How to Save Your Budget for Development

How to save half of your app development budget

Jim, our client, not really versed in the sphere IT development, but a very creative and talented teacher and methodologist, came to me a couple of weeks ago with an idea for a brilliant project: to create a new education app for his students. He shared with me several key issues, the most important of which is outlined below:

“Automation”

Automation that will streamline all scheduling matters. It creates a timetable for classes, and allows him to make a sample for his own lessons, in just a couple of clicks.

Jim suggested to collect together in the app all the information - the list of students and teachers, as well as their personal profiles. He envisaged that the mailing system should be integrated there. He also explained an idea involving several levels of app management that addresses administrative needs, and so on - Jim had a really long list of requirements and needs.

Idea for a brilliant project - eduaction app for students

As a business consultant for Jim’s project, I helped him to pick up all the details and set the priorities. We are working on the development phase now. Within a month it will be ready for testing.

I am proud, that our developer team can help my partner to optimise the educational process. And I am sure, that this case will belong proudly to our ever growing vertical projects of developed educational apps.

This was a perfect example of successful client-developer collaboration. Unfortunately, it is not always the case.

Undershoot

When Simon, a friend of mine, asked if I could create an ecommerce app to generate high revenue, our initial thoughts were - sure. Of course, our team can build a successful app for Simon. We’ve created dozens of e-shops, why can’t we create another one, even better?

In the beginning, everything was fine: we discussed the general design concept, created user journeys and scope for the main features, based on the target audience and researches of competitor’s e-shops, selling the same goods.

But at the same time, there were a lot of unanswered questions:

What delivery services should be integrated?
Is your main target audience owners of iOS or Android, or desktop devices?
What payment system should be integrated into the application?
How does the process of handling customer complaints work?
How do users usually search for your goods?
Do you need integration with social nets (which ones?)
How do you plan to multiply your business and what features could be useful for you?

More and more questions followed, to which Simon could give no answer. In short, he had no idea how to make his business work, or how to run an online shop. He just came to me, thinking that a creation of an app is a solution for making money.

I had to disappoint him, when I said that without a clear understanding of all the business processes, and without strong logistical partners, experienced accountancy, reliable suppliers, and stable financial flow, we cannot design a successful e-commerce app for him.

The same situation is imperative for any IT project - good programmers can build whatever you like, but you should know what you want.

And great development agencies go far beyond implementing your application based on the current state of your business. Instead, they garner information, crave innovative ideas to create the solution adaptable to your business. They need to understand your product advantages, your needs, the business model and future development perspectives, including your demands, goals, and wishes.

Finally, how to save money on development?

It is wise to plan everything in advance, here are ideas of the of documents needed:

A description of the key functions each specialist carries out.
Clear perspective: how every department will grow, and what changes will be implemented.
What systems should be integrated to cover the increase of calls, orders, and transactions.
What marketing actions and monetisation scheme will you implement.
Add the long-term strategy plan, and the key metrics, and reports you need to control your KPI figures.

Having all this information on hand will save hours of work for the development team. The cost for any IT service is in direct relation with the working hours, needed for development. So, the price offer will be about 25% less in comparison to the same project estimation, without initial documentation.

And you’ll save even more than 25% by getting the flexible long-term working software solution, where all the possible scenarios of your business development on the changing market are envisaged in the plan.