Introduction

Why Soft Polynomials

We are a technology-driven company.
We are committed to the highest standards of
ethics and integrity.
Since the future of our company depends
squarely on the knowledge, imagination, skills,
teamwork, and integrity of our employees, we
value these qualities most highly.
We are dedicated to quality: Quality of
products, quality of service, quality of
relationship, quality of communication and
quality of our promises.
Profit is important to us. It enables us to
achieve our mission and contribute to the
society. However, profit is not the only reason
we are in business.
1 Soft Polynomials Fact Sheet
Established Nov. , 1998

Employees in Software 31
Development

Services Offered • Development Services for the entire Product Life Cycle– “concept to
completion”
• Website Design and Development
• Hosting Services
• Product R & D, Development and Verification.
• Training Provider
Domain Expertise • MS Technology
• Java
• Database
• Testing
Equity Structure Privately held by the Director of Soft Polynomials (I) Pvt. Ltd.
Sales (FY 2003-04) Rs.4.2 Million
(FY 2004-05) Rs.7.3 Million
(FY 2005-06) Rs.9.7 Million
(FY 2006-07) Rs.11.9 Million
(FY 2007-08) Rs.14.0 Million
Financially Sound Profitable for all 8 years of existence. Debt free with significant real assets and
deep access to capital. Good track record of investing in people and
infrastructure for the long term.
Locations Development offices in Nagpur.
Quality Standards Soft Polynomials uses Quality Assurance methodologies and practices at all steps
in its projects, aiming to deliver error-free software applications.
This commitment to quality is Soft polynomial's core objective as we believe this
is the only way to ensure total customer satisfaction.

Our Quality Objectives:

• Deliver defect-free design solutions.

• Deliver Projects on time & within the budgeted cost
• Improve productivity by adopting appropriate technologies & tools

• Enhance organization's competency through continuous learning

1.1 Deliverables
Stage Deliverables Media
System Requirement and Analysis Software Specifications Document Soft Copy
Design Design Document Soft Copy
Coding Source Code Soft Copy
Products Executable and installable files Soft Copy

1.2 Approach for the POC project

On signing of the contract, Soft Polynomials will identify an appropriate engineer to lead the project. He
will be responsible for the delivery. He will also be responsible for the technical communication and will
interact with team to flesh out the details. He will be supported by a team of junior engineers. An
Executive will also be monitoring the project and he will be overall responsible for the smooth functioning
of the project.

During the system study, effort and resource estimates will be made. At the end of system study stage, a
detailed project plan will be done outlining the important milestones and deliverables. We propose
weekly status reports and weekly conference calls with your team to track the status of the project.
We can execute this project on a Time and Material basis. Following are the resources depending on the
level of experience:

1.3 Resources
Resource No. of Employee
5+ Years Experienced Engineer 4
2-5 Years Experienced Engineer 7
<2 Years Experienced Engineer 10
Trainee Engineers 10

2 Contact Information
Shashikant M Deshpande
Soft Polynomials (I) Pvt. Ltd.
3rd, North Bazaar Road, Gokulpeth,
Nagpur- 440010
Tel: +91 0712-2556808
Fax: +91 0712-2556808
Email: smd@softpolynomials.com

3 Appendix A
3.1 Infrastructure Information
We believe that excellent infrastructure is necessary to create an environment that fosters learning and
innovation in employees.

Electrical Power Setup and Air Conditioning

Electrical Power and AC Set Up Rating

Un-interrupted Power Supply (UPS) 4 hours backup 4 nos.(7 KVA)
Hardware and Software
Each engineer has at least one Win 2000 environment. We also have several server class machines that are
shared across projects. A shared test environment is available at Soft Polynomials for client use. We have
state-of-the-art server machines at Soft Polynomials, which can be shared by various projects on need basis.

S. No Make Processor Type Proc. Speed GHz. RAM MB HDD O.S.

1 Compaq P4 3 2000 250 GB Windows 2000 Server

2 Compaq P4 1.6 1000 160 GB Windows XP SP 3

3 IBM P4 1.6 2000 120 GB Windows 2003 Server

4 IBM P4 1.6 512 120 GB Windows XP SP 3

5 HP Dual core 1.6 512 120 GB Windows XP SP 3

Connectivity
The following connectivity exists at Soft Polynomials:
Internet Connectivity and Bandwidth: We have one 2 MBPS leased line and 4 broadband connections
for Internet connectivity.
Phone Service: We have Lucent’s Definity EPABX system, which is capable of handling 25 digital
extensions, and ISDN connectivity.
Video Conferencing: We have an ISDN and IP-based video conferencing set up.
FTP Sites: We maintain two secure ftp servers for large incoming and outgoing file transfers.
Firewall/Router Infrastructure: We have CISCO Router for Internet connectivity with two Ethernet
ports, four serial ports, and an ISDN port.

Existing Data and Physical Security

Security of Customer’s proprietary information is very important to Soft Polynomials. Multiple
firewalls, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and different network domains provide logical separation for the
customer’s development team. Symantec Anti-virus Corporate Edition is used to safeguard computers.
Anti-virus server software is installed on a central machine, while client software is installed on user
machines. The server receives the virus definition updates from the Symantec site and updates the same on
the all client machines. Anti-virus software is also installed on SMTP server for mail protection.
We also have Monitoring system installed for critical servers and network components. We also
monitor services on servers such as Pop3, SMTP, HTTP, etc.

3.2 Disaster Recovery

Soft Polynomials has automated weekly and daily backups of data on tape drives to ensure disaster
recovery. Trial runs of the Disaster Recovery Plan are conducted regularly. This ensures that if a machine
crashes, it is made operational once again with minimum downtime.

3.3 Development Methodology

Development Methodology: Soft Polynomials Standard Process
Soft Polynomials Systems has created an internal process framework called “Soft Polynomials
Standard Process” (SPSP) modeled around the 'Rational Unified Process'. Soft Polynomials has a
comprehensive licensing arrangement with Rational that enables all Soft Polynomials employees’ access to
all Rational tools. Soft Polynomials has experience of working with not only software companies who use
'heavily audited' processes but also startups that use 'light weight' processes. Soft Polynomials synchronizes
its processes with the client’s processes, so that both parties are mutually benefited.
 The Rational Unified Process Model

The Rational Unified Process (RUP) model spans a project into four phases, during its life cycle from
conception to completion. The Soft Polynomials Standard Process (SPSP) based on the guidelines of
RUP, details the plan, activities to be carried out, reviews, and artifacts to be created for each of the four
project phases.

Inception Phase: The first phase of the project life cycle is the inception phase wherein the project
scope is identified.
Elaboration Phase: The second phase is the elaboration phase wherein the scope and method of
implementing the life cycle, including alternatives to be attempted are clearly detailed.
Construction Phase: The third phase is the construction phase wherein the actual coding is carried out
to implement the decided alternative design.

Transition Phase: The last phase is the transition phase wherein the RTL Coding is delivered to the
verification team and then on to the client. Support is provided it until FPGA Kit or Synthesis is over.
Usually the hardware is classified as a separate project for maintenance, once it is accepted and is in
production.
Each phase may be optionally divided into iteration, in case Soft Polynomials plans to identify a
set of deliverables spaced out within the time span of the phase. Usually there will be at least one
milestone for each phase or iteration as the case may be.
Throughout the development process, Soft Polynomials creates a set of artifacts that are available
at the project site on a selectively sharable basis. It engages in the following six best practices
methodology proposed by RUP:
Develop Iteratively
Manage Requirements
Use Component Architectures
Model Visually
Continuously Verify Quality
Manage Change

We have a two-level project management organization at Soft Polynomials. One is company-wide

and the other is project-specific. Our process templates are based on Rational Unified Processes (RUP)
and we have adopted their development guidelines.
3.4 Project Management
Soft Polynomials believes that offshore development is a partnership relationship rather than a
vendor-contractor relationship. At every stage we keep the client informed.
To ensure that Soft Polynomials delivers what the client needs, the client needs to identify a
contact person who needs to spend some time to steer us in the right direction. Over the years, we have
refined a process that keeps the time commitment from the client to a bare minimum. The client contact
person is expected to perform a “Review and Direct” role
Since we provide elaborate and precise documents, the feedback activity is efficient and requires
minimal time commitment from the client. We believe in keeping the client up to date on the project.
This is done weekly in the early parts of the project and more frequently during critical phases of the
project. We do this through a weekly “software and status drop” and follow that up with a prearranged
conference call. In critical phases of the project, Soft Polynomials engineers can be available on site.

Project Team
Soft Polynomials assigns an Executive (Exec-in-charge), typically a Vice-President, to take the
complete ownership of the account and the project. The Exec-in-charge is responsible for all the aspects
of the project, including technical aspects, project execution, customer management, personnel issues at
our end, invoices, contracts, etc.
Soft Polynomials allocates a Technology-in-charge (TIC) and Delivery-In-Charge (DIC) to a
project. TIC is responsible for ensuring that all the key technical insights into the project are delivered.
The DIC carries out all day-to-day execution, regular client communication, local executive liaison, and
schedule management. The DIC is responsible for all project management issues. At the start of the
project, Soft Polynomials identifies a “second-in-command” project lead. This person is under constant
development to ensure that the project is fully devoid of any risk owing to single person dependence.
Soft Polynomials staffs the rest of the team with engineers possessing complementary skills. This is done
considering the complexity and the skill requirements of the project, as well as team dynamics.
Individuals on the team are allocated exclusively to a project and do not work on more than one project at
a time. We have a team of support staff available across the company.

Soft Polynomials management is process-driven.

Processes followed within Soft Polynomials can be broadly classified as Engineering and Non-
Engineering processes. The processes that are directly related to the project life cycle and activities that
define a project environment are grouped under the Engineering process. Processes related to other
business functions such as customer relationship, HR management, facilities management are grouped
under non-engineering processes.
We have a two-level project management organization at Soft Polynomials. One is company-wide and the
other is project-specific. Our process templates are based on Rational Unified Processes (RUP) and we
have adopted their development guidelines.

Project Management
Projects undertaken by Soft Polynomials are categorized either as development, verification or support
type. A typical project is likely to have more than one sub-projects under it, each can be of a different
type.
Typical project execution cycle is described below:
The project gets initiated during the Project Initiation stage wherein an Executive-In-Charge and CRM
are identified. A meeting takes place between stakeholders and Project team members. The customer
acceptance criteria, project phases, milestones are discussed and documented. Requirements are
collected, analyzed and understood by the Delivery-In-Charge during the Requirements Management
process. These are documented in Software Requirements Specifications and sent to customer for
approval.
Projects at Soft Polynomials are managed and controlled through Project Planning processes. During
planning stage, a Life cycle Model is selected; estimation and scheduling activities are carried out. The
Project Environment Setup focuses on tools to be used for configuration management, design
development and verification. Role specific responsibilities within the project are identified by Delivery-
In-Charge. Tasks to be performed are detailed down and scheduled. The project specific training
requirements are identified and necessary Training is scheduled.
The project is taken through the Design stage where system architecture is defined based on Standards.
Based on the project’s requirements, the traceability of requirements up to the design and testing is
ensured.. The project team executes the project during the Implementation process. Reviews are planned
from time to time based on project requirements. Normally peer reviews are planned during design and
implementation phase.
The verification process ensures adequate quality control before the project delivery. Based on the
customer requirements, different types of testing are planned. The traceability is maintained through out
the project execution, a matrix is typically used to trace the requirements up to the release of the software.
Adequate in-process testing, integration testing and testing at release level ensure quality delivery

Projects at Soft Polynomials are tracked and monitored at a predefined frequency by Delivery-In-Charge
through the Project Tracking process. Typically three levels of project reviews are planned – 1: internal to
the project teams, 2:Delivery – in – charge reviewing the project at a periodicity defined based on
project’s requirement, and 3: a review by Seniors management based on the summarized report on the
data collected during project execution and the measurements done. Exec-in-charge tracks the project’s
costs. At the minimum, at every milestones assessment and at the time of project closure the costs are
tracked.

Any changes that are to be implemented are carried out through Change Management process. During
this process changes to be incorporated are handled by the CCB (Change Control Board) comprising of
the TIC, DIC and the Exec-In-Charge.
During entire project execution cycle Configuration Management activities are planned. Every project is
expected to use tools for managing the configuration depending on the client and synchronization needs.

Audits are undertaken by auditors who are trained in auditing and not directly responsible for the
functions being audited. Non-conformance observed is brought to the attention of the person responsible,
and is recorded, documented and subject to timely corrective action to ensure full rectification.

3.5 Communication process

The Major modes of communication are:
Tele/Video conferencing
Email/ Instant Messaging
Project Website over VPN.

Conference calls between client’s team and Soft Polynomial’s team are usually scheduled with a frequency
of once or twice a week. The time selected is usually late night for us, and early morning for client (and
sometimes vice-versa). The team gives a lot of importance to conference calls and makes sure that issue
list is managed and carried forward from call to call. Delivery-In-Charge is responsible for managing
issue list and actions taken, overseen by Offshore Manager. Both Video and Audio conference facilities
are available.
Usual issues are managed over email communication. The weekly conference calls ensure status
reporting, closing of issues, and identification of risks and escalation points. The team members also use
the Instant Messenger facility for communicating with their counterparts in the US facility. This helps in
Soft Polynomials typically has three communication channels with the client. The Exec-in-charge has a
one-on-one phone call with his counterpart every other week, or more often as required or desired. The
Exec-in-charge also sends a once-a-month management report of the activities on our end. This report
describes the activities carried out by the team during the month and the plan for the next month.
The Module Leader is responsible for a set of structured communication between the two teams. The
typical activities are:

Weekly conference call Issues management

Weekly status report Risk and Risk Mitigation Plan maintenance
Project Plan maintenance Change Management
Project Information available via Intranet/VPN
All our projects use standardized schema and layout when making the project information, artifacts and
other information available via Web to all the developers – both at Soft Polynomial’s and Client’s end.
VPN connectivity is used as a secure way to make each other’s machines available on common network.
The schema templates are derived from Rational’s RUP sample project site. The website has all the
relevant documents like MPP, plans, and design documents etc. which give the status of the project any
given time.
In addition to the structured, regular communication, we encourage direct communication between the
client team and our engineers on an as needed basis. If someone has an issue, they are encouraged to
write immediately. We use email, telephone, and Instant Messenger for such communication. Should
this communication result in issues or change requests, these are updated in appropriate documents.

3.6 Resource Allocation

Soft Polynomials staffs the team with engineers possessing complementary skills. This is done
considering the complexity and the skill requirements of the project, as well as team dynamics.
Individuals on the team are allocated exclusively to a project and do not work on more than one project at
a time. We have a team of support staff available across the company.
Getting the right people has never been a constraint for Soft Polynomials. Depending on Client’s needs,
Soft Polynomials can allocate additional people to the project within a span of 4 weeks.