9 Points to Achieve a Quality Software Delivery

Opening Notes!

Are you looking to save tons of money but still want to get quality software delivery? Don’t know how to achieve it? Then, you are at the right place. In this article, we’ll learn how to achieve a successful quality software delivery at a cost-effective price range.

So, let’s begin.

Introduction

According to research by Deloitte, AI can make software development way faster, increasing speed by 50% to 100%. It can help manage projects, create plans, assist in writing code, automatically test systems, find issues, and make deployment better. 

However, it'll take a long time for many companies to start using this technology widely because there are big challenges like concerns about security, problems with poor-quality data, risks to reputation, and the technology still needing improvement.

While we wait for these advancements, there's another way companies can boost their productivity right now. By using a method focused on quality when delivering software, big companies can save millions of dollars every year on their IT expenses.

Now, let’s understand a couple of challenges in delivering effective software solutions in an enterprise.

2 Challenges: Hindrances in delivering Quality Software Solutions

The process of delivering the software would be challenging. Let’s understand a couple of examples that prove the case right. Grab a pen and note the impactful insights down!

Instance 1

A big company that deals with trading updated its main computer system but then faced a huge problem - the system stopped working for an entire day. This made thousands of users upset and cost the company lots of money. The problem was caused by a small, old part of the system that wasn't well-known or written about. It couldn't handle the amount of work it needed to do and made the whole system crash. A few reasons for this mess were:

• Not knowing enough about the old parts of the system and how it all worked together.

• No regular checks to see if the system could handle the work it was supposed to.

• No testing of each part of the system to see if it could manage the work.

• No setup similar to the real system to test how it would work under heavy use.

Instance 2

An investment bank is working on making its trading platform better. Even though the business side keeps asking for faster updates, it still takes three months to make changes. Spending more money and hiring more IT staff doesn't help.

Here's why things are tough:

• The business analysts don't know much about technology or how the IT systems work. The instructions they give often result in a lot of mistakes in the software.

• The people who write the code aren't checking it thoroughly from the start. So, many problems only get noticed later on, and fixing them then takes a lot of time and effort.

• The teams responsible for quality checks and the developers spend a lot of time arguing over who should fix the errors, making it hard to get the platform ready for release.

• With every update, there are more unresolved issues, making it even harder to test and improve the platform next time.

The problems encountered in the above examples are so complex that the Business directors lost their trust in their IT structures which led them to initiate projects on their own. However, a specialized IT organization would use modern methods to fix all the mentioned problems.

Now, let’s understand the 9-step framework to achieve to achieve a quality-driven project delivery.

9-step framework to achieve to achieve a quality-driven project delivery

Changing to a new way of working doesn't mean everything has to be turned upside down right away. Start small, try out new methods bit by bit, celebrate the small wins, and then keep adding more changes. From what we've seen, you'll start seeing some positive results in about 2-3 months. As time goes on, you can introduce more changes and use this new method in more projects.

Here's how to do it:

• The Quality Assurance (QA) team should lead the change, making sure every part of the project delivery gets better. The leaders of this team need to be really knowledgeable and skilled. If you're not confident in your team's abilities, consider getting help from outside.

• Set up basic quality checks and reports to start with. This will lay the groundwork for more changes later.

• Include QA leaders when planning projects to make sure everyone understands how important it is to think about quality from the start.

• Look at how good your project requirements are. Are they clear and detailed? Can you test them? The QA team can help make them better, even adding technical details if needed.

• Make sure the people writing the code know how to test it properly, including testing individual parts and the whole system under stress. This should be a must-do for everyone involved.

• Start using automated tests that check the whole system from start to finish.

• Invest in the right tools and equipment to check the quality of your work.

• Make sure every new version of your project is tested under heavy use before it's released.

• Create a team that focuses on making the process of delivering and checking the quality of code smoother and faster.

Looking at real-life examples, within three months, we were able to help a trading company start testing its system more thoroughly, update its equipment, and avoid any issues with how the application runs.

In another case, it took us six months to introduce basic quality steps, improve the team that analyzes business needs, and start using automated tests for coding. This helped a bank reduce the time it took to release new updates from three months to just one.

Even if you only adopt half of these suggestions, your organization will likely perform better and save more money compared to many competitors. And you don't have to wait for the big AI breakthrough to start seeing benefits and quicker project completions.

What are the Future Trends in Quality Software Delivery

In the rapidly evolving landscape of software development, future trends in quality software delivery are poised to revolutionize how projects are conceived, developed, and deployed. Central to these advancements is the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), technologies that promise to enhance efficiency, reduce errors, and accelerate time-to-market.

AI and ML are set to play pivotal roles in automating repetitive tasks within the software development lifecycle, from initial requirement gathering to final deployment. 

For instance, AI-powered tools can automatically generate test cases based on requirements, ensuring comprehensive coverage and freeing up human resources for more creative and complex problem-solving tasks. 

This not only improves the speed of development but also significantly enhances the accuracy and reliability of the final product.

Furthermore, AI-driven predictive analytics will enable project managers to foresee potential bottlenecks and quality issues before they become critical, allowing for preemptive action. This anticipatory approach to project management and quality assurance will minimize downtime and rework, leading to more efficient resource use and better adherence to timelines.

The rise of DevOps has already shown us the benefits of integrating development and operations teams to improve software quality and delivery speed. The next step in this evolution, powered by AI and ML, could see the emergence of self-healing systems. 

These systems would not only identify and fix bugs in real time but also adapt to changing environments and requirements without human intervention, further reducing the risk of errors and system failures.

Machine learning models will also enhance the personalization of user experiences by analyzing user feedback and behavior patterns in real-time. This will allow developers to tailor applications more closely to user needs, thereby increasing satisfaction and engagement.

As these technologies mature, we can expect them to become integral to quality-driven software delivery, shaping a future where software development is more predictive, adaptive, and personalized.

Now, let’s understand how I can help you in building custom software that meets your requirements.

How can I help you in building Custom Software?

Being a founder of a Custom Software Development Company Acquaint Softtech, I was recently certified as a LinkedIn Top Voice for IT outsourcing. 

Being a seasoned professional holding an experience of 15+ years my team and I at Acquaint Softtech are helping companies in minimizing their skill gaps by helping them hire remote developers by using IT staff augmentation services.

Moreover, I can also help clients from different industries like e-commerce, fintech, and food delivery enterprises turn their custom software ideas into final software development, thus helping them implement a successful software development outsourcing. 

Wrapping Up!

In conclusion, the journey toward quality-driven software delivery is both a strategic necessity and an opportunity for organizations aiming to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. By embracing a step-by-step approach that prioritizes quality at every stage, companies can significantly enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve software reliability. 

The integration of cutting-edge technologies like AI and ML into software development processes heralds a future where development is faster, more accurate, and inherently responsive to user needs. 

As organizations adopt these innovations, they stand to gain not just in terms of cost savings and speed, but also in building software that truly meets the evolving demands of their users. This blend of strategic quality focus and technological advancement is the key to unlocking unparalleled productivity and success in the software industry.