A Cost-Saving Measure You May Not Have Thought Of: Slow Down
Companies often feel pressured to hurry up their processes to close more deals and earn higher profits in the competitive software development landscape. Rushing can often lead to mistakes, oversights, and significant financial losses. As my dad used to say, “The hurrier I go, the behinder I get.” The hurrier I go, the behinder I get. Dad Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive weekly tips on how to keep your software investment powerful, yet simple It’s a paradoxical truth: the faster we move, the more likely we are to make mistakes, costing us both time and money. But what if I told you that strategically slowing down allows teams to focus, increase cost savings, produce better software, and ultimately boost earnings through the combined effect of these actions? In the realm of systems flow, whether money or resources, there are two primary strategies for increasing your available stock (capital):…
Top 5 Software Development Trends 2024: A Guide for Modern Business Executives
In today’s rapidly changing business environment, executives need to keep updated on the latest trends in software development to maintain a competitive edge. Although the tech industry is vast, focusing on a few specific areas can significantly impact your company’s efficiency, security, and innovation. Leaders should focus on five critical software development trends to drive their businesses forward in 2024. Artificial intelligence and Machine Learning Low-Code Environment Integration DevOps/Agile Integrations Cloud Computing Advancements Cybersecurity Enhancements Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) AI and ML are transforming businesses’ operations, offering previously unattainable insights and efficiencies. AI tools allow you and your business to focus on your business objectives by handling mundane, repetitive tasks. A simple Internet search for “AI productivity tools” will return lists of products available. Look at your current processes and find areas where you can begin to offline tasks to AI. Action Steps: Examine your company’s processes…
The Death of Custom Software
Custom software doesn’t last forever. It’s conceived with an idea. Then grows into something like a rebellious teen who doesn’t always do what they should. With time and effort, it finally matures into a solid, productive adult with huge earning potential. Over time, however, it loses its ability to keep up. This is normal. It’s all part of the software development life cycle. One of our clients had an application implemented in Adobe Flash. They had used it for years with great success. The Flash app provided a highly interactive user interface with animations and other “flashy” experiences. Since Adobe sunset Flash years ago, their app stopped running on the latest desktop and mobile operating systems. We helped them find a solution that provides the same exciting user experience but is built on modern technology. The result is a robust ecosystem that provides far more functionality than their original product…
Meeting Pulse: A Surprisingly Easy Unfair Advantage
Effective communication is crucial to the success of custom software development projects. As simple as it sounds, you may be surprised by how much traction your team gets when you add a regular meeting pulse to your process. The key is establishing and sticking with a steady, dependable schedule that stakeholders can depend on. Like clockwork, your projects will gain clarity and momentum in a way they never did before. A regular cadence of meetings establishes specific intervals throughout the project’s lifecycle where stakeholders will share information about the project’s status. By doing so, team members can collaborate more effectively and address potential obstacles early before they become more significant issues. Moreover, the regular meetings incentivize each stakeholder to keep their deliverables on schedule, knowing they must report their progress to the rest of the team. You shouldn’t have to be an expert in business and software. We help…
Five Expert Disciplines For Custom Software Success
The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities. Stephen Covey Developing custom software is complicated. It’s common for projects to get off track, take longer than expected, and/or not deliver what is needed. Yet, there is a relatively simple process to help ensure your projects succeed. Would you rather talk with someone about this? Schedule a free call to talk about your custom software project. Five Expert Disciplines for Custom Software Success Make these disciplines the foundation of your custom software development process to enhance your chance of success. Begin with the end in mind Make Project Management a priority Embed quality assurance in the process Clear communication is critical Make a long-term commitment Begin with the end in mind The success of a custom software development project starts with understanding why you’re creating it in the first place. Ultimately the software must…
How to Run The Perfect Software Project
You’ve got a great software idea. What could go wrong? Everything. A Simple Misunderstanding Let’s say you need a house. You contact a builder and tell them the requirements: “Build me a house.” What you needed: What they delivered: Miscommunications cause software development projects to get off track, which costs unnecessary time and money. Projects must run smoothly to complete on time, within budget, and meet requirements. A Simple Plan Running a custom software development project does not have to be hard or complicated. Follow this simple plan to ensure your project goes smoothly. Clearly define your objectives. Set up clear communication channels. Monitor progress and manage risks. Sound overly simplistic? It’s not. Research shows that three of the most common mistakes that lead to a software development project getting off track are: Unclear requirements Poor communication Lack of project planning By simply avoiding these three mistakes, your chance of…
How to Find a Software Development Partner
Avoid wasting time and money on a software developer that does not deliver what you need. Fool Me Once… I hired a team in the early 2000s to build a low-level Internet filter because it was technology I had no experience with. Our first round of calls went well. They affirmed that they could do the job in about three months. We communicated regularly, but the project just kept dragging out. In the meantime, I built the frontend and studied low-level Internet filtering. Almost a year later, I had an “ah hah” moment. I realized it was impossible to create what I had asked for. I brought this up on our nightly call, and the project lead confirmed it was impossible. When I asked why they didn’t tell me, he said, “we’ve been doing what you told us to do.” What “I” told them to do? I was telling them…
5 Simple Steps to Create a Custom Software Application
Building a custom software application can be daunting. If you’ve never done it before, it’s hard to know where to start. Five simple steps to create a custom software application Here are the essential tasks that ensure custom software development ends in success. Begin with the end in mind Assemble your team Plan your work Develop, test, and review iteratively Review/Repeat Begin with the end in mind Know what you are creating before you start because custom software development is costly. Don’t waste time making anything you don’t need. Take the time upfront to consider precisely what your software should do to support your business objectives. You don’t need to get into every minute detail. You just need to understand what the software should accomplish on behalf of your users. User stories and user journeys can help you achieve this. Assemble your team Choosing the right team is critical to…
Begin With the End in Mind
Don’t Waste Your Time Developing custom software is expensive and time-consuming. You should not undertake it lightly. Be sure you understand the end goal before you even start. Your software may increase efficiency, improve communication, or create new job opportunities. Solving real-world problems or addressing industry pain points are great goals. However, you must know what you are trying to achieve before you start, or you will waste A LOT of time and money. I was really impressed with Berkemeyer ConceptsProgram Manager, Fives Lund LLC Stay Focused You will likely fail without a clear vision. Without clearly understanding your end goal, you will not know whether you are on track or even heading in the right direction. Alice: Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?The Cheshire Cat: That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.Alice: I don’t much care where.The…
Custom Software is a Long-Term Commitment
It’s Time for Custom Software Custom software may be the right solution for your business. It will solve problems off-the-shelf software may not be able to because it is designed specifically for your unique business needs. It will help support your business objectives and should earn you more than it costs to build. Just be sure you have a long-term perspective on your custom software before you start. Would you rather just talk about this? Schedule a FREE consultation. Creating custom software is a long-term commitment. Once you begin, be prepared to make regular investments in it for a long time. You should be ready to invest time and money to ensure your software project is successful and healthy. It will need to be updated regularly for as long as you continue to use it. Custom Sofware is a Long-term Commitment A software application typically takes several months to complete.…