Picking out the perfect Dallas software development company is just the first step of your high-tech journey. In fact, the client should expect to be an active participant in the early stages of the software development process. This engagement is actually really important, as it ensures that your needs and expectations for the software platform (and the development process) align with the development team’s plans for your project. So what should you expect when starting a custom software development project?
Be Prepared to Involve Everyone Who Will Be Using the Software
If a company’s IT / technology director believes that he or she can oversee the entire enterprise software development process with little or no involvement from others will almost certainly end up with a piece of software that fails to deliver a solid ROI.
It is essential that you involve department heads or other representatives from the divisions or departments that will be using the new software platform. Only then can you determine key points such as:
- What are the different user types that will need to be considered when designing the software?
- What features does each division / department need in the enterprise software platform?
- What data does each user type need to access? What user roles will you need to establish to maintain data security, while minimizing unnecessary exposure to sensitive data?
- Who will be collaborating on the software platform and how can your new platform support those collaborative efforts?
- What data is each party inputting and what are they doing with that information once inputted into the system?
- What essential third-party platforms will you need to integrate?
There’s another major element that you’ll need to determine with the help of others who represent the different users of your platform: what problems can you solve with this new enterprise software interface? In fact, this is such an important point that we decided to expand upon it in the next section!
Be Ready to Consider Your Needs and Pain Points as a Business
As a top Dallas custom software development company, 7T strives to solve problems with the software that we create. At its core, a new software solution must eliminate pain points or bottlenecks, while solving problems, increasing efficiency and allowing for greater productivity. It’s these issues that prompt an organization to invest in new technology. But you’ll need to articulate the precise nature of these challenges and your ideal solution to your development company.
To build an enterprise software solution with maximum ROI, your developers must have a full understanding of your current needs and pain points; only then can they architect technology that will bridge gaps, streamline processes and solve problems.
Therefore, as you prepare to begin your software development process, take some time to gather feedback from individuals throughout the company to identify the most pressing pain points, bottlenecks and challenges. Then, you can present this information to your development team, which can, in turn, architect a software platform that will address these issues. At 7T, we believe that this problem-solving approach to software development is one of the keys to maximizing ROI.
Actively Work to Help Your Developers Understand Your Processes from the Bottom Up
It’s critical that you take the time to gain an understanding of the processes and workflows that occur throughout your company’s operations. Your software platform should ideally include features to accommodate these processes from start to finish. At minimum, you’ll want to ensure that your new enterprise software doesn’t interfere with or obstruct the existing workflows.
You’ll need to map out the various workflows and processes that will be impacted by your new enterprise software; this will make it much easier to accurately convey this information to your development team.
Participate in the Creation of a Software Requirements Document
The aforementioned points and many others are all addressed in the process of completing your project’s software requirements document. This in-depth document will impact absolutely every aspect of your software platform and the development process, so it’s critical that you invest the time to complete this document to the best of your ability.
In fact, 7T has created an ebook with examples of how to complete the software requirements doc, so review this material to get a better understanding of what type of information you’ll need to provide.
An involved client who provides accurate, in-depth information is going to maximize their chances of receiving a well-architected software platform that’s customized to suit the company’s unique needs and processes.
As a top Dallas custom software development company focusing on enterprise development projects, 7T strives to solve problems and boost ROI through digital transformation. A large portion of our mobile app and custom software development work involves enterprise clients, who are seeking to expand, augment or streamline their operations with purpose-built technology.
Our innovative team integrates cutting-edge solutions into virtually every development project, whether it’s mobile app development, custom software projects such as CRM platforms and ERP development, or Snowflake data solutions, we’re ready to deliver collaborative, multi-phased software development services to clients in all business sectors.
7T has offices in Dallas, Houston, Chicago, and Austin, but our clientele spans far beyond Texas and the midwest. If you’re ready to harness the power of an enterprise mobile app, custom enterprise software platform and today’s most innovative technologies, contact 7T. We invite you to call our Dallas area offices at 214-299-5100.
