Companies often come up with great ideas for new software or programs that would help them within their business verticals. However, they don’t know how to turn this idea into a reality or where to get started with the process of developing these custom software development solutions.
Although they have good ideas for new programs, many companies fear the thought of taking on a custom software development project. There are many requirements, steps, moving parts, and responsibilities that go along with each and every development process – and no two processes are the same.
Custom software development may sound a bit overwhelming at first, but it’s much easier to handle when broken down into its specific steps. Companies also have the option of working with third-party development companies as outsourcing providers to take care of their projects without the extra worry or stress associated with taking them on with an in-house team.
What is Custom Software?
Big software companies develop generic software, often referred to as off-the-shelf solutions, to help complete certain tasks that commonly relate to a wide audience. This can mean a certain business vertical, a process within most businesses, and so on. Purchasing this kind of software means that companies accept its functionality and conditions of usage by the company provider and there isn’t typically much room for customization.
Generic software satisfies the needs of the masses rather than focusing on any single company or vertical’s requirements. Companies often build customized software to meet their specific needs and business niches that these off-the-shelf solutions simply can’t take care of. This allows programs to provide specific functionalities that meet the business’s requirements with exact precision while also integrating into any existing systems and offering other benefits. This creates software that is easy-to-learn and “speaks” the language of the specific company.
The Development Process
Although the process of developing software and software development services generally look similar across development companies, they typically vary when comparing teams and organizations.
The Software Development Life Cycle that most companies follow helps make projects run as smoothly and efficiently as possible. There are different methodologies applied to the Software Development Life Cycle as well, such as Agile, Waterfall, and DevOps.
Below is an example of the general process of building custom software:
Requirements Gathering and Planning
The first phase of the Software Development Life Cycle acts as the foundation of the entire process. During this stage, the whole development team must take the time to get to know the company that will use the software.
They take their market niche, business values, and general plan for the future into account to make the most effective product possible. The development team will also learn about any systems and products currently in place within the organization to figure out any strengths or weaknesses as improvement is always the goal
The development team will then use this information to begin planning the product, including the definition of the tech stack and the general features of the software. This phase is also for making decisions concerning additional technologies, the Software Development Life Cycle methodology, and other important factors. The development team and client must work together to create a project budget and timeline that works for both parties but also leaves some room in case any issues arise during development.
Design and Prototyping
After everyone signs off on a plan, the design team, software architects, and developers work together to translate these user requirements and specifications into the blueprints of a product. Design and user experience are a huge part of any kind of development project as the look, feel, and UX/UI determines exactly how much people enjoy and use the product.
After this planning and design, the developers create a prototype as an incomplete version of the software to show to the client for approval and feedback. This helps to guarantee that everyone is on the same page and understands what the final product will look and feel like. This may seem like a waste of time, but it saves money and time in the long-run should the hiring company want to make major changes or doesn’t like the functionality. Showing it to them any later with these issues would mean extended timelines and budgets for redesigns and rebuilds.
Development
The development phase translates product design into reality through backend and frontend development. Backend developers work on the functionality and inner workings of the software program. These are the unseen inner workings that the end-users won’t ever really see, but they make every interaction in the system work. As server-side developers, backend devs also focus on connecting the database and the functionality of the program itself.
Frontend developers are responsible for building out everything that the user sees and interacts with. They translate the vision and designs for the program into written code and create the user experience for all things client-side.
Quality Assurance and Testing
Software testing is the process of inspecting the program for any errors and bugs to help prevent end-users from experiencing any problems. While it is impossible to catch 100% of the bugs within any given software, this phase helps ensure that the end-users receive a product that is as bug-free as possible.
Quality assurance ensures that the software products produced during development meet all of the defined specifications by the client as well as any industry requirements. It’s the process of making sure that the product achieved its intended outcome.
Depending on the software methodology implemented at the beginning of the development processes, quality assurance and testing are either their own separate steps or conducted throughout the entirety of the development process.
Production and Maintenance
Once the program clears the quality assurance and testing phases, it’s pushed to production and released to the end-users. Sometimes bugs arise post-launch and require some adjustments or fixes. To do this, developers deploy patches and updates to improve overall functionality as well as to update security and compatibility.
Ready to Start a Project?
Taking on a custom software development project may seem like a daunting task for companies. In reality, it’s a great way for businesses to solve problems within their organization, automate processes, and guarantee that everything runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible.
