The prominence of the idea of digital transformation creates challenges for businesses. One of them is to digitize the processes and focus on their automation, with the use of tools to facilitate everyday life. Because of this, the demand and interest of managers for native applications and other types of applications have grown considerably as they realize the value of this tool.
To solve this issue then arises the proposal to create an application for the company, which should be focused on the main needs that it has. For this purpose, management can work to generate innovation and adapt to the specificities of modernity, as well as remain sustainable with better processes and less costs.
If you want to check out the full guide to creating apps keep a close eye on the topics in this article.
How does building apps for your business work?
As we have already said, digital transformation consists of process digitization and technologies taking a central role in companies. Because of this, there are several associated improvements, which usually attract companies and leaders. Thus, several organizations are advancing towards modernizing and investing intensively in this adaptation process.
One of the pillars of transformation is mobility. Modernity is so dynamic and fast that it requires connectivity and interaction at all times. Therefore, it takes much more than simply adhering to software for computers, you need to focus on the production of mobile applications.
Once the company recognizes this need, it is necessary to understand how the creation of an app works. However, this process can be conducted internally, with the teams of the organization itself and its own resources, and externally.
In the case of internal development, companies should pay for needs and view development as a project.
Internally
If you choose to develop the application internally, the company will need to organize to manage the authoring project. This includes preparing people initially and engaging them in order to get the best result.
Similarly, it is essential to raise the requirements and set the production objectives of that app. That is, who will use, for what, among other issues.
Then, the company can define the methodology it will use to develop the product. This part is extremely relevant because it addresses how activities will be performed, as well as the overview of the project. In this sense, the agile management methodologies stand out, which are commonly used nowadays.
The internal process of creating apps also involves managing some relevant factors, such as: the features that will be used, what involves the technologies, infrastructure, assets used, etc. Just as it is important to manage the project deadline, aiming to deal with possible problems to set a limit for development.
Management should take care of communication between the members involved with the creation, in order to ensure that there is collaboration and that there is no noise in this item. For this, what is usually employed is a set of project management tools for working together.
Another useful tool is information visualization software, which makes working transparent to everyone. The choices about which applications to use also depend on the production methodology.
Another care is in relation to the costs and risks of the project. The expenses depend on the resources used and the time that will be used for production. After all, part of the team will be busy, consuming resources for that demand, with the necessary assets and auxiliary software.
On the other hand, it is necessary to understand what threats the company faces during the process. What are the main obstacles to the free development of the process? This should be a question to ask yourself to seek solutions in advance.
It is worth noting that there is a way to make the process easier when done internally: use some app creation platform that automates some parts of the process and makes development more intuitive.
Externally
When it chooses to partner with external members, the company then goes on to search for tailor-made software development. In this model, there is a study of the needs for the conception of something that is perfectly adapted to what the organization needs specifically at that moment.
In this case, the contractor will have the expertise of a specialized partner, with knowledge about the best technologies and the ability to deliver the expected results within the given time.
What are the benefits of creating an app for your business?
Let’s explore the benefits of creating apps for businesses.
Modernization and innovation
As we are talking about one of the pillars of digital transformation, investing in mobile solutions represents a great advance towards the modernization of the company. This adoption implies innovation, with the use of extremely modern technologies and suitable for the current world, in order to generate positive results.
Thus, the company remains competitive and ready for the present and the future. With modernization, it becomes more fluid and practical, with the assurance of the other benefits that I will mention below.
Flexibility
With greater mobility, companies become more flexible. Internal operations can be carried out on both desktop and smartphone computers, which breaks down geographic and technological barriers. Apps provide faster and faster access to information, as well as ease of communication between members.
Improving employee experience
Another issue is the considerable improvement of the employees’ experience. Once members use mobile apps and get better results because of agility and increased productivity, they feel more satisfied with their daily work. The use on several fronts allows this to be a reality for the most diverse subgroups of the organization.
Thus, they can deliver the best on a day-to-day and actively cooperate with the expansion of the company and the fulfillment of the purposes and goals.
Interactivity
Mobile apps can be extremely interactive. Therefore, their presentation is more enjoyable and they provide a satisfying experience for users.
After all, they allow access to information in a practical, dynamic way, with interesting interfaces to use and well-defined usability. This all cooperates with the use and productivity, since the system will help in carrying out daily activities.
Integration
An app for the company is also synonymous with better data integration. With this application, it will be possible to obtain a single channel for communication in various sectors and concentration of information, in order to obtain greater security and greater control. Similarly, the app can be integrated with existing apps such as ERPs and legacy apps.
In addition, management can manage access control and ensure that data is always in good quality for everyday use, with a view available on your phones.
Best service for customers
Another advantage is the possibility of offering a better service to customers. Mobile apps can serve many purposes internally, as we’ll see later in this post. For this reason, it is important to emphasize that an operational improvement by their use reflects the relationship with customers.
If there is better control, ease to find information, and better management, it is possible to solve customer problems and serve them better.
Thus, the company can stand out in front of its audience and sell value to them. This agility in services helps retain and retain loyalty to people who have already done business with the organization, as well as serves to attract new customers.
Automation
Acting on several fronts, an app for the company is important to help in task automation as well. That is, this solution will be essential to deal with daily activities, by allowing employees not to have to manage repetitive and purely bureaucratic efforts.
The system can integrate with others to perform automatic updates and become powerful assistance to day-to-day work. Thus, there is less need to hire staff for exhausting jobs, which implies cost reduction. Similarly, there is a reduction in expenses because of greater agility and accuracy.
When we talk about automation, we are also defining one of the most relevant pillars of today’s times. This is the foundation of the digitization of processes and is the main thermometer that attests to technology becoming a centerpiece in decisions and operations.
How much does it cost to create an app?
The costs of building an application depend heavily on how it is built. Everything varies according to specifications: the number of hours to develop, the platform on which the app will run, complexity in general, the number of features, time frame, as well as design features.
The use of modern technologies to make the application interactive or not using them also counts. It is necessary to consider expenses for the two cases we talked about earlier: both for internal development, with expenses of a project like any other, and for external production.
Costs also depend on the type of app. There are three main ones: native, web, and hybrid. We’ll talk more about the specifics of each of them below.
Which type of app to choose?
So let’s talk about the main types of applications your business can develop.
Indigenous
The native app is the common type, which usually exists in greater quantity in app stores. They have full access to system resources and are installed directly into the ROM memory of smartphones or tablets. In this way, they can be used without the need for the internet and can interact freely with other applications and components of the mobile phone.
Generally, natives are larger in size and should be installed with the consideration that they will take up storage space.
Web
Web apps are systems developed for the internet, only with a presentation similar to that of an application. That is, they are responsive sites, focused on mobile use, with the difference of being built on a large network with common web development technologies, such as JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.
Their great advantage is that they don’t need installation or take up storage space. However, they do not have access to operating system resources and may be limited because of this.
Hybrid
To get the best of both worlds, companies turn to hybrid solutions. These are applications developed on the web, but with a little more interaction with the internal components. That is, the agility of a website with the nice design of an app. They can even send notifications and be arranged as an icon on the home screen of the devices.
How do create these applications?
We’ll now look at some steps for building useful and functional applications for organizations. Let’s check out some tips and good recommendations in this process.
Set goal
As we talked about in the first topic, creating an application requires a clear definition of the main objective. Therefore, it is important to highlight this issue as a first step.
Establish well the purpose of using the system, who will use it, as well as issues related to the expected improvements with the use of the software. Thus, you can start from a point and work to reach that goal.
Plan
The planning phase comes soon after because it is a preparatory step as well. It’s time to define the technologies that will be used and manage aspects of the project that we’ve already mentioned in the first topic of this post. Selection of the people involved, the tools used, and all the necessary equipment for the concrete creation of the app, for example.
Sketch in the interface
Next, it is crucial that the team define an interface for the system and start sketching the application screens. This is the time to design the initial design as well as think about the page flow. At this stage, the team defines wireframes and mockups, which help establish a view of the application’s skeleton and how it will actually be.
Develop
This phase is finally to start working on the coding of the project. In it, the team will use programming techniques and build the software using one or more languages that have been determined. At this point, the design sketch will become a guide to what to do and possible direction.
It is at this stage that the company will work with the presentation and the back end of the application, paying attention to business rules and key requirements.
Test
One step that cannot be missed is that of the tests. At this point, the team will meet to use the app and perform some executions in a scenario designed to find errors and inconsistencies. Acceptance tests, unit tests, and graphical interface tests can be performed. The goal is to identify issues to be resolved before deployment.
It is worth mentioning that the ideal is that the tests are performed not only in a specific step but frequently and intermittently throughout the process. Thus, the team ensures fewer problems in the final product and does not have to wait to repair everything after development.
Maintaining
After the app is published and deployed, it starts to be used. So development should manage potential maintenance needs, content updates, changes to repair gaps and vulnerabilities, and even bugs that have passed through the testing phase.
How will the app be used?
In this section, we’ll look at the top uses of an application for an enterprise. We’ll see how this type of system can be useful for a variety of needs.
Communication
One of them is precisely for communication. Currently, it is common to note the use of chatbots for banks as an efficient way to deal with customer service needs. These virtual assistants, which consist of artificial intelligence that understands human speech and captures the intent of what has been said, can be implemented in apps.
These applications help automate service, offering greater value, agility, and accuracy to customers. They integrate data and facilitate the identification/validation of information, as well as serve as a large catalog of data about customers themselves—which can be used for new approaches to marketing.
You can also leverage the omnichannel strategy, with all company channels integrated.
Still, in attendance, it is possible to develop a mobile option for the service desk and help desk. These tools would help streamline customer service by focusing on optimizing their experience. Therefore, the company’s reputation improves in the public eye.
Logistics
Applications can also be used in other areas. In logistics, for example, they are useful for tracking goods and transportation, with product tracking.
With their help, management maintains a broad view of everything and controls all movements with a mobile phone. The great advantage of using a mobile device is precisely to follow a sector that changes in real-time.
Inventory management
In retail management, a system for managing inventory and product movements is also a great idea. This tool helps you control items so as to avoid fouls, control those that remain there for a long time, among other relevant issues on that front. Access to information more easily is what makes this option so attractive.
Management system
Mobile phones are great devices for controlling the company as a whole, from a management system. An application can focus on this management or communicate with other management software to allow leaders to manage the organization in their hands.
Business Intelligence
Another interesting function for a mobile application in companies is Business Intelligence (BI). The BI system is a user data analysis tool that allows you to understand insights about large amounts of data, with charts and reports arranged in accessible dashboards.
When managers rely on a mobile app to do so, they can visualize this information in real-time in an interactive and agile way.
Marketing and sales
We can also mention apps for sales and marketing control, with contact registration, customer and website and blog visitors monitoring, as well as campaign and interaction management.
Financial control
Another use is for financial control. The mobile application can be adopted to control financial transactions, accounts payable and receivable, investments, profits, cash, among other concerns of this sector.
With the highest accuracy and security, companies can rely on this option and expect an overall improvement in results. Another great advantage is to have automation in this area as well.
In a way, applications can be an interface of the company with the most modern technologies on the market, such as big data, the internet of things, artificial intelligence, and several others.
How to choose the best app creation company?
When companies can’t handle internal application creation, the solution is to hire a specialized company. This is one way to avoid having to spend so much on infrastructure and staff. So what do you need to analyze before choosing the best option?
It is essential to look for an alternative that suits your niche market well. That is, the ideal is to do business with a company that knows well the nuances of the sector in which your company operates, as well as has the experience and expertise to develop a specific application for your needs. After all, this is the basis for seeking tailor-made development.
This will help you avoid the main problems associated with this type of creation and will ensure a positive return.
Another factor to consider is the reputation of the company in question. Try to evaluate the partner’s portfolio and try to identify which projects were successful. Then understand the characteristics of these projects and look for similarities with what you are currently looking for for your business.
It is also interesting to evaluate the support of the contractor. It is essential to analyze whether the service is agile, efficient and if it is advisory, aimed at solving the problems that may exist in the process. The assistance should always be available and must be committed to training its internal members in whatever is necessary regarding the use and configuration of the app.
What are the common errors in creating an app?
When you decide to create an app, it’s common for businesses to face some mishaps. It is also common for them to invest in some practices that are not recommended and are therefore errors. We’ll see some of them.
One of them is precisely the lack of planning. Many teams focus only on the creation itself and don’t care about the processes that must be performed earlier.
Not stopping to analyze the technologies, the methodology that will be adopted, nor to manage resources, expenses, risks, and personnel is a problem that will cause future losses, which, in turn, will interfere with the deadlines.
Performing tests incorrectly is also a very usual issue. Generally, it is a failure not to do enough testing, especially when teams think of them only as a specific step. Another mistake is not automating tests on larger systems—which incurs inaccuracy and invalidates the entire process.
Not repairing communication noises is another flaw in development projects. This issue generates a lack of alignment between members, as well as other flaws in product creation and compliance with requirements.
Building an enterprise application is a solution to deal with the main problems of companies. The need for automation, digitization, efficiency, and agility are factors solved when companies understand the importance of a mobile solution.
It is important, however, to look at questions about how to carry out this development and what points should be considered in the search for a specialized partnership.
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