In the rapidly changing technology industry, a tool or technique that might be a hit this year can become obsolete the next year. This unpredictability along with the emerging markets and changing consumer preferences puts pressure on businesses to quickly change their existing models and align with the new trends.
Today, many companies are in the search for technologies that can help them in building future-ready software products tailored to their business requirements. In recent years, the emergence of disruptive technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Blockchain has taken the demand for advanced software to a whole new level. This has further reminded the benefits of bespoke software development.
Today, many companies are seeking custom software to solve complex business challenges and drive growth. Compared to traditional ways of developing software, custom software development is more inclined towards a specific set of requirements with high integration capabilities and personalization benefits.
When it comes to business solutions, there is no one-size-fits-all category. Custom or bespoke software development is an approach that helps business in ways that mainstream systems and processes cannot. However, the actual process of bespoke software development can mean more risk for a business. Thus, it is important to identify and understand the roadblocks that can arise during custom software development.
Here are 4 biggest challenges that you might encounter during custom software development:
1. Incoherent Vision
Despite significant advancements in technologies, custom software development remains a time-consuming process which requires both planning and a clear vision. The lack of vision leads to problems where the work of a team of developers and product designers does not meet the expectations of an organization.
More often, companies aren’t exactly sure what they want from a custom software solution, while developers build the software without asking critical questions of why things work a certain way. The result is unlikely to help the core business succeed.
Therefore, it is important to make sure that everyone involved in the project is in the discussion about requirements. Companies must pinpoint their expectations and present them to the custom software development partner as their objectives and preferred outcomes.
2. Lack of Expertise
Bespoke software development projects require a broad knowledge of technology and are often beyond the abilities of many businesses. In a constantly evolving technological landscape, developers must be up to date with all the tech news. On this point, a team’s incompetence can quickly lead to problems, and as a consequence, the failure of the project.
The experience of a developer is a clear indicator of unique abilities, as more work indicates that the developer has created tried and tested methodology that delivers effective results. One potential solution is also to turn to custom software developers who have experience in developing solutions for a wide variety of companies.
3. Poor Communication
Another common challenge with custom software development is poor communication. Communication aspects along with language barriers are often overlooked which leads to a poor implementation.
The custom software development project is a collaborative exercise, and clear communication along with perfect management of IT infrastructure is essential to maintain transparency between the stakeholders. It is also important for the client to be involved in each step in the process to understand that each application is built to function well for the known requirements as well as future demands.
4. Hidden Costs
The overall cost of the custom software development is tricky to judge while it remains one of the most important factors in the success of the project. The process of gathering requirements and determining the cost to implement each one of them is difficult. Moreover, if the developers miss these requirements during the initial stage, the client may be at the risk of paying more for further needs.
Another hidden cost is the cost incurred due to poor design and terribly written code. It will directly affect the product quality, user experience, and revenue. The amount of money to deal with these hassles will account for much higher costs in the long run.
To solve cost overrun in a custom software development project, it is clear that the company should work closely with the development to determine as many requirements as possible. While it is important to obtain a cost estimate from the beginning, there should also be a room for additional costs to add extra features or deliver individual points of business value.
5. Ineffective Results
The worst of all the bespoke software development issues is entirely common. While bugs and glitches are a part of every software development, the app may not sell well or help deliver the business value. Many of the previous problems also help explain why custom software development can devastate an organization. Additionally, suppressing errors and not reviewing codes are likely to be a means that the developing team uses to save time and meet deadlines.
Here, the goal is to reduce the occurrence of glitch and execute proper planning and communication. Following a formal quality assurance process is also imperative to discover bugs and launch the software successfully. Moreover, earlier the bugs are discovered, the cheaper it is to fix them.
Selecting a developing company is the most critical part for a company. With the custom software development being so expensive, the company must understand the size of the project and investment.
In recent times, as COVID-19 has complicated matters in business continuity, finding a trusted individual or organization will increase the likelihood of success. To stay sustainable in such an environment, companies have to refocus their requirements and look for more flexible management approaches.
Custom software development, in particular, is a complicated process. A clear vision, proper research, communication, planning, and testing ensure that an organization doesn’t fall victim to the common problems. A deeper understanding of the time frame of a project will further help breakdown the features, the delivery time of the software, and the time required for quality testing.