To start, enterprise software development needs some proper planning, a good strategy, and some preliminary analysis. This way you can avoid mistakes, and save some time and cash.
Before starting a software development project, you have to get answers to some important questions to know what kind of product your customer wants, how it should work, and how the whole development process will go. Its best if the customer talks these things over with the chosen development team, so everyone’s experience and expectations are taken into account.
Write down the answers to these questions so you can use them later when you need them. A project started the right way from the beginning has the best chance of going in the right direction.
What Are the Strategic Goals and Expectations of the Software Application for Your Business?
Understanding the value of the future product for customers and the target audience starts with knowing the problem it solves. Some apps have clear goals (process automation, solving business problems), and some are for gaining a competitive edge or building an image.For example, MVP development might have these goals:
- quickly test the hypothesis in real market conditions;
- speed up and simplify app implementation in the company;
- show the idea to investors to get venture capital.
So, a development team does the same job, but customers have different goals in each case.
What Is Your Software Development Budget?
Starting software development without knowing the deadline and budget is a bad idea. You wouldn’t start building a house without knowing how much it will cost, would you?Every company has financial limits, and some unexpected costs always pop up during work. If you don’t consider these aspects, customers might run out of money when they’ve already spent a lot on development, and the product release is still far away.
What is Your Timeline for This Project?
Every software development project has a deadline, milestones, or time limits. Customers might have obligations to investors, and the timeline might be tied to the company’s strategic plan, marketing activities, or important events.Knowing the time limits helps developers make a clear and realistic plan, set priorities, and distribute resources correctly to meet the deadline.Want to start a project? Our team is ready to bring your ideas to life. Contact us now to discuss your roadmap!
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Who Is the Point of Contact? How Will You Communicate?
While working on a project, developers talk to different people on the customer side. They might contact a concerned person, an intermediary, or a decision-maker.The development team needs to know who these people are and who they can talk to about the project at different stages. This way, there’s less risk that development will be paused because the parties can’t get in touch when needed.
How Frequently Would You Like to Receive Progress Reports?
Different development teams have different ways of making progress reports. So, you should make sure your expectations match their work model. If not, it’s best to arrange for the necessary report adjustments.
How Involved will You be in the Development Process?
At LAYOUTindex, we work Agile. That’s why we break development into short sprints and phases, focusing on specific things on one part of the project. Then, we show the result to our customers to get feedback and continue working based on it.This customer involvement in the development process lets us show our customers the progress made. If something goes wrong, we quickly make the right corrections.
What Are We Delivering and What Are We Not?
Any product has many different parts. Working on a project includes various stages that need to be completed in a specific order. For instance, website development includes:
- programming;
- design creation;
- content creation;
- design template layout;
- testing, etc.
To do the work, you can hire specialists from one company or outsource the project to different teams.Outsource to LAYOUTindex today
Who is our Target Audience? What Resources or Information about the Market Do You Have?
Software is built to solve problems people have. So, the first thing to do is find out who your target audience is. This knowledge lets you plan your app functionality correctly and order an MVP development service. Following this approach saves two important things for any business: time and money.
Which Platform Will Your Software Product Be Developed For?
It can be a web, mobile, or desktop OS. There are two main operating systems in the mobile market: Android and iOS. You might choose a native or cross-platform development approach. Depending on your budget, product functionality, and target audience, you can choose a specific platform.
What Is the List of the Functionalities You Want to Implement in the Future?
This question is important for making the right architectural decisions. You might envision your product several years from now and understand what capabilities you will need then. Considering everything, you can develop a good evolution roadmap for your product.
What is the Core Functionality of the Product?
Don’t try to do everything at once. That’s one of the main reasons projects fail because customers might lack time and money to complete it due to unforeseen circumstances. You can plan as many features as you want, but first, you need to define a small set of them for the initial app release.
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Are there Third-party Products or Tools that We Need to Integrate?
Your product might be connected to several internal and external systems. Also, it’s often more reasonable to connect the product to third-party services using API than develop them from scratch. Planning these integrations will influence the app development approach, affect its design, and change other things.Wrapping Up You will probably need time to answer all these questions. They might differ depending on your project specifics. But if you know the answers to all of them, you can make the right decisions, improve development efficiency, and get a software product that meets your needs.For many years, LAYOUTindex has helped companies develop effective software solutions designed to meet their business goals. If you’re looking for a reliable partner to help your ideas come to life, contact us, and let’s discuss the details.