Despite the large number of companies developing software for mobile devices, as well as the easy access to development tools, there are still challenges that can stop the development of a project. Learn about effective ways of dealing with obstacles arising during the development of mobile applications.

From the article you will learn:

• how to manage IT projects;
• what is a MVP;
• about the benefits of multi-platform software;
• if testing the applications is important;
• what are the advantages of outsourcing.

Mobile strategies of technological giants, access to the Internet from anywhere at any time, and the affordable price of smartphones have made mobile applications to appear more often – they quickly gain popularity and are eagerly utilised by users all over the world. Stores with Google and Apple applications are densely packed with millions of mobile applications that do everything – from increasing productivity and managing time, to helping with mobile commerce, and controlling daily physical activity. The truth is, mobile applications have become an enormous power in the modern digital world.

Despite the easy access to developer tools and the large number of organisations involved in the development of software for mobile devices, there are still challenges that can have a negative impact on the project and its course. The basic problem is often the cost of designing the application, its development and implementation. If this is a big challenge for the company, there are several proven ways to reduce the cost of creating mobile projects, including: Outsourcing, cross-platform development, continuous testing, agile project management and MVP releases. These elements can be included among the most popular strategies used by companies to reduce the cost of mobile projects. By following at least one of these IT trends, you can easily make the implementation of a mobile application a relatively inexpensive matter.

Trends reducing the costs of creating a mobile application

Every company strives for savings; looks for ways to achieve goals in the most beneficial way. Organizations should always remember to plan any strategies or investments, taking into account the capabilities and resources. Learn about activities that will help you reduce costs as part of creating an IT solution:

1. Agile project management

Employing agile methodology in developing mobile applications brings many benefits, such as rapid development, budget control and compliance with design specifications. In accordance to it, a relatively large mobile application development project is divided into smaller programming cycles consisting of modules, tasks and subtasks. Such smaller parts of the work are much easier to manage and control. During agile project management developers and testers cooperate at all stages, and regularly inform the interested parties about the progress made, what positively affects the quality of the product release, and also accelerates the delivery to the market.

2. MVP releases

MVP (Minimum Viable Product) is a properly functioning mobile application prototype with all the most important functions. MVP is used as a test field for seeing the capabilities of a product before it is made available for full commercial or internal use. MVP brings specific financial benefits to mobile development. MVP is not only cheaper to develop but also helps to identify improvements and isolate errors long before a full-scale implementation process, which reduces the further time and cost input. In addition, MVP can help the company to impress the potential investor and receive support for the actual development of the application.

3. Multi-platform software development

 

Developing an application with versions for Android, iOS and Windows may turn out to be expensive. In order not to exceed the project’s set cost limit and reduce the number of man-hours, you can instead consider developing multi-platform applications. The most striking benefit of developing for multiple platforms is working with a reusable code: the application’s business logic can be written once and then used on different platforms.

 

4. Continuous testing

Quality assurance and subsequent fixing of errors in order to close the project is a facilitation for all interested parties - the orderer and the client. Such a procedure can compensate for the estimated costs of a mobile solution and, above all, ensure high quality of application. Continuous mobile tests can contribute to the improvement of the project at all stages of its development and to create a solution of adequate quality.

5. Outsourcing

The minimum cost of creating a mobile application can be reduced by up to a half, if you decide to outsource the development project. The final price depends on the features, platform and country to which the project is outsourced. Employing dedicated teams of developers, engineers, designers and leaving the outsourcing to them is the main cost-reduction strategy of both large and medium-sized enterprises. Its main advantages are saving time and internal resources, as well as comprehensive service provision.

Rational reduction of application development costs

Software development, including mobile applications, is now a huge branch of the entire business – not just the IT. For there are many companies that have nothing to do with the IT or technology industry, that want to have their own business application. Such companies will most often use the last of the five cost-reduction methods mentioned above, and choose the outsourcing model, i.e. they will outsource the application development to an external company. This is due to a number of factors, and the lack of qualified specialists within your own enterprise is very often the key one.

You should remember that the above-mentioned methods to reduce the costs of developing mobile applications are not the only solutions, and that nothing keeps you from combining several methods in your own software development strategy.