4 Common Challenges Facing The Software Development Industry
The information technology industry is an ever expanding, complex, and dynamic industry. Software development lies at the heart of this industry and is directly and indirectly influenced by factors that include growing complexities, market conditions, and changing technology trends. However, the most potent influence of all is the challenge that software development faces.
By understanding the common complexities facing in the software development industry, we can streamline our approach to software development services.
Let us look at 5 of the common challenges faced in software development industry:
Understanding User Demands
Software projects, like all Web App Development and Mobile App Development projects, are highly customer centric. They are aimed at translating business operations into well designed and optimized software products that satisfy customer needs.
The users have certain ideas about how the product should work. These ideas are bound to differ from those of your development team. This is one of the common problems that hinder the development process.
The new programmers often find it difficult to understand the user demands, since they seldom get to interact with them directly.
This is where project management techniques like Agile/Scrum come into the picture. These meetings make it easier for development teams to be up to date with the customer demands about the software.
Although it can be easily dealt with proper management and communication, understanding user demands is one of the common challenges faced by novices who are still learning the ropes.
Time limitations
Time is an integral element in Software development. Software developers work under tremendous pressure that mostly comes from client demands and tight deadlines.
The challenges are compounded when the client is located abroad and you have to communicate keeping multiple-time zones in mind. Hence, time constraints are a challenge faced by everyone involved in the software development process. If not managed properly, time constraints can affect the efficiencies of development teams adversely leading to mediocre quality software products in the end.
Debugging
Now, imagine the following scenario. After spending many hours to perfecting a program, you go home satisfied thinking it will work as expected. But when you come back the next day, your colleague from Quality Assurance (QA) sends you a long list of bugs to work through. Errors such as the “Cancel” button on the web form isn’t clickable, the grammar on the error messages isn’t right, and the software has other errors that are causing glitches in the user experience. These issues can drive you up the wall.
Debugging all of this sounds utterly crushing, doesn’t it? While some bugs are easy to fix, others can prove more challenging, and will most likely disturb the work flow completely. This scenario is a common occurrence in the software development arena, and it is important for the developers to maintain their composure in developing and debugging their programs.
Keeping Up With Technology
Software technology, like all of information technology, is ever-expanding. Along with working on the current frameworks, tools, and libraries, they also need to keep one eye open for the new updates on the horizon.
For instance, front-end frameworks usually stay relevant for a year or two before an updated version gets launched.
In one sense, the updated versions are good. This is because they are aimed at improving efficiency. But, it can be a pain getting used to a new system. With constantly shifting technologies, programmers can struggle to get back to their routines efficiency.
