How to Prepare for a Software Development Project
Many companies we work with have fantastic ideas for software development projects but often lack the technical expertise to bring these ideas to life. This hesitation can prevent great concepts from ever leaving the brainstorming stage. In this post, I’ll outline how companies can better prepare for a software development project, making it easier to find the right development partner in the future.
The key to preparation is answering these critical questions as precisely as possible:
1. What Problem Are You Trying to Solve?
You've decided to build a software solution, but what problem are you solving? Describe the problem from various angles and perspectives. Then, narrow it down to a single sentence. This specificity will help you stay focused on your goal and clarify what you want to achieve.
2. What Is the Core Output That Brings Value?
After identifying the problem, define the primary outcome that would signify a solution. For example, if your problem is tracking employee hours, potential outputs could include:
A resource calendar showing who is doing what and when
A to-do list for employees
A report aggregating time spent
A percentage of time allocated vs. maximum possible time
While all these outputs are useful, pinpoint the one core output that would bring the most value. Identifying this key outcome helps both you and your potential development team stay focused.
3. Who Will Benefit from This Software?
Identify who will receive the most value from the software. This is different from who will be using it. For instance, if you’re developing a project management system, top management may benefit the most from utilization reports, even though all employees will interact with the software.
4. Who Will Be Using the Software?
List all the user types and outline their key interactions with the software. For example:
Employees: checking off to-do items, adding time entries
Project Managers: creating to-do items, allocating time, approving time entries
Top Management: analyzing estimates vs. actual time reports
The more detailed you get, the clearer the picture will be for your software vendor.
5. How Has This Problem Been Addressed So Far?
Review any current solutions or methods you’re using to solve this problem. Investigate existing software solutions:
Do they solve your problem and provide your core value? If so, using them might be more cost-effective than developing something new.
If they don’t fully solve your problem, why not?
Note any features you like or dislike in these solutions.
Compare the costs and benefits of current methods (e.g., manual processes performed by interns) versus your proposed software solution.
6. What Is Your Budget and Timeline?
Transparency about your budget and deadlines is crucial. Remember the project management triangle: speed, quality, and price—pick two. Experienced development agencies can help by cutting scope to fit your constraints. They can objectively tell you what’s unnecessary and what’s essential to reach your core value faster. But this is only possible if you’re upfront about all information.
Conclusion
By spending a few hours with your team discussing these questions, you will:
Gain a deeper understanding of your project
Provide valuable information to software development teams, allowing them to prepare better for meetings
Focus on the most important features and aspects of the project, having outlined them in advance
Answering these questions is the first step in transforming your idea into a functional software solution.
