From design to effect – stages of custom software development

The Internet is a huge store with anything and everything. Every day we look through endless offers of goods and services. It is no different with software. Digital “shelves” are overflowing with software for different purposes. Take your pick. This abundance may even cause a headache, and it does not mean that we are able to find an offer that meets our expectations every time. What’s more, something like a “universal program” simply does not exist. Every finished product has its limitations, so if you want to be a satisfied customer, it is worth to be a little patient and try to take advantage of the software option created specifically for our company.

Why this patience? Well, just like with a tailor-made suit, custom software development does not take one day. Of course, we can take advantage of numerous ready made solutions at any time, but it is worth asking ourselves whether it will really be so beneficial for us.

Trust the experts

Dedicated software development consists of several stages: planning, analysis, design, execution (or as you wish, implementation) and approval. For the client, however, the most important thing is the beginning and the end of collaboration with the IT company, i.e. finding the right specialists, and then receiving and using the ready-made software. If we want to be sure that the collaboration will run smoothly and its result will meet our expectations, we should solidly prepare ourselves to look for experts.

First of all, solid research

When looking for a product that will develop our company, do we decide on the first proposal that will be provided by the Google search engine? Of course not – it would be a sign of our extreme laziness and lack of thoughtfulness (not to say, irresponsibility). If we want to collaborate successfully with real professionals, we should solidly analyze the portfolio of selected candidates, look at their references and pay attention to opinions from other users. It will be important to know whether the IT company will provide us with after-sales care, i.e. solutions necessary to maintain and update the ready-made software.

Good cooperation takes place when the client and the service provider transmit on the same or similar waves. Therefore, it is worth making an appointment for a physical meeting with representatives of selected companies and discuss the needs of your company, the contractor’s methods of operation and establish a common vision of successful collaboration. Only a face-to-face meeting will give us the answer to the question whether we will be able to work together as one team.

Programmer on board – what’s next?

Since we have chosen a programmer, we set a start date for the work and create an approximate timeline for the execution of the project. Even if each programmer works in their own way, the stages of software development are similar.

Stage 1 – Planning

Planning often turns out to be a more complicated process than it might seem. However, this is the most important stage. This is where the goal is set. Planning should always be preceded by a business analysis and a feasibility test.

Stage 2 – Analysis

The contractor should not start work without a detailed project discussion and risk assessment. At this stage the IT company collects all requirements from their client, sets priorities and defines tasks for each employee. The development team must know who the software user will be, what the functions of the software will be and in what environment it will be used.

Stage 3 – Designing

At this stage the concept and architecture of the software is created. Programmers design interfaces, components, data structures and algorithms. Abstract specifications are also created with the limitations within which the software will function. The result of the work on the project is documentation in visual and text form.

Stage 4 – Implementation

The implementation is the transformation of previously created specs into an actual working software. At this stage, the customer can sit down comfortably in an armchair with coffee and a donut, waiting patiently for the finished product. This does not mean, however, that his vigilance can be hibernated! The development team should regularly inform the customer about the progress of software implementation.

Stage 5 – Testing and approval of software

Software testing is meant to show whether the software meets the previously prepared specifications and customer requirements. The programming team verifies the written code, looking for possible errors. Detecting irregularities at an early stage of production avoids the need to implement changes in the entire software architecture at later stages. Working on new software and then implementing it is a journey full of unexpected adventures. By collaborating with a solid IT company, we minimize the risk of unpleasant and costly surprises (this is what stage 1 research is for). It is worth looking around for experts who will provide excellent contact, professional work, and after handing over the finished product will take care of the software they created.

Ready-made or tailor-made product? We leave the answer to this question to our readers. A lot depends on how urgently we need the software. However, if we care about having a product prepared for our company, strictly according to our guidelines, we should have no problems with the answer.

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