Monday 10 April 2017

Cost of Custom Software – 8 : Go Agile


Hello there and welcome to Cost cutting in custom software development outsourcing series. Look here if you had missed earlier posts on this regard. Nearly every software development project starts with two questions from the stake holders

1. How much it is going to cost?

2. How long would it take?


And nearly everyone software consultant would reply

1. What is the requirement?

2. What is the budget?

3. When do you need it?

Many software development projects still follow waterfall development model where the stake holder(s) provide a high-level requirement to the consultant. Often there is no clearer schedule and stake holders want software to go live the yesterday (in other words as soon as possible). So, the saga of buffering up cost starts at consultant end. 

Both parties agree on the cost after negotiations and then the software development starts. Several occasions later stake holders would come to a revelation that the features and functionalities of the application is far from what they wanted. To prevent this, we need to move away from the waterfall approach.

Solution: The Agile Approach

In Agile approach, software developers and the client work together closely to define the needs and in an iterative and interactive way. In this approach, the application gets developed step by step. In a defined timelines, new releases and new functionalities are available to the client as a working application. This enables co testing and familiarity with working the application, thus reducing the UAT and training time periods. And thanks to the cooperative model, clients can closely take part and define what is needed and what not. The requirements evolve and those that deviate from the original intended functions are weeded out. In this way focus is shifted to original functionality and contributing to overall success of the application.

It is time for stake holders to consider the approach used by software consultant while outsourcing custom software applications. Custom software applications are direct answer to the custom needs. So, Agile approach would work much better than waterfall model by saving cost and time over incremental development. 
To know more about agile development and how you can save cost in the next software development outsourcing, please head over here. Thanks for dropping by and Have a great day!

   Srivatsan Aravamudan
   General Enquiries:info@psibertech.com.sg
   Sales Enquiries:sales@psibertech.com.sg
   Telephone:+65 62689551
   Fax:+65 62689858
   Business Analyst - Snr Software Consultant.

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