Wadding through the right approach to developing custom software for your business can be tricky. Since custom software is built to your specifications deciding how to approach development can result in being overwhelmed with choice. In order to avoid this there are two general approached to how we develop custom software; each with the own costs and benefits.
Targeted Approach:
The targeted approach is designed for clients who have a clearly defined scope of work. Since the needs for the projects development are known, it means that an exact budget can be provided and stuck to. In addition, since the project has been outlined beforehand, it is unlikely that costs will increase throughout the development of the project. Finally, the targeted approach will have a specific day of delivery. The major costs to this approach comes in terms of rigidity. Since the design process is clearly defined, if there are any changes required during development, it would be difficult to implement on budget and on time.
Flexible and Reactive Approach:
This style really picks up on the major downside to the targeted approach; it is flexible. This benefit means that it can react to changes in the business’ needs. Since there is no clearly defined time frame for development the custom software can be launched bit by bit, changing aspects throughout the development phase; basically it is constantly tested to make sure that it works with your business. This benefit, generally speaking, is used for businesses who have a larger custom software project in mind.
The downside to this style is that since there is no specific development time, or exact outline to towards what the final product will look like, it is possible for costs to increase throughout the development time. Creeping costs can occur especially when the project changes throughout development, or if additional custom softwares need to be developed throughout the project.
Final Thoughts:
Generally speaking the two approaches can be broken down into what your business needs out of a custom software. If you understand exactly what your needs and know it they are not going to change, then a targeted approach is likely going to be a better fit. While if the project has some unknown variables, and is likely to change over time then a more flexible approach would be best suited.
