GIS application audit before production deployment

What the client needed

The client was getting a large geographic information system (GIS) ready for production deployment. They needed an independent assessment of whether it was ready for customers and sufficiently secure. The audit covered the web and mobile applications as well as the server-side solution.

How I approached the audit

The developer first walked me through the application, its features, and its server deployment. This gave me context for reviewing the source code: how the system was intended to be used and how its components worked together.

I then reviewed the source code and asked about anything unclear. I assessed the application alongside its operating environment, since production readiness also depends on how software reaches customers and how its services are run.

What I reviewed

• The application's architecture and the relationships between its components.
• Source code of the web and mobile applications.
• Server-side services and their deployment.
• How the application is distributed to customers.
• Security and robustness of the services for production use.
• Unfinished parts blocking deployment.

Main recommendations

The most important recommendations addressed two areas:

• Application distribution: changes to how the software is delivered to customers.
• Server services: improving their robustness and security for production use.

The recommendations also included changes to make and unfinished work to complete before deployment.

What the client took away

The engagement concluded with an in-person consultation to discuss the findings and explain the recommended changes. The client gained concrete input for preparing the application for deployment, and the developer knew where to focus the remaining work.

Want a similar audit?

I go through other applications the same way. What an audit includes and how it runs is described on the Work with me page.