softdevgenie

[softdevgenie]

Importance of Software Development

According to IBM Research: “Software development refers to a set of computer science activities dedicated to the process of creating, designing, deploying and supporting software.”

Since the advent of software product development in the 1960s, many different approaches have been used for developing the software; the most common today uses an agile approach to development. An agile software development definition includes an approach where development requirements and solutions are delivered through the collaborative effort of self-organizing and cross-functional teams and their customers.  Unlike the more traditional and often inflexible development software examples, agile encourages and promotes flexible responses to change, by advocating adaptive planning, evolutionary development, early delivery, and continual improvement.

Key steps in the Software Development Process

There are 4 key steps in software development.

1. Identification: Needs identification is a market research and brainstorming stage of the process. Before a firm builds software, it needs to perform extensive market research to determine the product's viability. Developers must identify the functions and services the software should provide so that its target consumers get the most out of it and find it necessary and useful. There are several ways to get this information, including feedback from potential and existing customers and surveys.

2. Requirement Analysis. Requirement analysis is the second phase in the software development life cycle. Here, stakeholders agree on the technical and user requirements and specifications of the proposed product to achieve its goals. This phase provides a detailed outline of every component, the scope, the tasks of developers and testing parameters to deliver a quality product.The requirement analysis stage involves developers, users, testers, project managers and quality assurance. This is also the stage where programmers choose the software development approach such as the waterfall or V model. The team records the outcome of this stage in a Software Requirement Specification document which teams can always consult during the project implementation.

3. Development and Implementation. The next stage is the development and implementation of the design parameters. Developers code based on the product specifications and requirements agreed upon in the previous stages. Following company procedures and guidelines, front-end developers build interfaces and back-ends while database administrators create relevant data in the database. The programmers also test and review each other's code.Once the coding is complete, developers deploy the product to an environment in the implementation stage. This allows them to test a pilot version of the program to make performance match the requirements.

4. Testing. The testing phase checks the software for bugs and verifies its performance before delivery to users. In this stage, expert testers verify the product's functions to make sure it performs according to the requirements analysis document.Testers use exploratory testing if they have experience with that software or a test script to validate the performance of individual components of the software. They notify developers of defects in the code. If developers confirm the flaws are valid, they improve the program, and the testers repeat the process until the software is free of bugs and behaves according to requirements.

Types of Software Development

There are several different types. They can be grouped into four basic categories:

Application development that provides functionality for users to perform tasks. Examples include office productivity suites, media players, social media tools, and booking systems. Applications can run on the user’s own personal computing equipment or on servers hosted in the cloud or by an internal IT department. Media streaming development is one example of application development for the cloud.

System software development to provide the core functions such as operating systems, storage systems, databases, networks, and hardware management.

Development tools that provide software developers with the tools to do their job, including code editors, compilers, linkers, debuggers, and test harnesses.

Embedded software development that creates the software used to control machines and devices, including automobiles, phones, and robots.

Benefits of Your Custom Software

Businesses face issues when they try to align existing softwares with their business processes. Existing softwares are challenging and difficult to integrate with your processes. Identifying when it’s best for your company to invest in custom software design and development can save you a lot of time and money in the long run.

Features tailored to suit your business

You own the product, you create the features

Differentiation and competitive edge in the market

Custom enhanced security and privacy

Extensive support from technical team of creators

Architecture Design

Patterns and techniques are used to design and build an application. Application architecture gives you a roadmap to follow when building an application, resulting in  a well-structured app. Software designers and patterns can help you to build a custom software and application for your business. Programmers use the latest programming languages and tools to create the best possible results for you. 

Design and Solution Thinking

Think outside the box for your business! The objective is to create innovative, custom solutions for well-defined problems within your business. Design and solution thinking methods will help you and your business to achieve its objective better and efficiently. Through understanding and creation of software solutions that seamlessly solve your problems, you'll be able to digitalise your processes and emerge as a leader in your industry 

References

https://itchronicles.com/what-is-software-development/

https://appdevelopers.my/

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/what-is-software-development