You’ve heard of software development services. But what is that really? And, more important still, how can it make your life easier? Let’s start at the beginning.
First, some definitions: (Feel free to skip ahead to #1 if you already know the basics.)
Software: programs or a set of programs that do tasks. (Eg. Microsoft Word, Google Chrome, Photoshop).
Software Development: the process of building software, frameworks, and other software components.
Software Development Services: A group or organization specializing in building software from design & implementation to support, testing, and everything in between.
Source: Unsplash
Next, a few software development service types:
Front-End: make life easier for your clients and yourself. User interfaces or client-side management need to look good and function well.
Back-End: lean-mean computing machines. Server, database, application programming interfaces (APIs), and other structures keep things going behind the scenes.
Full Stack: the combination of the Front and Back end working in harmony together.
Data Science: make better decisions. Gather and analyze your data quickly, accurately, and effectively.
APIs (Application Programming Interfaces): have your various platforms and software interact with each other seamlessly.
Software Tools: automate the automators. These gems help create, debug, and maintain software and code.
Apps: there’s an app for that. Make things happen and make it mobile, web, or anything your heart desires.
1. Save Time: Automate
How much time do you or your team spend on necessary but menial tasks? How much of that time would be better spent coming up with big-picture ideas and next steps?
Software development services are your ticket out of pencil-pushing limbo. If your team has a task that screams “Why does this take so long!” you need to automate it. If a computer could do it faster or better, make that happen!
Of course, you need to invest some time upfront in project planning and communicating your needs to your software development service provider. But keep your eyes on that prize of never doing busywork again.
2. The Perfect Solution to Your Specific Problem: Customize
Your business is unlike any other so, generally, customized software development services are the best fit. Fill in the gaps in your COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) management systems to make your day a breeze.
Do you find yourself entering information into two separate systems? Or waiting for (and hoping that) two management systems to communicate without any bugs? You can’t fit a square peg in a round hole without a lot of finesse. Use that energy to get yourself a software development company that can fix the problem once and for all. Imagine never needing to duplicate, wait, or cross your fingers again.
3. You’re the Expert for Your Business, Hire Experts for Your Software: Quality
If you’ve been tempted to build or fix software on your own – or you have someone in your organization who can duct tape most tech together – do everyone a favor. Don’t. Do. It.
There are people who eat, breathe, and sleep software development. Let their expertise work for you. It will save you time, frustration, and costly mistakes in the long run. Those experts absolutely need you to tell them your pain points, how your systems work (or don’t), and what you need for the future. But then they run with it and use their wizard-like programming skills to make something as beautiful as it is functional.
4. Avoid that Panicked “Everything is Broken!” Call: Reliability
You’ve heard that old adage: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Well, if you have a software development company on your side, not only do they design and build the software, but they also test, debug, and maintain it.
All tasks you don’t have time for when you’re coming up with your next big idea. Or revolutionizing your industry. Often problems are solved before you even notice and if you do see something misbehaving, you know exactly who can put out that fire. You’ll sleep easier at night.
5. Get Ahead of your Competitors and Grow the Gap: Agility
As we’ve seen over the last few years, situations can change. Quickly. Businesses need to be agile and able to adapt. But you also need to know a calculated risk from a catastrophic one. The best way to do that is with data.
You need to be able to track, assess, and analyze your data accurately, in real-time, and with confidence. The best way to do that is with data straight from the customer, so you can understand exactly when and how their habits changed. That gives you the best chance to guess at the why and change your strategies to match.
Having an in-house system for gathering data is much faster and, overall, more cost-effective than costly market research studies conducted from outside your business.
Software development services give you five things: more time, personalized solutions, expert workmanship, peace of mind, and the ability to pivot. If all your systems and processes are flawless, then congratulations! But if you’ve got room for improvement, no other investment will make as big an impact as customized software development. For you, your team, and your business’ success.
