Our Software Development services include:
Custom Software Development
Leverage the unique part of your business that differentiates you from your competitors. When nothing “off-the-shelf” works for your business, a fit-for-purpose solution can provide you with the flexibility you need, whilst increasing the control you have. Whether you are looking to develop a B2C portal that helps you interact better with your customers, or a B2B platform focusing on process automation and workflow, a custom software solution might be the way to go to achieve your business outcomes if your requirements are unique. Using the latest technology, we create software solutions that enable our clients to outperform their competition.
Systems Integration
Increase the accuracy, efficiency and effectiveness of your solutions, by bridging together your disconnected systems for stronger organisational visibility and control. Our systems integration services will enable you to prolong the useful life of your existing solutions, and really make the most of your IT investments.
Legacy System Upgrades
Outdated legacy software applications are a barrier to innovation for many organisations. Our Project Recovery service is designed to review and remediate your current technology solutions, to help you leverage the latest technology trends and future-proof your business.
Enterprise Mobile Applications
Reach and engage customers through mobile application development. We develop applications for a variety of mobile devices across a number of operating systems, with a mobile first omni-channel experience.
Testing Services
Have peace of mind that your software solutions and/or mobile applications are defect-free, will perform under high user volume and meet regulatory compliance. As specialists in software development, we know what to look for when it comes to software quality and testing your solutions. Feel confident that your system functions as intended.
Cloud Services
Migrate to the Cloud to take advantage of increased stability, reduced costs and improved redundancy. We can provide you with guidance on your Cloud Strategy, help you navigate the different options available, as well as optimise and manage your Cloud Services.
Custom Software Development VS Off-The-Shelf
Once you have reached the decision that software can help your business to improve efficiencies, increase productivity and improve customer satisfaction, the next decision to make is whether to go down the custom software route, or find something off-the-shelf to implement. This is a decision that is sometimes based on price and time to market, but it is essential to understand the pros and cons of each before committing to a software solution.
Pros of Custom Software
- Designed and built with your unique business in mind
- Easy to accommodate for scalability and future changes
- You are in control of the updates to your production environment
- You own the rights to the software and have full ownership of the system, so you can control the direction of the product in terms of new features and enhancements
- You will gain a competitive edge over your competitors
Pros of Off-The-Shelf Software
- A cheaper initial cost compared to custom solutions
- It can be a quick and straightforward implementation process
- With Off-The-Shelf software, you can see the end product before buying, which gives you confidence in your decision
- Access to community support groups
- Updates and maintenance are included in your ongoing fees, so there are no nasty cost surprises
What we do to ensure success:
Whether you decide to go for an off-the-shelf solution, or a custom solution, all software projects carry their own risks of failure. There are 7 main points we consider with our clients before embarking on a software project, to minimise this risk of failure and set you up for success:
Modifications / Customisations
Implementing an off-the-shelf product might seem like the easiest solution to your problem, however, we find it very rare that an off-the-shelf product will provide you with the exact functionality your organisation requires. In most cases, modifications and customisations are required, which may be small tweaks to the system, or much more complex changes. The extent of modifications might not be clearly defined at the start of the project, and as a result, costs can often spiral upwards.
Conforming to Best Practice
Off-the-shelf software products often encapsulate industry best practice. In many cases, this might be an improvement for an organisation, however, changing organisational processes to conform to the processes of a software product, are often difficult to implement. You might get resistance from employees who are used to doing their job a particular way, and organisation-wide processes can be time-consuming to roll out.
Changing with the Business
Organisations are flexible and constantly changing, whether that is sudden growth, restructure, or new products and services being introduced, they are fluid. An off-the-shelf software product might lack the flexibility to change with your organisation. Required changes or additions will only be delivered at the time of the next release, which could slow your business down and result in falling behind your competition.
Technical Requirements and Flexibility
For over 25 years, we have been perfecting the Solentive methodology, to set our clients up for success and operate in a way that works for all parties involved. We use a flexible hybrid agile approach, which highlights the basic premise of the system before development commences, but allows room for changes to be made along the journey.
Realistic Budget & Timeframe
Before kicking off a software project, it is important to understand the amount of time and money that goes into the software development process. With a tight timeframe and budget, quality assurance and testing might be overlooked, resulting in a sub-standard application. With adequate time and budget, a software solution will be developed that should bring a greater ROI to your organisation.
Access to Domain Experts
You wouldn’t spend money on an expensive house without talking to an expert first, and the same should be true for software projects. Every successful project needs input from a domain expert, and it is their responsibility to define the processes to be captured within the software solution, so it meets the expectations of the client. It is important to engage the right people at the right time, changing priorities and possibly the direction of the project to ensure success.
Realistic Expectations
There is nothing worse than that feeling of disappointment when you expect one thing and receive something completely different, especially if what you receive is below par to what you expected. A good software vendor should advise their client if their expectations are unrealistic, and ensure all possibilities have been explored to clarify the final solution and make sure everyone is on the same track. Education is key. A good software vendor will educate their client on technical or business constraints, and provide a solution that still meets their overall business objectives.
What defines a failed software project?
Not Being Delivered on Schedule
One of the main reasons a software project fails, is that it is not delivered to the expected schedule. This could be for a variety of reasons; perhaps the vendor underestimated the time to deliver the project, or the client had an unrealistic timeframe in mind. In all these situations, the unfortunate reality is that when a project is not delivered on time, it can cause massive disruptions to an organisation.
Coming in Over Budget
A project that runs over budget is at risk of failure, especially if the client is unable to arrange additional funds. Budget overruns can occur for numerous reasons, for example, unexpected additional work, or the vendor having to cut costs to win the business in the first place.
End Users not Using the System
A project might be delivered on time and to budget, but that is all pointless if end users do not embrace and use the system, and it doesn’t achieve the right outcome. They might not know how to use the system, or they might find using it difficult, so adequate training is essential to ensure organisation-wide adoption. Employees might be hesitant to change the way they do their jobs, regardless of whether the new system makes their lives easier.
No ROI Provided
Often, a lot of pressure is put on a new software system, to lead an organisation out of the dark and solve all of their problems. However, software applications should be seen to improve certain aspects of a business, not single-handedly change the whole business without a commitment to improvement. Decision makers need to commit to changing other aspects of the business to support the new system and ensure success.
The importance of the Vendor-Client relationship
Another common reason a software development project fails, is due to an unhealthy vendor-client relationship. Communication between vendor and client throughout the project lifecycle is essential in ensuring its success. Sharing successes together is fantastic, but it is also important not to bury your head in the sand when you become concerned, or the project becomes at risk.
At Solentive, we are transparent with our clients, and believe it is important to find a level of mutual understanding and respect for one another. We believe a successful vendor-client relationship should incorporate the following:
- Start with the correct contracts – when drawing up a contract, the wording should be collaborative and focused on how you intend to operate with one another
- Choose clients / vendors with shared values – it is much easier to work with someone towards a specific goal if you collaborate and share the same values
- Set expectations up front and manage them – defining realistic expectations is essential, and having regular check-ins on progress will ensure everyone is on the right track
- Seek clarity from one another – sharing your different views often results in a solution being developed that each person understands and works for both parties
Methodology:
The products and services we offer are designed to help us reach our vision: to build a world where every business can operate effortlessly. We believe technology should help, not hinder our performance in life.
We have been in operation for over 25 years, and in that time, we have collaborated on ground-breaking software projects, with some of the most forward-thinking organisations in Australia and around the world. During this time, we have perfected our software development process. The Solentive Practical Agile Methodology (SOLPAM) combines Design Thinking, LEAN and Agile methodologies, and adapts them to your unique software project to ensure we set you up for success right from the start.
Software Engineering Team:
We pride ourselves on being a 100% Australian-based company – all our development happens from our head office based in Sydney.
Our development team are the best of the best! Our software engineers have at least a bachelor’s degree in information technology, software engineering, computer programming, or a related field, and many of them have completed further education. Solentive is known for encouraging and promoting the professional development of its workforce, and our delivery team are often completing courses, attending workshops, or following degree programs to deepen their knowledge and stay on-top of technology trends.
Our software engineers are well versed in various programming languages, and they genuinely have a love of technology and are passionate to see it making a positive difference in the real world.
