If a company wants to have an app programmed, there are a few things to consider, from the development method to successful testing.
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Have A Mobile App Developed. Yes, But Which Method?
The development method is crucial for the rapid spread of the app. Successful apps react immediately to user behavior. If you find, for example, that a certain important button is used little, the agency must immediately improve the app on the spot. When developing apps, the development cycles should be quick and short. They should take weeks, not months. This procedure ensures that your app can successfully establish itself on the market.
The first step in having the app developed is the MVP (Minimum Viable Product). In the MVP stage, you should have the mobile app developed with the least possible effort. However, the MVP should already contain all the functions that are planned. A minimal version is also sufficient for the functions of the future mobile app. This also keeps costs under control when programming the app.
Later you can have the app developed further at the MVP stage. For example, more sophisticated functions are now being added. This development method is called agile project management and the intermediate steps or milestones are called sprints.
The Mobile App Means Making Sprints:
Before each newsprint, the project analyst draws up a plan. This takes into account the briefing and the wishes of the customer as well as an evaluation of the data collected, for example on user behavior. If you have the app programmed on an agile method, the plan can also include integration into other systems – such as SAP or SalesForce. The new app can also be developed and placed specifically as a counterpoint to existing apps from competitors.
It’s always a UX designer who starts the sprint. The designer, who specializes in creating a user experience that is as comfortable and positive as possible, first develops wireframes. A clickable prototype of the app can be developed from these wireframes (or design grids). A selected user group gets this prototype for testing. Optimally, the user group is part of the later target group. Only after these tests do the UI designer work out the visual appearance of the apps based on the results. While you have the app developed, the design process must be closely coordinated with the programmers involved. This ensures that design and programming work hand in hand and that the desired result is achieved in the end.
Let The App Develop: Double Check!
As a result of this process, an order goes directly to the developers for all four platforms: backend, web frontend as well as for the mobile platforms Android and iOS.
It is important to have at least two developers in the project per platform. This also applies if the project appears small and it looks as if a programmer could do it alone. It is actually necessary to thoroughly check each part of the code using merge requests. A merge request (or pull request) is a request that a development branch is added to the main branch. This is the most pragmatic solution to avoid errors when programming the app. Because even experienced programmers sometimes make a mistake.
It is also always useful if more than one person is well versed in the project. Then, for whatever reason, the lead programmer can leave the project without it going wrong.
After this sprint, the app goes to the tester who tries to discover any remaining bugs. For this, he uses previously prepared scripts. At the end of the test phase, he sends the app back to the programmers with the error log so that they can correct the errors.
Very Important: An Experienced Project Manager:
If you want to have an app programmed, you need an experienced project manager. This controls the entire process on the agency side and communicates with the customer.
As a result of each sprint, the customer receives a tested and fully functional app that can be passed on to users immediately or tested internally. This gives the customer or the app agency immediate feedback on what needs to be considered in the next project stage. So if you want to have an app programmed, you better look for an experienced and well-positioned agency that works agile.
Proof of Concept – a milestone in app development, proof of investment and method for cost savings
Investments in digital projects must be arguable and their feasibility must be demonstrable. Ignorance creates risks, especially in capital-intensive projects. But how do you investigate the feasibility of a digital project or a mobile solution? Or how can you convince potential investors of a mobile app as a start-up?
A proof of concept can provide clarity and provide arguments. A successful PoC proves that the investment in your app idea is worthwhile, it minimizes risks and saves unnecessary development costs. You can find out exactly what this is when it makes sense, and how you should proceed here.
What Is A Proof Of Concept?
The function of a proof of concept
The Proof of Concept (POC), which is also known as the Proof of Principle, functions as an important milestone in project management. It is proof that a project, business idea, or product can in principle be realized. At the same time, a proof of concept enables risks to be identified and minimized at an early stage of the project.
Areas Of Application Of A PoC:
The proof of concept can be used in all areas of a company and for all parts of a project. Specific issues that can be dealt with in a proof of concept are investment risks, functional tests of critical (technical) requirements, or the validation of products or services with customers or business partners.
The Criteria Of A Proof Of Concept
Depending on the project, criteria that form the basis of a proof of concept can be of a technical or business nature. They should be defined at the start of the project. They serve as target requirements throughout the entire concept development phase.
The relevance of the proof of concept for the development of a mobile app
IT projects – and thus also the development of a mobile app – are a classic area of application for a proof of concept. In this way, concept gaps in application software can be uncovered via tests and remedied in good time.
With the proof of concept, we are at the transition from conception to the actual development phase.
Everything up to this point – mockups, wireframes, and prototypes – serves to refine the concept as the basis of your app project. With them, you have worked out a solid guide for your further journey in app development. The PoC now validates this guide and is the first step in the technical implementation of your idea. You can also use this procedure to validate that your planned new app works from a business perspective. Methods such as market analysis and benchmarking are available here. For start-ups, a meaningful proof of concept is often a prerequisite for attracting investors to your app project.
How To Use A Proof Of Concept To Win Stakeholders For Your New App:
In order to attract stakeholders, the economic opportunities of your future app should also be tested in your concept tests with a view to the real market development. This applies to investors from start-ups as well as to C-level colleagues who need to be convinced. Your proof of concept should, therefore, range from business calculations to market and competition observations to extensive knowledge of your potential users. In our experience, the best results can be achieved if you involve your users as early as possible. You can do this, for example, through user interviews, persona modeling or user stories. We are happy to support you in this project. Contact us!
Minimize Risks And Reduce Costs In App Development:
In order to get the maximum benefit from the construct of the proof of concept, you should not understand the PoC as a checklist of some criteria in app development. Rather, it is a process in which the market readiness of your app is compared with the current market conditions and the needs of your users. In this way, you can significantly reduce the costs and risks of your market entry.
Why a PoC is more cost-effective than a hasty start to the development
The use of the PoC method is far more cost-effective than immersing yourself in the development of your app and only then can you determine that the implementation of your idea is not possible or much more complex than expected. We are happy to be at your disposal as a partner and get the most out of your app idea with a proof of concept!
Maximize The Quality Of Your Decision By Linking To Rapid Prototyping:
However, a proof of concept does not rule out code development in an early project stage. On the contrary: With rapid prototyping, we develop several small prototypes of your app in an early project phase. A PoC in conjunction with rapid prototyping can significantly increase the quality of your tests and thus of your decisions.
When Does It Make Sense To Create A Proof Of Concept?
As an agency for app development and mobile digitization strategies, creating and thinking behind a PoC is part of our daily work. By working with companies from a wide range of industries, we also know how important it is to manage existing resources correctly and to work efficiently. Even if the proof of concept is an efficient work technique, it does not always make sense.
Where Proof Of Concept Makes Sense?
As a rule, a proof of concept is useful if you are not sure whether the technical and economic results you want can be achieved. Does your app deliver something completely new and original? In this case, the creation of a proof of concept is a must – because it creates clarity. After all, it is in your interest that you only develop those features that have practical potential and are actually used by your users.
Where Proof Of Concept Does Not Make Sense?
If there are already comparable apps, we recommend that you learn from the existing ones and learn from them for your own app. Because why should you go to the expense of testing features that have already proven themselves? Individual special aspects of your concept can be validated by user tests.
Do you want some expert tips on how to choose the right app agency? Get in touch with us and we will be happy to assist you!
About the Author:Arun Goyal, founder, and CEO at Octal Info Solution Technology carries profound experience in the IT industry, and based on that he creates an informative and engaging piece of content. He expresses his outlook in his recent creation Ecommerce App Development, which displays great insight into the subject valuable for many of his followers. Explore him through his ideas on a number of domains and as a part-time author of this blog.
I found your article is very informative and you had great use of facts throughout the article. Thanks for sharing this valuable information with us, it is really helpful article!
Welcome here and thanks for reading our article and sharing your view. This will be very helpful to us to let us motivate to provide you more awesome and valuable content from a different mind. Thanks for reading this article.
Thanks for such an informative blog about mobile app development. I appreciate the important thing to consider from the app development method to testing, that you have explained all the information in-depth and step-by-step. Thanks for sharing such a valuable post.
Welcome here and thanks for reading our article and sharing your view. This will be very helpful to us to let us motivate to provide you with more awesome and valuable content from a different mind. Thanks again.