VentureDive Acquires Nexdegree, A Premier AI & Data Analytics Company

Leading global full-service technology provider expands its services portfolio through strategic acquisition of data products & solutions company. 

KARACHI, 2 September 2022 — VentureDive, a leading global full-service technology provider, announced today that it has reached an agreement to acquire NexDegree, a premier data products & solutions company. With this strategic acquisition, the two companies will join forces to create comprehensive technology solutions that harness the power of data to accelerate growth.

According to industry publications, the global big data analytics market is projected to grow from $271.83 billion in 2022 to $655.53 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 13.4%. Alongside this massive growth is a need for talented professionals who can analyze the data and draw inferences from it. Data analysts and data scientists are leading the way towards future innovation, mining information from vast sets of data to unlock meaningful value. 

“The digital enterprise of the future is being reimagined today with the use of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) making massive amounts of data actionable. In this rapidly evolving space, constantly building new capabilities is key, and NexDegree will further enhance our A.I. and data science capabilities to strengthen value delivery to our global clients.” – Atif Azim, CEO, VentureDive

“NexDegree’s experience in data-centric value delivery for enterprise and the use of cutting-edge technologies blends naturally with VentureDive’s strengths in building world-class scalable solutions. We are confident that by bringing our skills and expertise together we can help global enterprise customers leverage data to solve the most challenging problems of tomorrow.” – Imran Moinuddin, CEO, NexDegree

The deal is expected to close within September 2022. Financial terms have not been disclosed. 

About VentureDive

VentureDive is an award-winning digital development company that builds cutting-edge technology solutions to improve lives globally. Since its inception in 2012, the firm has enabled two tech unicorns and successfully driven digital transformation initiatives for large enterprises. Led by co-founders Atif Azim and Shehzaad Nakhoda, VentureDive has a presence in Silicon Valley, London, Dubai, and Pakistan. To learn more, visit https://www.venturedive.com.

About NexDegree

Founded in 2007 and led by Imran Moinuddin and Saad Hashmi, NexDegree is a premier data analytics company, one of the top 10 in the APAC region. The firm has a rich history of successfully delivering large, end-to-end complex data intensive projects for clients from the US, EU, APAC, MENA and LATAM regions across a variety of industry verticals. 

Essential features to include in an on-demand healthcare app

Telehealth and on-demand medical app development soared in 2020 when the pandemic severely hit the globe. The whole population was isolated, depriving them of all the essentials in their lives, including healthcare.

This gap in the healthcare system left all of us with a lot to think about. It is mainly how we will make it as accessible as it used to be, but at the same time, follow all the necessary protocols and SOPs that the government has enforced. 

Ironically, all this hassle brought about the need for a thoroughly curated and well-organized healthcare application that fulfilled all the medical needs and provided a safe and secure platform for patients to rely on. But for it to be a success, a custom software development firm must list and include all the essential features that must be included in an on-demand healthcare app. 

What Are On-Demand Healthcare Apps?

Healthcare is a crucial industry that has yet to catch up with technological advancements in implementing mobile and remote services. While most of the world population still strongly believes in in-person and in-office experiences, the mobile world is slowly taking its place within the healthcare sector. 

On-demand healthcare apps are medical applications on your mobile device to assist patients in carrying forward their treatments in real-time remotely. These applications can help you book an appointment, consult with a physician, access your reports and prescriptions, and even order them for you. All this is done via a mobile device from anywhere in the world. 

This prevents critical or immunocompromised patients from visiting the contaminated hospital and avoids waiting in long lines just to get a 10-minute consult. Saving time and preventing you from catching any germs while you commute to a hospital. On-demand healthcare apps are lifesavers.

Essential Features in an On-Demand Healthcare App – Overview

A reliable healthcare app is nothing without the features listed below; it must include all of these to qualify in the healthcare sector and be utilized by various patients.

  1. Patient and Doctor Portal
  2. Rating and Reviews
  3. Appointment Scheduling
  4. Telehealth
  5. EHR – Electronic Health Records
  6. ePrescription 
  7. HIPAA Compliance
  8. Payment Methods
  9. Emergency Cases 
  10. Key Updates and Notifications 
  11. Integration with other devices
  12. Professional Networking
  13. Updated Tools

Essential Features in an On-Demand Healthcare App

These essential features are vital during any medical app development, responsible for making it a reliable and successful health app that makes lives easier for patients and the doctors who are effortlessly providing their services to mankind in this difficult time. The features required in an on-demand healthcare app are as follows:

1. Patient and Doctor Portal

First, getting the health portal started with an easy membership or a sign-up page for either of the parties is necessary. The page should be simple and include all the necessary patient details, like their name, age, and email. 

The same should also be for the doctor’s portal, but with a little more detail since doctors must have their complete profiles with their fields of expertise and experience jotted down, along with a picture. These membership portals are the right way forward for a successful healthcare app and are a necessary feature through and through.

2. Rating and Reviews

Bringing in a human-centric approach, allowing complete transparency when selecting your doctor is a patient’s right. And by providing this feature in your on-demand healthcare app, you would be doing the patient a massive favor by giving them the option to rate and review their experience and the doctor for his services. 

It is necessary to have the right check and balances as well, only having the best-in-class for the user, and keeping a keen eye on each of their feedback and abiding by them will elevate the user experience, and it’s the right thing to do as well.

3. Appointment Scheduling

Long gone are the days when patients had to wait in line for their turn, crowding the clinics and hospital waiting rooms since dawn break, to get the first consult with their doctors, who were otherwise hard to reach. With a digital application, all these painstakingly long tasks will be eliminated.

 A good digital healthcare platform must have a vital appointment scheduling feature, allowing patients to book the time slot of their liking and look at their doctor’s schedule to see what day and time fits best for them and what slots are already booked. Moreover, these appointment schedulers must have a notification button, reminding the patient of their appointment a day before or so while also including it in their mobile calendar. 

4. Telehealth

Turning everything digital and out of physical settings is the main aim of an on-demand healthcare application, and hence a telehealth station within the app is a crucial feature. And this is the next step for patients after they have booked an appointment with their respective doctors. 

The meeting can be via audio or video call if they are willing to show their physical symptoms to the doctor. And it is known that patients resonate more with their doctors if they have a physical presence in front of them, whom they can see and talk to face-to-face. But, for some, it is also possible to open up more if they do not meet or see the person to avoid any judgment or anything that will trigger the patient’s anxiety. 

healthcare

5. EHR – Electronic Health Records

EHR, commonly known as Electronic Health Records, is a must-have for on-demand medical app development. Now that everything is finally getting a digital platform, why not EHR? An automated and online health record will be easy to store on the cloud and easily accessible for the doctors while taking multiple patients, avoiding them repeating their history while approaching a new doctor on the portal. 

Moreover, this cloud-based data will allow these records to stay safe and secure without getting lost or altered for illegal means. This data can be used for various medical research and studies with the patient’s consent. But consent is necessary for that, no matter what.  

6. ePrescription 

A platform with an active EHR system will always have a digital prescription. Both features go hand-in-hand because they are linked to a patient’s history, medical records, and dosage. 

Speaking of medicines, an essential feature is providing access to all the nearby pharmacies where patients can reserve or purchase their medications. Medical apps have an advantage that allows them to partner with pharmacies. If they are affiliated with any hospital, they can add this feature, linking all the orders to their own hospital pharmacy and delivering through it.

7. HIPAA Compliance

Medical app development is incomplete without HIPAA, also known as The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), which ensures that doctor-patient confidentiality is maintained along with the privacy of the patient and their data. A reliable medical app must abide by the legalities of HIPAA and other firms, allowing them to keep an active eye on whether these regulations are followed.  

8. Payment Methods

E-prescription and an online pharmacy also require a secure and accessible payment gateway, allowing patients to choose how they would like to pay for their medicines. This feature will make things easy and accessible for the patient and regular users in the long run as well. 

9. Emergency Cases 

A healthcare app is incomplete without an option to report a medical emergency. From reporting the emergency to availing the service of an ambulance, transporting the patient to the nearest hospital, or allowing them to get instructions for first-aid. 

10. Key Updates and Notifications 

Getting timely notifications and alerts regarding your appointment or availability of a spot is a crucial and essential feature that has to be there, regardless of anything. One can also install reminders for when to take their medicines, according to the e-prescriptions that are also a part of your medical record, included in your profile. 

Be sure to keep your notification and update feature relevant to the patient’s needs and not for useless and excessive notifications, which will cause them to block the notification feature altogether, causing them to miss out on important announcements and reminders. 

11. Integration with other devices

Users have become extremely tech-savvy and have numerous gadgets, like Apple watches, fit bits, and more. These gadgets tend to calculate your original pulse and heartbeat, which can be a crucial element required while getting a telehealth consult. 

Integration of these external gadgets in the mobile healthcare app will bring better results. Doctors can administer crucial results like the patient’s blood pressure, blood sugar, heart rate, and more. These integrations will also help develop a steady market, allowing more devices to make their way into the market that can remotely calculate and send data to these respective medical apps.

12. Professional Networking

Like any other hospital, your on-demand doctor app must include a platform for doctors to network professionally and share their patient profiles and reports with other doctors for a consult. This feature will allow the doctor to not only network but also the patient to get the best treatment.

13. Updated Tools

Last but definitely not least is a regular health check-up of the application and keeping it updated with all the new tools and features that allow the user experience to be unprecedented and safe as well. From multiple languages to a search bar and whatnot. These small features make the medical app accessible and easy to use.

Conclusion

With that said, if you are wondering how to develop a healthcare app, then these are some of the essential features one must include for it to succeed amongst patients and doctors. Medical app development is a huge responsibility; thus, it must cater to all the medical needs of an in-person hospital visit.

FAQs for Essential features to include in an on-demand healthcare app

For patients of all ages, a medical app must be easily accessible, and also with a user-friendly interface with all the necessary features available, like an easy registration method, easy navigation of doctors and appointment scheduling, etc.

The major components of telemedicine include audio and video conferencing, access to images and reports, remote monitoring of symptoms and vital signs a readily available helpline for emergencies, and more.

The top priority of a healthcare app revolves around the patient’s sensitive information and its protection under all the laws that are imposed by the medical community and the government as well.

The major benefit of telehealth medicine is to: 

  • Keep immunocompromised patients safe at home
  • Avoid physical interactions
  • Don’t have to take time off from work
  • No transportation cost
  • No worries about child-care in your absence
  • No wasting time in the waiting rooms
  • Easy access to all the specialists
  • All available from the comfort of your home

Mobile app development timeline 2022: A realistic perspective

When we talk about the app development timeline, clients usually tend to underestimate it and give out an unexpected time limit to the software development houses in terms of creating a mobile application.

While each application is different from the others, the outline and the architectural framework that goes into it are somewhat similar in all cases. What differentiates them from each other is the intricate details and codes that go into the creations, the factors that make the application unique and special. This is where the actual hard work begins.

If you are wondering how long does it take to develop an app, then there is a lot that goes into the creation of an application. To make things easier for you all, we have created a complete app timeline that usually a custom software development company follows when given a mobile application development.

Developing an idea from scratch into a full-fledged and functional product is something that is labor-intensive and requires a ton of resources as well, so it requires time, attention, and complete care, which will turn it into an amazing product.

If you are wondering, how do you create a timeline for an app? Then the average software development timeline consists of the following phases, and each of these phases is locked into a specific and realistic timeframe, which are as follows: 

Mobile App Development Timeline – An Overview

Ideation & Formation: 1 – 2 Weeks

Toss around ideas until you agree on the one that fits best for your brand and validate it with the help of our top consultants, and appropriate discovery workshops. You can also walk through a mobile app RFP document to better understand the requirements of a mobile app development project.

Research: 1 – 2 Weeks

With appropriate research, plan the best course of action for your app, that is sorting through your competitors and finding a unique factor with suitable functionality.

Features & Functionality: 1 – 2 Weeks

Next in line is sorting through the technical factors and selecting the appropriate platform, suite, and tools for your app to shine through the crowd.

Software development: 3 – 6 Months

With all the research, planning, and features in place, the framework and development phase begins. This includes the UX-UI design, frontend, and backend development for the entire project which may take a few months to complete altogether.

QA Testing: 3 – 6 Weeks

An app is never ready without undergoing a thorough quality assurance process where all the performance testing and load testing occur. Teams also get rid of any bugs that they may come across. 

App Launch: 1 Week 

The final week is spent finalizing the nits and bits of the app, and polishing the design and functionality before its release on the app store. 

Post-Launch Support & Maintenance: 2 Weeks

While the application is shining through and getting all the love from its customers post-release, we keep a close eye on it to make sure it is functioning flawlessly.

7 Stages of the App Development Process

Typically, the average app development timeline is broken down into these 7 phases, these phases are covering everything, from the beginning to the end. They are as follows: 

Idea and Formation: 1-2 Weeks

The beginning of all great projects is an idea. But not every idea gets to see the day’s light, and some areas experimental as they can be. But, it’s good to jump around from one factor to another, and tossing around ideas can be the ultimate way through which you can eventually reach the idea that is meant to be.
As simple as it may seem, a lot goes into the initial plot development and idea formation. You can pick any idea, but when it comes to creating that idea into a full-blown application, there are a ton of things one needs to discard. The practicality and rationality of an idea need to align with the brand, current scenario, and the need for it in general.

Research: 1-2 Weeks

Every idea seems great, until you start researching about it, and find out that you aren’t the first one to come up with it. You’ll find numerous applications on iOS and Android, along with websites that are already doing so much, and successfully, if we may say.

What makes your idea different from theirs? What unique factor do you think of bringing in with your application? If you have a sure short answer for that, then congratulation, you are ready for the next step, which is bringing that idea to life. It’s not as simple as you think it is, because creating functionality from those features that users can understand and utilize is one primary task that we need to succeed in. 

At VentureDive, the appropriate time is given when it comes to the research and development of an idea. It is necessary to carefully cater to all these factors to ensure that the plan is foolproof and doe not require any more discussion or edits. Locking things here will give you a clear sense of direction in terms of what features you can introduce in your products and how you can enable those features while aligning to your brand value and product.

Features and Functionality: 1-2 Weeks

After getting all the required research and data aligned with your product, it’s your turn to decide on the features and functionality of your product. When we say features and functionality, it means all the unique factors that you want to be added to your product, all the technical elements that will make your mobile application exquisite and top-notch.

One great factor of planning ahead is the budget estimation that you can provide along with the platform you would prefer for the development of your mobile applications, i.e, Hybrid app development or native and so on. With the selected items, you are ready to move on to the next step, which is the key ingredient in our mobile app development timeline, the actual software development.

Software Development: 3 – 6 Months

After all the pondering and research comes the next big thing in the app development timeline, the development of the architectural framework itself. This is perhaps the longest process in the whole app development timeline, and rightfully so. Software development is no piece of cake, as it needs to be completed with perfection, without the possibility of any bugs or crashes which are some common mistakes that occur during development.

Most brands hire software houses based on how little time they invest in software development, and while we do understand where they are coming from, that is to save as much money as possible, it still doesn’t make sense why would they compromise the quality of the application. 

Design (UX UI)

UX and UI design is another crucial phase in the software development timeline that builds an effective system where a user can smoothly navigate through all the processes and effectively complete a task. 

A UX designer plans the screens with all the desired keys and buttons that will be involved in completing an action by the potential user. This includes accessing the site to complete a sign-up process or smoothly completing a purchase through various payment methods.

UI designers have the key role to make the application and all the functionalities of the application visually appealing. This factor is achieved by using different sets of color schemes, transitioning effects, animation, font sizes, and graphics, that will bind in to create not only an aesthetically appealing application but one that users can easily navigate around, promoting a great user experience along with the interface. 

Backend Development

The backend development consists of all the codes and behind-the-app factors that make the application functional. And it is a long and tedious process that requires a lot of alterations and testing as it goes along the way. 

Developers need to mind all the bugs that may be detected during programming and must work on eliminating them at all times. It is necessary to do so because, with a bug-ridden back-end program, the whole foundation of the application will come down crashing, no matter how hard you have worked on the architecture of the software. 

A faulty back-end code or the program will topple over all the hard work that Devs have put in on their application development, and even if the mobile application does take off, it won’t survive for long. 

Frontend Development

Whatever happens at the back end, is eventually displayed on the front end of any application. It’s what the users see and navigates through when they open the mobile application. Hence front-end developers work hand-in-hand with the UX and UI designers, making it a fully functioning application. 

People often mistake front-end development for the basic task of making the application visually appealing, but there’s more to it than one can imagine. Front-end development is no piece of cake because with technological growth, came various tools and technicalities for a developer to get familiar with and later implement effectively on the app.

QA Testing: 3-6 Weeks

Custom software development is incomplete without quality assurance testing. This is the final and perhaps the most important phase in the software development timeline where the final product is evaluated and experimented with end to end to see if it works smoothly or not. 

Quality assurance is essential, because designers and developers may not be able to see the glitches in their phases, until and unless all these elements are put together in their complete form and tested on various platforms by multiple quality assurance engineers. This activity will expose all the minor and major bugs and glitches that we may not be able to see prior to this exercise. 

Furthermore, quality assurance’s role is to fully study how the users will experience the application when they tune into it, and how they will perceive things from a user’s perspective and experience.

Hence to further enhance the quality of the product, the testing phase is further divided into 3 parts which are as follows: 

  • Performance Testing: Going through all the features and functionality of the application along with its potential to scale and handle numerous users and load at the same time.
  • Security Testing: To decipher the storage of data in the right places and to detect any date or sensitive information leakages. 
  • Usability Testing: Testing the app on various devices in various settings to check the ability of the app before its final release.

After a thorough review and experimentation of all the versions and using the application on different devices, it is now time to decipher whether the app is fulfilling all the criteria that were set at the beginning and whether you as an owner are satisfied with the hard work and efforts the team has put in to create something so precious, that it may change the way things work in the tech industry in coming years, once publicly released. 

App Launch: 1 Week

Now that the application has gone through all the required tests, it’s time to officially launch the application and bring it to the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. For the Apple store, the application has to go through a thorough review by the Apple engineers who test the app based on their guidelines, and if deemed fit, it will appear on the App Store in a couple of days or even a month. 

Post-Launch Support & Maintenance: 2 weeks

The final role of any custom software development company is to keep a close eye on the reviews and ratings of the application. The required feedback will allow the company to maintain flow and remove any unexpected bugs immediately. These lessons and reviews will help the development firm to curate an effective expansion plan for the next fold.

Mobile app development timeline – Conclusion

As far as we can tell, this blog has pretty much covered all the factors and answered all the questions that revolve around how long does it take to develop an app and walked you through all the factors and features one needs to look out for when researching about the complete software and app development timeline.


FAQs for Mobile app development timeline

Normally a time frame of 8-10 months is a suitable number to completely develop a mobile application. From the initial idea development to the final deployment of the product.

The 5 core phases of app development are the idea and research, app development, UX UI design, quality assurance, and the final deployment.

The front-end development of any application mostly takes about 6-8 weeks.

Average app development can range from anywhere near $10,000 to $100,000 or even more, depending on your budget, requirements, and the time it takes to create the app.

VentureDive Wins Another 5-Star Review on Clutch

Another year, another achievement under our belt; and we couldn’t have been happier with our progress throughout our journey as a top-tier custom software development company. 

Since 2012, VentureDive has been a leader in the technology space when it comes to building one-of-a-kind, custom experiences for a diverse clientele. Over the past years, we’ve assisted countless businesses, large and small, and helped them build the digital products that they have envisioned. Moreover, we delivered comprehensive solutions that guaranteed the best quality in terms of results for our partners.

With that said, we’re ecstatic to announce that we received another 5-star feedback on our Clutch profile. The newest addition to our catalog of reviews comes Ona Systems, Inc., a data solutions company that currently employs our services for custom software development.

Ona clutch review

But first, if you are wondering what Clutch is and how it functions, let us give you a quick overview of the platform. Clutch, a B2B ratings and reviews firm in the heart of Washington, D.C., connects businesses with the best-fit agencies or consultants they need to tackle their next big business challenge. It covers hundreds of different services from IT to advertising and marketing and ranks service providers based on a range of factors, including past clients and experience, verified client reviews, and market presence.

The most recent review from Ona Systems, Inc. talks about our ongoing engagement with them. Currently, they entrust us with the development of their data collection app. We’ve been working together for almost two years now, and VentureDive is delighted to have received such kind feedback from them. Here’s what they shared during their interview with Clutch:

“VentureDive provides software engineering and project management services to help us deliver on our client projects.

The VentureDive team supports a number of projects at Ona. They are valuable members of the team that has helped us deliver on our client software solutions and improve code coverage of products in development.

The nature of Ona’s contracts means that we often shift resourcing between projects at short notice. They’re flexible and adaptive in responding to changing priorities and competing demands with a positive attitude.”

— Joyce Chen, Director of Delivery, Ona Systems, Inc.

We are thrilled and would like to thank the client for taking the time and effort to leave this wonderful review. Over the years, we have collected countless valuable reviews from our dedicated clients, be sure to visit our Clutch profile to read about it. Also, Top Design Firms, the newest B2B resource from the makers of Clutch, displays design projects of the best-performing service providers — we’re named among the leading design companies on their list!

With that, let’s partner up for your business and discuss your project. Feel free to review our portfolio and connect with us. We’d love to hear from you! 

5 mistakes not to make when choosing a custom software development partner

We went on an extensive bandwagon before this, explaining all the traits of a good custom software development partner and the factors you need to look out for when choosing one for your brand. Meanwhile, there are various aspects that companies do not ponder while looking for the right custom software development partners, and often tend to make mistakes that turn out to be major blunders on their end, costing them hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

Blunders like these may not be reversible if too much time has already been invested, but they can be easily avoided right from the beginning. Big contenders in the market tend to avoid these issues, and most of the time, startups and various newly emerged brands – who are in the process of establishing a base – try to get their hands on the first company that fits their budget, which in itself is not the right thing to do.

This is just the tip of the iceberg; you must look for many factors while selecting the best custom software development partner. At the same time, there are some grave mistakes that we should be aware of. Numerous companies looking for outsourcing partners often let go of these factors, thinking of them as insignificant, but they make the most difference. Those are as follows: 

  1. Vendor reputation & prior projects
  2. Disdain latest technology & trends
  3. Zero collaboration and communication
  4. Not having a dedicated team
  5. Lack of proper requirements

Common mistakes while choosing a custom software development partner

1. Vendor Reputation & Prior Projects

To be fair, anything done without proper, comprehensive research is doomed for good. To top it off, bringing in an outsourced development team or staff augmentation service should never be done without proper review and analysis; it’ll be an extremely expensive mistake you’ll be making otherwise. 

Conducting thorough research not only consists of how long the company has been in the market or its reputation but also how well they have been performing over the years. Their clientele and work ethics are impeccable, to say the least. Read up on what former or current clients have to say about their services and how they are performing with other companies. 

If you ask us, research does 99% of your work for you, and finding the best custom software development partners will relieve you of all other issues that would normally come your way. 

2. Disdain Latest Technology & Trends

One of the major benefits of outsourcing custom software development companies is the extensive toolset and technologies they have acquired to fulfill their tasks at market-competitive rates and high quality. Keep in mind that these companies should have an updated skill set along with all the latest technologies under their hood, indicating how dedicated the team is to provide an exquisite technological solution for their clients. Anything below that is considered obsolete and below industry standards. 

Hence, never fall for companies that may possess a good outer aura but are way behind on their trends and skills. Better technology vows better and more advanced skills that users will definitely enjoy, and it will be prone to scalability. With an outsourced custom software development partner, this factor is a given.

3. Zero Collaboration and Communication

Various companies make the mistake of handing over the entire project to their outsourced custom software development partners with little to no say of their own. Contributing factors include the lack of basic knowledge about software development or the common know-how of what’s going on in the project and the necessary requirement. This just isn’t enough anymore.

A client is always expected to be one step ahead of the software development partner when it comes to what they want in their product and what features would be suitable for an effective UI and UX. A company or brand can never create a product without proper collaboration from both teams. This ranges from the design sprint to the deployment. A debate, trial, and error process at all stages of the product’s development will create a product to your liking and ensure your company has a strong bond and communication with the partners. 

Moreover, when the final product is ready to take off, as a company, you will always be involved in every activity, and nothing will feel overwhelming, nor will it be something you disapprove of as a whole. Every decision will have your say in it, making you feel like your product’s rightful owner. 

4. Not having a dedicated team

Not having a dedicated team can be a major hassle that can cost numerous delays, mix-ups, and a lack of individual attention that your project may require. Numerous companies do not disclose the size of their workforce while onboarding new clients and startups are already shorthanded on staff, making their schedules tighter. 

Risking your product in the hand of someone who already has their hands full makes it tough for them to cater to all your needs and prioritize your tasks. It also can become a major cause of constant delays in the launch of your product. Furthermore, not having a dedicated team also means the company lacks specialized, expert individuals who know all the technicalities. 

A custom software development partner or company is known to be great when they have a dedicated team of QA engineers along with software engineers like VentureDive. Quality assurance is a must for every great piece of custom-made software, not only for the product’s longevity but also for the quality and the time it took to create someone’s dream project. For example, more often than not, many software apps are made with a better focus on the UI than their usability, which leads to functionality issues in the long term. Such problems can be avoided with a usability audit.

5. Lack of Proper Requirements

Well-reformed and proper requirements at the start of any project are a necessity. These requirements set the foundation of your project for not just the software development company but your own clarity. It’s a well-structured plan of what you have in mind and what you want to achieve with your project. 

Without a detailed structure and blueprint for the development firm to follow, the project will experience a lot of missed opportunities and failure to achieve the desired goal. Leaving you and your development partner on different bandwidths, eventually plunging your initial budget and elongating the project.

Conclusion

There are various companies looking for outsourcing partners for their software projects, and numerous times they end up with companies that may have a budget that suits them, but they just don’t qualify to be the best custom software development partners that brands deserve. The factors that promote making those mistakes seem minor but aren’t. The great news is that they are easily preventable with our major pointers; thoroughly read them out and go on to create the best custom software of all time.

FAQs

A good software development partner is reliable and trustworthy with a vast track record of previous clients. They usually are popular in the industry and have a good clientele that vouches for their work. Their online presence is also very good, with multiple samples and examples of their work.

Custom software development is the ultimate time and money saver. It’s flexible and allows the client’s creativity to shine. And most importantly, custom software development is scalable and future-centric, allowing you to expand your business and goals with each sprint, without causing a dent in your budget.

The process involves initial estimation and requirements where the idea is refined, a budget is allocated as well as tool selection takes place. After that, the design team takes over and creates the required assets which are later developed, tested for any bugs, and then launched in the market.

A Guide to Finding the Best Custom Software Development Partner

Finding the best custom software development partner is the ultimate goal that can make or break your business. You can talk to a number of custom software development companies to make your dream project come true. Having said that, dream projects don’t just happen; they require extensive work, an expert team with years of experience, professional tools, and a proper budget to come into existence. 

That’s just the beginning – there are a ton of technicalities that one needs to ponder upon in order to select an appropriate custom software partner. A reliable custom software partner is a one-stop solution to all your requirements. From the budget to the final software development proposal and flawless execution. 

It takes a lot to finalize a custom software partner that fits your approach and ideology well. For the magic to happen, a few factors must be considered. Let’s talk about some of these. 

Research: How to narrow down the list?

First, start by creating an extensive list of all the best software development partners in the market, broaden your range globally, and list the best names listed on the web. From that list, narrow down the ones that fit well against your product requirements. 

Do a lot of research on the partners that made the shortlist. Find out about their areas of expertise, strengths, work ethics, and methods. Check to see if they can meet all of your software needs, whether it’s web development or making apps for your phone. Take your time and find the best match for yourself before signing them up for your product. Make sure the services they provide align well with your brand image and ideology.

Experience: How good is their portfolio?

Reviewing a potential custom software development partner’s past projects and figuring out how much experience they have is important for more than one reason. Their portfolio can define the extent of their services, deliverables, the scale of projects they tend to board, and whether they are suitable for any future projects.  

Picking a company that is familiar with your project and idea is a huge advantage on your behalf since the custom software development company will already be familiar with the challenges that may occur while curating a similar product and will have a definite workaround for them. This ranges from product design to deployment. Look for a software development partner that is an expert with extensive work experience and a proven knowledge base for all sorts of practices that they advertise themselves for.

Communication: Are you being heard?

Seamless communication is integral to finding the best custom software development partner. This is often overlooked while other factors are considered deal-breakers, like pricing, services, and so on. But communication and building a suitable understanding are as crucial in this regard as all the factors mentioned above. 

By all means, ensure that there is no communication gap between your company and your custom software development partner. Building an initial understanding of your requirements and demands is necessary. Ensure that you are being heard and that any questions you have been successfully communicated to the software development team by the project manager so that they can be addressed as soon as possible. 

Location: What works best for you? 

When looking for a software development partner for your business, location can be one of the most important things to consider. It is also one of the prime factors that one needs to have an eye out for. The base location of the company you have selected can be one of the following: onshore, offshore, or nearshore. 

Onshore

Any company that is available in your hometown or country will be labeled as an “onshore” company. Not only are they in your time zone, but there is also a 100% possibility of a one-on-one meeting whenever required, providing room for establishing an understanding and smooth communication. 

One downside to this is that onshore companies are usually extremely costly. So one must allot a hefty budget to secure one of the local software development companies. 

Offshore

This one is self-explanatory; offshore companies have their bases in foreign countries. Their companies may be located on international grounds, but they offer services across the globe at affordable rates, which is why businesses go for an offshore custom software development company. 

Despite the cheaper cost and good service, a major disadvantage is different time zones and a one-on-one communication gap due to that. Online meetings can be set up, but when time zones clash, one or the other has to suffer by giving in time after work hours to schedule meetings. 

Nearshore

When you hire a custom software development company from a country close to your own region or a direct neighbor, that’s called “nearshoring.” Hiring a nearshore company is a win-win situation because it is not only cost-effective but also in a similar time zone, which will make scheduling meetings super easy for both parties without having to work outside business hours. 

Pricing: How much is too much? 

The prices that a certain software development partner offers signify the service they provide. However, this does not mean that companies with a hefty price tag are offering the best services; certain unnecessary expenses are involved in that regard. Meanwhile, do not be tempted by a low-cost package from any company, as they lack various technical skills and tools required to create a top-notch software application. 

Some of the best custom software development companies will cost you money, but it will be absolutely justified based on the services, dedication, and ideology that they implement while executing the product. 

If you can not afford the best companies, wait until you can. Rushing to create a subpar product from a cheap software development company can result in a larger loss. In this case, waiting is the best option – save up enough to be able to afford the best. 

Tools and Technologies: Are they using the best?

In the long run, top-notch software development companies that use the best and most emerging technologies for scalable and reliable software applications tend to be the best choice. It’s important to have the most up-to-date tools for making software because it needs to be modern and flexible, and come with the best tools and plug-ins for the best user experience and interface. 

Moreover, the company must create transparency between themselves and their clients by giving them access to their project management tools. Transparency ensures trust and keeps the client in the loop regarding the progress of their product and the technology used to create it from scratch.. 

In the End – Choosing the Best Custom Software Development Partner

After thorough research and examination, it eventually comes down to selecting reliable custom software development partners. It may be a complex task, but a well-researched selection will benefit in the long run. Take your time and consider all the major factors mentioned above, and then come up with a decision.

FAQs for custom software and over-the-shelf software

Research! That’s the only factor that can help you find the best custom software development company. After getting a list of all the potential companies, narrow down your research to what fits best in your budget, how experienced are they, what is their work ethics and how advanced are their tools and technologies used to create a masterpiece.

A good software development partner has the best tools to work with, is amongst the cream of the IT industry along with having the best reviews and a top-notch portfolio for review along with a great score from their previous clients. Moreover, they should be able to provide the services efficiently that they claim, and that is required by the client as well.

Why successful businesses prefer custom software over off-the-shelf

Offering a digital solution for clients is the ultimate futuristic goal of every company, whether it be e-commerce, healthcare, or on-demand service delivery. But lately, this has become more of a necessity instead of a company’s “5-year plan”. 

The post-pandemic era has forced numerous businesses to move their modes of work to a much more digitized and remote platform that is easy to access and control from anywhere. These digitized platforms are classified into two categories, custom software development (CSD) and off-the-shelf software. The real struggle arrives when it comes down to choosing any one of the two software.   

Before we begin, there are numerous factors to consider when narrowing down the options and technicalities of either type of software. To make an informed decision, the first step is comparing the two setups, and having a basic understanding of when custom software or off-the-rack software is required. What are they, what distinguishes one from the other, and most of all, how are they going to benefit the client and their business without causing much disruption to the system? 

Custom software vs. off-the-shelf: what are they?

Off-the-rack and custom software are polar opposites. Despite offering similar services, they are extremely different from each other. Let’s take a look at what they are. 

Custom-made software

Off-the-rack and custom software are polar opposites. Despite offering similar services, they are extremely different from each other. Let’s take a look at what they are. 

Custom software application development is a dream project that every software development company loves to work on. It is completely custom-built, made exclusively by following a brief provided by the client. 

Custom Software Development focuses on the client’s product goals and needs, targets an idea, and works around it to cater to market needs. VentureDive plays a vital role in executing that idea into reality, with an in-house team of expert engineers and designers working extensively on individual custom-made products. Companies opting for custom software development usually have a clear understanding of the service and the approach that they need to create an amazing product, and VentureDive takes it one step further with its top-notch skills and execution.  

But why do businesses opt for CSD? Well, there are a number of factors that give customized application software an upper hand in the software development industry. Some of these include: 

Time: Creating custom-written software is a lengthy process, to say the least. It takes months of hard work, research, and a highly-skilled procedure of quality assurance to finally create a product that is well suited for the client’s needs. It may be time-consuming but is definitely worth it in the long run. 

Cost: The high initial cost is a given with this bespoke software, but if you look at it in a way, it’s a long-term investment that will only generate tons of revenue and branch out in the long run. And keeping this in mind will relieve you of the need to pay frequently for minor upgrades or bug fixes.

Maintenance: Speaking of bugs, one of the major advantages that custom-made software has is that there is barely any need for frequent maintenance, as it is built by experienced developers and engineers with flawless execution. The only maintenance it may require is when the software requires an update.

Scalability: With custom Software development, the possibilities for expansion are endless. Modification and customization according to the client’s needs and demands is a huge benefits of custom solutions. This leaves room for scalability in the near future as the business expands and grows, without having to strip down the existing UI and create everything from scratch.

Off-the-shelf software

What is off-the-shelf software, and what features and advantages do it bring to the industry? Off-the-shelf software may have been under the radar for quite some time as it is a great opportunity for small businesses to dive into the digital market. Off-the-shelf software is ready-made software, which may have different packages available for sale. It usually comes with a set of pre-installed features and plug-ins that you can utilize for your business. 

Time: A perfect solution if you are under a time constraint, or need go-to-market results quickly. Off-the-shelf software solutions are easy to acquire, as they are ready-made and available in the market at all times. Since it’s readily available, it is the first option for countless small-scaled businesses that have little knowledge about software development, and reach for an option that is simple and quick.

Cost: Off-the-shelf solutions applications are extremely cost-effective initially. The readily available setups are generated for the masses, with a ton of potential buyers who are trying to build a business on a budget. But there are several hidden costs attached to off-the-rack systems that clients are unaware of in the beginning. These are the costs of frequent updates or maintenance to fulfill the client’s needs which are otherwise not being met, giving them another reason to switch to custom-made software. And not to mention the subscription and licensing fees like we get to see in SaaS.

Large Community Support: The best feature of off-the-shelf software is that you have a large community to turn back to in case you run into an issue with your program. Since it’s a commonly available setup, acquired by numerous businesses, a chain of similarity runs throughout, which means that others must have faced the same issues as you have, and they might have a solution for it that you can use. 

References: Prior user experience and references of off-the-shelf software are of great help for businesses, to decipher whether the application is suitable for them or not. A trusted system and setup will help clients get an idea of what awaits them, and can even opt for a trial run before investing in the product completely.

Custom software: pros, cons, and everything else

Pros

  • A custom-built setup is made from scratch, tailored to the client’s needs mentioned in their requirement brief.
  • Works on a “you dream, we create” basis, where there is no limit to what functionalities you can feature in your product. 
  • No hidden charges or frequent upgrades and maintenance on the product.
  • Custom software can not be replicated in any form, giving you an upper hand over your competitors in the market. Your product will remain relevant and unique in all forms.
  • Undergoes thorough QA in all development phases of the product, with back-and-forth communication for smooth transitioning. 
  • Fool-proof setup with no bug-ridden issues and flawless design and UI.
  • A team of specialized engineers and developers familiar with the product will be available at all hours for immediate fixes if needed. 

Cons

  • Custom software takes months to get ready and reaches perfection after thorough testing and development phases. If you are looking for a quick fix, this is not it. 
  • It is expensive! Custom software development is something that will cost you a lot, but it is a one-time investment with no hidden charges and does not require you to pool money for every upgrade. 
  • The client will always be dependent on the company creating the software for any fixes and upgrades, in case they are not available, it can lead to several issues caused by the delay. 

Off-the-shelf: pros, cons and everything else

Pros

  • Off-the-shelf software will save you a ton of money and time. Not only is it cheap but also readily available for clients to license and acquire. 
  • Small-scale businesses have a huge advantage with off-the-shelf software; it can be the best platform for them to enter the digital market, with promising results leading to a successful business. 
  • Clients won’t have to think much while acquiring off-the-shelf software, as there are numerous reviews and references available on the web, vouching for the reliability and functionality of the product.

Cons

  • Off the shelf solutions are temporary. In the longer run, it will not support your requirements, and you will have to shift to a custom software as it offers reliability and scalability.
  • Off-the-shelf software will not be able to cater to all the client’s requirements and will demand frequent and expensive upgrades to fulfill their specific needs. 
  • You will have to pay for services that you may never use, and it might cause your software to lag and interrupt functions of the existing services in use.
  • It’s impossible to alter or modify according to your project’s needs, you will have to work around the existing features that may limit the functionality.
  • Off-the-shelf software is easily replicable, no matter how hard you have worked on your project, your competitor has an advantage over you, and they can easily reproduce your work.
  • Companies are going to outgrow OTS soon when they reach their full potential, leaving them back to square one on what they should do to further excel their product and brand. 

Final verdict

In this off-the-shelf vs. custom software race, it’s clear as to why businesses prefer custom software solutions over off-the-shelf software. Not only is it the best setup for a rapidly growing business in the vast industry of digital marketing, but it is also a fruitful investment that will give back to your company as well as fulfilling its purpose rightfully.

FAQs for custom softwares and over the shelf softwares

Off-the-shelf software’s advantages range from being a quick and cost-effective solution for small scale businesses. It maintains a good repute in the market with numerous references and reviews, enabling people to have a good idea of what they are buying. Moreover, users can also have a short trial of the services with tons of in-built features all at a super affordable and convenient initial price.

 

Custom developed software is a dream transitioned into reality, whatever the client wishes to see in their product, the custom software development companies make it possible, with a fully customized setup. Moreover, it also has the ability to make immediate changes without costing extra frequently. It is flawless, with countless testings done and top-notch quality assurance phases to make it possible.

 

Not really, off the shelf software is there because users need a ready-made solution in a strict time frame. And these software are already configured with numerous sets of tools and features that will remain a part of the application, even if you require it or not. Of course, there are going to be frequent upgrades within the software that the client must look out for.

 

How to secure your online delivery business

Online shopping has become a necessity for all growing businesses in this day and age. Customers are gradually becoming more comfortable buying things they need and want with just a click. Many customers are leaving behind traditional shopping methods. This has led business owners to turn to online delivery solutions built on websites and mobile apps. In 2020, thousands of businesses had to close their brick-and-mortar establishments and move their services online. While this effectively allowed organizations to continue operations, it also posed a new threat: cybercrime. When it comes to cybercrime and cyberattacks, all online businesses and e-commerce solutions are always on the edge. Irrespective of the size and scale, no business is immune to cyber risk.  

In the first quarter of 2020, there were 273% more data breaches than there were in the first quarter of 2019. The main reason for this is that many businesses shifted their focus towards becoming more digitally orientated, such as embracing online delivery.

Tips to Secure Your Online Delivery Business

In this era of increased cybercrime, it is imperative that online delivery business owners are aware of prevention techniques against cybercrime. This applies to all types of businesses, whether it is an online food delivery business, a medicine delivery business, or an online B2B delivery business. These four tips can better help to secure your online operations:

1. Know the cyber risks

First and foremost, you need to educate yourself on the nature of cyber risks so you know what to expect and how to protect against them. 

  1. Phishing attacks
    One of the most common cyber risks is phishing attacks. This is when hackers send you emails that pose as legitimate institutions to lure you into providing sensitive data, like your banking details or credit card number. These hackers use phishing emails to steal money from their victim’s accounts and even impersonate their digital identities. 
  2. Ransomware attack
    This is when hackers encrypt your data, making it impossible for you to read, and demand payment for the cipher or the key to unscrambling the data. Both of these cyber risks can easily be avoided by double-checking emails with suspicious links or attachments. You should also back up company data and ensure that your passwords and accounts are secure.
  3. Financial frauds
    Hackers tend to perform unauthorized transactions and clear the trail so that the business owner is unable to investigate. The hacker also at times requests fake refunds and returns. Fraud management systems are one way to detect and get protection against fraud. 

2. Secure tracking systems

Your online delivery business can benefit from tracking systems that inform customers of their product’s delivery time and status. However, such systems can be hijacked and manipulated by hackers. In many cases, this causes little more than disruptions to the delivery schedule. However, this vulnerability can lead to more dangerous situations. For example, cybercriminals can use stolen tracking data to intercept your delivery routes and steal goods. This not only leads to a loss of property, but it could also be dangerous for your employees. For a secure online platform for delivery businesses, check out VentureDive’s all-in-one application and delivery management software for online delivery businesses.

 It’s highly customizable and a cyber-secure option for business owners. You can also secure tracking systems by doing the following:

  1. Securing your servers and admin panel: Do not keep passwords that are easy to guess. Keep complex passwords and keep changing them every now and then. 
  2. Keeping strong firewalls: Firewall software and plugins are easily available for free or at a price. They automatically keep a check on your servers and blocks any new threats. Good firewalls even resolve new viruses or bugs that might attack your server.
  3. Using anti-virus and anti-malware software: Hackers can be easily stopped if your antivirus is up to date. They are also able to flag any malicious activity or transaction. 
  4. Frequently backing up your data: You can employ an automatic backup service so your data is being protected and backed up regularly. A system malfunction or cyber-attacks can easily wipe out your entire data for good. So it is wise to take all the precautionary measures. 
  5. Checking from time to time for any malicious activity: You can get special monitoring software that keeps track of data and activity in real-time. It also notifies you if a suspicious transaction occurs.
  6. Stay updated: Keep your antivirus software and plugins up to date. Hackers can detect if a system is using an outed version of security software.

3. Educate your employees

Robust cybersecurity measures are only valuable if your workforce is aware of potential cyber risks and how to mitigate them. People are the weakest link in cybersecurity, so you—or better yet, your cybersecurity team—must educate them on the dos and don’ts of conducting business online. This protects company data from all forms of cyber risks, particularly those that prey on human error, like phishing emails. A small act such as clicking on a malicious link can make you the victim of a cross-site request forgery or cross-site scripting attack.

With delivery businesses holding valuable personal information like addresses and bank details, it is important to hold workshops or distribute resources on the importance of cybersecurity to your workforce.

4. Consult with cybersecurity professionals

Basic cybersecurity measures might not be enough to protect your delivery business against hackers. As your business expands, consulting with professionals might be a necessary step forward. The increase in cybercrime in 2020 is one of the reasons why cybersecurity jobs are being created in droves—3.5 million in 2021 to be exact. With the sheer number of businesses migrating to some digital platform or another, there is huge pressure on the cybersecurity industry to respond.

Filling this gap, though, is a massive undertaking. This is why educational institutions have developed their cybersecurity certifications and degrees to have a strong business focus. This is helping the cybersecurity graduates of today be much more knowledgeable about the business landscape and the needs of growing businesses like delivery services. Mixing business with cybersecurity training has opened up the industry to more professionals. If your business is too small to have its own cybersecurity department, put your trust in outsourced experts who can set up strong defense and offense strategies against hackers and cybercriminals. This way, instead of hiring in-house resources, you can hire and manage QA teams and other cybersecurity experts to share the load.

Always Secure Your Online Business – Whether Big or Small

To sum up, the world of e-commerce fraud can seem complex. But keeping your cybersecurity up to date will only benefit your business and fight against fraud and viruses. Developing a cybersecurity plan for your online business is vital to the growth and success of your business. Though not every business can allocate resources for cybersecurity, small initiatives such as workshops can also assist in training your staff better. This will further help in eliminating a huge gap in your defense against hackers and criminals. You should take as many measures as your business demands. Your end goal should be to be able to create a website or app or develop custom software that your customers can absolutely trust. 

How agile methodologies help you optimize development processes

Whether you are someone starting in the software development business or are in the game for quite some time, you’ll agree that managing projects that don’t use agile methodologies can get very tricky.  There are missed deadlines, buggy releases, upset customers, and things that you didn’t foresee. 

It is fair to say that managing projects of different sizes come with its own level of complexity and variables. Nevertheless, you can successfully execute projects by using the right methodologies and techniques available. Project management methodologies not only help you streamline the software development process but also enable effective time management and cost reduction.

An agile methodology is a project management process, mainly used for software development, where demands and solutions emerge through the collaborative work of self-organizing and cross-functional teams, and their users. Agile has multiple methodologies including Kanban, Scrum, XP, feature-driven development, etc. All these methodologies share the same principles behind the agile manifesto.

In this blog, we will focus on the most popular methodologies used in software development, highlighting the pros and cons and the recommended use cases for each one. After reading through this article, you should be able to decide which methodology is more fitting for project needs.

Kanban

What is Kanban?

Kanban (Visual Signal – Card in Japanese) is a visual way to manage tasks and workflows, which utilizes a Kanban board with columns and cards. It is one of the most popular agile methodologies and helps you visualize your work for your own, and others’ understanding, and helps you keep everyone on the same page. To start with, you would need to build a Kanban board, then fill it with Kanban cards, and finally set up a work progress limit. The cards represent tasks, and the columns organize those tasks by their progress or current stage in development.

Elements of Kanban that make it truly agile 

  • Visualize the workflow
    Capture your team’s high-level routine as a series of steps (If you are unsure, start with the steps Specify, Implement, and Validate).
  • Limit work in progress
    Implement a pull system on the workflow by setting maximum items per stage to ensure that a card is only “pulled” into the next step when there is capacity.
  • Feedback loop
    Run your daily standup at a set time each day, focusing on issues that block work from progressing (cards from moving between columns).
  • Manage the workflow
    This can be made achievable by managing workflow and monitoring performance on the go in order to fix obstacles as they occur.
  • Adapt to the process
    Track external input that is blocking the implementation of a work item (such as a late or unstable dependency) by documenting it in the implementation step. 
  • Improve collaboratively
    Work through a problem (as a team) more smoothly and effectively by having a shared understanding of your workflow and end goals.

KANBAN PROS

  1. Kanban methodology is easy to understand.
  2. It maximizes the team’s efficiency.
  3. There are no set roles,  so there is flexibility in terms of individual responsibility. 
  4. There is less time spent in meetings like planning and retrospective meetings.
  5. Kanban has no mandatory requirements for estimation.
  6. Changes can be made to the backlog at anytime.
  7. It reduces the time cycle of the process.

KANBAN CONS

  1. An outdated Kanban board can lead to problems in the development process.
  2. The team can end up making the board overcomplicated.
  3. There can be a lack of timing as there are no given time frames for each phase.

Scrum

What is Scrum?

Scrum is a highly prescriptive framework compared to Kanban. It’s included in one of the most notable agile methodologies and requires detailed and restrictive planning, has predefined processes and roles. It mainly focuses on team productivity and continuous feedback.

The Scrum framework is based on 3 pillars:

  1. Transparency
  2. Inspection
  3. Adaptation

The term is inspired by rugby, where a scrum is a formation of players. The term scrum was chosen because it emphasizes teamwork. And it is like the rugby players where players gather multiple times to check up on the project status. Once executed, the team players have to run in sprints to score a goal.

Scrum is a process to let the team commit to delivering a working product through iterative time-boxed sprints. This process is based on a specific set of roles, events, and artifacts.

scrum process

Essential elements of a Scrum

Sprint planning 

Each team member helps set goals and the team has to produce at least one increment of software within 30 days or more.

Daily scrums

This meeting is held every day to discuss any problems the team is facing to avoid any delays in the project completion.

Sprint review

The sprint review is held at the end of each sprint to go over what was delivered, how it is delivered, and what was not delivered.

Sprint retrospective

This is an end-of-sprint session where everyone reflects on the sprint process, how it helped them and how can it be improved in the future.

SCRUM PROS

  1. The methodology leads to team accountability.
  2. The team can plan what will be achieved and estimate when will be delivered. And can communicate this plan with other teams or any stakeholders.
  3. The team knows clearly the sprint goal and can resist any interference.
  4. Three is daily communication which leads to efficient problem-solving. 
  5. Continuous process improvement and retrospectives with lessons learned.

SCRUM CONS

  1. Scrum team members require to be experienced and skilled individuals, lack of experience can slow down the scrum process and obstacles can occur. 
  2. The scrum team requires a committed team. If even one team member lags, it can cause a lot of damage to the process. 
  3. A less experienced scrum master can ruin the whole process of development.
  4. If a task is not defined accurately then the entire project can be lead to inaccuracies.

Scrumban: Going agile with a hybrid approach

Scrumban, like the name suggests, is a hybrid of the Scrum and Kanban agile methodologies, which gives teams the flexibility to adapt to the needs of the stakeholders without feeling overburdened by meetings and without giving estimates. It provides the structure of Scrum with the flexibility of visualization of Kanban.

Scrubman can be divided into 7 stages. Here is a step-by-step guide to developing a Scrumban framework for your team.

Step 1: Visualization of work

Create a Scrumban board to get a full picture of your workflow. It is similar to a Kanban board and you will be using it as your primary workflow tool. Add as many columns to your Scrumban board as your team needs to mark each discrete phase of progress.

Step 2: Stop Early Binding

Don’t assign work to a specific team member as part of backlog refinement or sprint planning. 

Step 3: Impose Work-In-Progress (WIP) limits

WIP limits to columns enable the Kanban Pull System. Before each iteration or sprint, the team creates a WIP (work in progress) list of items from the backlog. These are the requirements they want to accomplish in the upcoming iteration. 

Step 4: Pull instead of Push
Stuff from Left to Right should be pulled; don’t Push. If needed add extra buffer columns for your convenience.

Step 5: Ordering is important
Prioritize the stuff in your backlog. Or add an additional step like ‘Ready’, if needed.

Step 6: No estimations
Kanban doesn’t have estimations; this means no story points and no planning poker.

Step 7: No predefined planning
Planning is done based on triggers instead of being pre-defined, weekly, or bi-weekly. When to-do reaches a threshold, planning becomes essential.  

Conclusion

Both Kanban and Scrum were created to help teams to increase their efficiency and productivity. The custom software development teams at VentureDive leverage these methods, and are counted as one of the top tech talents in the IT industry. Explore our tech talent outsourcing services to learn more.

Picking between the two (Scrum and Kanban), however, depends on the team, as they can determine the best method or framework that would increase their team’s productivity and save time. 

In a nutshell, Scrum is an agile process that allows the team to focus on delivering business value in the shortest time possible. Whereas, Kanban is a visual system for managing software development work. With the Kanban method, there is continuous improvement, productivity, and efficiency. Scrum is centered on the backlog while Kanban revolves around the dashboard. The scrum master acts as a problem solver. Kanban encourages every team member to be a leader and promotes sharing responsibility among them all. Scrum advises time-boxed iterations whereas, Kanban focuses on outlining a different duration for individual iterations. In the end, the team members should carefully observe all the available methodologies and decide which seems likely to meet their needs. 

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