Software Development Caveats: Secrets to Success in 2022

Imagine missing by a mark of $400 million? A software glitch cost an investment bank Lazard Ltd. while signing an agreement with SolarCity Corp., a subsidiary of Tesla cars. The cost of software bugs is not just about hiccups in your business deals but also what you have to spend to get it fixed.

According to IBM, the cost of fixing a software bug is four to five times more expensive than discovering it in the design stage and 100 times more costly if identified during the maintenance phase. This is why you need to plan for different software development caveats to ensure no surprises when you launch the products.

So, here we will discuss some of the software development caveats and their solutions. But, first, let’s start with the problem of bugs.

#1. Problem of quality

Software quality and bug-free experience for users is one of the main aspects that every business looks to ace. However, it’s not easy to achieve, especially with all the software development caveats.

One of the critical aspects of software quality is functionality. It refers to the degree of performance in which software needs to function to achieve the bare minimum goal for its design.

Software reliability is another aspect related to bug-free and seamless operations for a specified time. For higher reliability, you need a well-architecture software backend that can help execute operations without any glitch.

This is where you need to look for a framework that can help design your software architecture for reliable operations. There are several different frameworks that you can use for trustworthy software development like,

• Flutter
• React Native
• Python
• JavaScript
• Swift

There can be two sides to software quality, and one is higher performance and less security, while the other is higher security with low performance. However, if you are a business that wants to stay long in the market, you need to strike the right balance.

#2. The Security Issues

Software security is about protecting data, compliance with information regulations, and allowing secure access for users. This is essential for every entrepreneur looking to improve their startup’s trustworthiness as secure experiences lead to better customer retention.

Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/security-logo-60504/

One way to achieve better security for your software is by integrating Artificial Intelligence. AI-enabled cybersecurity solutions can help you find unknown vulnerabilities in your software that hackers can expose. You can also determine anomalies in the software codes through AI, which can get exposed to malicious injections and rectify them.

While software quality and security are essential for your business to stay competitive, you need to understand other caveats like costing before running out of cash.

#3. Cash Burn Problem

One of the most significant caveats to successful software development is delayed delivery and overspending on the projects. For example, overspending on in-house software developers for a small-scale project can create problems for your budget.

However, there has been this debate on in-house vs. outsourcing software development , but outsourcing seems to be far more attractive when you are on a strict budget. Most in-house software development involves higher human resources efforts that lead to increased costs and resources.

Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-black-and-gray-calculator-6266283/

For example, if your project is at an MVP or Minimum Viable Product stage, you may do away with a few software developers. However, as your product sales, you will need more developers with project managers, QAs and others. Hiring such a massive workforce permanently through rigorous interviews, screening, and onboarding becomes expensive.

At the same time outsourcing allows you to engage several developers without the efforts and cost of permanent hiring. However, there is a caveat of outsourcing your software development with a fixed price package which is a lack of flexibility for your projects. The solution can be a dedicated team that charges based on the developer’s fee on a per hour basis.

Another aspect of software development that you need to consider for successful results is third-party integrations.

#4. Third-party Integrations

Software development enhancements need the integration of different services for additional features. Take an example of an email marketing campaign for your startup. The best way to reduce email marketing efforts for an entrepreneur is to leverage automation tools.

So, you need to integrate CRM tools into your software or build customised CRM software from scratch. With third-party integrations, you can quickly scale your business while making it from scratch needs efforts and resources. However, the most significant caveat is the compatibility and customization of APIs.

APIs or Application Programming Interface helps two heterogeneous systems to communicate or exchange data through a set of protocols. Lack of compatibility needs reliable APIs that allow integrations and are secure for data exchange. This leads to another significant problem of software development which is platform-specific caveats.

#5. Platform Issues

Deployment of software needs platform-specific configurations and environments to enhance the user experience. For example, if you consider web development, there are several browsers, and you want compatibility across platforms.

Similarly, deployment platforms like Windows, macOS, Android, Linux, etc., have specific requirements to meet for the native experience. The solution to such deployment issues is cross-platform software development. It allows your software to be deployed across multiple platforms and provides an enhanced user experience.

However, you need to understand that it may not offer a completely native experience, and for such environment-specific UX, you can leverage containers. A container is, as it sounds- A software shipment or package.

Such a package is a software unit that contains all the codes and dependencies which allow your software application to run smoothly across deployment environments. A docker container image has everything that you need to run an application on any platform like,

• Source code
• Runtime
• System libraries
• Settings

Conclusion small-scale

Here we discussed some of the software development caveats and their solutions. However, every software development project is different, and its issues are unique. So, you need to have a broader outlook on innovative solutions for your projects for successful software development. It also depends on specific business requirements, so analysis of your project needs becomes quintessential.