch

  • Early Release
  • UAT
  • Launch Support
  • Retrospective & Project Wrap Up

Support

During the development phase, Lelander will work with the client to identify a support plan that fits their needs and budget so that once the Development phase of our project is complete, we can smoothly shift to post-launch maintenance and managed services, avoiding any gaps in support. We work with the client to identify goals and a roadmap that fits within our agreement with an emphasis on maintaining a healthy and secure codebase. If there is a preference for the client to take ownership of the product in-house (at any point), Lelander will work with the client to make sure their team is set up for success.

While each custom product has a unique set of support needs, below are the typical steps included in our Support phase:

Maintenance & Support

  • Refactoring

    • Technical debt, bug support, and code updates—language, framework, libraries, and plug-ins

  • Quarterly Business Review Meeting

Final Delivery

  • Communicate Offboarding Plan
  • Knowledge Transfer and Handover
  • Post-Project Review
  • Closeout Communication



Lelander’s proven process—spanning Initiation, Discovery & Design, Development, and Support—ensures a tailored, transparent, and collaborative approach, empowering clients to confidently navigate their projects from concept to completion. By focusing on human-centered problem-solving and maintaining open communication throughout the project lifecycle, we build strong, trust-based relationships with our clients. This approach allows us to adapt to unique challenges and create solutions that not only meet immediate needs but also drive long-term success.

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