The pandemic has derailed the global economy, impacting businesses across the world. If organizations wish to keep up with the lightning pace of app and platform improvements while staying cyber secure, they must rely on DevOps. DevOps is crucial to business success more than ever.

But before you start your journey with DevOps let’s take a look at what DevOps is. What are the advantages of DevOps? How can you maximize its potential for your business? Read on to find out.

What Is DevOps?

DevOps is a term derived from combining “development” and “operations.” According to Gartner, “DevOps represents a change in IT culture, focusing on rapid IT service delivery through the adoption of agile, lean practices in the context of a system-oriented approach.”

In simple terms, it is a coordination of best practices that automate and integrate the processes between software development and the IT teams. This cross-disciplinary practice enables enterprises to create and improve products faster than traditional software development methods.

Implementing DevOps allows enterprises to have a competitive edge in value and value management. It allows teams to adapt to the changing market and address their customers’ needs effectively.

Read more: DevOps: The Catalyst to Efficient Project Development and Delivery

Tangible Benefits of DevOps

1. Maximizes efficiency

DevOps ensures the quality of application updates. Armed with the logging and monitoring mechanism of DevOps, developers can now oversee the real-time performance of the products.

This will help them make any necessary changes or improvements ensuring the efficiency of the software. Continuous testing enhances the software quality. Plus, it will be more reliable to function consistently and seamlessly.

2. Better communication and cooperation

A DevOps software development culture contributes to happier and more productive teams as its primary focus is on performance. This team spirit helps in building trust that leads to unitedly working to innovate more effectively.

When teams work together with DevOps, they do not wait for a different team to solve problems. Instead, they work toward a common goal focusing on bringing the product to market or production.

3. Faster Innovation

The success of an enterprise depends on its ability to innovate faster than its competitors. Since DevOps collaborates both development and operation efforts, the development cycle is shorter and the applications are ready faster.

4. Reduced implementation failure

Implementation failure can occur due to programming defects. Since DevOps promotes frequent code versions it is easy to detect defects early. This reduces the number of implementation failures. Additionally, recovery is much faster as the teams share ideas and together tackle the challenges of both teams.

5. Cost-effective

Automated testing and CI/CD aid in efficient bug-free codes. Hence, it eliminates the need to combat network downtime and avoid spending additional costs on other related issues.

DevOps automation accelerates the software release pipeline and cuts down on manual interventions. Thus, it minimizes software release costs. Moreover, early detection of defects saves consequent financial damages. Subsequently, DevOps increases profitability while reducing both direct and indirect costs.

Read more: Test Automation In DevOps For Expediting Software Development

6. Customer satisfaction

Customer satisfaction is crucial for businesses to thrive and profit. The constant flow of feedback mechanism of DevOps allows customers to rate the product and its updates. Their feedback will help developers to improve the product.

Besides, customers can keep tabs on the progress of the application with the help of loop feedback. This contributes to customer satisfaction as they now can see the agility in the software development process. As a result, your business can and will gain a competitive advantage in your sector.

Key Features Of DevOps

  • Code: Everything in DevOps is version-controlled as code along with data.
  • Continuous: Emphasis is on continuity of integration, deployment, and testing.
  • Collaboration: Strong collaboration between the operations, development, and security teams is at the heart of DevOps.
  • Fail fast: Robust automation, tooling, and processes in DevOps help in identifying problems faster preventing delays in the rollout of new features.
  • Automated environment provisioning: This enables consistency across deployment ensuring reliable release.
  • Security: This involves all security measures ranging from static security code analysis to vulnerability management.

DevOps Lifecycle

DevOps consists of multiple phases that collectively become the DevOps lifecycle. These phases ensure DevOps optimizes all development processes. Here is a phase-wise break-down of the DevOps lifecycle:

1. Continuous development

This is the first phase where planning and software coding takes place. The planning involves understanding the project and developers begin developing the code for the application. Though planning does not require any tools, maintaining code requires a number of tools.

2. Continuous integration

In the phase of continuous integration, new codes are built and integrated into the existing code. The source code is modified several times on a weekly or daily basis. The continuous integration of new code helps reflect the changes that the customers experience with the updated code.

3. Continuous testing

At this stage, the developed software is continuously tested for bugs with the help of automated tools. This phase can be repositioned around the continuous integration phase as well.

Testing helps developers save effort and time that is usually lost in manual testing. Plus, reports generated help them improve the test evaluation process. This ensures flawless functionality and inter-networking of the application.

4. Continuous feedback

Continuous feedback allows for further analysis of the improvements. The feedback from customers is assessed promptly enabling the developer to release new versions of the software application.

5. Continuous monitoring

This phase is of key importance for application developers as it sustains the availability of services in the application. Continuous monitoring helps determine the root causes of recurring system errors and helps resolve security issues and other problems.

6. Continuous deployment

Although continuous deployment takes place before continuous monitoring, developers ensure that this phase remains active throughout the DevOps lifecycle. Containerization tools are used to achieve continuous deployment. This nullifies all sorts of production failures and system errors.

7. Continuous operations

This is the shortest of all phases. The continuous operation allows developers to automate the process and accelerate the time-to-market for the application.

Use of DevOps in Different Industries

Manufacturing industries: The use of DevOps in car manufacturing can help manufacturers identify errors early on in the production process.

Online financial trading companies: DevOps reduces the overall process time and increases the customer base. DevOps contributes to a drastic reduction in regression testing time which in turn reduced the funding period.

Read more: Prepare for the Future of Digital Innovation with these 10 Services From Fingent

digital innovation

Get Faster, Bigger, and Better with DevOps

It is clear that the DevOps strategy benefits enterprise software development in many ways. DevOps take the legwork out of the software development process and has emerged to be a crucial component for the growth of a business. DevOps provides a wide range of benefits that are measurable and real in implementation.

DevOps can create an astounding long-term impact for internet-based businesses. All businesses need DevOps for faster testing and implementations.

If you are not adopting DevOps practices in your technology projects, then you are increasing the risk of delay on your technology projects and increasing technical debt. The longer you wait, the more effort is required to implement DevOps into your workflow. So, if you are considering implementing DevOps, act quickly! Call us today.

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    About the Author

    ...
    Vinod Saratchandran

    Vinod has conceptualized and delivered niche mobility products that cater to various domains including logistics, media & non-profits. He leads, mentors & coaches a team of Project Coordinators & Analysts at Fingent.

    Talk To Our Experts

      Planning a software development project for your business? Here’s a detailed guide on the various stages and life-cycle of Software Product Development!

       

      Introduction

      Behind all the conveniences that we use in our everyday life, there is complex software. Such ease of life is possible when complex software is implemented in various stages in definitive order. These models address the diverse circumstances of product owners and development vendors.

      However, such a rich choice can be confusing. To fully benefit from the development process and successfully communicate with the development team, you must realize your needs and expectations from the product.

      Here is a complete guide to help you understand and organize the complex process of Software Product Development – what each stage means and how you can drive a successful Software Product Development project.

       

      What Is Software Product Development?

      Software Product Development is a combination of steps, tools, methodologies, and management techniques that bring the concept of a product from the ideation stage to implementation and eventually to the market.

      The primary goal of Software Product Development is to provide high-level products within the set budget and timeline. Typically, the software development lifecycle includes product discovery, software development, testing, deployment, and so on.

      Read more: Types of Application Software: A Detailed Guide for 2021

      How To Gauge When Your Business Needs Software Product Development?

      Every business in today’s fast-paced and volatile world needs Software Products. Software Products help your business gain momentum and a competitive advantage for your business. Here are some scenarios that indicate when your business needs Software Product Development.

      1. When your company starts experiencing low efficiency and miscommunication-related issues.

      Are your current methods of collecting data complicating the effective management of your company? Have you noticed miscommunication between your employees and managers resulting in missed deadlines? If these are restricting your business from reaching its potential growth, you need software development.

      2. When your supply chain has many bottlenecks

      A dissatisfied customer will quickly hop over to your competition. Bottlenecks created by miscommunication lead to loss of opportunities. When your company is dealing with a higher volume of complaints and low satisfaction rates, you need software development. It can optimize your supply chain management and guide all your decisions.

      3. When your business is growing

      Despite exponential business growth, the quality of your products and services should continue to be of the highest standard. Product development can help you comply with government regulations, evaluate the quality of the suppliers and the quality of your product.

      4. When your customer base increases

      When your customers increase, data increases. And that data has to be organized and maintained to help you make better understand your finances and use it to make strategic decisions. Product development can provide you visibility into all transactions contributing to the financial health of your company.

      5. When your company is expanding to other locations

      When your organization expands to other locations, you will need a fully visible information system that records all that happens at that exact location. Software Product Development equips you with the possibility to record all inventory movements in real-time.

      Read more: Progressive Web Apps: New Cutting-Edge Trend in Web Development

      How To Prepare For Software Product Development

      All Software Product Development needs detailed documentation. This documentation must cover the business requirements and clarify product functionality. It can also serve as the basis to discuss essential issues between business owners and developers. Here is how you can prepare to start a successful Software Product Development:

      • Do your homework: Even before searching for a vendor for Software Product Development, you need to conduct marketing research. Qualified marketing research will help you achieve your sales growth now and in the future.
      • Develop precise product vision: Work out the “whys” in projects that are focused on the main product. You can eliminate mistakes by answering questions such as, “who is the product for?” and “why do they need the product?”
      • Plan: Have a clear vision and communicate that vision to the development team. This will help them to create a software product that is aligned with your requirements.
      • Timely execution: Have a written communication with designers and engineers to nudge them in the right direction. This will contribute to well-articulated timely execution.
      • Make team members accountable: From day one, help your team members see their share of tasks that contribute to the development of the software product.
      • Document everything: Keeping a record of everything from ideation to execution can help your team to access all the features that must be included in the product and the functions each of those features must perform.

      Read more: Web Application Development: A Detailed Guide for 2021

      5 Essential Stages Of Software Product Development

      Stage 1: Product Discovery

      The first stage in the Software Product Development lifecycle is where new ideas or concepts originate. A team is organized to study the idea, perform market analysis, and identify technical and market risks. This will help organizations to determine the need for Software Product Development.

      Stage 2: Product definition

      In this stage, the team creates the first comprehensive evaluation of the technology. Developers and managers evaluate the important points of differentiation of the new product. This will avoid misinterpretation of the needs of the market.

      Stage 3: Product development

      This is the most time-consuming stage. Software developers use the design document to write code for the components. The task is divided between team members according to their area of expertise. This includes front-end developers, database administrators, and software developers.

      Stage 4: Product testing

      Quality assurance team steps in this stage to ensure the software meets all the requirements for which it was built. It involves functional testing, performance testing, unit testing, security testing, and usability testing.

      During this stage, software developers fix any bugs and retest as many times as required. This stage continues until the software is free of bugs and measures up to the potential capability.

      Stage 5: Product deployment

      Now, the software is sent into the market for user acceptance testing. Once again, the software team fixes any bugs based on the feedback from its first users. Then the final version is launched into the market. This stage also includes maintenance and strengthening of the software.

      Perhaps now you feel you are ready to start Software Product Development. But, hold on! Selecting the right partner for Software Product Development will impact your company in the long term. So, read on to find a few tips that can help you define the right partner.

      Read more: Software Development Outsourcing Guide for CEOs

       

      Tips To Select The Right Partners For Software Product Development

      Selecting the right partners is an important decision that should not be treated lightly.  So, here are few tips:

      1. Conduct a background check on the company

      To validate the company’s experience and professional trajectory, contact some organizations that have worked with the vendor. This will help you know their experience and the final outcome of the product.

      2. Check their ability

      For your product to be of excellent quality, the vendor should have abilities and excellence in software development. To guarantee their excellence, find out if they have QAG (Quality Assurance Group) or GMO (Organizational Improvement Group).

      3. Knowledge of different methodologies

      Solid methodological training and experience in using various technologies are vital for product development.

      4. Ability to support throughout the cycle

      Ensure that the vendor does not abandon the project at any of the stages.

      5. Ability to understand your business

      All in the team should be able to understand your unique business requirements and help you find the best solution aligned with your objectives.

      6. Capable testers 

      Ensure the vendor in consideration has qualified testers who can guide you on how to perform your own tests.

       

      Healthier, Better Business With Software Product Development

      It may be time for you to start thinking about Software Product Development that helps you run a healthier business. True, it requires an investment of time and money. However, in the long run, you will realize that you have saved time and money by enhancing customer satisfaction and improving employee retention. We at fingent, top custom software development company ensure a streamlined product development process that simplifies both deployment and transition. Call us to see how you can get this started for you right away.

      Stay up to date on what's new

        About the Author

        ...
        Sreejith

        I have been programming since 2000, and professionally since 2007. I currently lead the Open Source team at Fingent as we work on different technology stacks, ranging from the "boring"(read tried and trusted) to the bleeding edge. I like building, tinkering with and breaking things, not necessarily in that order.

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          Cloud Service Models Saas, IaaS, PaaS –
          Choose the Right One for Your Business

          A Quick Introduction to Cloud Service Models

          Cloud computing services and models are gaining tremendous momentum, with more businesses migrating their workloads from on-premise infrastructures to cloud. The ability to use IT infrastructure, software applications, and platforms via the internet has transformed the way businesses operate today. Brands selling products and services online, such as ecommerce companies, virtual collaboration apps, elearning, and telehealth providers leverage at least one or all of the cloud service models to run their business successfully.
          A robust cloud strategy is inevitable to build a successful business strategy. And the most important part of your cloud strategy is to choose the right cloud service model(s) for your organization. Cloud service models are part of the broader trend – “Everything as a Service” or “XaaS.” As you explore the cloud service models, you will find options like IaaS, SaaS, PaaS, and similar terms. Choosing the right cloud service model depends on your infrastructure availability, portability of your application and data, IT staff and resources, cost considerations, compliance specifications, cloud security requirements, and scalability needs. Every cloud service model provides different levels of control and management. So, it’s important to know which model makes the most sense for your business needs.
          Statista reports that in 2021, the total global spending on public IT cloud services amounted to almost 409 billion USD. The largest spending segment was Software as a Service (SaaS), with an approximate annual revenue of 249 billion USD. More legacy business applications are getting replaced with data-driven SaaS applications, ideal for modern cloud architectures. Choosing one or more cloud service models will save your money on hardware and software, and help you manage business applications with greater flexibility and speed, and minimal vendor lock-in.
          Source: IDC Worldwide Semiannual Public Cloud Services Tracker, 2H 2021

          Are you looking for a Cloud Service Provider?

          Why Does Your Business Need Cloud Computing?

          Cloud helps create more seamless business solutions by integrating your applications, deployments, and networks. It provides numerous opportunities to design and deliver new digital services for your customers and employees. Cloud enables your business to respond quickly to the changing needs during periods of disruption. Here are a few reasons why your business needs cloud computing solutions.

          High Performance and Availability

          Cloud services are distributed across multiple cloud facilities. This eliminates your downtime, ensuring high availability. Your cloud service provider will be responsible for updating cloud systems, fixing bugs, and solving security issues in the cloud. The performance gains offered by cloud is higher than that of on-premise infrastructure.

          Scalability and Flexibility

          Cloud computing allows you to quickly scale up or down your computing resources and storage to meet the changing business needs. You don’t have to invest heavily in any physical infrastructure to support the changes, such as an increase in the load levels.

          Effective Collaboration

          Cloud storage makes your data available anywhere, anytime you need it. Location or device constraints don’t prevent you from accessing your data from anywhere in the world. As long as you have a stable internet connection and a computing device (a laptop or smartphone) in your hand, you can collaborate effectively with anyone, in any part of the world.

          Cost Savings

          When you choose a cloud service model, you only pay for the resources that you actually use. Most cloud computing services are pay as you go or pay per use. This is a great money saver for startups and small businesses with lower budgets. Your IT team doesn’t have to overbuild or overprovision your data center, so they get more time to focus on strategic work.

          Advanced Security

          Centralized data backups in the cloud provider’s data centers eliminate the need for maintaining your own backups onsite or offsite. This mitigates the risk of data loss in the wake of a disaster. Cloud providers can help restore your data from the cloud storage, which is automatically updated in real-time. To provide more robust protection, you can implement cloud security techniques, such as data encryption and two-factor authentication

          What are Cloud Service Models?

          Based on the level of flexibility, control, and management you need, you can decide how you want to deploy cloud for managing enterprise workloads. There are three main types of cloud computing service models – SaaS (Software as a Service), IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service), and PaaS (Platform as a Service).

          Adopting Cloud – Choosing Between SaaS, IaaS, and PaaS

          All the three cloud service delivery models – SaaS, IaaS, and PaaS – offer enterprises unique advantages in terms of cloud application development, deployment, and maintenance. By comparing each model, you can decide which cloud model is right for your business requirements.

          SaaS

          SaaS Benefits

          Why Should You Opt SaaS?

          SaaS is the ideal choice for small businesses and startups that do not have the necessary budget and resources to deploy on-premise hardware. SaaS applications have simplified remote collaboration, transferring of content, and scheduling virtual meetings in a pandemic-affected world. Companies that require frequent collaboration on their projects will find SaaS platforms useful.
          Statista estimates that by the end of 2022, the worldwide SaaS end-user spending will be valued at 171.9 billion USD, 16% more than what it was in 2021. Supply Chain Management, Business Intelligence, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), and Project and Portfolio Management will see the fastest growth in end-user spending on SaaS applications, through 2022.

          Points to Consider Before SaaS Implementation

          IaaS

          IaaS Benefits

          Why Should You Opt IaaS?

          IaaS is the most flexible cloud model that helps manage and customize your IT hardware infrastructure according to your requirements. Whether you are running a startup, a small business, or a large enterprise, IaaS gives you access to all the essential computing resources, including storage, computing, and networking, without forcing you to purchase them.
          ResearchAndMarkets reports that the global IaaS market value is projected to reach $279.5 billion by 2027 at a CAGR of 27.2%. Sharing large amounts of information over the cloud will reduce your capital expenditure and convert it into operational expenses, making IaaS a highly cost-effective way to support your operations.

          Points to Consider Before IaaS Implementation

          PaaS

          PaaS Benefits

          Why Should You Opt PaaS?

          PaaS is a great choice if your project involves multiple developers and vendors. PaaS solutions are specific to application and software development and typically include cloud infrastructure, middleware software, and user interface. You don’t have to face the hurdles like procuring, deploying, running, and managing infrastructure. PaaS reduces the operational burden on developers and ITOps teams.
          Developers only need to write the code and manage the apps and data, while the software development platform is maintained and managed by the PaaS provider. This significantly lowers your development cycle. It is easy to create customized applications as the PaaS provider leases all the essential computing and networking resources.
          According to Statista, the global platform as a service (PaaS) market is estimated to be worth approximately 136 billion USD in 2023. Currently, PaaS accounts for about 20% of the worldwide cloud services market.

          Points to Consider Before PaaS Implementation

          Want to know which cloud service model fits your business?

          Why is it Important to Choose the Right Cloud Service Model?

          The rise of remote and hybrid work culture, which became a common trend during the COVID-19 pandemic, has increased the need for streamlined workplace collaboration and secure data storage facilities. Cloud computing has the potential to drive efficiency and uncover new opportunities for companies functioning remotely, without the need for any significant capital investment. Cloud helps businesses, customers, partners, and employees to stay connected, regardless of where they are located. However, it is essential to choose the right cloud service model to truly gain the advantage and remain competitive in the market.

          The ultimate requirement of any enterprise today is to quickly adapt to the growing market changes and address the rising consumer demands. To achieve this, you need to implement the latest technologies, such as automation, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), facial and biometric recognition, AR, VR, and Blockchain. But all of that is possible only if you have a robust cloud infrastructure and cloud-based software.

          Implementing the right cloud service model helps meet your enterprise’s infrastructure needs in the shortest span, without any heavy investment. It provides you the flexibility to scale your computing resources, adapt to new company processes and workflows, design new products and services, and accomplish business transformation with ease.

          Criteria to Select The Right Cloud Service Provider

          Understand your specific business needs before selecting a cloud service provider. Prepare a checklist including all your requirements related to technical, data governance, security, and service management. Assess the potential cloud vendors by comparing them against your checklist. Here are some key areas to consider.

          How Can Cloud Support Your Custom Software Needs?

          The capabilities and offerings of cloud are not limited to data storage, recovery, or backup. Cloud helps manage your company’s complex IT operations, including setting up and running an environment for custom software development. Cloud service models like Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS) offer the right ecosystem to build custom software applications. PaaS offers users a suite of prebuilt tools to develop, customize, and test your own applications.

          SaaS vs. IaaS vs. PaaS: Which Cloud Service Model Fits Your Business?

          Choosing a cloud service model for your business should be based on the level of flexibility, control, and management you need. A few potential scenarios are listed here.

          When Do You Need SaaS?

          Select SaaS cloud model when you want to:

          When Do You Need IaaS?

          Select IaaS cloud model when you want to:

          When Do You Need PaaS?

          Select PaaS cloud model when you want to:

          Looking For Experts To Discuss Your Cloud Requirements?

          Top Cloud Computing Trends To Follow

          The massive ongoing adoption of cloud computing has been a key enabler of the most transformative tech trends that businesses need to leverage today.

          1 Hybrid Cloud and Multi-Cloud

          Early cloud services typically asked the user to choose between private and public cloud solutions. When public cloud offered more pay as you go services, private cloud systems focused on providing more secure data storage.
          The rise of hybrid cloud aims to offer users the best of both worlds. Hybrid cloud combines public cloud and on-premises infrastructure, including private cloud, to enable data and applications to be shared between them. Multi-cloud computing refers to using multiple cloud computing services from more than one cloud provider, including private and public clouds, in a heterogeneous environment.
          Example of Multi-Cloud Example of Hybrid Cloud
          An organization hosting its web front-end application on AWS, while keeping its Exchange servers on Microsoft Azure Combining your on-premises data center with a public cloud computing environment like Google Cloud
          According to Flexera’s State of The Cloud Report, 89% of organizations reported having a multi-cloud strategy and 80% are taking a hybrid approach, as of 2022.
          Source: Flexera 2022 State of The Cloud Report

          2 Cloud-Fueled AI and ML

          Cloud-fueled AI and ML allow organizations to access the computing power and resources they need to drive innovation, uncover in-depth insights, and make their operations more efficient and cost-effective. Some of the recent AI/ML use cases in customized marketing, recommendations to upsell and cross-sell, healthcare analysis during COVID-19, and logistics and distribution efficiency were made truly possible with the support of cloud services. The disposability, elasticity, and scalability of cloud infrastructure can boost AI and ML software applications. Cloud offers access to large-scale data stores and compute resources that can infer, store, and process high-velocity real-time streaming data, mandatory for training AI models.
          Gartner predicts that by 2023, cloud-based AI will increase up to five times from 2019, making AI one of the top cloud services.

          3 Cloud Security

          The growth of the cloud computing landscape has triggered the need for robust cloud security provisions. To strike the right balance between productivity and security, organizations will opt for multi-cloud security that best aligns with their varying platforms. To prevent hackers from targeting the weak links in the supply chain, cybersecurity experts will devise measures to stop cyber attackers from moving laterally. This can be done by reducing the privileges and entitlements for every internal and external identity. Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) and Zero Trust frameworks will enable fast and secure cloud adoption.
          TechRepublic reports that the global cloud security market will surpass $123 billion by 2032.

          4 Low-Code and No-Code Cloud Services

          Widespread dispersal of organizations and distributed workplaces have accelerated the low-code and no-code movement. People with little or no developer experience (non-IT professionals or citizen developers) can leverage no-code/ low-code frameworks to quickly create scalable business applications that meet the changing industry demands. Pre-built functions and integrations and drag-and-drop functionality of low-code/ no-code platforms empower your workforce to automate workflows and case management activities, integrate with existing systems, incorporate complex business logic, and drive a slick user experience.
          According to Statista, the global low-code platform market revenue is estimated to be worth 65 billion USD in 2027, with a projected CAGR of 26% over the forecast period 2018-2025.

          5 Serverless Cloud Computing

          Serverless computing redefines the way enterprises develop, deploy, and integrate cloud-native applications by eliminating the need for manual infrastructure provisioning and management. It allows developers to focus on optimizing code and application design, without worrying about code execution as it is handled by the cloud service provider. Serverless helps tackle the problem of allocating cloud compute resources by automating scaling decisions of workload services in line with actual service demand. Efficient allocation and usage of cloud resources lead to better cost savings, by avoiding both waste and loss.
          According to Gartner, the best manifestation of serverless computing is “function Platform as a Service”, or fPaaS. Gartner predicts that by 2025, 50% of global enterprises will have deployed fPaaS, up from only 20% today.

          How Does Fingent Help You Adopt The Right Cloud Service Model?

          Despite knowing that cloud is their destination, some organizations get stranded in the middle of an experimental mindset that slows down their efforts to adopt and scale to cloud. Fingent helps such organizations identify a clear business case for scaling up their use of cloud. Our cloud application development, implementation, and maintenance services have helped leading brands, including Fortune 500 companies to outmaneuver uncertainties and sustain operations under severe disruption.
          Fingent helps migrate your workloads to the cloud rapidly and securely by selecting the right infrastructure for your needs. We help leverage the innovation and investments made by leading cloud providers, such as AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, SAP, IBM Cloud, and others to work for your business. Using cloud-native architectures, applications and data, we help accelerate your organizational speed and agility. Our cloud infrastructure maintenance and development services are designed to ensure higher levels of business performance and sustainability.
          We understand the heart of your business.
          Maximize the value of your cloud investments by partnering with our experts.

          Frequently Asked Questions on Cloud Service Models

          Based on the type of service offered, there are three kinds of cloud service models: Software as a Service (SaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), and Platform as a Service (PaaS).
          SaaS examples: Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Slack
          IaaS examples: Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google Compute Engine
          PaaS examples: AWS Elastic Beanstalk, Google App Engine, VMware Cloud Foundry
          The most commonly used cloud service model is Software as a Service (SaaS), with the global SaaS market share projected to reach $145 billion in revenue by the end of 2022, according to research analyst Gartner.
          Before selecting a cloud service provider, you need to verify their technology and service roadmap, certifications and industry standards, SLAs, terms, and conditions, disaster recovery and backup resilience plans, cybersecurity policies, data governance and management, downtime planning, company profile, clientele, migration support, steps to avoid vendor lock-in, and similar factors.
          The most maintenance free cloud service model is Software as a Service. SaaS enables companies to benefit from application usage without the need to maintain and update infrastructure, platform, and application components. Some of the most commonly used online office tools, collaboration apps, ERPs, and email are SaaS-based.
          Platform as a Service (PaaS) is the most cost-effective way for developers to focus on building a highly optimized application, without bothering about software updates on the backend. Businesses don’t need to invest in expensive hardware as the PaaS vendors provide and maintain hardware infrastructure: servers, storage, and networking resources.

          Stay up to date on what's new

            About the Author

            ...
            Vinod Saratchandran

            Vinod has conceptualized and delivered niche mobility products that cater to various domains including logistics, media & non-profits. He leads, mentors & coaches a team of Project Coordinators & Analysts at Fingent.

            Talk To Our Experts

              A comprehensive guide to web application development in 2021

               

               

              Introduction

              A decade ago, web pages were mostly static, with a few images and videos thrown in here and there. In 2005, however, thanks to Ajax, it made it possible to create better, faster, and more interactive web applications.

              In 2021, though web application development has reached its peak of fame, web apps have become so common that they often go unnoticed. With a reputed web application development partner like Fingent, you can develop intuitive and custom web applications that simplify your day-to-day operations.

              Read more: Fingent Ranked as India’s Top Software Developer for 2021  

              top software developer

              Web apps help integrate the tailored experience of native apps with easy access on a website browser from any device. LinkedIn, Basecamp, MailChimp, or even Facebook, all have web apps that provide immersive and tailored experiences like the native apps directly from the browser. That is why web application development is gaining a lot of popularity in almost all industries, including banking, eCommerce, education, healthcare, and more.

              What is a Web Application?

              Also known as a web app, a web application is nothing but a computer program that uses a web browser to perform a specific function. Contact forms, for example, are web apps present on many websites.

              As a web application is a client-server program, it has a client-side and a server-side. Here, the client refers to the program the individual uses to run the application. It is a part of the client-server environment where many computers share data. A typical example of a web application is the database. Here, the user enters data through the client-side (front-end), while the server-side (back-end) of the application stores and processes the information.

              Both enterprises and individuals develop web applications to fulfill different purposes.

               

              Case Study: How we built Ambit AI, a light-touch AI-powered web application for processing workers’ compensation claims. Download Now!

               

              What is Web Application Development?

              Web application development refers to the process of using client-side and server-side programming to develop an application that is made accessible over the web browser.

              In the initial phase of the web application development process, the developer tries to find a solution to a specific problem and then designs the web app by choosing the appropriate development framework. Later, the developer tests and deploys the web app.

              Read more: The 101 Guide to Web Application Development 

              Web Apps vs. Mobile Apps

              While web apps and mobile apps are similar in many ways, both are different in many ways.

              Mobile apps are made exclusively for mobile gadgets and are suitable for Android, iOS, and Cross-platform operating systems. Usually, mobile apps are mobile-first, meaning they work effectively on smartphones, tablets, or other handheld mobile devices. Most mobile apps work offline too. Examples include Google Maps, Amazon Kindle, Uber, etc. On the other hand, web apps function only when you have internet connectivity. A web app functions in real-time in a web browser with CPU resources. As long as you have adequate internal storage, you can download a mobile app from an app store or play store.

              Read more: How are Mobile Apps Different from Websites  

              web app Blog cover

              Types of Web Applications

              Typically, web applications are classified into three categories based on the tools and technologies it uses.

              1. Client-side web application

              Client-side refers to everything the user sees at the end-user side, such as text, images, videos, forms, and the other UI. Client-side web applications are written using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and they work in a web browser. Angular js, Vue js, Ember js, Backbone js, Node js, etc., are some of the popular JavaScript libraries used for front-end development.

              You can consider client-side web app building when you don’t need to preserve the user information for more than one session. It is perfect for easy games or image editors. Google Earth is a leading example of a client-side web application.

              2. Server-side web application

              These are web apps that can be coded in several programming languages such as Python, C+, Ruby, PHP, etc. If you develop an app with just the server-side, then the outcome of any changes in the form submission, sections, and data updates will create a new HTML file and cause the web page to reload.

              Server-side programming is beneficial if you want your web application to deliver information tailored for individual users. For instance, e-commerce applications like Amazon use server-side programming to create product search results, offer product suggestions based on past buying habits, enhance user experience, and simplify the purchasing process.

              3. Single-page web application

              Single-page applications are designed to work in a browser and do not require reloading while in use. Most of our daily apps, such as Facebook, Twitter, Google Drive, Gmail, etc., are single-page apps. Single-page web applications offer an unmatched user experience as the user doesn’t have to wait for page reloads. Single-page applications are highly responsive to user queries as they do not depend heavily on client-server communication.

              Read more: A Detailed Guide to Types of Software Applications  

              types of software

              Technology Stacks for Web Application Development

              The following web development technologies enable you to create a high-performing, fast, and advanced web application.

              1. Database technologies

              Due to its simplicity and multifunctionality, MySQL is one of the most preferred databases utilized for web application development. Other popular database technologies include Oracle Database, PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Access, MongoDB, and RavenDB.

              2. Front-end technologies

              To develop the client-side of an app that the users interact with, you can choose highly efficient front-end JavaScript frameworks such as:

              • React JS: This is a robust and most widely used JS framework for developing large-scale and complex dynamic web apps.
              • Angular JS: A popular front-end framework by Google, Angular JS is suitable for building dynamic web apps, using HTML for static web pages.
              • Vue JS: Fairly new, this JS framework does wonders for applications. Vue JS provides an ecosystem of assisting libraries and an accessible primary library for applying huge complex page apps.
              • Backbone JS: This lightweight JS library has a RESTful JSON interface that follows the MVC (Model-View-Controller) application design standard. Backbone JS helps develop and structure the client-side applications that run in a web browser.
              • Node JS: It is a cross-platform, open-source JS runtime that runs on the V8 engine and is designed to build scalable network applications.
              • Ember JS: It is an open-source JS framework ideal for developing single-page applications.

              The above list features only some of the leading JavaScript frameworks used for client-side programming.

              3. Backend Technology

              Frameworks such as Go, Ruby, Java, Django & Python are some of the most powerful back-end development technologies.

              • Ruby: Ruby is an open-source, general-purpose, object-oriented programming language used to build highly secure and fast web applications.
              • Java: A multi-purpose programming language, Java is leveraged for Android app development, desktop apps, and web app development. Java offers excellent security and stability.
              • Django & Python – Python is flexible, advanced, and has a low learning curve. This programming language covers back-end web development. Python, along with its framework Django, can meet back-end development tasks efficiently.
              • Go: Designed by Google’s developers, Go is an open-source programming language that is fast and statistically compiled. It helps build simple, reliable, and concurrent web applications.

              Read more: Top 6 Stacks That Reign Software Development in 2020  

              Benefits of Web Application Development

              • Speed and cost: Web application development is faster and more economical than building native apps. If your primary goal is to accelerate time-to-market, then web application development is the best choice.
              • Cross-platform capabilities: Web applications can be programmed to run on any operating system. Due to their cross-platform capabilities, web applications can adapt well to Android, iOS, Mac OS, and Windows phones. Device responsiveness of web applications helps you get rid of OS dependencies.
              • Browser compatibility: A web application runs on the device’s browser using an accessible URL. Modern web applications are compatible with all browsers, such as Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Bing. So, you don’t have to face software compatibility challenges.
              • No downloads needed: Web apps don’t need to be downloaded from app stores such as Apple’s App Store or Google Play. This helps save money since having a direct link through a web app is free.
              • Easy to update: Updating web applications is easy, as only the server(s) would require upgrades.
              • Cut operating costs: Web application development is a great way to cut operating costs. You can eliminate unnecessary expenses such as hardware purchases, frequent device updates, and maintenance of numerous systems.
              • Custom web applications: Custom web application development offers several benefits as you can tailor the features for the users. These applications are easily accessible via browsers with a stable internet connection. Custom web apps help cut unnecessary expenses and save time as you only need to develop the required features.

              Read more: Custom Software Development is The Ideal Way to Build Business Apps in 2021  

              Custom software

              A custom web app can significantly improve your business traction, brand awareness, communicate your brand ideology and help you gain a competitive edge in the chosen target market.

              Web Application Development Process

              Here is an overview of the steps we follow at Fingent for developing web applications.

              1. Conceptualize

              The first step is to define the problem you want to solve with a web application and collect all the relevant information needed for app development. A well-defined problem will give an excellent head-start to the project and help you identify the best solution. Next, clarify the purpose as well as the end goals of the application.

              Ask these questions during the planning phase:

              • What app do you want to build?
              • What features and functions should it include?
              • What is the audience of your product?

              2. Design and build

              The designing phase involves creating a wireframe for communicating the solution to target users. Then, the developers can consider designing elements that will provide an enjoyable user experience to the target audience.

              Post-design, the next step is to build (develop) the application. The following steps will happen in this phase.

              • To create a database for storage, the developers need to determine what data and data types are required for the application to perform well.
              • Based on the elements approved by the users during the wireframing process, developers will create the front-end application. For this, the developers need to identify the best frameworks for front-end development.
              • Developers will create interaction between the user and the server.
              • Developers can either code from scratch or use front-end and back-end frameworks to develop the web app.
              • Based on the application type, that is, client-side/ server-side/ single-page, programming is done.

              3. Test and implement

              Whether it is an automated or manual web application, testing for the web application is an ongoing process throughout the software development lifecycle.

              • The Testing (QA) team will have to test the app for usability, compatibility, functionality, security, and performance to eliminate bugs and ensure that the application works without any glitches.
              • Testing also helps identify any possible improvements and upgrades to make in the future.
              • Once the testing is completed, you can finally implement the application in your company or customers.
              • When using it for your company, you will have to train your employees to use the app productively (if the app requires training).
              • For customers, you will have to create a communication strategy and decide on the appropriate timing to launch the application in the market.

              At Fingent, we help you perform all the mandatory software and usability testing to ensure that your web app functions seamlessly. We also provide training and support to use the apps effectively.

              4. Hosting and Maintenance

              You must buy a domain and choose a hosting provider to create a server location for the app. We help you choose shared hosting, dedicated hosting, or cloud hosting based on your requirements.

              We also help you maintain the web application. Some of our application maintenance services include:

              • Ongoing QA testing
              • Bug fixes and improvements
              • Addressing changes and adding features based on user feedback
              • Providing regular updates and technical support

              Read more: Cloud Service Models SaaS, PaaS, IaaS: Choose the Right One for Your Business  

              Web Application Development Validation & Deployment

              Once your web app is developed and ready to be launched, remember it must be tested to ensure that the app functions correctly before its deployment. Bug fixing alone is not sufficient. Testing is vital to web application development.

              We perform standard web application testing, such as:

              • Usability Testing
              • Performance Testing
              • Application Security Testing
              • Quality Assurance Testing and Bug Fixing
              • Browser Compatibility Testing
              • Responsiveness Testing (Responsive Web Design)

              After completing the quality assurance process, your web app is ready for launch. You can use GitHub, Beanstalk App, and Bitbucket App to deploy the web app to your servers. Any new features, changes, and improvements to the deployed application are implemented according to the user’s feedback.

              With over a decade of experience in web application development, Fingent helps you cover all these processes.

              Read more: Offshoring Software Development: Here’s All You Need to Know  

              Offshoring software development

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                About the Author

                ...
                Vinod Saratchandran

                Vinod has conceptualized and delivered niche mobility products that cater to various domains including logistics, media & non-profits. He leads, mentors & coaches a team of Project Coordinators & Analysts at Fingent.

                Talk To Our Experts

                  Mobile App Development – Complete Guide for 2026

                  Introduction

                  Mobile applications aren’t anymore a luxury or simply a channel to tout your business. More than 70% of our digital media time is consumed by smartphones today. Mobile apps claim 93% of the total time spent on a smartphone, while the remaining 7% of mobile time is consumed by web browsers. This proves why the demand for mobile application development services is intensifying year over year.
                  A well-structured native iOS, native Android, hybrid, or cross-platform mobile app boosts your digital engagement, leading to long-term bottom lines such as unswerving customer loyalty and recurring sales. Though an astounding number of small and large businesses are experiencing the benefit of mobility, some are yet to build the right strategy. If you are planning to build a mobile app for your business or want to enhance your existing application, you’ve come to the right place.
                  This blog covers the key aspects of mobile app development, including the development process, approaches, platforms, cost of development, and the tips to avoid failures and attain success with mobile app development. Let’s get started without further ado.

                  What is Mobile Application Development?

                  Mobile application development is the process of creating specific software applications that run on a mobile device (such as applications for smartphones and digital assistants), and utilize a network connection to work with remote computing resources. The development process involves creating installable software bundles, implementing backend services, and testing the application on target devices. In short, mobile app development is the strategic process of designing, building, and launching a mobile app successfully.
                  The importance of building a business mobile app is growing rapidly as businesses across industries aim to meet user expectations and seek real-time, convenient ways to conduct transactions and access information. By the end of 2023, it is estimated that the total number of mobile app downloads will amount to 299 billion, worldwide.
                  Data Source: Sensor Tower
                  A well-structured mobile app helps you leverage all the benefits offered by the mobile device and the OS for which it is developed. The development process takes into account the limitations of mobile devices and allows you to balance cost with functionality.

                  Top Mobile Application Development Platforms

                  Mobile application development platforms bring together all the tools you would require to build your app from start to finish under a single umbrella, as a unified software offering. A mobile development platform saves your developer from juggling different software to complete various tasks involved in the development lifecycle. This prevents data loss and eliminates the risks caused by the wrong classification of data. Using a single software package to carry out the development process – from planning to UI/UX design and testing – saves your cost and time.
                  Mobile application development platforms differ according to the operating system (OS) they cater to. Here is a list of the top mobile app development platforms:

                  1. Android

                  Sponsored by Google, the Android mobile OS is designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. As of July 2022, Android holds 44.46% of the mobile OS market share in the United States. The biggest advantage of Android OS is that its source code can be downloaded, customized, and distributed by anyone at no cost. The Android OS supports running multiple apps simultaneously on a single mobile device and offers immense flexibility to customize the UI during development to get the desired outcomes.

                  2. iOS

                  Unlike the Android OS that can run on numerous hardware brands, the iOS operating system is a proprietary software that runs only on Apple’s devices, such as iPhone or iPad. Developers can leverage the iOS Software Development Kit (SDK) to create mobile apps for Apple devices and distribute the apps through the App Store maintained by Apple Inc. As of July 2022, Apple’s iOS holds 55.22% of the mobile OS market share in the United States.

                  3. Hybrid

                  As the name suggests, a hybrid mobile application blends both native and web programming capabilities within a single application. It allows developers to build applications for multiple operating systems on a single platform. A hybrid application is written using the web technologies – HTML, CSS, and JavaScript – and then the code is embedded into a native application wrapper, which gives it the power of a true native application that can work efficiently on any native platform. Hybrid mobile development platforms are used by organizations that wish to reach a large audience base within a short time, so they don’t have to build two or more separate but similar applications for each OS type.

                  Mobile Application Development Approaches

                  Here are the top four mobile application development approaches adopted by businesses worldwide:

                  1. Native Mobile Applications

                  Native mobile apps are platform-specific applications developed using the programming languages, SDKs, tools, and frameworks provided by the platform itself. These apps are designed to run natively on the operating system (OS) of the device such as iOS or Android. As they are built to work on a specific OS or platform, native mobile apps are faster, more reliable, and offer offline capabilities.

                  2. Hybrid Mobile Applications

                  Hybrid mobile applications are built using standard web technologies such as JavaScript, CSS or HTML5. These apps combine the elements of both native as well as web applications. Some of the world’s leading apps such as Gmail, Twitter, Amazon, etc. are examples of hybrid apps. Developers can leverage plugins and APIs to integrate web technology with native app features. Hybrid mobile apps are faster to develop and easier to maintain.

                  3. Cross-platform Mobile Applications

                  A cross-platform mobile application works across platforms using a single code base which makes it compatible to run on different operating systems like Android, iOS, and Windows. A cross-platform app can be written using different programming languages and frameworks, but it’s compiled to run like a true native application running directly on the device’s OS. It’s easy to build and maintain cross-platform apps.

                  4. Progressive Web Applications

                  Progressive Web Applications (PWAs) present an alternative approach to traditional mobile app development by avoiding the need for app store delivery and installations. PWAs are cheaper, more secure, faster, and easier to develop. They operate via a browser, but act like native apps. PWAs provide users an “app-like” experience by leveraging a set of browser capabilities such as performing a background process, adding a link to the device home screen, and working offline.
                  Each mobile application development approach has its own advantages and disadvantages. So, choose a method that matches your business purposes and strategy. Right choice helps you achieve the desired user experience and build the native features needed for your application.

                  Top Mobile App Development Technologies

                  Mobile app development technology refers to the various tools, frameworks, programming languages, components, libraries, and other technologies used to create applications that work on smartphones and portable connected mobile devices. Let it be native Android or native iOS, or a cross-platform app, you need to familiarize yourself with the leading technologies and frameworks that power your app.
                  Here are some of the top mobile app development technologies that dominate the market in 2022:
                  React Native

                  React Native offers a best-in-class JavaScript library for building native user interfaces for your iOS and Android apps, using a single code base that can be shared across all platforms. It allows developers to iterate at lightning speed and create truly native apps without compromising your user experiences.

                  Flutter

                  This software is distributed freely to the users on a trial basis, usually with a limited-time offer. After that, the users are expected to pay if they want to continue to use this application software. Some examples of shareware are WinZip, SnapTouch, and Adobe Acrobat.

                  Xamarin

                  Xamarin is an open-source mobile app platform for the .NET which offers tools and libraries specifically for building apps for Android, iOS, tvOS, watchOS, macOS, and Windows.

                  Swift

                  If you are building something specific to Apple OS (native to Apple), Swift is the language to seek. Swift is a popular iOS application development language that offers advanced features with minimal coding that can be easily maintained. Swift is a powerful and intuitive language loved by Apple developers who use it for macOS, iOS, watchOS, tvOS, and so on.

                  Ionic

                  Ionic is a modern, open-source mobile development framework that offers seamless app UX across iOS, Android, and the Web from a single shared codebase. Ionic is built on top of Angular JS and Apache Cordova. Ionic is the easiest way for web developers to build, grow, and scale cross-platform mobile apps.

                  Apache Cordova

                  Apache Cordova is a free and open-source mobile development framework that leverages HTML, CSS, and JS to target multiple platforms with one code base. The framework is an ideal choice if you want to extend your application across more than one platform, without having to re-implement it with each platform's language and tool set.

                  Sencha Ext JS

                  Sencha Ext JS is a highly comprehensive JS framework for building data-intensive, cross-platform web and mobile applications for any modern device. It offers numerous enterprise-ready tools, components, and libraries to create stunning mobile and web applications.

                  The list of mobile app development frameworks and tools is expanding day by day. To choose the right development technology for your mobile app, you need to consider factors such as platform feature support, speed considerations, cost of development, security risk, efficiency of the app, and after launch updates.

                  Mobile Application Development Process

                  With all the facts and trends substantiating the significance of business mobile apps in 2022, it is important to look at the mobile application development process step-by-step.
                  Here is an overview of the mobile app development lifecycle:

                  Mobile Application Front-End and Back-End

                  Front-end and back-end are two interconnected core components of a mobile application.
                  The mobile front-end (client-side rendering) is the visual and interactive part of the mobile application that a user interacts with, while the back-end (server-side rendering) stores, secures, and processes the data.
                  Some of the key front-end jobs include web designing, UI designing, UX designing, and front-end development. Back-end developers create the services to process the business logic and access the database, cloud services, and file servers to render the app on the server-side.
                  For applications where there is no interaction with a server, front-end and back-end developer roles can be performed by one person. For applications that require internet connection and interaction with a server, you need to hire separate developers for developing each component.

                  End-to-end Mobile Application Testing

                  To stay on top of competition in the mobile application market, you must test your application before starting the actual sprint. Here are nine steps to ensure the success of your mobile application:
                  These steps of mobile application testing ensure efficient performance of the entire software system.

                  White Paper

                  Have you selected the right mobile app development approach? If not yet, download our white paper to learn more about native, hybrid, cross-platform, and progressive apps.

                  How Custom Mobile Apps Help Grow Your Business

                  Custom mobile apps are tailor-made applications created to address the requirements of a specific audience rather than a massive group of people. Custom mobile app development provides the functionality and features that plain off-the-shelf solutions cannot. Compared to pre-packaged, canned solutions, customized applications offer the following benefits:
                  Custom mobile app development reduces your TCO by automating repetitive manual tasks, increasing employee productivity, lowering integration costs, and quickly accommodating new changes or processes. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), one of our prominent customers, reported an 80% increase in productivity and a 67% faster ticket resolution rate after Fingent helped them implement a mobile-based smart ticketing system.
                  If you are looking for a tailor-made mobile app that can simplify your business operations and enhance your customer experience,
                  take a look at our case studies.

                  The Cost to Develop a Mobile App

                  Mobile app development cost hinges on several factors. Arriving at a ballpark figure depends on whether you want to develop the app in-house or outsource your project to an external app development agency, or if you want to modernize your existing legacy system. Building an in-house team incurs additional costs, such as renting an office space, hiring new employees, and meeting hardware and software requirements.
                  The cost of developing a mobile app largely depends on its features and functionalities. The price also hinges on various other factors such as the development team’s size, number of devices and platforms supported by the app, and more. Here are a few aspects that decide the cost of your mobile application.

                  1. Features of The App

                  Before starting the development project, find out what you expect the application to do. What type of features do you like to include? What are the different functionalities that you are planning to cover? Having more features and functionalities means paying a higher price to your developer. Make a precise list of features and functionalities you would like to include as it influences your app development cost.

                  2. Different Devices and Platforms

                  Regardless of the type of application you develop, ensure that your app is compatible with the latest and earlier versions of the device’s OS you are opting for. If your app has more screens, you will need better design and user experience to make your app easily navigable. So the development cost also depends on the device OS and platform selection.

                  3. Native or Cross-platform Development

                  Both native and cross-platform development methods have their own pros and cons, specifically with respect to the development cost. Cross-platform gives your mobile app a uniform look and feel across all the OS that you target and is highly reusable through multiple OS. A native app, on the other hand, offers 100% hardware support and allows you to access the inbuilt capabilities of a user’s device, without sacrificing on the design elements unique to the native platform.
                  Native mobile app development cost is higher than cross-platform or hybrid due to its exceptional personalization features, speed, performance, and platform-specific advantages. However, if you want to launch a mobile app quickly at minimal development cost, a cross-platform approach is the right choice. In simple words, the cost of developing a mobile app differs on a case-to-case basis.

                  4. In-house Development or Outsourcing

                  Arriving at a ballpark estimate also depends on whether you want to develop your mobile app in-house or outsource your project to an external app development agency. Building an in-house team incurs additional costs such as renting an office space, hiring new employees, and meeting hardware and software requirements.
                  When you choose to outsource your work to a mobile app development company, you can enjoy cost efficacy and competitive advantage. Consider the agency’s location, technical and industry expertise, previous projects, size, turnaround speed, and references from their clients before engaging them. You should also define the scope and complexity of your app and back-end scalability requirements before employing a third-party developer.

                  More insights on mobile app development cost:

                  Are you planning to develop a mobile application for your business? Explore our template and share your requirements with us. Our team will get back to you with a ballpark estimate.

                  Five Reasons Why Mobile Apps Fail and How to Prevent the Letdown

                  Though mobile application development technologies advance year over year, failure of mobile applications is a major concern for entrepreneurs. Only poorly-executed and ill-planned apps are subject to fail in the market. Here are five pitfalls you should avoid to prevent your app from losing out:

                  1. Lack of Market Research

                  If your mobile app does not address the needs of your target market, it will not enjoy sufficient downloads. Data shows that 80 to 90% of mobile apps downloaded are abandoned after the first use.
                  The solution?
                  First, do not rush into creating a mobile app just because your business needs it. Conduct a detailed market study to understand what your users actually need. Ask yourself, “Which solution should my app provide that my target audience needs?”
                  To answer that question, you must define your target audience and analyze their buying patterns, online behavior, and overall customer habits. This will help you create a mobile app tailored to your goals and customer needs.
                  Second, know who your competitor is. Do a competitor analysis to improve your mobile strategy and connect your idea with your target audience.

                  2. Absence of a Robust Mobile Strategy

                  A poor strategy can fail your app. It takes a bit of creativity and thoughtfulness to incorporate customer needs into a mobile app that can accomplish a specific task quickly and effectively. Proper goal setting improves your mobile app strategy. Here are some questions you can ask yourself:
                  Clearly defined goals are crucial in mapping out a robust mobile app strategy.

                  3. Poor App Design

                  Users will ditch your app in the first eight seconds if they find your app’s design and usability unappealing. Substandard coding and outdated technology can cause epic failures.
                  What can you do?
                  Remember, great designs bring happy customers. Nearly 58% of iOS apps failed in 2021 due to insufficient testing. Smart mobile app developers take time to conduct several QA tests throughout the different phases of app creation. End-to-end testing ensures that your app is bug-free, user-friendly, and intuitive.

                  4. Failure to Execute the Plan Precisely

                  It’s common for new business owners to encounter aggressive competition, manage conflicting priorities, or run out of cash. How can you resolve these predicaments and launch your mobile app?

                  5. Failure to Market Your App

                  After all the hard work, it might still fail if you do not market your app rigorously. Here are a few tips to boost your marketing efforts:

                  Tips to Build Successful Mobile Apps

                  billion
                  $ 0

                  According to a report from data.ai, the global app downloads reached 37 billion in the first quarter of 2022, with the biggest ever consumer spending on apps hitting a whopping $33 billion. The message is clear. There is hope for every mobile app. Here are three important tips to help you approach app building with confidence.

                  Staying agile and responding quickly to the ever-changing customer needs take you to success, but it comes with a price. It is important to know when to be agile. So pursue realistic goals.
                  It is good to be enthusiastic and optimistic about your product, but be wary of the risks and problems. Identifying the risks early will help you react faster and more accurately.
                  Make your users feel unique and appreciated. Transparency and trust boosts genuine interactions between your application and its users. To achieve this, you can create a trustworthy rating or review system and a functional service system.

                  Develop Your Mobile Application with Fingent

                  As we enter the second half of 2022, it’s evident that mobile is the key to success. Investing in a mobile app is the most effective way to match your business model to your key audience’s behavior. If you are an influential enterprise with an active mobile app in the market, your mobile app growth strategy should focus on improving your existing product and deliver more value to customers.
                  Fingent specializes in mobile app development and our experts can position your app for success, right from idea to launch. Leveraging insights from the above mobile app development tips and guidelines can help you get a leg up on the competition, cut costs, improve your brand’s visibility, and engage your customers in incredible ways. Contact us to know more.

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                    About the Author

                    ...
                    Girish R

                    Girish R, Programmer for 17 yrs, Blogger at Techathlon.com, LifeHacker, DIYer. He loves to write about technology, Open source & gadgets. He currently leads the mobile app development team at Fingent.

                    Talk To Our Experts

                      Custom patient engagement platforms improve caregiver-patient interactions today. Here’s how. 

                      With the COVID-19 pandemic restricting face-to-face engagement, patients have started using telehealth (telemedicine) technology and other digital channels to receive healthcare services. The growth of digital healthcare will increase the demand for healthcare technologies in the future. 81% of people (patients) want healthcare providers to know them individually and deliver more personalized and meaningful experiences.

                      While support programs like teleconsulting do not replace the physical presence of healthcare providers, they offer valued information, which is the need of the hour. With stay-at-home mandates, social distancing, and lockdowns, telemedicine is the vital care model that boosts patient engagement today. Personalized patient engagement fosters trust among patients and ensures continuity of care. So, in times of pandemic and beyond, patient engagement platforms will play a crucial role.

                      Read more: 5 ways to optimize the revenue of your medical practice and clinical processes 

                      Medical Practice

                      Patient engagement and its growing significance

                      In simple terms, patient engagement is a concept where patients are actively involved and considered important decision-makers in their care.

                      Engaged patients are:

                      • Informed- as they understand their health status and the treatment.
                      • Empowered- as they believe they can change their health outcomes.
                      • Heard- as they can communicate with their providers better and participate in shared decision-making.

                      What is a patient engagement platform (PEP)?

                      A patient engagement platform is an application that enables patients to interact with healthcare providers via their mobile device, tablet, or computer. The patient engagement platform keeps the patients involved beyond the four walls of the hospital.

                      When implemented effectively, patient engagement platforms can help streamline access to medical records, provide appointment reminders, enable self-scheduling for patients, and deliver patient education or awareness.

                      How do patient engagement platforms help?

                      Patient engagement platforms (PEPs) can help automate the following processes.

                      • Send reminders to patients regarding their postoperative treatment protocols
                      • Allow patients to update mobility reports and pain score
                      • Deliver educational content
                      • Manage images of wounds
                      • Record and monitor health vitals like BP, FBS, BMI, etc.

                      Read more: 7 major impacts of technology in healthcare

                      healthcare

                      What are the benefits of a patient engagement platform?

                      1. Ease the patient engagement process

                      A customized patient engagement platform helps improve your patient experience by assisting them in scheduling medical appointments. It can also help notify patients about their next visit to the clinic, or when they need to check their health vitals, or when their current medication course will be over. In addition, caregivers can use the patient engagement platform to track a patient’s medical history and use the data to channelize treatment plans when the patient pays a second visit.

                      2. Enable caregivers to focus on core competencies

                      With a patient engagement platform in place, patients can fill in medical forms, electronically scan their insurance cards, and consent from their mobiles, laptops, or computers. It will allow healthcare providers to focus on their core competencies and saves patients from standing in queues or long wait times. In addition, it can expedite the care delivery process during an emergency.

                      Case Study: Fingent partnered with Casenet’s Advanced Solutions Group to develop TruCare Insights as a reliable population health management platform. Download Now!

                      3. Empower care providers to make informed decisions

                      Healthcare organizations can use information like satisfaction scores, online appointments, wait times, and ROI to make informed decisions related to staffing and identify opportunities for improvement. Custom patient engagement platforms allow clinicians to track all this information effectively. It goes a long way in supporting clinical decision-making.

                      4. Optimize healthcare throughput

                      Patient engagement platforms allow online registration that ensures patients have less waiting time in the clinic. It enables healthcare providers to attend to more patients in a given time and improve data accuracy and demographics. In addition, patient engagement platforms spare medical professionals from time-consuming and manual data management processes so that they get time to receive advanced medical training. Nurses, physicians, administrators, and other hospital staff members can streamline their communication, increase staff satisfaction, and utilize data analytics to make strategic decisions.

                      Benefits to the patients:

                      • Patients are aware of the next steps, such as diet plans, exercises, medication plans, or next clinical visit
                      • Consistent and transparent care will be available 24/7
                      • Augmented patient engagement and experience
                      • Improved communication lowers preoperative stress and anxiety

                      Case Study: How did a data analytics solution help NHS gain financial, clinical, and geographical insights to improve visibility over their KPIs? Read Now

                      What to look for in a custom patient engagement platform?

                      Given the changes in patient behavior, expectations, and changing healthcare landscape, healthcare providers will have to ramp up patient engagement strategies and implement the latest engagement technologies. Patient engagement platforms must enable providers to determine the best ways to deploy their expertise and services to their patients.

                      Read more: Digital tools reshaping the healthcare industry

                      So, make sure the patient engagement platform has the following capabilities.

                      1. EMR integration

                      The patient engagement platform should integrate with Electronic Medical Records (EMR). For example, the platform should receive data from the EMR, such as a referral or recall, and revert to the EMR.

                      2. Sentiment analysis

                      The main aim of patient engagement is to understand patients on a deeper, emotional level. So, it is crucial to leverage sentiment analysis technology. This will enable providers to recognize when a patient is happy or frustrated and respond accordingly.

                      3. Real-time and interactive patient communication

                      The platform must encourage bidirectional communication, specifically text-based messaging. In short, patients must be able to communicate with their health system easily.

                      4. Chatbot functionality and keyword actions

                      The use of chatbots and keywords in patient engagement platforms is trending. It helps reduce human intervention. So, the patient engagement platform should allow for automated responses to common questions such as “where are you located?” The platform must also enable keywords to trigger automation, such as scheduling a ride for patients who need a lift.

                      Read more: 5 leading chatbot use cases explained with real-life examples

                      Chatbots

                      5. Patient on-boarding

                      The platform should drive patients to the patient portal and help them register quickly and conveniently to get medical support on time.

                      6. Integration with other vendors

                      A single app can’t solve it all. It is just not feasible and is also not in your patient’s best interests. Make sure that your patient engagement platform integrates seamlessly with your other vendors. For example, the platform can offer billing features or even integrate with medical billing software, medical invoice management software, etc.

                      7. Boost employee adoption

                      Your staff must like and accept the patient engagement platform. If they don’t appreciate the new technology, it won’t fulfill its potential. In addition, you must ensure that the patient engagement platform enjoys enterprise-wide adoption and has a user-friendly UX and UI.

                      8. Offer multilingual support

                      As not all patients speak English, you will have to ensure that the platform supports different languages used or spoken widely by your patients.

                      Read more: 5 essentials to an effective healthcare application 

                      Why should you adopt a custom patient engagement platform?

                      A custom patient engagement platform is specifically developed for your organization to cover your unique healthcare requirements and cater to your internal processes.

                      As such a platform is built from scratch, it gives you the freedom of choice for technology. Additionally, you can easily integrate this platform with third-party systems because you get to control the code entirely. Also, you will have full ownership of the final product and customize the software according to any relevant changes in your organization.

                      Benefits of a custom patient engagement platform

                      • High scalability
                      • Seamless integration to your existing infrastructure
                      • Enables integration with any new services you are willing to include in your medical practice
                      • Freedom to choose the technology
                      • Gain full ownership of the resulting solution

                      Custom patient engagement platform is best suited for medical practices that:

                      • Offer a wide range of services
                      • Plan to expand in size and services
                      • Have rigid workflows that are difficult to adapt
                      • Want to integrate the new solution with the existing system

                      Read more: The application and impact of information technology in healthcare

                      Healthcare

                      Develop your custom patient engagement platform with Fingent

                      At Fingent, we have the expertise and work closely with you to build a custom patient engagement platform to suit your business needs. Our software development experts help you select the best web development frameworks, database and backend technologies, data visualization formats, and leading front-end technologies to develop your patient engagement platform or any medical software that you would require.

                      Fingent helps you develop healthcare application platforms tailored to your needs, with top features like appointment scheduling, medical billing, patient feedback management, payment processing, chatbot, and fundamental to in-depth analytics. To know more, please get in touch with us.

                      Stay up to date on what's new

                        About the Author

                        ...
                        Vinod Saratchandran

                        Vinod has conceptualized and delivered niche mobility products that cater to various domains including logistics, media & non-profits. He leads, mentors & coaches a team of Project Coordinators & Analysts at Fingent.

                        Talk To Our Experts

                          Outsourcing Software Development
                          In 2024: Ultimate Guide

                          If you are required to develop software to run your daily business operations, you are probably left with three major choices – 1) develop your software in-house by hiring a team of software engineers, 2) adopt an off-the-shelf software solution, and 3) outsource software development to a third-party.
                          Of all the three options, software development outsourcing offers a highly cost-effective, flexible, and valuable way to access the best of technology, skills, expertise, and development speed. Outsourcing software development allows your organization to decrease operating costs, increase speed-to-market, enhance core competencies, and get access to technology experts from any part of the world at half the cost of in-house development. New research reveals that outsourcing for software development is projected to increase by 70% between 2022 and 2023, as companies want to avoid development delays, reduce staffing costs, and scale quickly with new and improved business applications.
                          $ 0 billion
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                          (Source: Technavio)
                          As software outsourcing becomes one of the most-discussed business strategies today, it’s important to understand why software development outsourcing is relevant for your business, what kind of software development services you can outsource, different outsourcing models, and practical tips to efficiently outsource your software needs. This article presents an ultimate guide to outsourcing software development in 2022. Let’s dive in.

                          What is Software Development Outsourcing?

                          Software development outsourcing refers to an arrangement or a contract, in which an organization decides to engage a third-party software development company to effectively handle their software development project instead of utilizing their in-house team and resources. Organizations usually outsource some or all of their software development needs to a third-party with relevant knowledge and experience.

                          Top Technology Outsourcing Trends in 2022

                          What Kind of Software Development Services Can You Outsource?

                          Here are some of the key software development services which you can outsource:

                          Why Software Outsourcing is Good For Your Business?

                          Working with an outsourcing company will help you mitigate the risks of running a project internally. Outsourcing compensates for the lack of in-house skills and ensures that your product is delivered on time. Here’s how outsourcing makes your business more efficient and smarter.

                          Focused Business Development Strategy

                          To win the technological race, you need to have a focused strategy. Every business needs to align its operational strategy with the changing people, process, and technology. When your software is developed by an outsourcing company, your business processes will be highly streamlined and optimized, allowing you to focus on the core activities that will take your business to the next level.

                          Business Continuity Planning

                          Outsourcing your IT necessities can be a boon in times of financial and natural adversities such as the COVID-19 crisis because outsourcing companies like Fingent implement business continuity planning and disaster recovery measures to fulfill obligations and deliver services without interruption.

                          Manage Risks and Compliance Effectively

                          Partnering with a software outsourcing company like Fingent enables you to mitigate the risks associated with handling your project. We follow a high-quality project management system that has been tried, tested and proven across our past as well as ongoing projects. We take care of all the legal compliance-related matters that have to be fulfilled while onboarding offshore resources as well as setting up contracts with our clients. This lets you focus on the things that matter.

                          Gain An Edge Over Competitors

                          Outsourcing software development services accelerate your time-to-market. With people working around the clock, your competitiveness improves greatly and gives you an edge over your competitors. Outsourcing software development companies do not necessarily demand you to make any upfront investments. The cost advantages make your development project more attractive and reduce your overall workload. With outsourcing, you will gain access to new and innovative perspectives and an opportunity to utilize strong and diverse technology expertise.

                          Why Do Businesses Outsource Software Development?

                          Software application development remains the most frequently outsourced function among all the different segments of IT. Statistics indicate that software outsourcing is expected to be on a 10-year growth roll through 2025. If 56% of companies outsourced at least part of their application development in 2020, the figure rose to 60% in 2021.

                          Outsourcing Benefits Achieved by Businesses in 2021

                          Here are some of the key benefits of outsourcing software development:

                          Save Costs

                          Outsourcing is the most viable option to reduce your overheads and increase profit margins. Offloading your software project to an offshore development partner allows you to get the same amount of work done, with the same quality at a much lesser cost. For instance, the average offshore software development rate in India is $30 per hour, whereas in the USA, the hourly developer rate will cost around $100. Software development outsourcing saves you from investing heavily in infrastructure, licensing and subscription charges, and other training costs. It’s more feasible than keeping full-time employees on your payroll.

                          Gain More Flexibility

                          When you outsource, you only pay for the skills and expertise required to execute your project. Software outsourcing gives you the flexibility to scale up or down the size of your team based on your requirements. Outsourcing empowers your business to address the changing market needs easily and stop worrying about the rising cost of hiring and other technology investments. It improves your team’s focus on the mission-critical activities essential to run your business successfully.

                          Access to World-Class Technology

                          When you team up with a strategic and trusted offshore software developer possessing a proven track record, you will gain an upper hand in technology. Access to cutting-edge technology without any hefty investment gives you a competitive advantage over your peers. Software development outsourcing ensures innovation and sustainability by helping your business stay ahead with technology.

                          Reduce Time-To-Market

                          Outsourcing software development relieves you from the mammoth task of searching for new developers and preparing them to work on your project. When you have a dedicated offshore team working on your product in different time zones, you are all set to make progress 24/7. A competent software outsourcing partner understands your project’s ideas precisely and helps reduce your time to market significantly. Outsourcing allows you to minimize the risks associated with software development as you work with a team that uses high-quality project management systems and established workflows.

                          Reach a Wider Audience

                          Software outsourcing companies come with diversified experience of tailoring their services to businesses across multiple verticals and geographies. They follow the latest industry standards and software development best practices to build high-performing modern apps that meet your customers’ expectations and expand your market reach.

                          Five Major Software Outsourcing Models

                          Companies choose a feasible outsourcing model based on the outsourcing partner’s location, relationship level, and terms of agreement. All these factors should align with your business objectives.
                          Here are the top five software outsourcing models:
                          In onshore outsourcing, an organization outsources their development project to a third-party software vendor located within the same country. Though onshore outsourcing is costlier than offshore and nearshore models, it offers the advantage of geographical proximity to your business location and eliminates cultural and linguistic barriers.

                          Example: A business located in Chicago outsourcing their project to a third-party software vendor in Missouri.
                          In offshore outsourcing, an organization outsources their development project to an external software development company located in another continent with a different time zone. Offshore outsourcing helps optimize your overall budget by letting you hire from a global pool of talented resources with hourly or monthly rates.

                          Example: An American company outsourcing software development to an offshore development agency in India.
                          Read more: Offshoring Software Development
                          Nearshore outsourcing refers to the practice of hiring a software outsourcing company that is located in a neighboring country of the same time zone. This outsourcing model saves your travel time and eliminates the linguistic and cultural barriers that affect communication.

                          Example: A New York-based company outsourcing their development needs to a software services provider in Georgia.
                          Team augmentation model implies the process of hiring external workforce on a temporary basis to quickly respond to urgent business requirements. Through staff augmentation, you can scale your internal development team in minimal time. This outsourcing model is highly effective for businesses facing a tight project deadline and skill shortage.
                          Managed IT services is an outsourcing model in which the IT services provider is responsible for ensuring the stable work of your IT environment by maintaining and anticipating your software and IT infrastructure requirements. It frees your internal team to do work that’s specific to your business.

                          Fingent’s Software Outsourcing Success Stories

                          At Fingent, we specialize as an offshore software development company. Our custom software solutions are game-changers and life-savers for many of our clients, including the ones below:

                          1. Custom Property Management Software

                          SimpleRent, the custom SaaS-based property management software developed by Fingent is helping its owner Ben Sealey and many other realtors to overcome day-to-day complexities in managing properties, tenants, payments, maintenance, and complaints.

                          Challenges faced by property managers

                          Solutions delivered by
                          Fingent

                          Benefits gained

                          2. Customizable Course Mapping & Pivoting Application

                          Educational establishments face challenges related to managing credit hours in a time-efficient way. We helped our client develop a pioneering approach for addressing compliance related to educational programs and also helped them render learning requirements in a simple and comprehensive manner.

                          Challenges faced by educational institutions

                          Solutions delivered by
                          Fingent

                          Benefits gained

                          3. AI Application to Manage Workers’ Compensation Claims

                          Sapra & Navarra, a leading Californian attorney, wanted to develop a software that will help reduce the average case settlement time and cost taken to process employee compensation claims. Fingent helped them enhance and accelerate the activities involved in processing workers’ compensation claims.

                          Challenges faced by the
                          legal attorney

                          Solutions delivered by
                          Fingent

                          Benefits gained

                          Does Your Business Require Software Outsourcing?

                          Hiring a software development outsourcing partner takes the load off your shoulders. Here are a few scenarios where software outsourcing can help your business:
                          trillion
                          $ 0

                          “By the end of 2023, the global value of the IT outsourcing market is expected to exceed $1.3 trillion as companies increase their search for digital transformation experts.”

                          Source: Findstack

                          Best Practices to Follow While Outsourcing Software Development

                          Here are a few points to consider while outsourcing your software development project:
                          Are you planning to build a mobile app for your business?
                          Explore our template and share your requirements with us. We will get back to you with a ballpark estimate.

                          Outsource Your Software Requirements to Fingent

                          Since 2003, Fingent has been a reliable and capable offshore software development partner for leading global brands, including several Fortune 500 companies. With an impeccable track record as an offshore development team, Fingent has helped improve cash flow and increase business efficiency for many clients. We help your organization to scale up its size without the need to hire or fire any team member.
                          Our diverse offshore talent pool includes experienced developers and tech professionals who leverage the latest software development trends, such as automation, data analytics and visualization, cloud computing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), 3D Web Configurator, Robotic Process Automation (RPA), mobile application development (hybrid and native), Microsoft, SAP, and Odoo solutions, and digital experience platforms among others.
                          Want to know how software outsourcing can add value to your business and improve your customer experience? Contact us to get an extended consultation.

                          Stay up to date on what's new

                            About the Author

                            ...
                            Tony Joseph

                            Tony believes in building technology around processes, rather than building processes around technology. He specializes in custom software development, especially in analyzing processes, refining it and then building technology around it.He works with clients on a daily basis to understand and analyze their operational structure, discover (and not invent) key improvement areas and come up with technology solutions to deliver an efficient process.

                            Talk To Our Experts

                              How Organizations Can Embrace Transformation and Expedite Their Growth

                              From remote working and e-learning to sales and customer service to more critical cloud infrastructure and security, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated technology adoption across several key domains. The pandemic has made digital transformation crucial for business growth across various industries. Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, puts it that “We’ve seen two years’ worth of digital transformation in two months.” 

                              That said, companies will have to change their mindsets and adopt new strategies to stay relevant and competitive in future. Here are six ways you can adapt to the new normal and taste business success. 

                              Read more: How Business Owners and Leaders Can Set up a Successful COVID Exit Strategy 

                              COVID exit strategy

                              1. Adapt to change

                              Change is the only constant and more so today than ever before. Change is happening at a faster pace and is very crucial for small businesses. Today, old and traditional methods of winning clients and serving them do not seem to fit. The list of things you need to change may be long and only growing. Instead of reacting to these changes, the best approach is to embrace them and treat them.

                              So, when you treat the problem, you employ change to work with you and not against you. People are more likely to accept strategic changes now, especially if the initiatives are focused on improving their lives.

                              Bring agility and innovation to your business by implementing a quarterly strategic planning and review process. It will allow you to remain focused, actionable, and agile by adopting new learnings.

                              While you are in the process of adapting to changes, consider a few questions that you need to ask yourself.

                              • What can disrupt my business and change everything?
                              • How can I lead that change?
                              • How can I ensure that my business stays relevant and profitable in the next five years?

                              Read more: Top 5 Organizational Imperatives for Business Leaders to Become Winners in the New Normal 

                              Business Leaders

                              2. Customer always comes first

                              As consumer needs keep evolving, you have to think of ways to meet the new supply and demand to stay relevant and competitive.

                              Social distancing due to the pandemic has left many businesses struggling—for instance, physical retail stores, manufacturers, automotive, banks, etc. Many product-based companies face significant issues related to manufacturing and distribution. Service-based companies are also suffering due to poor customer demands. In short, business models should be revamped so that they are immune to new challenges.

                              The pandemic has even changed customers’ needs and preferences.

                              One of the best ways is to engage in a conversation with your clients to identify opportunities. You could probably start by asking a probing question at the end of the conversation with your client. You may also conduct surveys or quarterly client advisory groups to follow a more formal process.

                              To stay relevant, you will have to prioritize customers’ needs and problems. It is imperative for future growth and innovation.

                              View Infographic: Business technologies to boost customer experience and satisfaction 

                              business technologies to boost customer experience

                              3. Implement automation wherever possible

                              Working smarter means hiring and collaborating with the right talent. Encourage teamwork for removing the bottlenecks and hurdles. It will translate to more revenue with the available resources. Effective workplace collaboration will also boost your team’s morale and reduce lay-offs.

                              Leverage technology and systems to streamline your business and allow it to run smoothly. According to Gartner, by 2024, businesses will see a 30% reduction in their operational costs by combining hyper-automation technologies with redesigned operational processes.

                              Identify processes that can be automated and evaluate how automation will enhance your customer service and experience.

                              Read more: What Makes a Business Process Apt for Automation 

                              business process for automation

                              Automation of repetitive, routine, and mundane tasks saves your workforce’s productive hours and spares them for more crucial tasks. Automation enhances your organizational efficiency and offsets growth investment.

                              4. Speed is the key to sustain in 2021

                              The pandemic has made companies rethink their conventional organizational models and pushed them to adopt new ways of working at speed. Flat structures empowering decision-making are replacing the traditional management-led hierarchies. It enables companies to perform with improved speed and precision. For instance, PepsiCo adopted newer working models to enable fast and easy access to their products during the pandemic. Within 30 days (from concept to execution), the company launched two direct-to-consumer (D2C) websites. 

                              5. Adopt digital commerce

                              The pandemic has spurred digital commerce like never before. Deloitte’s 2020 holiday retail survey reports that contactless shopping experiences enjoyed a huge spike in demand during the holiday season last year. Over 73% of shoppers planned to have orders delivered to their doorsteps as against 62% in 2019. 

                              Read More: Contactless Retail Delivery Software –  How Retailers Can Revive Sales While Adhering To Social Distancing Norms

                              contactless retail delivery software

                              Companies should accelerate and optimize both B2B and B2C digital commerce channels by developing custom retail software solutions to enjoy the benefits of e-commerce sales and ROI. 

                              As customers demand efficiency and speed, organizations must give precedence to customer experience to overcome competition.

                              In 2020, Adidas established itself as a top digital commerce player targeting $4.9 billion in online sales, almost 12% of their overall business. In the future, the company expects it to rise to 25%. Also, they were quick to recover from the pandemic impact with an increase in online sales during the lockdown.

                              Read more: 5 Transformative Trends Ushered by B2B E-commerce in Healthcare and Life Sciences 

                              B2B e-commerce

                              Fingent leverages innovative and emerging technologies to help digital retailers and e-commerce businesses

                              Fingent custom software development experts helps retailers build custom retail software solutions, e-commerce, and mobile commerce apps that help you deliver exceptional customer service and experience, just like your physical retail store. Fingent helps retailers and e-commerce brands develop Augmented Reality-based solutions that allow their customers to preview objects in 3D. Using AR technology, both online shoppers and in-store buyers can choose their preferred products without the hassle of buying the wrong ones. We enable companies with an e-commerce presence to build AR applications through web platforms (WEB AR), avoiding the need for separate mobile apps. 

                              Read more: Technology Investments: How to gain maximum value? 

                              tech investments

                              6. Ensure customer data privacy and protection

                              Data transparency is imperative. With the rise in going digital, the total amount of data created, captured, and consumed will more than double by 2024 globally. A 2019 Factual survey reveals that more than 50% of the US smartphone users will be ready to share their geolocation details with a service provider only if they are aware of how the information will be used. When customers realize the benefits of sharing personal data, such as online behavior, shopping history, mobile app usage, or geolocation tracking and trust that their data will be protected, they will be more willing to share it. 

                              Jersey Mike’s Subs, a US sandwich chain, has a transparent privacy policy that lets you know which customer data they collect and how it is stored and used. Approaches like these that give consumers clarity and control over their personal information will define personalization and enhance customer experience.

                              Consumer data privacy acts such as General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) aim at ensuring consumer privacy rights and data protection under the respective regional, state, and federal laws. These acts allow consumers in the respective regions to see all the information companies have saved on them and how the data will be protected and used. 

                              We help ensure smooth business transformation

                              As we try to recover from the crisis, it is essential to consider what the future looks like for your business. Your organization must adopt new technologies, innovation, and new practices to ensure a smooth business transition. It also helps you meet the growing customer demands.

                              Reach out to us and let us help you accomplish a seamless business transition through modern technology adoption. 

                              Stay up to date on what's new

                                About the Author

                                ...
                                Tony Joseph

                                Tony believes in building technology around processes, rather than building processes around technology. He specializes in custom software development, especially in analyzing processes, refining it and then building technology around it.He works with clients on a daily basis to understand and analyze their operational structure, discover (and not invent) key improvement areas and come up with technology solutions to deliver an efficient process.

                                Talk To Our Experts

                                  Being an Official Partner of Odoo, Fingent has always catered to the needs of various customers and streamlined their operations, thus saving their costs, time, and resources. In this post, you will see how Odoo ERP implementation helps retail management.

                                  Odoo ERP: A Highly Customizable Cloud-based Platform for Retailers!

                                  The retail industry is one of the primary beneficiaries of digital transformation. In 2010, eCommerce accounted for only 5-6% of the aggregate retail sales in the US. The industry has witnessed phenomenal growth over the past decade with the development and adoption of retail technology, ERPs, eCommerce applications, custom retail solutions, and stiff market competition. At present, online retail sales in the US account for 21% of the total retail purchases. Isn’t that mind-blowing?

                                  The paradigm shift from the traditional operating landscape to a digital world presents both opportunities and challenges. Many people look for products online, make buying decisions based on social media reviews, and order products to be delivered home. They even use the internet to search local shops, order online and collect from nearby stores (click & collect) or find retailers that offer discounts in their area. The message is clear: physical/ in-store retailing also needs to pace up with the change.  

                                  To overcome the challenges in managing physical and digital selling, retailers need to adopt a modern enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.

                                  Read more: 5 Reasons to Integrate Your E-commerce Application with Odoo ERP

                                  Odoo ERP

                                  Today, ERP is extensively used to simplify and automate customer relationship management, project management, accounting, compliance, inventory, and supply chain operations. ERP is a reliable investment for business owners as they can control and monitor their operations, get reports, and gain insights on consumer behavior and market situations.  

                                  Odoo ERP for Retail Management

                                  ERP software allows integrating the core processes to run a company in one place, such as finance, manufacturing, HR, supply chain, inventory, procurement, tracking, transactions, etc. It also integrates all the data and related business processes of an organization. 

                                  Odoo ERP is a popular, open-source, cloud-based business management software that helps manage various business needs such as manufacturing, finance, inventory, point of sale (POS), eCommerce, purchase, logistics, etc. Odoo is an intelligent ERP system that allows retailers to integrate their whole data and all the processes associated with the retail industry. For retailers, Odoo is a perfect choice that increases profit and enhances productivity as it provides comprehensive solutions that can seamlessly integrate with eCommerce.

                                  Read more: 5 signs which imply that your business needs Odoo ERP

                                  Odoo ERP

                                  How Odoo ERP Benefits Retail Management

                                  Following are the significant benefits of using Odoo ERP in retail:

                                  1. One-step checkout 

                                  In online shopping apps, the checkout stage tends to have several processes spread across different web pages. This can put off some customers who don’t want to spend their time navigating through each. Odoo eliminates these multiple processes by offering a one-step checkout that is fast, convenient, and intuitive. It has the potential to reduce checkout abandonment and thereby increase sales.

                                  2. Craft stunning product pages

                                  For eCommerce websites, high-quality product pages are crucial to gain maximum traction. Long descriptions with dull-looking pages are outdated. Odoo ERP lets you build beautiful and stunning product pages with a simple drag and drop feature. You can also customize your online store’s look, layout, color, and theme with Odoo and make last-minute changes to meet the demands and expectations of your clients. You can also make changes and enhancements at regular intervals to add more features to your store. Make sure that your digital store is mobile responsive to be compatible with the changes and new features.

                                  3. Payment module integration

                                  Having different payment options can enhance the customer experience. With Odoo’s plugins and extensions, retailers can integrate and customize various modules like wallets, cryptocurrencies, credit and debit cards, and UPI. It also supports PayPal, PayUMoney, Buckaroo, Sips, Stripe, Ingenico, Adyen, and Authorize.net.

                                  4. Sales, purchase, and finance management

                                  Odoo offers non-retail and retail companies different sales management processes. Odoo has a Point of Sale (POS) module, which is integrated with the sales and inventory module. This module helps retailers track stock and commodities in real-time. The module also allows for the use of biometric devices to log in and out. It’s compatible with any hardware and doesn’t require installation. What’s more, the POS remains operational even when offline.

                                  Read more: How Odoo ERP Simplifies Sales Management in Your Organization

                                  Odoo ERP

                                  5. Inventory management

                                  It’s a known fact that inventory management in a volatile and dynamic consumer goods market is an arduous task for many retailers. With several issues such as excess inventory or out-of-stock scenarios, inefficient inventory management processes result in financial loss and lead many retailers to bankruptcy. 

                                  Odoo ERP offers inventory management as its integral feature, where it stores details of an organization’s entire inventory, including the individual product details. Odoo enables retail managers to keep track of crucial information such as:

                                  • The present status of the inventory
                                  • Items that will run out of stock
                                  • Shelf life details of each product
                                  • Notifications related to product expiry
                                  • Ability to make demand forecasts based on past trends and customers’ online behavior and buying habits

                                  Odoo ERP enables retailers to gain a competitive edge by modifying inventory to meet the fluctuating customer demands.

                                  Read more: Fingent’s new plugin facilitates the scheduling of Zoom meetings from Odoo! 

                                  Odoo Zoom

                                  6. Manufacturing and production

                                  Retailers who are also engaged in manufacturing and production can use Odoo’s module to help run functions. The Manufacturing module can assist in creating bills of materials (BoMs), managing semi-finished products, subcontracting manufacturing, etc. It can also help in configuring work centers and managing and configuring kits.

                                  7. The Cloud Advantage

                                  • Odoo solutions are cloud-based, allowing retailers to access their e-commerce stores from anywhere in the world. 
                                  • Odoo is flexible, customizable, and scalable, making it especially ideal for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). 
                                  • Odoo is an affordable ERP solution with the maintenance fees included in the license fee.

                                  In a nutshell, Odoo ERP serves as a high-performance retail management system where retailers can manage everything on a single system. It can bring tremendous benefits to the retailing industry. They can integrate Odoo’s various business apps such as Sales, Accounting, Customer relationship management (CRM), Inventory, etc., with Odoo e-commerce. 

                                  The Odoo App Store features nearly 10,000 apps that connect to the same database on Odoo’s own servers. A testament to Odoo’s popularity is in the numbers: it has more than 5 million users worldwide, from start-ups to large enterprises. 

                                  With a simple checkout process, robust customer portal (order tracking, advanced shipping rules, and return management), order review, and wish lists, Odoo ERP provides real-time information to users.

                                  Read more: Why Choose Fingent as Your Odoo ERP Partner

                                  Odoo ERP

                                  Fingent has an ace team of Odoo developers that offers consulting, development, and implementation services. Whether you want to integrate Odoo ERP with your existing e-commerce store or build an online store from scratch powered by Odoo integration, give us a call right away.       

                                  Stay up to date on what's new

                                    About the Author

                                    ...
                                    Tony Joseph

                                    Tony believes in building technology around processes, rather than building processes around technology. He specializes in custom software development, especially in analyzing processes, refining it and then building technology around it.He works with clients on a daily basis to understand and analyze their operational structure, discover (and not invent) key improvement areas and come up with technology solutions to deliver an efficient process.

                                    Talk To Our Experts

                                      Logistics Management Software:
                                      Business Applications & Use Cases

                                      Pfizer became the world’s largest sterile injectables supplier during the pandemic because the company excels in its logistics management. Without logistics software management, neither can they store, transport, and distribute the COVID-19 vaccine to multiple countries, maintaining ultra-low temperatures.
                                      In today’s fast-paced environment with growing transport volumes, logistic management software play a key role in digitizing every touchpoint of the supply chain- monitor shipments, optimize delivery routes, communicate with partners, handle a gamut of operations, and oversee distribution with complete transparency. Investing in logistic management software streamlines your processes and eliminates workflow headaches, yielding positive results with significant changes in processes, procedures, and distribution.
                                      In this article, we will cover everything that you need to know about logistics management software.

                                      What is Logistics Management Software?

                                      Logistics management is a part of the supply chain that uses planning and implementation to store and deliver goods and services to the customer. Typically a logistics management system administers inbound and outbound transportation management, warehouse management, fleet management, processing orders, inventory control, managing third-party logistics service providers, and planning supply and demand. It coordinates several critical activities of the supply chain that range from product development to commercialization, such as production planning, sourcing, procurement, packaging, and dispatching. It also involves finding a suitable means to deliver goods and services to the end user.
                                      Logistics Management Software (LMS) simplifies logistics operations by refining the production cycle and making it easier to access important information quickly. Logistics management software helps businesses manage the various processes in the production cycle, from delivering raw materials to shipping the finished products to the consumers.
                                      Logistics Management Software Market has witnessed tremendous growth in USD million from 2017 to 2022, with the highest CAGR estimated to reach USD in 2029.
                                      Source: Industry Research
                                      Logistics software has become broader in its scope and functionality to deal with a vast array of operations and processes. It shares similarities with supply chain management software (SCMS), which contains tools that help deal with transactions, processes, and suppliers. The functionality of logistics management software extends to areas such as
                                      Logistics management software can get rid of all the conventional approaches like paperwork and spreadsheets to simplify management. Consequently, logistics will become more refined and fast, changing how materials, goods, freight, sales orders, inventory, and production are managed. It has three variations: warehouse management systems, enterprise resource planning systems, and integrated supply chain management suites.
                                      Companies with an in-house logistics or supply chain division and third-party logistics providers utilize any of these different versions according to their requirements to efficiently manage their logistical and supply chain operations.

                                      Key Features of Logistics Management Software

                                      A logistic and supply management company must have powerful and functional management software to manage its operations, planning, procurement, and distribution of products, data information, and finances. If your company is looking to procure or build a logistic management solution, ensure it includes certain features necessary for the smooth functioning of shipment. Some of the key must-have features of Logistics Management Software include-
                                      An order management system effectively handles large volumes of online orders. It monitors and tracks all the orders from the time of placing an order till it reaches the delivery point. It manages all the processes like order receiving, scheduling, processing, storage, and shipping and delivery. Some features like automatic scheduling, real-time optimization and tracking, automatic bill generation, managing order status, and multiple payment gateways simplify the order management process for businesses.
                                      CRM modules store relevant information from customer orders, such as order dates, contact information, cargo status, order estimation, and payment information. This ensures that every transaction is recorded in one place to help logistics managers easily control the flow of inventory and easily look up the associated records whenever needed.
                                      With proper inventory management, organizations can easily monitor active orders, track shipments, and reorder supplies with real-time sales data and historical trend analysis. Logistics management organizes, tracks, and processes orders as they come in, thereby saving the organization’s time and money by automatically fulfilling orders as they come in and reducing the risk of order errors or fraud.
                                      Warehouse management helps the owners and managers to monitor their physical warehouses in real time. It uses IoT devices, sensors, and smart storage tools to maintain optimal conditions for the storage and distribution of inventory with minimal human intervention. This translates to faster shipping, lower cost, optimized storage, tracking, and order fulfillment.
                                      Efficient supply chain management helps to maximize customer value, increase profitability, and achieve sustainable competitive advantage. It manages the transformation of goods from raw materials to finished goods and links the production, shipment, and delivery of goods. The activities involved include discovering optimal sourcing locations, determining the optimal quantity and type of inventory required to meet demand, and identifying the best delivery locations for the products.
                                      The demand forecasting feature helps organizations to plan inventory and supply based on the increase and decrease in demand. Demand planning tools help analyze a product’s lifecycle based on historical sales data, identify trends, and predict future demand. This feature helps to avoid ordering too much or too little inventory.
                                      Transportation management capabilities help businesses to plan, execute, and optimize the physical transportation of finished products from warehouses to customers. It helps fleet managers to identify optimal delivery routes, streamline driver assignments, and speed up pickup and delivery operations, thereby minimizing costs. It also helps to predict when their delivery times will be the longest and shortest.
                                      Modern logistics management software includes a real-time visibility feature to obtain the status of every product and shipment in the supply chain. This allows managers to access real-time information about the location and progress in every stage of the supply chain, helping them make informed decisions about when to order more inventory and stop production.

                                      Business Benefits of Using Logistics Software

                                      Proper planning, sourcing, production, delivery, and return are required to improve supply chain performance. Handing these processes to logistics management software provides operational fluency to the supply chain. With logistics management software, a company or 3PL (third-party logistics) provider can avail of the following benefits.

                                      Refine Transportation

                                      Transportation is a crucial and vital area in logistics management. It incurs the most fuel, labor, energy, and shipping charges. Using logistics software helps to simplify and reduce the cost incurred in transportation considerably. Logistics management software makes it easy to analyze data and make relevant decisions for lowering costs and maximizing efficiency.

                                      Faster Delivery

                                      The logistics and supply chain industry are prone to face several issues affecting delivery and delays. By incorporating logistics software, businesses can rapidly deliver their products to customers. Logistics management software significantly improves delivery time by speeding up the production cycle and choosing a suitable carrier. It ultimately reduces shipping delays to a great extent.

                                      Minimize Human Errors

                                      Another notable advantage of implementing logistics management software is minimizing human errors. Manually analyzing large quantities of data is tedious and time-consuming, which leads to flaws. Logistics software simplifies work by quickly processing these data and seamlessly pushing forward the operations with minimal delays.

                                      Automate Functions

                                      Process Automation is a tremendous boon of logistics software integration. Logistics software easily automates certain functions like creating shipment routes, load planning, and tendering of loads to carriers. Moreover, it eliminates paperwork, which helps deal with the processes efficiently and timely.

                                      Reduce Costs

                                      Logistics software can automatically compare different shipping services, delivery agents, and transportation methods to find the least-pricing ones. The other way logistics software reduces costs is by lowering the expedited shipments through improved shipment planning.

                                      Customer Support

                                      Logistics software provides good customer support service tools for all assistance. It provides a platform to centralize all customer support needs. Chatbots, automated alerts, notifications, and virtual assistants improve customer service speed and quality.

                                      How To Overcome Logistics Challenges with Logistics Software

                                      The logistics industry is complex and involves a lot of complicated processes and hassles. With the pandemic, businesses were compelled to rely more on logistics management software to pace with changing demands and provide essential items to customers. To address the pressing challenges in logistics management, a modern logistics software solution promises to add increased scalability, speed of delivery, efficiency, and accuracy.

                                      1 Rising transportation costs

                                      With the hike in fuel prices, the cost of transporting goods increases substantially. The logistics industry is greatly impacted by the challenge of maintaining low shipping costs for delivering products to customers.
                                      The route optimization feature in logistics software can help the logistics industry overcome this chaotic challenge. With the right implementation, companies can easily detect the fastest route to deliver goods and save fuel expenses. Hence, this is economical for the logistics company and customers, as they can avoid paying high shipping costs.

                                      2 Delay in delivery

                                      Another important problem is the inadequate waiting time for products. Due to climatic conditions, factory shutdowns, port capacity issues, or other disruptive events, delivery of products may be slowed or sometimes comes to a standstill.
                                      Logistics software makes it easy to automate your delivery processes and increase efficiency. Get timely updates on the movement of products using tracking software or real-time visibility of shipments. This helps to give a bigger picture of when the goods are dispatched, procured, and when they will be delivered. Automation saves your time lost when working manually and provides accurate data and tracking, thereby improving the overall delivery process.

                                      3 Lack Effective Coordination

                                      The major problems in the logistics industry creep in from its inconsistency and fragmentation. With multiple parties involved in the logistics supply chain- manufacturers, storekeepers, drivers, managers, and customers, it is difficult to have centralized control over their communication path.
                                      Such issues can be alleviated by adopting effective communication and real-time visibility software systems that can be integrated directly into the warehouse management system, providing access to partners and clients. This puts everyone in the loop with proper visibility of the various stages in production and distribution.

                                      4 Meeting the demand surge

                                      Demand surges or panic buying influences inventory stock levels and customer service satisfaction and can also impact the entire supply chain. Filling the inventory stock on time is a massive operation and requires proper planning.
                                      Forecast accuracy and automation help get a proper inventory stock overview and meet perpetual demand fluctuations. To fulfill growing delivery volumes and maintain customer satisfaction, logistic software with a digitized system helps to orchestrate these operations effectively and flawlessly.

                                      5 Warehouse management errors

                                      Flaws in warehouse management are common such as misplaced products, packing or shipping wrong products, incomplete orders, or damaged items during delivery. Such human errors can become costly when they are not regulated.
                                      The best way to reduce such mistakes is by leveraging an effective and updated warehouse management system. Logistics companies must invest in modern technologies like artificial and augmented intelligence, advanced analytics, automation, and warehouse robotics to manage their inventory and improve business scalability and competitive edge.
                                      IoT helps to improve the logistic processes by providing proper visibility in every stage of the supply chain and maintaining inventory efficiency. Integrating an IoT device in the logistics ecosystem enables clear-cut transparency in various operations like real-time visibility of goods, condition monitoring, storage and warehousing, and fleet management.
                                      Logistics companies use AI to identify patterns in data and churn insights. It helps to advance operations such as intelligent transportation, route optimization, demand forecasting, budget planning, etc. McKinsey reports that AI-driven logistics optimization can reduce costs through real-time forecasts and behavioral coaching. The potential incremental value of AI in the logistics and transportation industry (89%) will be more than other analytics techniques.
                                      Over the last few decades, innovative logistic robotic companies have worked hard to mesh AI and machine learning, better sensors and response capabilities, warehouse management software, or logistics management software. Recently, warehouse robotics in the supply chain has picked up pace exponentially. There has been colossal funding and investment in the industry. For example, Alibaba invested $15 billion into robotic logistics infrastructure, and Google invested $500 million into automated logistics for JD. It is also estimated that the global market for warehouse robotics in the supply chain will reach a market value of $22.4 billion by the end of 2021.
                                      In a pandemic-troubled world, contactless delivery is more critical than ever. eCommerce companies and carriers face increasing pressure due to the surge in online shopping. It’s crucial to stay agile by ensuring business continuity. At the same time, it is also vital to remain safe and meet delivery needs. Electronic parcel lockers, contactless parcel delivery and collection, and self-service pick-up automate delivery processes to reduce physical interactions between customers and delivery agents. Custom logistics software applications can help fulfill the increasing demand for last-mile delivery. Fingent helps build healthy tech partnership ecosystems to ensure uninterrupted supply and distribution of your products and services.
                                      Automating warehouses promises to streamline processes and improve efficiency, speed, and productivity with a considerable reduction in human interventions. Many processes, such as procurement, distribution, customer service, etc., can be automated along a supply chain. The Global Logistics Automation Market size was $50.9 billion in 2020, but its CAGR of 12.4% may grow to $82.3 billion by 2026.
                                      Blockchain, also known as distributed ledger technology, can record transactions between parties securely and permanently. The shared and secured databases enabled by blockchain help avoid intermediaries and third parties verifying records and coordinating supply chain transactions. Blockchain helps increase the traceability of the material supply chain, improve the credibility and trust of shared data, digitize physical assets like contracts and critical documents, streamline administrative processes, reduce costs, and enable effective auditing of supply chain data.

                                      Example of blockchain application in logistics: The international logistics giant DHL uses blockchain-based serialization of pharmaceutical drugs and products to ensure that the products come only from legitimate manufacturers, not counterfeit, and are adequately tracked and traced through their journey from origin to consumption.
                                      The emergence of sensor technologies and AI has contributed heavily to the rapid growth of predictive maintenance in the logistics industry. Supply chain leaders want to utilize data effectively to optimize predictive maintenance, forecast demands, adjust inventory levels, improve cold chain transportation, and protect the integrity of the supply chain. Smart and optimized data management through predictive analytics and AI allow logistics providers to refine and transform the supply chain in the coming years.
                                      Cloud-integrated logistics management software allows real-time price updates, inventory, and tracking. It enables real-time accuracy and 360-degree management of processes and systems. You can track a product’s lifecycle, from ordering to distribution. It significantly cuts down the costs of lost products, missing deliveries, locating a shipment at any stage of transport, and rerouting a misdirected shipment. Cloud-based logistics software allows everyone in a trade network to communicate and share real-time data, make decisions quickly, and scale on demand.
                                      Autonomous vehicles enable the delivery of goods without any human intervention. This helps the supply chain respond quickly and more quickly to customer demands. It helps to deliver goods safely and faster while improving vehicle safety and eliminating human errors. It significantly contributes to fuel efficiency, performance, and cost.
                                      Elastic logistics helps companies upscale or downscale their warehouse operations and resources efficiently in the event of changing demands. It can tackle the challenges of supply chain companies, amending the production lines, including managing space in a warehouse, better inventory management, and distribution of goods without jeopardizing the current working of the facility or incurring higher costs.

                                      Choosing the Right Logistics Management Software

                                      With the trends shifting logistics management in a progressive direction, the need for software solutions in the field has become indispensable. Businesses, whether focussing on e-commerce or delivering services, can benefit from having logistics management software. However, the real question is finding the right kind of logistics software since the requirements vary for each business.
                                      Before settling on software for logistics management, it is vital to understand the daily requirements and challenges a business faces. Carrying out a detailed analysis can help identify deficiencies in the existing logistical operations of a business. Besides that, it can suggest measures to redeem any discovered shortcomings in the cycle.
                                      There are several essential factors to consider when deciding on logistics management software. Firstly, it should contain a basic set of functions that can aid in simple logistical management operations. Besides that, numerous other things should also be present in the software to tackle the wide base of a business’s logistical operations and processes.
                                      Here is a checklist of the essentials to look for while choosing logistics management software.
                                      Refer to the chart below to get a grip on the overall profile of any software logistics management:
                                      With logistics pushed to the forefront of business operations, leveraging the right technology can make your business compatible with the changing environment.
                                      Outsourcing to a software development vendor will help deploy scalable software for logistics management into your entire supply chain operations. A global software solutions provider like Fingent can give you the advantage of custom logistics solutions based solely on your requirements.

                                      Common Business Applications of Logistics Management Software

                                      #1 Quickly respond to logistics
                                      RFQs
                                      Employ automated chatbots
                                      #2 Identify financial discrepancies in
                                      invoices
                                      Use of AI or ML techniques
                                      #3 Cargo movement &
                                      collection
                                      Implement warehouse automation
                                      #4 Better customer service
                                      Use of chatbots and virtual assistants
                                      #5 Demand forecasting
                                      Employ AI-powered predictive analytics
                                      #6 Good inventory control
                                      Adopt an ERP system
                                      #7 Displaying route information on drivers’ windscreen
                                      Use of AR or VR devices

                                      Use Case # 1 Quick Response to logistics RFQs

                                      Logistic operators must respond quickly to client requests and schedule and process orders. Implementing bots helps respond to RFQs on time and speed up the quotation process with less human intervention. Bots can help provide timely quotations and improve the chances of winning the RFQ. Bots can also support increasing sales because of their 24/7 availability and faster response rate.

                                      Use Case # 2 Identifying invoice discrepancies

                                      On many occasions, the invoices have price differences with the order or quantity differences between the receipt of the goods. Such scenarios in the logistics industry can be avoided using artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning (ML) techniques. AI uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools to extract essential data from invoices to identify budget discrepancies.

                                      Use Case # 3 Displaying route information on drivers’ windscreen

                                      Logistic companies use AR/VR to transport goods, ensuring the delivery of goods is safe, on time, and effective. A driver traveling with the load would find it easy and convenient to find essential information about traffic jams and alternative routes displayed on the vehicle's windscreen. Or the relevant information can also be shown on a smart glass that can be worn by the driver while driving. Such innovative methods help to save time rather than checking information on a separate gadget.

                                      Use Case # 4 Cargo collection and movement

                                      Warehouse automation can automate the movement of goods to and from warehouses with minimal human assistance. Businesses can eliminate repetitive physical work, labor-intensive duties, and manual data entry and analysis. Warehouses can employ robots for tasks like cross-dock transportation and moving cargo from the warehouse to the shipping zone, and automated software can record the movement of that inventory. This helps save upfront costs, from improving operations to minimizing human error.

                                      Use Case # 5 Delivering Better Customer Service

                                      Logistic companies must always be prepared to meet customer needs appropriately. Automated customer service or tools like chatbots and virtual assistants can answer customer queries regarding delivery status, consignment location, and delivery time. The logistic system must be automated, bridging gaps between disparate IT systems with quick access to information to provide quality customer service. This helps customer service agents become more productive and fulfill better customer experiences.

                                      Use Case # 6 Demand forecasting

                                      Demand forecasting is key to success and growth, which helps identify potential scope for expansions and potential threats. The AI-powered predictive analytics feature in logistic management software supports demand forecasting, which enables companies to predict demand, supply, and pricing within an industry. This feature combines historical data from various sources and helps improve demand forecasting accuracy. It will help companies to stock up sufficient quantities to meet customer demands without having a surplus. Moreover, it helps to organize cash flow better and plan the workforce to boost business efficiency.

                                      Use Case # 7 Better control of inventory

                                      An ERP system provides a centralized system to manage the inventory from all corners, with the ability to gather and bring information from different sources into one location, including current requests, inbound and outbound sales, stocks, or delivery status. It helps to streamline various operations and provides an overall picture of the entire logistics system- it tracks the live status of the goods, customer details, customer trends, transportation processes, and more.

                                      Challenges Faced By Companies Implementing Logistics Software

                                      Adopting digital technologies is still not as rampant a practice as it should be in the logistics industry. Many key decision-makers in companies link the process with the chaotic deployment of complicated technologies. Logistics companies plan to invest 5% of their revenue per year in digitalization. But the industry’s low profitability makes such funding challenging.
                                      0 %

                                      50% of US importers still use spreadsheets to manage their complex international supply chain.

                                      Adopting logistics management software would mean considering many things, from employee reactions to their impact on customer relations and costs and how they align with the business objectives. Navigating these considerations can be easier said than done, as logistic companies must tackle some serious mindset blocks to go ahead with digital transformation. Some common challenges companies face in implementing logistics management software are
                                      Fingent enables logistic companies to implement a custom logistic solution that guarantees modernizing traditional business processes and automating mundane tasks to increase efficiency and improve the business’s overall productivity without disrupting the existing system.

                                      How Custom Logistics Management Software Can Benefit Your Supply Chain

                                      Like every other industry, there is no one size fits all solution for logistics management, as the requirements vary from business to business. Logistics management software refers to a wide range of technology solutions like order management, transportation management, inventory management, warehouse, operations, and fleet management. Some logistics and transportation companies turn directly to ready-made or off-the-shelf logistics solutions. However, some prefer to choose customizable logistics management software to improve their services.
                                      Custom logistics management software is tailored just to your business and meets your exact specifications. They provide personalized logistic solutions that focus on fixing not just the general logistic issues faced by businesses but the ones that are specific to your company. These logistics solutions are based on the analysis of your business operations, requirements, and challenges you face, and then provide solutions to those needs.

                                      Why choose custom logistic software?

                                      Fingent Builds a Custom Logistic Management Software

                                      We helped built a custom warehouse management and order processing software to simplify what was once considered complex order processing. It allows customers to place orders quickly and warehouses to track every order with improved efficiency and sophistication.
                                      A personalized transportation management system lets our customers view their order status in real-time and access up-to-date shipping data.
                                      It’s time to re-imagined logistics and supply chain operations with customized software solutions.
                                      Top Benefits of the Solution:

                                      Transitioning into Cloud-Based SaaS: The Future of Logistics

                                      Cloud computing is gaining momentum unveiling a whole new way of processing data. Tech innovations have influenced the supply chain and logistics operations. Increased supply chain and logistics solutions adoption will shift from the on-premise model to the SaaS model.
                                      Predictions estimate that a subscription-based SaaS model will dominate supply chain management in the future. Adopting a cloud-based supply chain solution offers benefits in the form of flexibility, robustness, and affordability. Free and open-source software adoption has made the cloud the primary choice for logistics providers and organizations worldwide.
                                      Cloud-based SaaS supply chain solutions offer numerous benefits. It gives a comprehensive outlook on logistics operations by making processes more transparent and collaborative. Implementing a cloud system reduces upfront and operating costs. It also offers the ability to scale up with the business needs and enhances supply chain efficiency.

                                      Bottom Line

                                      Opting for a logistics solution is one step to simplifying the entire cycle of logistical and supply chain operations. Effective management of each process, from procurement to delivery, requires a custom logistics management solution that can accommodate each provider’s demands. For instance, an organization lacking an in-house logistics department needs a software management tool to wrap around its existing methodology and improve it.
                                      Businesses can deploy logistics management software tailored to their requirements by partnering with a vendor specializing in software development. Pioneers in custom software development like Fingent can assist companies from wholesalers to distributors to e-commerce with the advantage of custom logistic solutions. Get in touch with us to spearhead your operations swiftly and efficiently.

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                                        About the Author

                                        ...
                                        Vinod Saratchandran

                                        Vinod has conceptualized and delivered niche mobility products that cater to various domains including logistics, media & non-profits. He leads, mentors & coaches a team of Project Coordinators & Analysts at Fingent.

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