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At enterprise-scale projects, compromising either software quality or the project's resources would definitely defeat its purpose. The stakes are high–anything less than an exceptional software development project will cost the organization inefficient processes, financial losses, and even the risk of an organization's bankruptcy.
As a business leader focused on sustainable growth, revenue enhancement, and workforce satisfaction, you recognize the transformative potential of enterprise software development. But what exactly does it entail, and how does it differ from regular software development? TYMIQ understands what it looks like in practice—take, for example, our case study in which we built a large safety platform for the centralized management of critical events, covering the full development cycle from idea to maintenance.
In this blog post, we will explore the nuances of custom enterprise software development, supported by practical insights.
What is custom enterprise software development?
Custom enterprise software development is the process of creating large-scale systems designed to handle high data volumes and user requests. Such sophisticated software systems should accommodate load changes while maintaining high-quality operations.
For example, enterprise applications can efficiently process requests, even when millions of users access them simultaneously worldwide. Or consider a scenario where an immediate alarm must be widespread to hundreds of users based on the results of a real-time analysis of vast amounts of data. This is exemplified in the system of TYMIQ’s customer, Swissphone, which ensures fault tolerance through cluster solutions with full system duplication, microservice architecture, and intelligent power distribution between critical components
Therefore, the defining characteristics of large-scale software include:
- Vast data processing: Handling large volumes of data and user requests efficiently.
- High performance: Operating under high load without faults.
- Availability: Uninterrupted functionality at all times.
- Scalability: Capability to expand without compromising performance.
Navigating the 9 steps of enterprise software development
Large-scale software development is a must for your business if you want its growth. However, it is an entirely different story from standard app development. It entails vast planning to handle the full scope of human factors, business units, regulatory affairs, development-time constraints, and the really very countless languages and technologies, to effectively succeed.
Great custom software development entails taking IT to the level where it can afford to represent the company. Here are the key steps to help you achieve your goals, with some insights from TYMIQ’s real-world collaboration with Swissphone.
Defining vision and goals
Understand the exclusive needs of your business, especially ensuring that your systems can handle growth with large applications. Think about potential increase in website visitors and decide on a way to proceed with your project such as not to incur heavy dev costs. Although this entails gathering the right information, setting the timelines for the project, verifying if the plans are feasible, and deciding on a budget, IT support personnel should be ready to pitch in.
In enterprise projects like Swissphone’s, TYMIQ actively contributed to product and business development by offering IT consulting and technical guidance. Our engineers come to the table with the ideas for improvements where necessary and give the client much value.
Choosing software architecture
The selection of architecture depends on the nature of the project. Every architecture–be it layered, event-driven, microkernel, or microservices–corresponds to a particular kind of application. Keep the scalability as a major prerequisite before selecting an architectural style for your large-capacity system.
For example, TYMIQ implemented a microservices architecture for Swissphone's critical incident management system to cope with peak loads, with guaranteed speed of processing and reliable event delivery in emergency situations.
Specifying large-scale system design
Simplicity and usability in complexity play a significant role in enterprise system design. It should, from a practical standpoint, pay attention to a technology toolkit that will support further scalability. Build a scalable infrastructure for application activities that will serve as a basis for future reliable software development in large scales.
Defining operational strategy
A strategic roadmap allows your enterprise to visualize the distance between the current state and the desired goal. That is the place where money talks and decisions get made in relation to investment in marketing campaigns, new products, workforce training, etc.
Establishing inter-team coordination
Teams should function with an interchange of information, clarify requirements, and even engage in joint problem resolution, which adds significant value, especially in a project where the scope is massive and complex.
Moving to development
This phase is designated for the exhaustive realization of agreed-upon features. Consider adopting an agile development approach to ensure timely risk mitigation and compliance with evolving requirements.
Testing, deploying, and maintaining large-scale software
To guarantee flawless execution of each and every enterprise software system, take careful steps toward testing. Gradual deployment creates a hedge against security vulnerabilities and maximizes performance efficiency. Continuous maintenance, including periodical updating, ensures that the software does perform well enough and stay up-to-date for several years to come.
For Swissphone, TYMIQ’s software and QA engineers integrated advanced testing techniques to ensure quality from the first line of code. Additionally, the platform is monitored 24/7 using automated infrastructure monitoring, ensuring consistent performance and security updates.
Evaluation and optimization
This step tests the alignment of the business outcomes with those predefined goals. The hardheaded evaluation then leads towards strategies of growth and development in all activities.
With clients' retention rate averaging more than five years, TYMIQ continuously evaluates and enhances enterprise solutions to ensure they remain adaptable and high-performing over time.
Achieving a profitable enterprise
The successful completion of all eight stages calls for a profitable organization. While an organization is able to compete in the market, proper checking of its orientation, strategy, process behavior, and evaluation constitutes sustainable growth.
Typical scenarios for large-scale software development
Navigating the landscape of large-scale software development can be daunting; knowing the scenarios your business might encounter is one of the roadways to success. Let's examine three common scenarios and find the right-fit solutions to give your journey an effective start.
Scenario 1: Building a large-scale solution from scratch
Once your business decides that the large-scale solution is the way to proceed, the initiation of the development process becomes a focal point. Here are three options to make the task easier and minimize the time spent on lengthy investigations:
- Call for expert assistance: By bringing in consulting experts such as TYMIQ, you can analyze your business processes, work through your main challenges, prioritize objectives, and discover the best solutions.
- Employ end-to-end development: Consider software development outsourcing for assigning the entire process to a single unit. This team should take charge of development from initiation to implementation, while providing all necessary tools along the way.
- Use third-party integrations: Delve into more integrations and tools that may align with your business objectives, thereby boosting growth and efficiency.
Scenario 2: Upgrading inefficient large-scale software
The software solution that you currently have is either going to be scaled, reworked for functionality, or migrated to another platform. In that case, consider using the following:
- Document reengineering indicators: Prepare a detailed list of all existing issues in the software and the areas to be improved to target your potential customers.
- Explore rating platforms: Use platforms like Clutch, and GoodFirms for researching experienced software teams, client reviews, and provided value for investment.
- Submit project scope: Share the project scope with the software development team for collaboration towards a tailored fit for your budget and timeline.
Explore a similar project where TYMIQ fully reengineered a legacy operation system for a large seaport.
Scenario 3: Maintaining a solid large-scale software solution
Assuming that a robust large-scale solution already exists, over time, certain challenges may indeed come up. So, to resolve them quickly and effectively, these four methods can be adopted:
- Evaluate current state: Assess the existing condition of the project in order to identify strengths and weaknesses for each existing function of the software.
- Consult with experts: Ask for professionals' advice to help make deeper and informed decisions about the technical operation of the system.
- Upgrade the system: You might think of substituting or upgrading some outdated functionalities to improve performance.
- Customize: Bring in customized features to enhance user interaction and explore revenue possibilities.
Similarly to the scenario above, TYMIQ first maintained legacy software and then modernized it for an air traffic control (ATC) company. Read the case study by the link below.
Types of large-scale software development systems and their roles across industries
Large technology-based software systems are crucial for building new businesses and expanding capacity in a multitude of sectors. Each of these systems serves a distinct business function. Let’s take a look at these functions together.
Finances
Businesses in the financial field face various challenges. Multitasking and multi-user systems need robust reliability capabilities and constant maintenance. What the large financial systems do is automatically perform redundant financial tasks, which simplifies the way in which financial information is updated, as well as manages revenue, expenditures, and orders efficiently. Typical examples are online accounting, billing, invoicing, budgeting solutions, financial CRM, modeling, asset tracking, and cash management software.
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Enterprise resource planning (ERP)
ERP solutions manage complex business processes and control the corporate ecosystem efficiently. They process vast amounts of information, plan resources with AI-driven predictive analytics, and streamline operations. Custom ERP development requires a professional team with industry experience and efficient development workflows.
Supply chain management and logistics
Supply chain management solutions improve manufacturing technologies, enterprise communication, and problem-solving. They handle resource planning, transportation management, warehousing, distribution, manufacturing, store operations, and business process coordination effectively.
Sales and marketing
Sales and marketing solutions for large enterprises centralize marketing and sales activities, managing numerous channels, leads, and teams efficiently. They optimize services attribution, social media channels, customer relationship management, content management, and inbound and outbound marketing.
Inventory and asset management
Inventory and asset management software enhances resource planning and decision-making by improving asset visibility, utilization, cost reduction, and performance analysis. They classify into infrastructure, financial, software, and physical asset management software, increasing uptime and asset longevity.
Project management
Enterprise project management software handles large-scale processes across organizations, accurately designing, measuring, and controlling projects. They manage project resources, risks, analytics, schedules, internal communication, collaboration, progress tracking, task automation, and execution speed.
Industrial applications
Industries must produce bespoke software solutions to match their distinctive mechanisms and processes accurately. Customization of these digitally enabled industrial software solutions helps certain needs such as smart factory management, industrial analytics, equipment monitoring, quality management, field service, and manufacturing execution systems.
Remote monitoring and data analytics
Smart connected solutions process and analyze large amounts of mixed data, offering remote monitoring, smart transportation, smart home solutions, video surveillance, connected vehicles, smart farming software, smart grids, and environmental monitoring.
View a sample of TYMIQ’s project on the end-to-end development of a remote asset monitoring system for optimized maintenance.
Parameter comparison: Custom enterprise software vs. generic software
What typically complicates large-scale software development?
Large-scale development projects and enterprise software deployment come with their distinct set of challenges, among which are resource inadequacy, integration issues and, until today, critical elements. Below, we have reviewed the key challenges of enterprise software deployment and recommended some solutions that could be applied effectively:
- Compatibility problems: The dynamic nature of enterprise software often causes compatibility problems between different versions, calling out for plenty of monitoring and management.
- Scalability concerns: Taking into account growth of usage or changes in utilization trends over time is important. This is essential to addressing scalability requirements to prevent any disturbances to operations.
- Insufficient user training: Maximal functionality of enterprise applications cannot be achieved without proper training across all system users.
- Data integration challenges: Effective integration with current enterprise systems is very crucial for ensuring seamless connectivity and cross-platform collaboration.
- Unclear project scope: Developers of large-scale software systems often find themselves stuck in situations when the final deliverables are still unclear. It is critical to identify an early project scope, defining and documenting clearly the main activities, goals, tasks, timelines, and deliverables.
- High software complexity: Working on a complex large-scale system design poses a risk of potential software overcomplexity. This can negatively affect internal interactions, leading to numerous bugs and long development cycles.
- Shortage of resources: A lack of both financial and human resources can hinder the launch and management of large-scale software development projects, impeding effective business solutions.
- Hard-to-control process: Poor process coordination may arise from a high degree of interdependence between work streams and departments in the large-scale software development life cycle.
- Security gaps: A proactive approach with respect to minimizing potential security risks and ensuring the protection of sensitive data becomes a necessity in the development of large software systems.
- Cost and time overrun: The challenges faced by a project manager concerning cost and time overrun include that implementing large-scale software systems is much longer and resource-intensive than are small-to-medium businesses (SMB) projects. However, these risks can be mitigated by due preparation and execution.
Top benefits of enterprise applications
Despite the above challenges of large enterprise applications, their benefits for organizational growth and profitability still prevail. Here are some of the top benefits:
Bottom line
In conclusion, large-scale software development is a valuable approach for any enterprise to successfully compete in the highly competitive business arena. By observing this approach, companies can cater to an ever-evolving market, enhance software performance, and expand their customer base.
At TYMIQ, we are committed to providing our clients with a result-oriented development approach, leveraging proven technologies, and offering an experienced dedicated team to lead their enterprise software project from idea to deployment. We maintain a clear and efficient communication channel with project stakeholders to allow our team to work efficiently towards the realization of project goals.
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