software development

Most people don’t understand the effort and sacrifices IT teams need to make for certain projects. To produce good results, developers shouldn’t only be good at coding. They also need to understand the obstacles that the client company is facing and produce feasible solutions for their product and industry.

Given the work complexity, IT companies are always on the lookout for new methods that would improve and streamline their development process. For the most part, successful projects hinge on proper planning as this creates a framework for all future tasks. That being said, here are a few tricks that would boost your project efficiency:

1.    Start with research

Like any other profession, IT teams use other companies’ ideas for their own software. In most cases, the software development process starts with market research, where programmers look at available solutions and their features. Most notably, they assess how this functionality would work for their client and whether they can integrate some of these things into their own platform.

The research phase is crucial as it can save you a lot of time and money. Not only can you copy-paste features from other software, but you can also build upon them or use them as inspiration for different solutions.

2.    Using no-code and low-code platforms

Before engaging in a costly software development process, it might be a good idea to check out existing no-code or low-code platforms. You can use these products as the basis for your own apps while also saving money in the process. Besides cutting your costs and serving as a simple solution, you can use these apps for proof of concept. Furthermore, you can use their internal tools for data tracking.

Keep in mind that these solutions won’t work in every case. There are lots of cases where your software is too complex to be relying on these platforms, or you might need full proprietorship over the future-to-be program. Low-code and no-code platforms, while fantastic in their own regard, might not be flexible enough or might lack scaling options for large businesses.

3.    Provide a proof of concept

Custom software development is ideal for clients who have special requirements. However, it can also be a slippery slope, as you never know what you’re going to get. This is why it’s vital for developers to create a proof of concept before engaging in full-scale development.

As the name implies, we use proof of concept to prove that something can work. Not only that, this method shows the future client that the software is suitable for their particular purposes.

In most cases, developers start with a spreadsheet, where they can break down different features and functionalities. Within a sheet, you can also list the most important data and metrics that the software should track. The IT team can showcase how software would interact with other platforms and what kind of UI they would use.

4.    Using software requirements

When hiring an outsourcing development company, clients need to provide a list of software requirements. The list will be used throughout the process as the main reference point. Among others, based on how the IT team fulfilled these requirements, the project will be considered successful or unsuccessful.

With the list of requirements, developers can monitor the project’s progress. The document serves as a unique checklist, making it invaluable for more complex digital solutions. When creating the list, clients usually mention everything that has to be done, not when or how. This can be an issue for IT teams as they might lack information about certain tasks.

Besides streamlining the process, the list is crucial for providing quotes. Programmers assess different features and their complexity, and based on that, they can make an assessment of how much the project will cost. Giving as much detail as possible is vital for budgeting because then, developers won’t have to revise their initial assessment and increase the overall costs.

Aside from budgeting, the list of requirements is critical for communication between clients and developers. There are many cases where customers feel scammed just because the service provider, deservedly so, increased the quote due to added requirements. On top of that, having clear instructions would prevent developers from creating something that the client can’t use.

5.    Establish MVP

MVP, or Minimum Viable Product, is the most basic software or system that developers can roll out. In many cases, clients have no problem using this version of the product while waiting for programmers to add other features and functionalities.

In fact, having MVP can be really valuable for clients as it allows them to get value for their money as soon as possible. Having a minimum viable product is also great if a client has previously signed a maintenance agreement with a provider, according to which the developers should make continuous improvements to the software.

6.    Consider maintenance

Speaking of maintenance, this process has become an integral part of software development and sales. Many companies nowadays sell unfinished products and use that money to fund future improvements. We also have a massive influx of SaaS solutions that are basically a continuous work in progress.

Maintenance has also become crucial for customized solutions. There are numerous cases where clients ask for a few improvements months after the project has ended. All of this should be covered with a maintenance agreement that would allow the client to ask for future modifications. Alternatively, developers can charge for these minor improvements and make extra money off of them.

Conclusion

No matter the software, developers can plan the entire process in advance with a one-size-fits-all procedure. Basically, every digital solution can benefit from proof of concept, MVP, maintenance, and testing, so by simply following the tricks in this article, you can simplify the creation of various products.

Ideally, you should try to cover as many angles as possible before starting a project. Good communication with clients is also vital as it would prevent unnecessary backtracking and loss of resources.