Plan to hire a software development company to build your website? Or want to scale your business through a mobile app? The software development process will essentially help you understand the procedure and choose the right company.
Software development companies provide full-stack services from planning to publishing & afterward maintenance. Whether it’s the planning phase, design & deployment, or support, a reputable company keeps every step smooth and clear.
What is a Software Development Process?
Software development is a series of tasks to create and make software go live for further use. For example, gaming websites, online mart apps, and databases. Every software requires different steps of the process to be developed.
The Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) defines an organized way to create software. However, these three steps are major in the development process: Planning, Design & Development, and Deployment. Here is a short detail of the different phases of the SDLC.
Planning:
Planning decides how the project will proceed. It’s the phase where team members discuss technical essentials, select approaches, schedule tasks, and finalize the budget. Process-driven planning gives the roadmap to complete the software development project.
Analysis:
It covers research and evaluation of the project requirements. These include the selection of software development tools, such as design and coding software.
Moreover, some projects require other essentials. For example, an equipment monitoring app has to be formed, so that a machine would be required in this project.
Design:
It’s the first step of the software development practical phase. The goal is to make a user-friendly platform, aiming to make the first impression the last one. This crucial and apparently simple process is actually more complex than we think.
It includes audience research, competitive analysis, selection of aesthetic scheme, design, and making it responsive & functional. A research-backed UX/UI design helps convert users into potential customers.
Coding:
Websites and apps are built according to their design. This step is the most complicated one.
A team of different programmers and developers works together to create the software. The major steps are writing code, collaboration with the team, and fixing bugs and other issues. Software development requires attentiveness and critical skills from experts.
Testing:
After designing and developing the software, it is undergone for testing before deployment. The purpose is to make the software error-free for its users.
Some testing steps are simple and done conveniently, while others require a special environment. Testing assures that the final version is user-friendly and glitch-free.
Deployment:
The final major step is to release the software (website/app), in which it goes live and becomes available for the users. It’s a simple process if new software has to be published. However, it would be complicated if it is used to upgrade an already existing website.
Maintenance:
It’s not essentially a part of the software development process. Rather, it’s a post deployment or post development step. At this stage, the software is already live and used by the audience. Developers have to keep the site or app maintained, and upgrade time-to-time.
Moreover, sometimes bugs attack the software, so in this case, experts have to fix the issue.
Approach:
Along with the software requirement, the approach also suggests how the process will go. Some require 3 major steps to proceed with the process, some are complicated and take extra steps and more time.
Developers and software development companies use different approaches to create the software. It depends on the project requirement and available facilities.
Some common approaches are:
Waterfall
Agile
Kanban
Scrum
Software Development Company:
A software development company designs and develops different types of software according to its client requirements. Usually, different companies create specific types of software such as websites, mobile apps, AI bots, and databases.
How do they work?
These software companies work following the strategy that includes:
Strategy
Design & Development
Testing
Release & Maintenance
Let’s see them in detail.
Strategy:
Software companies start from understanding clients’ requirements and goals. In this regard, they consider the following things:
How to achieve the goal?
Requirements
Consider user’s perspective
Budget & Schedule
Design & Development:
After making the roadmap, the company’s team of designers and developers starts the practical phase of the project.
Designers are responsible for user-friendly designs, whereas developers write clean code and build bug-free software.
Testing:
After finishing the software development process, it’s subjected to a test. Sometimes testing is incorporated into the software development process. Both ways are used to ensure the software quality and the user accessibility.
Release and Maintenance:
It’s the final step where the product is ready to be published and used by the audience. Usually, software companies provide ongoing support to maintain the software function and fix bugs if they occur.
Services:
Software development companies build the online presence of businesses and help them grow. Different businesses require different types of software according to their needs and goals. The following are some examples of the software made by the companies:
Custom software:
Some clients and businesses need custom software according to their specific needs and goals. Software companies make customized software for these clients. These clients include healthcare, e-commerce, and travel industries.
Mobile application:
Mobile apps are an effective source to grow the audience and the business. They bring traffic as well as make the customer experience better. Applications are created for iOS and Android users. For example, online shop apps, education apps, and fitness apps.
Product development:
Product development is a part of the software development process. Some clients only want specific tasks instead of the whole development procedure. It includes product architecture design, prototyping, and UX/UI design.
Cloud & Data service:
Cloud computing & data services include systems and tools on the internet. Individuals and companies use them on the internet instead of purchasing them. Such as Google Drive, MongoDB, and Zoom.
AI Bots & Machine learning:
Different software, programming tools, and languages are used in creating AI platforms and machine learning, such as Python and TensorFlow.
AI includes ChatGPT and Copilot, whereas machine learning serves multiple purposes. For example, it is used in websites like Netflix and Shopify, and in fraud detection.
A software development company is crucial in today’s digital market as they make your shop online, bring traffic, and help you scale. Whether you run an e-commerce store, a fitness brand, or want your school managed digitally, these companies are the backbone of every business.
FAQ’s:
Q1. What is a software development process?
A software development process consists of different phases that are applied to create and publish the software. For example, gaming websites, fitness apps, and AI bots.
Q2. What is a software development company?
A software development company is a company that approaches, designs and develops, and releases different types of software according to the needs of its client.
Q3. How does a software development company serve?
These software companies work following the strategy that flows this way: Planning → Design & Development → Testing → Release & Maintenance
Q4. What are some approaches to the software development process?
Some common approaches that the developers and the software development companies use to create the software are as follows:
Waterfall
Agile
Kanban
Scrum
Q5. What services does the software development company offer?
The software development companies offer these services: Custom software development, Mobile application development, Product development, Cloud & Data service, AI Bots development, etc.
