The Dos and Don’ts of Custom Software Development

Are you planning on custom software development for your organization?

At Ciriz Digital Services, we think this is a smart move.

There are numerous benefits associated with custom software development including ownership, seamless integration, and cost savings. While there could be significant initial capital investment required for the development, you will have significantly lower monthly or yearly running costs. In addition, you will also be able to design and develop the system to suit your unique needs.

However, this can also be a challenging process. Fortunately, there are ways of mitigating the risks of custom software development and increasing your chances of success.

1.????? Planning the Project

Do: Planning the Project

A custom software development project is a complex undertaking that requires a lot of planning to ensure its successful implementation. Some many moving parts and factors could easily derail the project or, worse, make it fail.

Part of the planning involves gathering all the requirements upfront. Through this, you will be able to communicate with your developers or the development company that you have hired to perform the project for you.

It is also important to communicate the requirements as clearly as possible to the development team.

Don’t: Do not gather the requirements for yourself. If you are developing the software for your organization, involve your team members in planning and requirements gathering as they will form part of the users of the software. If you are developing a system that is to be marketed to clients, then involve a few of the clients in the industry in requirements gathering. This will help avoid false consensus effect (where you think that others think the way you think) in your custom software development project.

This means that in your custom software development project, you should carefully consider what the end user will appreciate.

2.????? Opt for Agile Software Development

The methodology used for development is one of the important factors to consider in custom software development. Methodology in this case refers to how the software is developed including the technology stacks, frameworks, and approaches that will be used in development. The methodology influences how successful your custom software development process will be.

There are different software development methodologies each with its strengths and weaknesses. However, at Ciriz Digital Services, we believe that the agile approach is the right choice for your organization when it comes to custom software development.

The agile approach is different from the waterfall model which happens in stages including requirements gathering, analysis, design, development, testing, and operations. The waterfall model is slightly rigid in the sense that once development moves to the next stage then it may be a bit difficult to go back to the previous stage. In the agile approach, the client and the custom software development team meet to discuss progress at the end of every step. This feedback helps identify challenges early leading to the development of a more polished and stable product. So the software development team that you choose or assign to work on your project should be ready to hold meetings at least once every two weeks to discuss the progress of the custom software development.

3.????? Choosing the Right Technology Stack

Do: Use Reliable Technology and Development Tools

The technology stack refers to the technology and tools used to develop the custom software. This includes the programming language, plug-ins, database and systems, third-party libraries, and server infrastructure.

A custom software development project starts with a good system architecture design. The system architecture determines the relation between the different elements of the custom software development project. This includes how the front end relates to the back end, how users access the system, the encryption mechanisms used for handling variables holding personal information, and the security measures enforced in the system. The requirements will also determine whether the system will be developed using a monolithic architecture (having a single codebase) or a microservices architecture (multiple loosely-coupled services).

Don’t: Go for the “Latest” and the “Greatest”

A couple of times, your software developer may bring up such terms as this is the latest tool used in development. However, you should be able to ask them the question of how best the programming language or technology stack they are using fits within your requirements. Custom software development projects always involve a lot of scaling and the technology stack chosen should be versatile enough to allow for this. Do not fall for the latest or greatest if it will result in a system that is not very stable or that is not scalable.

Also, consider the issue of security. Some of the tools from unknown developers may have security vulnerabilities that could be easily exploited by hackers thereby harming your system.

Consider the expertise of the custom software development team. It does not matter if Python or PHP is the best tool to develop your custom software if there is nobody within your team who knows how to use it.

4.????? Adopt a User-Centered Approach

Do: Consider the End-User During Design and Development

The custom software development process should operate on the principle that the user is the king. The custom software should therefore be designed to fit your users’ goals, dreams, and preferences. You should have demographic information, such as age and location; and psychographic data, such as beliefs, preferences, and attitudes to ensure successful user acceptance of the software.

The design elements should be such that navigation is as easy as possible for the users.

Don’t: Don’t overcomplicate

Never complicate design. The user interface requirements should be customized when the software is optimized for each development.

5.????? Communication

Do: Keep Communication Lines Open

Always have open communication lines between the custom software development team and yourself. Keep a timeline for building the prototype. It will be difficult to visualize how the custom software would look without the prototype.

Our approach at Ciriz Digital Services is open communication with our clients at every stage of the custom software development process. We have weekly meetings with the clients from where they can monitor the progress of their custom software development. This has helped avoid misunderstandings with our clients.

Don’t: Allow Misunderstandings

Do not allow for misunderstanding of the custom software development requirements and miscommunication about the platform. As a client or initiator of a software development project, do not change instructions or scope mid-way into the project. Some minor adjustments are expected and can be tolerable during development. However, there are certain times when you could propose major changes that could affect the allotted timeline and budget. Major changes midway into the project may also affect the team’s morale negatively affecting successful implementation of the custom software development project.

6.????? Planning for Security

Do: Adequately Plan for Your Security

Privacy and security issues pose one of the greatest challenges, especially for web systems. At Ciriz Digital Services, we factor in different issues, such as role-based access rights differentiation, data encryption, and security. Security should be considered both on the server side and on the system side.

Don’t: Store Sensitive Information as Plain Text

Encrypt all sensitive and personal information. Different encryption algorithms can be selected for this purpose.

7.????? QA Testing

Do: Perform QA Testing

Testing could be time-consuming but this is a process that should never be neglected. Testing is important for creating a stable system as it helps avoid a situation where the software launches with errors and bugs. ?

Testing is also done to ensure that the software performs according to user requirements and expectations.

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Need help with your custom software development?

We hope these dos and don’ts will make your custom software development project more successful.

Of course, it takes more than just a few best practices to ensure success in your custom software development. You also need to have the right team by your side!

That is where Ciriz Digital Services comes in.

We have an extensive record of working on numerous projects with clients from different sectors of the economy.

Interested! Talk to us Today. Let us hear you.