Engage Software Product Developers to Ensure Product Integrity
If your business has a vision for a software product or app to be sold into the market, it is important to engage expert services and skills in order to achieve that vision. Even if your IT team has the skills to develop an app or software product, it is likely that they are too busy to take on a long-term project and to deploy the software, maintain and upgrade it. AND, there is one other primary concern about using in-house IT teams. You will have to answer the question, ‘does my IT team know the difference between application development and software product development?’
While you might have high hopes for your software product development project, it is important to plan this process with eyes wide open and to understand the concerns and needs of this type of undertaking.
‘Working with professional software product development services gives your business the structure, oversight, and execution capability needed to accelerate delivery.’
In a recent article, Forbes Reports that a Project Management Institute (PMI) study revealed that 43% of IT projects exceed their initial budgets, 49% are late and 14% fail altogether.
This article is not meant to discourage an enterprise from executing its vision. Your software product may be the answer to expanding your business, to gaining an advantage over your competition or to improving customer satisfaction…among other things. No! This article is not meant to discourage an organization from embracing its innovative, creative side. Rather, it is meant to point out the primary considerations and the differences between application development and software product development.
Application Development involves developing code and designing an environment to serve a specific need, workflow or process. This development cycle may address the need for a mobile application for iOS or Android apps, or a web-based application and involves design, development, testing and implementation and production. The process may be a closed loop endeavor that allows the organization to dictate its own requirements and produce an app to meet those requirements.
Software Product Development is a different animal! By its nature it must include requirements analysis to understand what customers and clients want and to control the scope to include those features and functionality that will satisfy the market by not include features that clients do not want or functionality that will increase the cost and the time it takes to complete the product. This process may include the development of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to test theories and protypes and acquire feedback that will be included in the final product design. The product development process must include quality management methodologies and techniques to ensure that the final product is dependable and suitable for the market and that it will result in a positive experience for customers and avoid risk to the company and its reputation. The process must ensure that security and privacy standards are met for industry and government compliance, and it must provide a foundation to grow the product and complete upgrades. It must include a comprehensive support environment with appropriate customer support methods and access points.
When you choose a software development partner, you must consider experiences, skills, references and the partner’s capacity to meet deadlines and stay within scope and budget. Working with professional software product development services gives your business the structure, oversight, and execution capability needed to accelerate delivery.
Look for a partner than can provide:
- Flexible Development Models
- Tailored, Collaborative Approach
- Streamlined Delivery Process
- Scalable Team and Ongoing Product Support
Above all, choose a partner that understands the difference between application development and software product development!
‘While you might have high hopes for your software product development project, it is important to plan this process with eyes wide open and to understand the concerns and needs of this type of undertaking.’
Contact Us to find out how an expert Software Product Development partner or Application Development Partner can help your business achieve its vision and expand its market reach. Read our article, ‘3 Critical Considerations For Software Product Development vs. Application Development.’
