How to choose a custom software development company?
Due to the importance of software for its results, software occupies an increasingly important place in the activities of companies (whether public or private).
Due to the importance of software for its results, software occupies an increasingly important place in the activities of companies (whether public or private). This importance has made more and more software development companies appear in the market and offer different types of solutions to the problems that companies may encounter.
Knowing how to choose a Custom Software Development Company is like choosing a new mechanic: it must be someone you can trust who understands our needs, knows how to buy the best parts within our budget and can solve our problems effectively, guaranteeing the quality and safety of the product.
How does custom software development work?
When describing a programmer's job, it should already be clear that software development is a complex process.
It involves several stages between project conception (whether it is a personal project or a request received from a client) and its realization.
It is also linked to project management work methods, especially when it comes to development teams.
Later we will discuss these issues in more detail - the steps and methods used in software development.
None of this would be useful without the code itself. Therefore, the software can only be implemented by instructions written in a certain language.
What are these languages? These are recognizable command patterns on certain systems and devices.
By using the right commands in a given language, text can be translated into actions or other elements on a computer, tablet or smartphone screen.
It should be noted that not all environments support the same language. It's like traveling: in some countries, you can only communicate in a certain language.
What is software architecture?
When we talk about software architecture, it is always interesting to compare it to the design of an apartment. Once complete, the professional construction makes it comfortable and functional, so it can be walked around and used to its best advantage in any setting. Consequently, residents feel that everything is fine, that it is functional and satisfying as well as aesthetic.
In software, the same concept makes sense and is really perfect. Part of this projection and software development goes through the layout and design of the tool, which will make its visually pleasing and functional part. Elements are well laid out on the screen and the user can use the software without any problem.
Software architecture is a job that also includes the construction of software, considering the organization of its operational elements and ensuring its delivery to users. In practice, the architecture is designed to ensure that the user experience provides a minimum level of assurance that users will be able to perform the activities they want.
For this, the software architecture must have all the elements and functions in an organized, accessible and understandable way to make operational processes viable. Regardless of the size and complexity of the software, the architecture ensures that the programming code developed will result in fully functional software.
Main steps for custom software development
Software development is a step-by-step effort to make work more fluid and organized. The application of this technology is the guarantee of knowing what the client wants, the guarantee that it will be in the project and details such as the cost of the software.
After these steps, work moves from production to testing and finally to implementation and operations. Then learn what each phase of software development includes and understand why each one is so important!
Requirements gathering
The software was created simply because someone, at some point, needed or thought of a tool that could succeed in the market. This number is a customer, internal or external. Among them, what really matters is that the customer is the creator of the software, so it is necessary to understand their expectations and needs regarding the application.
Requirements gathering is the step in which all information is aggregated with the client. It defines the conditions and criteria under which the software must be delivered, that is, that it corresponds to the customer's expectations in relation to the final product. In research, programmers and customers need to talk more to determine the final design idea.
Requirements analysis
The next step is to carry out a more detailed analysis of the client's needs and everything that the programmer found in the survey. Not everything that is needed can be implemented in the project, which will define the current phase. First, analyze whether the idea is clear and whether there are any errors, ambiguities or other problems.
Then, and above all, the technical analysis phase begins. Programmers design how each customer request will work and then approve or revisit certain ideas together. This is necessary because not all ideas really work when you think of specific software. It is up to the programmer to analyze their configurations and present them to the client.
Financial analysis
Everything is defined, that is, with the content of the project determined, it is time to evaluate the total cost of the work. At this stage, the forecast consists of calculating the amount needed for development investments, taking into account the following costs:
- Work team - how much will be paid and how many professionals;
- The technical complexity of the project - the more complex the project, the higher the cost;
- Labor qualifications - More complex jobs require more qualified professionals, that is, their labor costs are higher.
It is just as important to understand and define these costs to ensure they are properly borne by the customer. With the presentation of the financial proposal, if an agreement is reached, a cost contract must be signed for both parties to sign and commit to what the service provider has agreed.
Production
It's time to get your hands dirty with software development. Production is when operational work begins, for which there is a schedule to ensure projects are delivered on time. Production is usually planned in modules and software is progressively delivered in tested and guaranteed working modules.
In this step, the methodology that will be applied in the development of the project is also defined. Currently, agile methods are favored by work teams precisely because they deliver ready-to-use modules in stages and often speed up production. Production goes through architecture and coding and moves on to the next stage.
Test
In software development, the trial period cannot be ignored. Once the production phase is complete, the previous operations of the application should be fully exploited, at least for now. The tests are based on the performance of the application in technical reviews by professionals, as well as in simulated optics facing the target user.
Bugs will naturally appear at this point, which should be considered a good thing. It's a chance to fix it in time and make sure the software is better when it wasn't delivered to the customer. Changes caused by errors must also be tested, and only when everything is in order can the next steps be visualized.
Implementation
Now is the time to deliver the fruits of the hard work of teams of programmers and programmers. A positive response and no bugs during testing indicate that the affected software is ready. However, the implementation brought more observations and tests, but this time already in the concrete application, that is, in the intended use by the customer.
Implementations must also ensure that the customer is fully integrated and adaptable to the application delivered to them. Therefore, part of the team should be dedicated to training to ensure that customers understand how the software works so they can use it consistently and at scale.