RoleModel Software

When Christian resource seller LifeWay acquired the Christian ebook giant WORDsearch, LifeWay hired RoleModel to refresh WORDsearch's core business software to better serve its customers and fit into LifeWay's IT infrastructure. This included rebuilding the public-facing WORDsearch store as well as the system used by sales representatives for completing orders by phone, as well as the back office financial functions including royalty payments and much more. While the old back-end system was windows-based and LAN-only, the new system built by RoleModel would be browser-based and accessible by sales representatives working remotely via the internet. There was eighteen years of organically grown software functionality that had to be discovered, reviewed, and revised. RoleModel began by sending a consultant on-site with WORDsearch for a couple of days to interview each of their departments and perform user research. From this initial visit RoleModel produced user stories describing all the primary activities at WORDsearch. This enabled WORDsearch, LifeWay, and RoleModel to identify challenges in moving the old system forward and create an informed development roadmap to help them get to a new level. RoleModel assembled a diverse team of experts to build the new application, perform user research, prepare WORDsearch's infrastructure, hook up the new application with the sanitized legacy database, and re-define user roles. RoleModel has continued to work closely with WORDsearch after launch performing maintenance, performance tuning, implementing new features, and training LifeWay's IT staff. LifeWay was amazed at how quickly and effectively RoleModel developed a new system with a new level of PCI compliance, additional functionality, and a test-driven approach that assured the system would be ready for the future.