4 main pain points companies face when building high-quality software

In our 20+ years of experience in the software development industry, we have come across various companies from diverse industries that have faced different problems when building their digital products.

Either with internal teams or external vendors, with the coming of the years we have realized these problems can be grouped into four main pain points—especially if the goal of a company is having high-quality software.

These clusters of problems range from the difficulty to retain talent, the competitiveness in the tech market, the tendency to a high attrition rate and finally a lack of alignment with business needs and expectations. No wonder why it is a challenge for many companies to build high quality software.

1. Difficulty attracting and retaining talent

It can be challenging for companies where technology is not part of their core business to attract and retain talent to build their digital products. In the highly competitive market of technology, technology employees are in constant demand and receive attractive job offers including appealing career paths, training, challenging projects and above average salaries.

To successfully recruit and retain talent, companies need to offer attractive work benefits, competitive compensation packages, challenging projects, opportunities for growth and advancement, a positive work culture, and a collaborative environment.

Furthermore, in the software development industry there is a high attrition rate. It is common that Senior developers do not stay in the same project or company for too long. This constant turnover disrupts the continuity of projects, as new team members need time to familiarize themselves with the codebase and project requirements. As a consequence, there is a direct impact on a project’s overall health, affecting the quality of the software, delaying delivery and compromising the implementation of best practices.

2. Not choosing the right technology or product development process

Choosing the correct technology is just as important as well. This means understanding what is the right technology for each solution, and at what scale, its complexity, and knowing the possibilities this technology has is key for building high quality software solutions.

At the same time, based on the short, mid and long term objectives, an MVP can be defined or a complete product can be developed. There are many reasons and timings that affect this point.

Making the wrong choice on the technology or having a poor assessment can cost companies a lot of money and be a waste of time. If companies start a project using the wrong toolkit for the needed solution, if the architecture is poorly defined, or the scope is not precise for the maturity of the product, it will be very difficult—or even impossible—to build high quality software.

However, it is understandable that a company whose core business is not technology itself, discovers a significant challenge related to these topics. That's when the support of a technology partner becomes valuable.

3. Not making a good financial planning for their software

Financial planning in software projects can be challenging due to several potential issues. Firstly, many people underestimate the cost of software development. They may not fully grasp the expenses involved, such as hosting, migrations, or cloud infrastructure, to name a few. This lack of understanding can lead to unrealistic budgeting and financial strain. Additionally, some companies may start a project with a limited budget, only to run out of funds in the early stages of development. This can disrupt the project and block progress.

Another issue arises when companies don’t have a team that can pick the right technological stack, or that decides to do an architectural change that is not cost effective nor adequate for the solution. Poor technical decisions like these can result in the need to start over, causing additional expenses and delays.

The execution of a software project plays a crucial role in its financial impact. Poor execution can lead to negative financial consequences, such as missed deadlines, increased expenses, and unsatisfactory outcomes. The estimation of development must be done as a continuous process. As a project advances and functionalities are being built, the budget must be checked every two weeks or at least once a month. This process provides a notion of whether the money is being spent wisely as the project progresses.

4. Defining the main scope of the product

Any company that wants to develop a digital product needs to define the main scope of their product first. Focusing on the main features and the “Musts” first, not just the “Nice To Haves”, is key for the project’s health. This requires careful consideration and decision-making to ensure that the project focuses on the most important functionalities.

The main functionalities of the application or platform can be defined by:

1. 1.Attacking the main problem the product will solve.
2. 2.Which pain points of the users will cover.
3. 3.Its key differentiator from other competitors in the market.
4. 4.The value proposition of the product itself.
5. 5.Define the monetization of the product or service.
6. 6.All of these, already aligned with what we talked about in point 3 (financial planning).

With these points in mind and by implementing project management best practices, a product roadmap can then be defined for all the following stages of the product’s life cycle.

In conclusion…

Building high-quality software is a complex endeavor that many companies face. At CloudX, through our extensive experience in the software development industry, we have identified four main pain points that companies encounter in this process.

1. 1.Attracting and retaining a Senior team of developers poses a challenge, given the competitive market and high attrition rate.
2. 2.Understanding the technology and product is crucial to making informed decisions and avoiding costly mistakes.
3. 3.Effective financial planning is essential to ensure the project's success and avoid budget overruns.
4. 4.Defining the main scope of the product, focusing on key features and user pain points, sets the foundation for a successful software development journey.

Companies must have a clear understanding of the implications of building a digital product. Seeking professional assessment and guidance can help in making informed financial decisions. Development teams should regularly validate their work with stakeholders on a sprint-by-sprint basis. This ensures that the project stays on track and aligns with the stakeholders' expectations.

By addressing these pain points and implementing project management best practices, companies can overcome challenges and deliver high-quality software that meets business needs and exceeds expectations.