5 Key Challenges While Developing Custom Software Solutions & How to Overcome Them

5 Key Challenges While Developing Custom Software Solutions & How to Overcome Them Summary The IT world has always been juggling between custom software solutions and readymade ones. But somewhere down the line, owing to the flexibility that if offers, customized solutions do have an upper hand. At the same time, there are certain set of challenges that these solutions have to face. This article attempts to highlight the positives of custom software development, brings out the possible challenges and their respective solutions, with which the project can be a seamless execution.

Custom Software Development has always been a powerful opportunity majorly because the key highlight is that our customers tell us what they need, how they want it and it also creates a large amount of customer confidence as they are the ones to select, test and evaluate. As simple and powerful as it looks, there is a flip side to it too. Not all that glitters is gold and even in this case, it is not that easy to build a custom software solution that is exactly as per your customer’s needs. Custom software development companies are bent upon attracting clients showcasing their ability to fulfil all client demands and finally resulting into a software that doesn’t even match up to half of what the client needed.

One of the most critical decisions that plays the most significant role as soon as the client decides on going in for custom software is choosing the right vendor, who possesses expertise in delivering software solutions par excellence. In today’s fast moving technological world, newer tools & technologies are entering every other day and it is up to the service provider’s ability on how fast and effectively they are able to embed those into the custom software solutions.

When we talk about custom software, it includes an array of software services which need equivalent focus & proficiency right from the beginning of the project. Say, the future of IT lies in Cloud Application Development and hence while going in for customized solution, a proper look through has to be given to it.

However much we try, is there any project without challenges and are there any challenges without any solution? It’s just a matter of analyzing these challenges and finding out the best possible solution to each of them. With a perfect blend of quality, expertise, discipline, domain knowledge, technology exposure and project methodologies, the solution provider can surely overcome the hurdles and move on towards a successful completion of the project.

5 Challenges Faced While Developing Custom Software Solutions and Their Respective Solutions Challenge 1: Misinterpretation in Extracting & Finalizing Business Requirements The key foundation to any custom software solution is the analysis and finalization of what exactly the customer wants from the software project. At the very initial stage, various round of studies are carried out between teams from both ends – the service providers as well as the customers. Things look rosy at that time but as and when the project takes shape, there are realizations at both ends which show that the requirements are being unmatched and that could lead to serious trouble in the later stage of acceptance and implementation.

Solution: Of course, the good old traditional method of preparing the SRS and getting it verified by the customer, before proceeding still holds equal significance as before. The scope of the project, key functionalities and processes, customer expectations, limitations of the project etc. need to be completely understood, documented and discussed before proceeding towards the design phase of the project. Various tools are now available to do the same. Also, the stateof-the-art project execution methodologies like Agile and DevOps are ruling the IT scenario and helping their optimum in a streamlined project execution.

Challenge 2: Inter Departmental Difference of Opinion When it comes to a software solution being done for an organization with multiple departments, there is bound to be some sort of difference of opinion between the departments, right from the start of the project. Be it extracting functionalities or deciding

who does what or giving access rights to users – all these phases could lead to heated discussions between them, indirectly harming the success path of the project.

Solution: Having fixed centralized teams at both ends – the customer’s and the service provider’s right from the start is the best way to minimize clashes between departments. These steering committee members take up the entire responsibility of taking up all controversial matters and coming up with an amicable decision. Such inconsistencies should be identified right at the start by presuming those would occur later.

Challenge 3: Frequently Varying Requirements In larger projects, there are heavy chances of requirements changing from the customer perspective, owing to multiple reasons like business processes getting changed, organizational level reforms happening, new projects being merged, requests from employees and so on. At such times, it becomes difficult to incorporate those into the custom software solution in the middle of the project.

Solution: As mentioned above, one of the latest methods of ensuring the least possible rework is adapting to the latest project execution methodologies today, i.e. the Agile and DevOps ways of project management. Also, prototypes of different modules should be presented to the customers at a regular interval, so that they can visualize and see what is going to be offered to them and at that very point, they can point out the changes that they want. The customer should seek solution advisory services from the service provider, so that the project can utilize the maximum potential of the service provider’s offerings.

Challenge 4: Non-Conducive & Laid Back Contract After all, the contract lays the foundation of the entire project and at a later stage, it is surely referred by both the customers and the service providers, while analyzing any kind of delay or mismatch in the project. At certain places, due importance is not given to the contract and in the hurry of getting on with the project, both the stakeholders do not give sufficient time and depth to the contract, leading to troubles later on.

Solution: Sufficient time, energy, thought process and resources should be spent qualitatively and quantitatively while preparing the contract. There should be a strong and impactful thought process that should be applied to it that thinks of what could happen in the future and thereby lay down norms to attend to those needs which may arise in the future. Once this is done perfectly, there are lesser chances of any kind of misunderstanding, delay or trouble in the project.

Challenge 5: Insufficient Resource Planning When it comes to resources, be it team members or hardware or environmental needs, there has to be sufficient planning for it, possibly a little flexible and open too. Staying too rigid to the numbers possibly may let you down at some point, delaying the project further. Planning for resources right from the start with certain possible happenings in the future is the right way to have a seamless project execution.

Solution: The best way to ensure a flexible resource flow is to leverage equipped resources and fulfil skill gaps with resource augmentation. This is the modern day approach to fulfil resource needs and have a smooth flow of operation right from the initiation of the project.

As a leading Custom Software Development Company in India, our skilled software resources have been implementing multiple solutions with a multifaceted range of services, in vivid technologies that can give your organization the best of business efficiency and effectiveness.

Our Custom Software Solutions have been successfully implemented across a wide range of enterprise clientele, all around the globe.

Our dependable and resounding Project Implementation Practices highlight our enhanced quality consciousness, cost – scope – time needs of the projects and our Project Engagement Models exhibit a perfect balance of tractability, quality assurance and strength which echoes on the extremely dependable software solution that we offer.

Request for a Free POC to test drive our services.