The cost of software development has risen sharply over the last ten years. Simultaneously, the development timelines extended, software ownership costs increased, and business models became more complicated. Further complicating matters, there are more risks when implementing new software into existing infrastructure, so tight collaboration between the development team and the business side helps streamline development time.
Modern Criteria of Software Development Process
To meet modern marketing needs, seamless and quick implementation of new features, with high performance and scalability from software applications, is necessary. The difference between surviving and thriving in the current environment comes down to a simple fact. The faster, cheaper, and more useful solution you implement, your clients will experience a broader range of benefits.
Close communications from both the organization and software development teams are crucial to achieving the best possible integration. Without a smooth communication flow, software engineers working independently of the business team could miss guidance or vital directives resulting in delays or not delivering the required functionality on schedule.
Any deadline or milestone extensions can result in opportunity costs and lost revenue. Close collaboration between the technology and business sides can significantly shorten the project timeline and keep the project within the original budget.
Often, software optimization is the best approach. Using similar or optimized software solutions to handle multiple aspects of business reduces development time and support needs. Streamlining the solution means it’s easier to understand and use for the client.
An excellent example of optimized software is iOS, which operates on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Compared to many Android competitors, the iPhone often has less onboard memory and a lower clock speed on the CPU. Despite this, the iPhone can run many applications faster because of its hardware optimized for iOS to meet user demands and requirements. An optimized solution can turn disadvantages into benefits, as it did with these Apple products.
Cost of Ownership
Some companies and organizations don’t evaluate the total cost of owning software applications, including the costs of design and development and the expenses of support, infrastructure, and security – plus any “extras” in more sophisticated deployments. This oversight may become a glaring mistake because the overall costs of ownership are a significant part of the profitability formula.
In the long run, the cost of ownership for enterprise-level software solutions might exceed the development price. Underestimate of the Life Cycle Cost of a software solution poses a risk that should always be mitigated. Costs and expenses are crucial in the decision-making process to launch a new or working with existing software infrastructure. Analyzing them is an excellent starting point for all new projects.
Flexible and Cost-Efficient Enterprise Solutions
Standardized development with creating applications using Java, .NET, or other popular platforms and languages requires significant effort from the tech team. Creating modern, complex, and robust software solutions cost-effectively without the tech team’s tight collaboration with the business unit is challenging.
Fortunately, technology empowers both teams to connect seamlessly using Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN), Unified Modeling Language (UML), and System design. The next natural question is if BPMN and system design can get converted into applications. The answer to this question is “yes.” Low-code and no-code platforms can help with conversion and streamline the development process.
Low-Code Platforms
Low-code platforms get built on the infrastructure by implementing BPMN diagrams into applications. Standard languages and tools, including Java, .NET, Python, and Javascript, don’t provide “out-of-the-box” BPMN conversion capabilities. Significant efforts from a dedicated software development team and a notably higher budget are needed to achieve the same results in BPMN conversion compared to the low-code/no-code platforms. Low-code/no-code solutions don’t yet fit every need. However, these platforms save clients a significant amount of time and money when used as applicable.
The final product developed with a low-code/no-code platform can get maintained without the involvement of development team. The benefits of using low-code platforms are tremendous, so it’s tempting to experiment. But, before jumping in, you’ll find plenty of low-code platforms on the market, so choosing a solution that meets the needs of your project is essential.
When we made a strategic decision to start using a low/no-code platform at Sprinterra, we faced the same concerns. We spent several weeks analyzing some of the low-code/no-code solution platforms available on the market.
If you’d like to learn about our findings and selection process, criteria, and the top choice, please stay tuned for our next post focused entirely on these topics.