Whether your internal IT team is going to tackle your software application development project, or you intend to engage an IT consultant to complete your project, your project plan should include all necessary components and considerations if it is to succeed. In this article, we discuss three areas that are often underfunded, under-resourced or receive less than appropriate attention in the project lifecycle.
‘Software application development projects cannot succeed if they are considered only within the confines of development and implementation.’
Often, a software application development project team is asked to cut corners or adjust the budget or timeline because of management pressure and there are issues that can be overlooked. Those issues will definitely result in problems or project failure if they are ignored or given less attention than they deserve.
Here are three potential stumbling blocks that, if not addressed and considered, will impact the success of your Software Application Development project:
Device Compliance, Scalability and Performance – A project plan and roadmap should include a thorough review of how and when the app will be used and whether the business intends to introduce it as a mobile app in the future (or within the confines of the current project). Planning for device compliance for resolution, screen size etc. is important as these factors can be incorporated into the plan and will be easier to accommodate if they are planned for in advance. The business should also review requirements for Cloud, servers, etc. and the existing and future needs for the app to ensure scalability and performance and to ensure that the app can be rolled out to a larger user base, to more locations etc. Software application development projects cannot succeed if they are considered only within the confines of development and implementation.
Testing – Your test plan should be robust and should be considered as part of a DevOps environment where testing is integrated and there is a give and take that will result in identification and resolution of issues. Software application testing should include a full suite of techniques and methods with automated testing, regression testing, stress testing, security testing, load testing, manual testing, user acceptance testing (UAT), functional testing, performance testing, use case and test case development, mobile application testing (if appropriate) and usability testing. The business must create, manage and execute a comprehensive test design that will adequately address all issues.
Migration, Integration and Upgrade – If the business plans to migrate data from an existing system to the new software application, the team must develop a migration plan and that plan must include a thorough review of the data, fields and information that will be migrated and how it will transition into the new system, with plenty of testing to ensure accuracy and efficacy. If the software application development project will include integration with existing systems or new apps the business plans to acquire or develop, the project plan must include a roadmap to achieve successful integration and to review questions regarding real-time data access, scheduling and timing of data updates, and other considerations. The team must also plan for solution upgrades to accommodate needs in the future and to add functionality or features. The foundational design must allow for easy upgrade and flexibility.
When a business parses a project lifecycle and gives less attention, funding and time to what are critical components of a software application development, it can have profound effects on the success of the project. It is important to give appropriate attention to all phases of the project in order to provide a solid foundation for user adoption and for growth.
‘Often, a software application development project team is asked to cut corners or adjust the budget or timeline…and there are issues that can be overlooked. Those issues will definitely result in problems or project failure if they are ignored or given less attention than they deserve.’
If you want to consider a software application development project, we invite you to explore our Software Application Development Services, and our Software Application Development Outsourcing.
