Modern people can’t imagine their lives without apps for food delivery, taxi ordering, online stores, educational portals, etc. Software engineers stand behind each of these projects. IT is the leading sphere in the modern world. Since we live in a digital era, the development of new apps, utilities, and algorithms is put on a daily basis.
However, the process of new software development is not an easy and quick one. Depending on the complexity of the project, the set task, and the scale, product engineering may take several months and require the involvement of several employees. Besides, not only engineers are enrolled in the process of new software birth. Other specialists are needed to provide the clients with a high-quality comprehensive product.
Below, let’s have a deeper look at the process of product engineering. We’re going to consider how new utilities and apps are developed, point out what stages they pass, and mention related employees.
5 Crucial Stages of Product Engineering
First of all, note that the entire process falls into three main stages, namely, pre-development, engineering, and post-engineering. Going through each of them allows for getting a quality well-functioning product.
Info Collection & Analysis
This preparatory step comes as the most responsible and important stage on which the success of the software depends. At this stage, specialists cope with the next tasks:
- Collect primary data, which allows them to create a basis for a future product.
- Assess associated risks with the project. This determines the possibility of using different technical approaches based on minimizing financial costs.
- Create mock-ups and prototypes.
- Analyze competitors.
- Determine project requirements.
The next step of this stage is documenting the requirements of the client. This provides complete legal protection for both parties – the developer and the client. The SRS (Software Requirement Specification) specifies the requirements that the software must meet. It is also important for developers to accurately identify the client’s desire and determine the time frame for project development.
All these duties lay on the shoulders of a business analyst. This employee is also responsible for communication and reporting to the client.
Design
New software must not only be functional but also have a responsive user-friendly interface. To do this, it is necessary to develop the architecture, the way the program is presented, its user interface, and a graphical solution correctly.
The developer and designer need to understand in what form the product should be presented. This is not easy to do. The difficulty is usually tied to the fact that the client himself cannot describe what he wants to get as a result, relying on the experience and qualifications of IT specialists.
To do this, each designer usually offers his own approach. Afterwards, everything is documented in DDS (Design Document Specification). Next, the information is analyzed, and requirements and connections between the product’s architectural module and external modules are identified. To achieve success, it is important to have competent leads on your team who can propose the optimal architecture based on experience in executing similar projects.
Software Development
When specialists have figured out the architecture and agreed on the functionality, design, and concept, software engineers are ready to begin to develop the software. They write program code, perform assembly, and create the necessary modules and features consistently in accordance with the approved DDS. Software developers may face the following difficulties during product engineering:
- Poor communication between team members. The consistency of all actions is especially important. To do this, developers must meet regularly, discuss work, propose new ideas, and strive to optimize the expenditure of effort and time.
- The client’s desire to speed up the process. Often, the client does not understand that software development is a complex, multi-layered task. It cannot be resolved in a hurry. After all, in a hurry, various aspects may be unfinished and buggies may arise, which results in poor satisfaction of the client with the result.
- Adding new features to the project. In 90% of cases, the client wants to improve the product and add new functions that were not initially specified in the technical specifications. This leads to a shift in deadlines for submitting work.
Product Testing
When the software is developed, specialists begin testing. This process affects all stages of the life cycle. All bugs and errors must be detected and recorded. Defects are corrected and the software product is tested again. This process continues until the finished product reaches the quality standards specified in the SRS.
Here, a team of automation engineers and testers begins to actively perform. The main difficulty of this stage is the time required to identify the causes of bugs. Finding errors in code is a difficult task. Testing is best done in parallel with development. This will allow you not to return to them after launching the software.
Product Implementation and Support
After all bugs are fixed, the software is released. The phased implementation of the program begins in accordance with the chosen business strategy. For example, initially, the software can be released in a limited segment and tested in a specific business environment. To do this, UAT (User Acceptance Testing) is performed. It is based on receiving real feedback from users.
This allows engineers to analyze feedback, see shortcomings, and improve the product. Subsequently, after the product is released to the market, a team of support specialists is involved in the work.
Within the framework of programming, various strategies and models can be chosen to achieve results faster. These are Waterfall, iterative, spiral, flexible (Agile Model), fast (RAD Model), etc.
Practice proves that not all programs become in demand. If you do not maintain a clear sequence of actions at the stages of software development, the risk of not achieving the goal increases. Sometimes a finished application remains unnoticed. This happens due to such reasons as limited functionality, an inconvenient user interface, weak competitive advantages, difficult setup, or increased requirements for hardware during installation.
To avoid these mistakes, it is important to think everything through carefully at the development stage. Discuss deadlines and the budget with the client, analyze the task, and select the required methodology and software development model. The success of the final product highly depends on the coherence of all team members. When specialists are well coordinated, it is easy to develop a product within a short period and please the client with an excellent result.