Rate-it is a web based search engine developed by the Green Group to search and rate service organizations. This engine will be a completely software based, community driven rate it engine that can be used as a plug in to other rating web sites. This engine will allow the customer to rate service organizations so that the data and ratings will be useable and trustworthy to other consumers. Some highlights of the system will be one click up or down rating, a weighting system that decides which votes are more important and why, and a complex decision making process that determines the logged in users preferences and likes and dislikes over time. This engine can be used with any rating site that wants a comprehensive rating system for their service organizations. The engine can be sold to already developed websites and stay with the same look and feel of the developed website through the use of customizable templates.
The initial phase of the project will begin by researching the underlying problem, determining what capabilities the Rate It Engine must have, and drafting a requirements document detailing what hardware and software will enable the engine to perform its function. To begin, the main functions that the engine must perform will be identified and adequate hardware and software components chosen that will give the engine the required capabilities. After the initial hardware and software requirements are determined, a plan to develop those components will be produced and submitted to the team by the principle investigator.
After determining what hardware and software components are needed for Rate It
Engine to perform its function, a prototype will be developed to show the technical feasibility of the chosen design. This will be accomplished through a proof of concept website. We will develop a ratings website based on the restaurant industry that uses our
Rate It engine in order to prove the successfulness of our product. The website will reside on Dell Power Edge servers powered by RedHat Linux.
During refinement and development, the actual Rate It engine will be developed and made for other websites to use. To ensure that the project has a clear plan for development, requirements documents will be drafted for each software component.
Those documents will be used as the metric by which success of the development

procedures will be measured. A final design prototype will be developed during this phase and testing of the full system will be conducted in order to ensure all design requirements are met and the system works as intended.
During production rollout of the Rate It engine, the project manager will oversee the development and deployment of the final product. The sales and marketing director will then make sure his/her staff markets the product to the right companies.
During the project's out years, Rate It support staff will be involved in the support of the product. An Customer Support Manager will be appointed and will manage the overall business of supporting the Rate It engine. Under that manager, customer support representatives to take orders, complaints, and general customer comments.