Software Development
Designing software to market to your audience can be a pretty daunting task, even if you're familiar with how the software development process works. If you have a solid idea for a software product and have assessed your audience's needs and wants, the next step is to find a software creation team that can work with you through all of the steps of the software development life cycle. Outsourcing your software development needs allows you to work on the marketing and broad overview of the product while it's in development. It's an intensive process, but undertaking a software development project without adequate experience can sometimes result in lost profits or a less-than-ideal service. The best software dev team will sit down with you to outline the project's life cycle from start to finish, and are open to making changes based on the needs of the audience.
To take a closer look at the relationship between software developer and the client, let's talk more about the software development life cycle.
What Is the Life Cycle?
SDLC, or the software development life cycle, is divided up into six different stages. There's a lot of back and forth about what each stage is called and what it entails, but in its simplest form, it consists of:
- Step 1: Analysis and Planning
- Step 2: Design
- Step 3: Development
- Step 4: Testing
- Step 5: Deployment
- Step 6: Support and Maintenance
All of these steps are integral to the efficiency of the final product. Without one of these stages, the final product might miss the mark or overlook a core functionality. To create the best product for you and your customers, software development needs to undergo testing at each stage to stay on track to meet the end goal.
Analysis and Planning
Sometimes called the Ideation stage, the first step in the software development process is to assess the purpose of the software and create an idea of what the final product will look like. During this process, the developers meet with the client to discuss how the software product should account for the pain points of the users.
For example, if you have a SaaS product aimed at marketing firms and freelance marketing specialists, the software has to solve a problem they experience on the daily. This might be creating a bookkeeping/tax tool for freelance marketers who struggle with writing off their business expenses. Or, it could take a more focused approach on a certain issue, such as analyzing website performance.
In the Analysis and Planning stage, each party should clearly understand the end goal of the product as well as the pain points that need to be fixed.
Other aspects of this stage include:
- Acknowledging quality assurance requirements
- Assessing technical and operational feasibility
- Identifying risks and future pain points
- Planning for economic impact
- Making a specific, attainable development plan
More so than any other stage in the process, Analysis requires complete alignment between the developer and the client. This is where goals and expectations are set, and provides not only the roadmap for the project, but builds the relationship between the developer and the client.
Design
Once the requirements of the software are written in stone in the Software Requirement Specifications (SRS), the developers can start designing the product architecture. The architecture is essentially a list of ways to go about creating the software. Multiple different architectures are created and consider the following software design principles:
- Risk assessments
- Modularity
- Resource allocation
- Budget
- Time constraints
The two main product architecture structures used are modular and integral. The modular approach separates the core functions of the software into modules, which function individually of one another. Collectively, the modules interact to create the desired final product.
The integral approach is much more complex, and focuses on the functions of the software as a whole as opposed to separate modules. Integral architecture designs are more difficult to build, but make it easier to update and support the finished product. Once multiple product architecture plans have been detailed, the developers and the clients will decide on an approach that best satisfies budget and timeframes, as well as accounts for all the necessary functionalities and details.
Software Deployment
The deployment phase is where the software actually hits the market. This stage will vary depending on the goals outlined in the analysis and planning stage. Sometimes, the software is released in its entirety, other times it's sectioned out and given to real life users in a process known as user acceptance testing.
The feedback gathered from users will help determine if the product needs more development or if it's ready to be let loose.
Maintenance and Supporting Software
Even though the software underwent rigorous testing, the first few months after it's been released are the most critical in updating and maintaining the software. While most user scenarios can be accounted for during the testing phase, sometimes the unexpected happens.
The developers will keep a watchful eye on the software as more and more people start to use it, and they will schedule regular updates to ensure the software is in the best working order.
What Makes a Good Software Developer Team?
A group of unique individuals Different approaches to software projects who can combine their efforts to create the best possible product.
Values everyone's insight and takes into account the needs of the client and the audience in every step of the development process.
Customize product architecture and development processes based on the needs of the client and the audience. This includes proficiency in multiple coding languages and a firm grasp of high-level development concepts.
Accommodate product release dates and budgetary constraints while still producing a satisfying software product.