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Bookmark This 2023 Guide for Software Product Development

Planning for custom software product development? If so, bookmark this guide to successfully develop bespoke software solutions of any scale and complexity.


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Elena Mia

a year ago | 3 min read

Software product development is nothing new in the business world. However, with the technological advancements over the years, it becomes critical for enterprises to be aware of the latest developments and adapt to them at the earliest so as not to be left behind. Custom-made software is one such development that has picked up strong momentum in the past few years. Since no two businesses are alike, it is likely that the software solution that worked impeccably for others might not work as impeccably for your business processes. Therefore, it makes sense to consider custom software development to meet your unique business requirements whilst streamlining business processes, data management, tasks and activities, and customer relationship management.

In today’s modern world, where there is a plethora of ‘off-the-shelf’ software solutions to choose from, the demand for custom software product development has increased dramatically among businesses of all sizes and industry verticals. According to a recent report, the global custom software development market size was valued at 29.29 billion USD in 2022 and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 22.3% from 2022 to 2030 and will reach 146.18 billion USD by 2030. 

When developing custom-made software, businesses need an organized approach with the right strategy and a well-defined plan to transform unique ideas into bespoke software solutions of any scale or complexity. This is where the role of a software product development strategy with strictly defined steps and precise procedures comes into play. Today, it becomes imperative for businesses to have a detailed plan (Software Development Life Cycle) that covers all the stages of custom software development, right from ideation to designing, development, testing, and deployment. If you are also looking for a detailed plan to get rolling with software product development, this ultimate guide will walk you through all the stages of the software development life cycle (SDLC). Let’s dive deep into it. 

1) Ideation, Conceptualization, and Feasibility Analysis

This is the first stage of the software development life cycle, where out–of–the–box ideas or concepts originate. However, it's wise to validate your idea with the help of experts before you get down to software product development. To validate the idea, you should document everything right from the beginning and arrange a brainstorming session with a team of experts, where everyone can share their perspectives and viewpoints. Listed below are the things you need to reflect upon during the brainstorming session:

  • Define your goals and objectives
  • List down all the required features of your software
  • Discuss the target audience and their pain points
  • How your software will address their challenges 
  • How you can make your software stand out 
  • Research other related products available in the market
  • Create a blueprint for your software 
  • Research current and emerging market demand
  • Figure out potential business risks

2) Design and Development

This is an integral stage where the requirements are further broken down to determine the development efforts required and forecast the timeline. Once the software product feasibility is evaluated by experts, the design team starts working on creating wireframes and interfaces for prototyping. After the approval of prototypes, designers create final mockups for developers to write code for the final components. Finally, developers step in and start writing code to transform mockups into a fully-functional software solution that adheres to the demands of stakeholders.  

3) Testing

After designing and development, the QA team steps into this stage to ensure that the code is clean and the software meets all the requirements of end users. The quality assurance experts run a series of tests, including unit testing, functional testing, usability testing, performance testing, and security testing. During this phase, testing is performed iteratively until all the bugs are found, fixed, and verified. Once the testing is complete, a stable software product is ready for deployment.  

4) Deployment 

In this stage, the software product is moved to the production environment with data and components transfer. In other words, the software product is deployed for user acceptance testing. Based on the users' feedback, the QA experts fix the issues and optimize the product. The final product is deployed in various iterations and in a phased manner, based on the complexity. 

5) Maintenance and Upgrade 

This is the final stage of the SDLC. This stage begins with product deployment. Always remember that the software product requires regular maintenance and updates to function seamlessly. Not to mention, customer requirements develop over a period. Therefore, it becomes essential to keep your software updated to stay in line with the growing business landscape. 

Summing Up

It's always challenging to get things done right the first time. However, with this detailed guide, you can design, develop, and launch your software product successfully in the market. You can refer to this guide as a checklist when planning for custom software product development. 

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Elena Mia

Elena Mia is a Technical Consultant, avid writer, and blogger. She has vast knowledge and expertise in Software/Mobile/Web products and frameworks and works with organizations to achieve their business goals.


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