October 4, 2020

Software development is a process of developing internet enabled applications or products. The process consists of various stages including requirements gathering, application design, development, integration, testing and deployment into a suitable environment.

Software development team roles

Software development team varies depending upon the size, nature and complexity of the project. With the advent of tools like Wix, you can create a simple app without too much effort. However, a more complex product requires a full software development team, which comprises of project managers, designers, developers, testers and devops engineers.  

Project managers (PM) – focuses on gathering requirements, planning, coordinating, and getting the work done. They use different project management processes, tools and work closely with clients and teams ensuring smooth transition of work. PMs are also involved in resolving any issues or bottlenecks, manage risks and budgets.

Designers – proficient in turning requirements into visual design. They help create an unique user experience for customers by leveraging various tools, devices and techniques.  

Developers – brings several technologies, frameworks and software components together in building the application. More complex or larger projects may need different types of developers – frontend, backend, and database.

Testers – use many different types and levels of testing ensuring the software application meets user and quality standards.

DevOps engineers – help establish a proper infrastructure, configurations, and deployment of the code into different test and live environments.

Why do you need a team?

In the past, software development was much more simpler with limited devices, and a few technology stacks. But today, the technology advancements in the development space has created numerous processes, devices, technology stacks, frameworks, developer tools and techniques. This intern has led to many specialized roles and responsibilities. For example, a generic designer role in the past, has branched into many specialized roles such as creative designer, graphics designer, UI designer, web designer, mobile designer, etc. The same goes to other roles as well.

As you can see, software development can quickly get complicated given there are many things to consider. A team can bring diverse skills together, compared to any individual can.

When to hire a development team?

The composition of development teams varies depending on the type, size and complexity of the application. For example, roles and skills required to develop a simple web app greatly varies building a more complex enterprise application. Similarly, the skillset for creating a web app differs from mobile app.

Every successful software development projects begins with clear scope of work. As a first step, keep your focus on the scope of work rather than the technology. You scope of work should drive the technology selection.

Second, take your time understanding your users and their journey. If your users use more desktop computers rather than a mobile phone, you may focus on creating a web application first. Similarly, if your users are young, then starting with a mobile first is better bet. Hence, understanding your user base will help tailor the application and technology selection better.

Before starting the hiring process, narrow down the scope of work and the below additional information. This will help you save time, effort and cost in the long run.

• Customer type or persons
• What type of application – web, mobile, hybrid, desktop, etc.?
• If mobile, what type of mobile app – iOS, Android, or both?
• Does your app need any integration with other apps such as Facebook, Salesforce, etc.? 
• Do you have any preferred cloud providers?

The above information would help you narrow down the team selection.

How to hire a development team?

Traditional team building involves finding the right talent for each role, recruiting, on-boarding, and team building activities. Depending upon the skillset, this may take weeks or months to assemble a team. FreelancingTeams reduces the complexity, by directly connecting with pre-built teams. Below are a few things to consider before hiring a development team.

Necessary skill set

Rather than looking to fill individual members for each role, check to see whether the team has necessary skills to deliver the work end-to-end. In software development, it is quite common to see a developer performing multiple activities -design, development and/or testing. Often, a senior development may also manage the team.

Experience

When it comes to software development technologies there are many nuances. Ensure the team has necessary experience on key (primary) technologies used for the development. If you plan to use Java stack, then ensure the team has relevant Java experience. You can check their past work, interview the team or look at their portfolio.

Communication & Collaborations

Software development is a team effort, and it requires communication and collaboration. So, ensure the team can effectively communicate one another, and with you. Software applications takes a few weeks or months to go through the entire process. So, getting to know the team, working with them closely is key to success.

Supportability

Software development doesn’t stop once your initial product is out. It often continues with maintenance, support and continuous improvement. Ensure the team has continue support your application. This is another area where working with a team is better as there is always someone available to support the application.

Summary

In summary, software development is a long process, and involves a team effort. So, finding a right team that can help you through the process and also provide continuous support is key to success. Contact FreelancingTeams if you need any further assistance or have questions.