Do you wish to advance your mobile application? By implementing a well-planned mobile app redesign, you may improve user experience (UX) and increase engagement. 

Users expect mobile apps to have a high degree of functionality and usability because they have become a crucial part of our everyday lives. An app’s poor design can cause annoyance, unfavorable ratings, and ultimately user churn. A well-made app, on the other hand, can improve the user experience and foster loyalty. 

We’ll lead you through the process of a successful mobile app redesign in this tutorial. We tried to cover as many topics as possible, including user research, analysis, and testing, as well as design implementation. You can design a mobile app that is visually appealing, user-friendly and caters to the demands of your target market using the insights and techniques you learn in this guide. This can boost user interaction, boost retention rates, and eventually result in commercial success.

What’s an App Redesign?

Redesigning a mobile application involves making it look and feel better in order to make it more appealing and user-friendly. In other words, it entails assessing the app’s present design and determining areas that should be improved in light of user feedback. A redesigned software should offer a simple and intuitive user interface to entice repeat usage. To increase the performance, engagement, and retention of their software, product managers frequently start a makeover.

The redesign process might result in more functionality and a user-friendly design by bringing new ideas to the table based on user behavior analysis and unbiased feedback. Two equally significant steps are involved in the process of redesigning an app: 

• UI design 

User interface (UI) design is mostly concerned with the app’s visual elements. Layout, typography, color scheme, and other visual components fall under this category. The aim of a UI designer is to produce an interface that is aesthetically pleasing, user-friendly, and intuitive. 

• UX design 

When we talk about an app’s total user experience (UX), we mean it. In order to satisfy user needs, a UX designer attempts to create an intuitive, simple-to-use interface. To do this, UX designers carry out user research to comprehend the wants and objectives of the user. They build wireframes and prototypes to test and iterate on their design concepts after analyzing user behavior to determine how the app is utilized.

Benefits of Redesigning Your App

The process of redesigning an app is time-consuming and expensive. It will, however, earn back its cost and effort. Following an application redesign, product owners may benefit from the following:

• Creating a knowledgeable impression. Trend-following products appear to be enjoyable to use on a regular basis, which makes users admire the designers who created them;
• Becoming more visible on the market. Mobile apps that are updated regularly form a very compatible offer;
• Receiving higher conversion rates. Redesign affects not just the rates, but also other user experience (UX) changes, such as recommending the app to a broader audience, natural promotion, and loyalty;
• Increasing brand recognition. A mobile app’s brand awareness can help set it apart from competing products in stores and establish its credibility with users;
• Boosting the likelihood of additional investments. Your product makes a statement for you in front of investors. The regular release of new features and upgrades by a program is a strong argument;
• Becoming proud of your product. Any app makeover starts with swapping out old patterns and concepts for fresh ones. The software, which was released in a manner consistent with the newest design trends, will undoubtedly make you feel proud of the higher quality of services you now provide. And let’s not remember that a feeling of belonging to a bigger mission is what drives motivation.

6 Reasons for an App Redesign (With Solutions)

For a product to succeed, its functionality, intuitiveness, and stability are unquestionably crucial. However, when a user launches your app, the first thing they notice is how the design. The major part of first impressions is influenced by design. And in many circumstances, poor design can easily push a user away from your product. Now that you are aware of the design’s potential, let’s discuss some scenarios in which you might want to think about rebuilding your application:

Outdated Aesthetics

Modernization is a normal stage in the development of any brand because it enables a business to perform at a higher standard. In the context of rapidly evolving trends and user preferences, upgrades are unavoidable. Even the most effective UI will eventually seem old-fashioned despite originally appearing elegant and cutting-edge.

You don’t have to create an interface from scratch or adhere to every new UX/UI design trend, but it makes sense to update the product from time to time to keep up with the market standards. Apply modern design components and color schemes so that the app is both aesthetically pleasing and simple to use.

Negative Customer Reviews

What problems do users of your mobile app bring up? You need to update the design of your apps if you have low app ratings, poor customer evaluations, or reviews from clients who have issues. Even negative feedback brings about benefits. Having any user comments and real-life experience makes it simpler to identify the parts of your app needing fixing and improvement. 

Find the parts of the software that are frustrating consumers, such as the cluttered UI or the confusing navigation. To make it more logical and user-friendly, streamline the design and user experience. To fully understand the “why“ behind how users interact with your app, use session replays and analytic tools. They will help you obtain insights into unique user behavior patterns and identify chances for UX enhancement with the use of touch heatmaps, funnel analytics, crash logs, and event analytics.

Complex Interface

Applications frequently grow overly complex with time, especially when new features are added and the interface gets cluttered. It is particularly relatable for SaaS apps because they are often highly sophisticated and fulfill many different roles.

When Uber added new service options, it seemed that the screen was too small to show all the options at once, leading users to select the incorrect item. The answer to this problem was to ask them where they were going in the first place (include a “Where to?“ area) and only after that to display the price, the route, and other pop-ups. 

Rebranding

Sometimes, it makes no sense to hang onto an outdated perception because the design may not be the only thing that has to be updated; a new look and an effective marketing strategy might give a brand-new vitality. It piques the curiosity of current clients and aids in attracting new ones.

Despite being a popular platform, Airbnb’s brand over time didn’t align with its new product goal. In order for consumers to grasp its essential beliefs and guiding principles, Airbnb chose to develop its distinct brand identity in 2014. They updated the typeface, the logo and even added a new color they named Rausch during the overhaul. As a result, they positioned their product as being clear, approachable, and engaging to their customers with the help of design.

Platform Updates

Keeping your app updated is crucial as mobile platforms and technology develop. A redesign will help ensure that your app is compatible with the newest gadgets and cutting-edge frameworks for developing mobile apps. The solution will be to keep up with the most recent developments in mobile technology and make sure the app is optimized for these platforms. Enhance compatibility and app performance, this may entail altering the design or user experience.

Your Conversion Rate Is Not What It Could Be

Do you follow your drop-off rate? Visitors can easily become irritated by a poor UX design. Whether a visitor becomes a devoted customer depends on the experience they have with the app. The majority of people link poor design to poor service. The halo effect refers to this phenomenon. New trends in user experience develop over time, making even the most fashionable designs appear old. 

When the Redesign Is Not a Solution

Redesigning your application’s UI/UX might be useful if you, as the product owner, know what issues you want to address and what user behavior you want to modify. If you’d like to simply “add amazing animations to make it pop“ and “make the application cool“ rather than turning it into a work of art or transform the design into something truly exceptional, it is preferable to take extra time to investigate and consider exactly what you want to accomplish.

Don’t redesign merely for the sake of redesigning. It is unquestionably not worthwhile to change the appearance and feel of a program if it does not provide the end user with anything novel or beneficial. The redesign is also not a solution if:

• the cost of redesigning your app is higher than the revenue generated from that investment;
• most of the functionality will be changed in the near future anyway;
• there is no configured analytics for key metrics (adjust and collect indicators for 2-3 months and only then proceed to redesign in case there is a need).

And finally, redesign is not a designer’s job, despite how strange that statement may sound. Instead, it is far from just their job. A comprehensive team of experts, including a designer, marketer, business analyst, etc., is needed to rebuild an application or create an interface from scratch completely. Changing some parts of the app’s aesthetics or color design alone probably won’t help you for this reason.

Top 3 Factors to Consider Before Redesigning Your App

It’s important to remember that designing a mobile app for your company has the potential to revolutionize the way you do business completely. A well-executed redesign can raise engagement, enhance user experience, and even generate revenue. 

Prior to starting a mobile app redesign, it’s crucial to examine user behavior and feedback, identify problem areas and opportunities for growth, and develop a comprehensive plan that takes these issues into account. Here are some considerations to make:

• What objectives does the redesign have? Do you want to update the app’s appearance and feel, boost revenue, or improve user engagement?
• Who are your intended customers? What are their wants, actions, and objectives? Are there any issues with the present app that need to be fixed?
• What are the existing app’s advantages and disadvantages? What functions well, and what requires development? What kind of user feedback have you received?

Following our discussion of some important factors, let’s delve further into the main approaches you may choose to conduct redesign. 

Revolutionary vs. Evolutionary Redesign

Regardless of the choice of strategy, you need to address user behavior. Apps can be redesigned using either comprehensive changes or incremental interface improvements. Each of these strategies shows its efficacy in various scenarios:

• A revolutionary redesign involves rewriting an application from scratch. This strategy is frequently applied when an application’s original design is out-of-date or does not adequately address user needs;
• Evolutionary redesign involves a number of little adjustments that improve the usability of the program. Instead of creating a whole new interface, it involves making minor changes to an existing one. With this strategy, you can gradually roll out incremental updates without overwhelming people.

Your redesign goals will determine which of these two solutions you choose. The greatest alternative for you may be revolutionary if you’re seeking for a new beginning and want to develop something completely original for your audience. However, evolution may be more successful if you wish to keep things the same while still making improvements along the way.

The 4-Component Process for a Successful App Redesign

When we engage in this kind of cooperation, the redesign process is essentially split into the UX audit and the redesign process itself. Between them is the data analysis that interlinks two parts. Each of those stages is then broken down into smaller levels. They are depicted in the diagram above. After that, go testing and iterating changes logical before launching any kind of app update.

The first and perhaps most crucial pre-stage for you as a product owner would be to establish the purpose for a redesign, even though we just indicated that there are two key steps in the redesign process when improving the UI/UX of the application.

Set the objective. We’ve already spoken about one scenario in which you could want to make changes to the product. However, keep in mind the following elements in order to define the purpose correctly: 

• Do you have any definite knowledge of UI or UX issues to be fixed? Remember that “I don’t like the look of my product“ is not a sufficient response. 
• Have you looked at the attrition rate? You may better understand the moment of truth in CJMs — crucial moments when users either become frustrated and quit interacting with your application or choose your brand — by creating a user journey map.
• Are you aware of what consumers think of your product? Keep an eye on the reviews that users leave for it, solicit feedback, and speak with your users.

Always gather proof to back up each of your decisions throughout this phase. Once you’ve established the objective, keep it in mind and proceed to further auditing.

Step 1: UX Audit

Any application’s primary goal is to address a concern of its intended user base. An app must be functional, with a consistent and intuitive layout and appealing design, in order to rapidly and efficiently achieve this goal. Gather all the data you need to uncover the flaws in your current design by conducting a UX audit.

In plain English, a UX audit helps us to:

• Determine UX issues based on human factors principles, comprehend how users interact with various product aspects, and determine which features of rival goods they find most beneficial;
• Identify the target audience’s preferences, needs, and behavior patterns;
• Set the essential needs that your target market has for your product;
• Learn about the advantages and disadvantages of your product and gather suggestions for enhancing the design.

The audit’s findings are typically delivered in the form of a report that includes a thorough explanation of the issues within the app. It could be a customer journey map, an empathy map, or report visualizing approaches/methods that suit best the type of audit or query context, as well as results that need to be visualized to serve the base for further discussions. A pre-made manual for enhancing the user experience is the UX audit following, which requires the next steps:

Carry out market analysis 

Market research is the first step in any app design process, including comprehensive makeovers. Your mobile app needs to offer a unique value since you are undoubtedly aiming for the top places of the store charts. Market research helps in focusing and discovering what products or services rivals are offering and how to outperform them.

Heuristic analysis

Ignoring the current interface is quite a big mistake. Instead, analyze the present app design while paying close attention to the user experience. A heuristic analysis is used to pinpoint a product’s typical usability problems so that they may be fixed, hence enhancing user pleasure and experience and enhancing the likelihood of a digital product’s overall success.

In a broad sense, heuristic analysis, which focuses on usability, is an evaluation technique where one or more specialists assess a digital product’s design against a set of predetermined design principles (often referred to as heuristics) and pinpoint any instances in which the product deviates from those principles. Check out our Instagram to see how we conducted the heuristic design analysis of the Sahseh app.

Analyze consumer comments  

Evaluation of user feedback is the third foundational element of app redesign research. This involves compiling reviews across social media, the App Store, and Google Play. Additionally, business owners frequently conduct customer surveys.

Determining design concepts

Practically nothing has changed with the strategy. Wireframing. Prototyping. Make sure the redesign concept accurately captures the new identity if your organization undergoes rebranding.

Step 2: Data Gathering and Analysis

Businesses naturally involve data analysts in redesigning to understand consumer behavior better and produce user-friendly and effective digital experiences. 

Let’s dispel a frequent misunderstanding before we examine how data analysts and UX/UI designers collaborate: data analysts can play a role at the beginning of a product life cycle. You may be wondering how a data analyst may be beneficial before there is a product for which to collect data, but data analysts are also charged with making sure that organizations are in accordance with the legislation regarding the collection of data. 

Creating a user experience that is both legal and data-rich can benefit from the assistance of data analysts. They can also be beneficial by providing information gleaned from comparable goods or experiences. In the end, every position on a development team can be helpful at any stage of the product life cycle.

User Research

To produce something that users would love, designers must first comprehend precisely what people want from their products. Data analysts can close the user-designer gap by researching what features users value and why. It’s crucial that designers understand what users like, dislike, and wish they could have.

Product Design

With knowledge of the users’ priorities, designers can develop, iterate, and enhance products while giving priority to the most pressing problems already in existence. Designers can build user-centric designs that are optimized for usability, engagement, and general satisfaction by using a data-driven approach.

Usability Testing

This process, which takes place after a product or feature is delivered, is comparable to user research. The main goal of usability testing is to gather information on user interactions and behaviors so that it is possible to evaluate a design’s effectiveness and efficiency. Usability testing is one of the numerous methods that designers employ, similar to the scientific approach, to be able to adapt products to satisfy the unique needs of their consumers. 

Step 3: Redesign Itself

After successfully passing all the previous stages, you may proceed to the redesign process itself to organize all the insights into the efficient design solution. Typography, colors, icons, illustrations, element style, and the relationships between them are all included in this. In other cases, it could also include completely redesigning entire screens or even sections of the product, which might mean removing some elements, renaming, or rewriting entire pages, among other things.

Visualizations for all product screens

When redesigning a product, a designer will:

• Build a dynamic prototype of the application to thoroughly assess the appearance of the application and the logic of interaction between elements;
• Test the prototype to find flaws and areas for improvement before the application is finally sent to developers;
• Create a wireframe that presents all the most crucial interface elements and describes how they should interact with one another.

UI Kit

A UI Kit is a collection of all the UI elements that make up the user interface of your product. UI Kit implementation helps to visualize the user’s interaction with the interface.

The use of UI Kits can streamline, unify, and integrate large projects. It is the primary design document of the project, utilized by designers and developers at every step of work on a project, and it enables you to rapidly and effectively produce each subsequent app component based on the sample of the preceding ones.

Step 4: Final Testing and Iterating Changes

The final stage is to extensively test the app before making it available to the public once you’ve made the necessary alterations in light of the findings of the usability testing. Product owners distribute the software to a few users in order to get feedback and spot any problems that still need to be fixed.

It’s crucial to include software developers in this phase’s testing and launch procedures. They can collaborate with the design team to make sure the app is created in accordance with high-fidelity prototypes and satisfies all necessary criteria. This entails performing technical tests to make sure the software is compatible with various hardware and coding frameworks and optimizing it for performance, security, and dependability. 

The effort doesn’t end once the app has launched. Through ongoing testing and user input, it’s critical to keep track of and enhance its performance. Make sure that the software satisfies user needs and offers a satisfying user experience by thoroughly testing and continuously enhancing it. Users may become more engaged and devoted as a result, which will ultimately help the app succeed.

Top Mistakes of App Redesign Process

Here we have created a list of the most important mistakes to avoid during the app redesign process based on our expertise:

No Budget for Development

The ability to more easily adapt design thinking to financial restrictions is made possible by learning the typical expenses associated with creating particular concepts. Budgets shouldn’t be seen as a source of aggravation but rather as a beneficial design restriction.

Slowly, Then Suddenly

Your team needs a lot of time to complete the task successfully. Setting a strict deadline may lead to unneeded pressure and subpar performance. Being realistic and persistent is crucial, even if your website relaunch date is just used for internal planning. Your team needs a lot of time to complete the task successfully. Setting a strict deadline may lead to unneeded pressure and subpar performance.

“I Just Need a Talented Designer“

A collaborative effort creates a remarkable product. Although developers may be the first role that comes to mind, the product team and the finished product can greatly benefit from graphic designers, UX designers, and UX researchers. Important customer insights regarding the intended users can be obtained through UX research. Usability testing is also important to remember. Prototyping and design workshops can enhance team collaboration and foster an agile atmosphere. They are excellent for settling issues as well.

Not Organizing Design Assets Into a Design System

A design system is a set of guidelines for managing design at scale by minimizing duplication and establishing a common visual language and simple style across many pages and channels. Great UX places a strong emphasis on simplicity. Many make the mistaken assumption that people desire all-inclusive, feature-rich apps that can perform any task. However, having too many options can cause indecision. 

Don’t Break What Already Works

Don’t assume that everything needs to be entirely rebuilt right away. Most of the time, you simply need to modify the application’s components that get in the way of reaching the desired results. Users want to feel safe and at ease while navigating, free from the fear of unintentionally performing undesirable actions.

Release for a Limited Audience

An excellent strategy is to personalize the app by limiting the features that are shown to a user to those that are relevant, hence limiting the options. However, don’t assume you know your TA well (that is without assumption basis and subjective experience and expertise, instead define findings/reasons/data to transform them into important actions), conduct research, and you may discover new findings about the people interested in your app you would never guess blindfolded.

Choosing the Wrong Strategy

A strategy’s lack of or improper construction raises questions about the outcome. Laying a foundation is similar to planning. Spend some time creating a detailed plan. An app needs to be designed with your business plan in mind in order to be profitable. Choosing the wrong redesign strategy that does not correlate with the available resources (for instance, revolutionary when you have many features) will make your redesign go wrong from the very beginning.

How Much Does It Cost to Redesign a Mobile App?

In addition to the technology stack you choose, which is one of the most important factors in determining the price of redesigning a mobile app, there are other elements that you must take into account. The numerous variables involved in an app’s complexity, which naturally affect the redesign, involve:

• the complexity of the UI kit (the kit size, the complexity of construction and interactivity of elements, animations);
• the chosen strategy;
• the skill level of the designer;
• the uniqueness of the mobile application (competitor research or best cases).

Another element is the redesign strategy, whether you choose an evolutionary or revolutionary approach. Selecting the composition of your development and design team also matters. Will you be working with an internal team, independent contractors, a consulting firm, a larger team, or a combination of these? A mobile app’s redesign price is influenced by who works on it and how they work, in addition to the app itself. Even the project participants’ locations must be taken into account.

Additionally, when giving you a cost estimate, software development, design, or mobile consulting companies may choose between two methods: time and material or fixed price. You must also take into consideration this option. The time and material method rarely produces a precise cost; instead, it is based on hourly wages and the length of time needed to rebuild your mobile app. On the other hand, a fixed price proposal will provide you with a cost estimate for the entire project based on the specified scope.

Final Tips for Conducting Redesign

The user experience should be fluid, and they shouldn’t have to struggle to figure out how the product functions. Know your target audience before you begin designing a mobile application. Developing lean personas and customer journey maps and doing user research can help you understand the target market when product redesign. The ideal experience can be made for your audience the better you understand them. Now here are more tips:

• Before you start designing, you need to form a true vision and desire for your final product. This will help the designer with the relevant options and accordingly optimize costs;
• Establish clear objectives and KPIs, conduct user research to obtain audience insights, and keep an eye on the market to ensure a seamless and professional redesign;
• Before launching a major overhaul, do some preparation. Consider the budget and timeframes, consult with stakeholders on the plans, and choose someone to bear the brunt of the process management on your behalf;
• Carry out analysis of client reviews, coding, testing, and release. Following the rollout, collect user feedback to determine whether you are heading in the correct direction;
• DON’T hard reset your current design. Many businesses view a makeover as a complete restart. If you intend to radically redesign its appearance, rearrange its structure, or add new screens. You can apply a lot of the lessons you learn from your consumers’ actions and interactions with your current app’s language as you design a new one.

The post How to Redesign an App — Complete Guide with Recommendations from Devlight appeared first on Devlight.

A leading mobile app development company – Devlight is dedicated to creating world-class mobile apps for world businesses. The CEO, Ihor Polych, pioneered the venture making it one of the most sought-after mobile app development companies in Ukraine.

GoodFirms – the world’s leading review and rating firm – exclusively interviewed Ihor Polych, the CEO of Devlight, to learn more about its incredible services.

Inception Story

Ihor Polych is the CEO of Devlight, a mobile app development company. Established in 2016, with the goal of making a positive impact on the world through technology. Its team size has grown to over 75 talented professionals.

The Ukraine-based company specializes in mobile app development, focusing on creating unique experiences for users. In just four years, it has become a leader in the Ukrainian market, with over 100 successful projects and more than 35 million app downloads.

Moreover, the CEO of Devlight, Ihor Polych, discussed his roles and responsibilities as the CEO. He said, “My role involves overseeing the company’s strategic direction, ensuring exceptional service delivery, and fostering a culture of excellence within our organization.”

In-House Business Model

Devlight follows an in-house business model by hiring highly skilled professionals.

The company’s aspirations are connected to work and providing tools and practices for their clients and partners to fully develop their potential.

How Devlight Stands Out?

The CEO thinks that the company differentiates itself from the competition with its client-centered approach and vast experience in developing large-scale mobile projects. Companies focus on quality user experience and selecting the right solutions.

“We know our clients well and work closely with them to deliver the best possible product. Our commitment to professionalism and company culture helps us sustain our competitive advantage in the long run,” said Ihor Polych, the CEO of Devlight.

Industries Served & Clients Ratio

Devlight caters to diverse industry sectors such as retail, e-commerce, fintech, healthcare, logistics, and loyalty programs.

The CEO said, “Our clients range from large banks to national and global industry leaders. Over 70% of Devlight’s clients are repetitive, which reflects the company’s commitment to providing high-quality development services and building long-lasting relationships with their clients.”

Services Provided To Clients

Devlight is approached by clients for a variety of services that they excel in. Their most sought-after services are:

• End-to-end mobile application development
• Software Project Discovery
• UI/UX design
• Project Transferring

These services are backed by their deep domain expertise and positive client experiences, making Devlight a trusted choice for businesses seeking complex and innovative tech solutions.

Client Satisfaction & Client Retention Ratio

The team at Devlight constantly interviews its clients at different stages of production to ensure they meet their client’s needs and requirements.

The CEO said, “More than 70% of our new customers come to us through our previous or current clients’ referrals, which is a testament to the quality of our work and customer satisfaction.”

Support Offered To Clients

Devlight offers a robust support system for its clients’ queries and issues. The CEO pointed out the key features of their support system, such as:

With this support system, the company ensures prompt assistance, effective communication, and a systematic approach to address its client needs throughout the project and beyond.

Monthly Billing Structure

Devlight’s payment structure is typically based on a monthly billing system. It provides detailed reports and invoices at the beginning of each month based on the time spent on the project. This allows for transparency and clarity in the billing process. 

On the minimum budget, the CEO said, “We don’t have a fixed minimum budget requirement for projects. Instead, we analyze the functionality and requirements of each project and offer different implementation options.”

In 2022, Devlight’s minimum project size had a price range starting from $25,000 and going up to $1 million.

The Future of Devlight 

While concluding the interview, the CEO, Ihor Polych, shared his understanding of how he sees the growth of Devlight in the next ten years.

“Our goal is to become the top mobile development company in the world, with a full product development cycle and offices in key locations such as the USA and UK,” Ihor said.

“We hope to continue to expand our team and reach 400 employees and to have achieved 100 million app downloads across all of our projects,” he concluded.

The detailed interview is available on GoodFirms.

About GoodFirms

Washington, D.C.-based GoodFirms is an innovative B2B Research and Reviews Company that extensively combs the market to find business services agencies amongst many other technology firms that offer the best services to their customers. GoodFirms’ extensive research process ranks the companies, boosts their online reputation, and helps service seekers pick the right technology partner that meets their business needs.

Author Bio: Ryan Allen is a content writer @ GoodFirms – a full-fledged research and review platform offering an excellent platform to all software and mobile app development to excel in their respective fields. He has a Master’s degree in Journalism and is an avid non-fiction reader.

The post Transforming User Experience: Devlight Sets the Standard appeared first on Devlight.

Hiring mobile app developers in Ukraine seems wise if you seek hard-working, profoundly educated, and enthusiastic employees. However, this is not just about the spark in the eyes. Over the years, Ukrainians have been rightly considered among the best players in the programming Olympics because of the tangible results they manage to provide. According to the 2021 research conducted by Hackerrank, Ukraine app developers show the best skills in cyber-security, mathematics, and distributed systems programming. Why is it important?

A relevant idea and a competent entry into the market are vital for the great start of any mobile app. But the key ingredient is a quality product. After all, even if the service meets the target audience’s needs and has no analogs, no one wants to use an application with bugs and long page loading. Development is the most important applied stage of work. And hiring a competent team is crucial for ensuring its stability.

Thus, let’s figure out why it is worth hiring app developers in Ukraine: what are their competencies, rates, and soft skills? We’ll delve into the statistics, consider geopolitical levers, and provide a detailed analysis of what the IT market in Ukraine has to offer the world.

Overview of the Ukrainian IT Market

According to the research conducted by IT Ukraine Association, the country has advantages in this market compared to its nearest competitors. Ukraine offers one of the largest labor markets in the world and the largest number of graduates with IT specialization. At the same time, Ukraine has 2-4 times fewer specialists in this field per 100,000 population than competitors. And this means there is a potential for employment growth in this area.

Official data also evidence the IT market size: according to the State Statistics Service, about 8,200 legal entities work registered under the SICCs of “IT” (Standard Industrial Classification Code) in Ukraine. The study’s authors cite the following figure: 5,000 IT companies are active in the Ukrainian labor market.

The export of IT services from Ukraine grows by an average of 27% yearly, and this volume has doubled in the last four years. The main drivers of this growth are the USA (39% of exports) and Great Britain (10%), which hire developers in Ukraine the most often. The number of IT specialists in Ukraine is growing significantly due to the high demand for such qualifications. Working with IT specialists as individual proprietors is the most popular model of interaction in the Ukrainian market due to the Simplified tax system offered to entrepreneurs by the government. The IT industry also actively attracts young people: 80% of IT company employees are aged 18 to 32.

According to the 2022 data:

• The labor market in Ukraine is quite fragmented, as evidenced by the differences in the level of remuneration for the same positions.
• Project Managers’ income varies little by region. The salaries of other specialists in the capital are expected to be higher than average.
• Regions with a level of remuneration lower than the average Ukrainian are economically more attractive for opening offices or branches.

If we look at specific numbers:

• 87% of app development companies in Ukraine review salaries once a year and plan to do the same in the future.
• Months when Ukrainian IT companies review salaries most often: April and October.
• Typical percentage of salary budget growth: 8.5%.

If we talk about how exactly IT companies cooperate with IT specialists:

• 5% of companies consist of full-time employees only.
• 9% use various forms of cooperation, including individual proprietors.
• 86% mainly cooperate with individual proprietors.

Why Hire Ukrainian Mobile App Developers?

Ukrainian developers are a strong brand in the world market. It is customary to associate their high demand with increased work capacity and diligence. But this is far from the main factor that makes them one of the best.

Much more specialists work in China and India, with no less zeal. In fact, the main advantage of Ukrainian engineers is the price/quality ratio. This argument is the first one cited by IT entrepreneurs when listing the advantages of hiring Ukraine app developers. At the same time, “quality” in this connection is provided by strong hard skills. Here are the benefits of hiring app developers in Ukraine:

1. High Level of Knowledge

First of all, Ukrainian specialists understand that to be competitive in the international IT market, they must be highly qualified. They are not limited to learning a single coding language. Knowledge of at least three languages is common among Ukrainian coders. Of course, they have experience with more than two frameworks.

Ukrainian IT specialists can improve their skills and gain practical experience rather than just theoretical knowledge and diplomas upon completing their BC. So, when you decide to entrust your task to a Ukrainian team or a single specialist, you will likely find specialists with the necessary skills and experience.

2. Flexibility

Ukrainians are familiar with negotiations and are ready to agree on a different hourly cost than initially requested. Or, they can negotiate working hours. You get the idea. Suppose you compare the negotiation process with specialists from European or American countries and those from Ukraine. In that case, you will notice that the latter are open to discussions and can accept the terms you consider essential for your business.

3. English Proficiency

You may think Ukrainians are great, but it will be too complicated to communicate with them and understand each other. The truth is that English has been a compulsory subject in primary school for over 20 years already. Thus, most Ukrainians have at least a good understanding of English and can communicate freely in writing. Those who have decided to build their career in app development companies in Ukraine have certainly taken English courses and have at least an intermediate or higher level, so there will be no difficulty in understanding each other.

4. Time Zones Don’t Matter

Yes, Ukraine is in a different time zone than the Americas. However, some working hours overlap. Also, if you plan to hire developers in Ukraine, you can be sure they will try to adapt their schedules to be present during meetings and video calls. Thus, there will be no problem with an employee missing due to jet lag. As we mentioned, Ukrainians are really flexible. If they agree to work for an American or European company, they understand that this means adapting their working hours to the working hours in these countries.

5. Affordable Pricing

Compared to recruiting Americans or Western Europeans for the same position, hiring software developers in Ukraine is more cost-effective when done through outstaffing or dedicated software development teams. Ukrainian programmers typically charge between $25 and $80 per hour, depending on their experience, qualifications, level of English language, and other factors.

6. Simplified Scaling

An outsourcing firm can assist you in scaling the workforce fast if you need to do so during the development phase.

7. Global Acceptance

Numerous international rankings for the IT sector place Ukraine at the top. For instance, Ukraine is ranked top in the Eastern European outsourcing market rating and the Science & Technology category of The Good Country Index. In addition, numerous major IT companies, including Microsoft, Oracle, Huawei, and Samsung, have opened R&D facilities here.

8. A Big Tech Scene

The Agile Eastern Europe Conference, Lviv IT Arena, and DEV Challenge, three of the biggest IT events in Europe, are routinely held in Ukraine. Additionally, numerous IT groups and clusters regularly host conferences and meetups.

9. Various Development Specialties

Modern technologies, including but not limited to JavaScript, Node.js, Python, Ruby, and PHP, are well-understood by Ukrainian developers. They are also knowledgeable on IoT, VR/AR, and AI (Artificial Intelligence) (Internet of Things). That is why tech-focused firms typically choose Ukraine as their outsourcing destination when searching for a certain skill set.

10.  Taking the Protection of Intellectual Property Seriously

An NDA must often be signed before working with a Ukrainian company to safeguard the privacy of any sensitive information you give during the course of the project. Later on, your project will adhere to international security standards like ISO, HIPAA, or PCI. You may also rely on Ukrainian software developers to keep you inside the law.

11.  Cultural Fit

Most Ukrainian coders share Western culture and values, are outgoing and open-minded, and have a strong work ethic. Their love of technology plays a major role in their decision to pursue a career in the IT industry. They are also motivated and diligent workers.

12. Strategic Location and Convenient Travel 

CEE is practical due to its strategic location, which makes travel from many nations easy. Of course, given the many flight cancellations brought on by the russian invasion, visiting Ukraine at the time is not advised and frequently impossible.

Ukrainian Mobile App Developers’ Profile

In start of 2022, Ukraine was reported to have around 329,000 software developers and IT specialists. 71% of them were men, while the median age of a Ukrainian IT worker was 31 years old. Additionally, 46% of these professionals were software engineers, 17% were QA engineers, 8% — were IT managers, and the rest worked in other roles. Here are some more specific insights on Ukraine app developers:

• Age

The median age of an IT specialist, as of a year ago, is 29 years (28 years in 2020). Technical specialists are slightly older than non-technical specialists (29 vs. 28). 

• Location

Most IT specialists come from Kyiv (26% of respondents live here now, 44% a year ago) and Kharkiv (2% of IT specialists versus 13% a year ago). After the full-scale invasion of russia, many app developers in Ukraine decided to move. They primarily chose Lviv and the region for this (19% of respondents live here now, compared to 14% a year ago).

Those who moved abroad most often stayed in Poland (4% of IT professionals), Germany, Spain, and Portugal (about 1% in each country). Most of those who went abroad plan to return — 61% of those who are not currently in Ukraine said so. Most often, they plan to return after the end of the war (38%). 14% of those who left do not think of returning.

• Sex

The share of women in Ukrainian IT did not change during the year — 23%. 17% of technical specialists are women (16% a year ago), and 64% are non-technical specialists. 

• Positions

Developers remain the largest survey group, with their responses accounting for 50% of all questionnaires. 17% of questionnaires were filled out by testers, 7% by project management specialists, and 5% by HR. Technical specialists make up 87% of those who took part in the survey, and non-technical (HR, designers, marketing, sales, support, Customer Success, and Technical Writers) — 13%.

• Titles

If you decide to hire developers in Ukraine, you should rest assured about the balance existing on the market in terms of title distribution. Most often, the experts interviewed have the titles Middle (35%) and Senior (26%). Juniors make up 16% of all Haitians. Interns represent only 1%. Most beginners at the Intern and Junior level are HTML coders (45%), Data Science (27%), Game Developers (25%), Analysts (24%), and Testers (23%).

Pros and Cons of Software Outsourcing in Ukraine in 2023

Outsourcing in the Ukrainian field allows foreign companies greater flexibility and optimization of their costs but also benefits from the services of talented engineers. So, let’s reconsider why Ukraine is recognized today as a country of IT opportunities.

• A talent pool. According to the forecasts, by the end of 2022, the industry will generate USD 7.1 billion and 2.2% growth in the volume of exports relative to 2021. The IT development community currently employs more than 329,000 specialists.
• Innovative and conducive IT clusters. Ukraine hosts 110 R&D centers for global tech giants such as Microsoft, Samsung Electronics, Apple, Skype, IBM, Boeing, Ericsson, Siemens, Oracle, Magento, and Wargaming.
• Miscellaneous Skills. Ukraine has over a thousand IT companies offering “classic” development services (web, mobile, UI/UX design) but also services on complex subjects such as Data Science or Artificial Intelligence.
• Knowledge of English. 80% of Ukraine app developers are proficient in English at an intermediate or advanced level.
• An advantageous tax system. Tax rates in Ukraine are much lower than in European countries: employer charges are between 5% and 22%, while personal income tax is between 5% and 19%.

Now, let’s consider some cons:

• Power outages. It is no secret that since russia invaded Ukraine on a full scale in February 2022, all Ukrainians have experienced severe problems with accessing a stable mobile connection, Wi-Fi, heating, and even water. People relocate inside the country and do their best to perform the tasks assigned, but with the uncontrollable missile attacks every few weeks, working consistently gets harder and harder.
• Possible mobilization. The government offers six-month-long military ID protection for local specialists. The Armed Forces of Ukraine understand the vitality of the IT segment of Ukraine’s economy, so they try to stay away from the developers and let them earn money to provide for the whole country, yet there are no guarantees at times like these.
• Relocation costs and refugee payments. If you decide to hire developers in Ukraine who are women and can move abroad, you will need to cover their commuting costs, basic living expenses, and apartment initially. If you cooperate with a male developer who has moved abroad but whose family remains in Ukraine, it would be logical to let him reunite with the family and cover the expenses for transferring the spouse and/or kids abroad. Of course, given the rates for developing services that are considerably lower in Ukraine, this won’t cost a fortune. But, the human factor now plays a big role in cooperating with Ukrainian employees.

Hiring a Team of App Developers in Ukraine: Terms and Options

It can appear that working with a vendor is more difficult than employing a freelancer and that doing so will relieve you of all responsibility. However, it is not always the case. Finding the ideal candidate shouldn’t seem quick and simple; the hiring process for software engineers can take anywhere from 3 weeks or more for junior experts to 6 weeks or more for seniors.

Hire a reputable app development company rather than a single developer if you need to meet a tight deadline or simply need a dependable provider. The advantages outsourcing provide are as follows:

• A large talent pool;
• Risk reduction;
• Streamlined scaling.

It is wise to let a software development team handle the hiring process. It not only saves time but is also economical. Let’s examine the price of outsourcing to Ukraine in more detail.

App Developers in Ukraine: Rates

One of the most important factors to take into account when selecting a software vendor is the project development cost. Ukraine is one of the most well-liked locations for software development because of its affordable rates for software professionals. Let’s investigate the statistics.

In the US, the hourly rate for a skilled developer ranges from $100 to $150. The hourly fee for hiring specialized developers in Eastern Europe will be more affordable without sacrificing the quality of the finished project. In Ukraine, wages per hour range from $25 to $80. If you have a limited budget, a cost-effective chance like this one is very appealing.

The exact rates of Ukrainian developers will be largely influenced by their area of specialization, technology, and level of experience, just like anywhere else in the world. We’ve created a table listing roles and associated rate breakdowns so you can get an idea of potential pricing of Ukrainian mobile developers in particular:

Here are some specific numbers:

• iOS developers

A few apparent trends include an increase in the wage gap between junior and senior roles in technologies like Objective-C. Junior iOS developers often earn around $950 per month from Ukrainian IT companies, while senior iOS developers can earn up to $4,000.

• Android developers

Salaries for Java Android developers would be a little bit less. The monthly take-home pay for Junior is about $950. Middle-level Java Android developers make up to $1,300, and senior developers often want $4,000.

• Flutter developers

Specialists with experience with this framework are in high demand among numerous firms as a result of its rising popularity. A Flutter developer in Ukraine earns $36,565 per year.

Salary satisfaction is also related to the intention to change jobs: 51% of those who are not satisfied with their salary plan to change jobs this year, compared to 7% among those who are satisfied.

Hiring Model

Development companies in Ukraine offer the same hiring models as IT entities around the world:

• Monthly Contract. If you have a small project requiring quick implementation, we will select the appropriate specialists to implement all the tasks effectively:

1. Part-time and full-time engagement;
2. Monthly billing;
3. Pay only for completed tasks;
4. Dedicated team.

• Fixed Price Contract. This model is suitable for large projects requiring the development and maintenance of functionality. We can sign a contract for any necessary period of time:

1. No hidden fees;
2. Clear deadlines and budget;
3. A wide range of services;
4. Enhanced communications.

• Hourly Rate Model. This type of collaboration serves the purpose of undefined projects or companies seeking long-term partnerships. You only pay for the hours worked by the developer:

1. No hidden fees;
2. Part-time and full-time engagement;
3. Monthly billing;
4. Pay only for completed tasks.

Legal Aspects Of Mobile App Developers

A company that wishes to hire Ukrainian developers typically works with a vendor, which, in turn, offers to sign the three following papers to secure the client’s data:

• Document detailing software requirements. Includes the software’s functional and non-functional specifications. Explains the software’s development process and intended use;
• Confidentiality Agreement. The contract that was signed between the customer and the vendor was designed to safeguard private information shared during commercial transactions;
• Work Statement. This document explains the specifics of the collaboration, including payment procedures and schedules.

As you can see, it is simple and well-established to hire software engineers in Ukraine because local businesses have a wealth of knowledge from working with Western businesses. To ensure convenient cooperation, the majority of Ukrainian organizations align their business practices with those used widely in other nations. Because your software development partner will take care of the legal issues, you can hire professionals in Ukraine without worrying.

10 Steps to Hire Top Mobile App Developers in Ukraine

Putting together a development team that creates value can be difficult, but it’s simple to become lost in the prospects the Ukrainian IT sector offers. Here we outline the best way to hire app development companies in Ukraine in the step-by-step instructions:

Step 1: Select a service category

Choosing the engagement model that best suits the objectives of your project is the first step in hiring Ukrainian developers. There are three choices available:

• outstaffing (hire developers in Ukraine to expand your internal IT team);
• bringing on a dedicated Ukrainian development team (useful if you start a mobile software project from scratch);
• outsourcing software development (contracting a team under a Fixed pricing model, Time and Material (T&M) model, or dedicated development contracts).

Step 2: Compile a vendor list

Once you’ve chosen a service category, start looking up reputable sites like Clutch or GoodFirms to compare businesses based on factors like size, location, specialization, hourly pricing, and client reviews. Try asking your partners and coworkers for recommendations. Following that, make a shortlist of 5–10 providers you believe would be a good fit for your project.

Step 3: Assess the chosen vendors

You now need to research the information on the websites of the app development companies in Ukraine you’ve narrowed down to find out what technology their teams have the most expertise in and what reputable projects they have under their belt.

Step 4. Make a list of questions

It’s time to contact the vendors you’ve narrowed down. In your email, you may ask them about their fees and how they handle private information. Additionally, you might request that a vendor sign an NDA before disclosing any details about your project.

Step 5: Express the details of your project

Once you obtain their responses, it is time to make calls and chat with the vendors who made the shortlist. Your outsourcing provider becomes a valued partner and invests in expanding your business when it shares your purpose and project vision.

Step 6: Request a preliminary cost estimate

Ask the app development companies in Ukraine you’ve shortlisted to prepare rough estimates or include a pricing range before going too far. Ask about any potential future hidden expenses as well.

Step 7: Select an engagement strategy

For collaboration to be successful, it is essential to share a project’s goal, go through all the details, and agree on the project’s parameters. But another factor is still equally crucial: picking an engagement model (e.g., fixed price, T&M, or a dedicated team). This decision will impact your final project budget.

Step 8: Select a supplier

Consider the vendor’s communication style and the information you’ve gathered (such as the tech stack, projections, and engagement models).

Step 9. Legal considerations

Each and every reliable Ukrainian software development company operates lawfully. Therefore, after selecting a vendor, you must sign a contract and decide on a payment schedule in accordance with the engagement model.

Step 10: Gather your team and start working

It’s time to get to know your team once everything has been set. Establish your priorities and reach an understanding regarding the working procedure, meeting timetable, deliverables, and other crucial issues. Build your ideal software by monitoring the project’s progress, considering the suggestions of your app developers in Ukraine, and making decisions.

Success Stories of Hiring Ukrainian Developers with Devlight

The portfolio of Ukrainian development studios includes dozens of successful projects: from small mobile applications and high-level desktop, console and mobile games to websites and sophisticated codes using API and artificial intelligence. Ukrainian developers have a competitive advantage in the global development market and have a high chance of becoming leaders in this niche. And, of course, the cost of their services will become higher. Why waste your time? Now you can outsource professional development services at competitive rates. Thus, there are many successful cases of hiring developers from Ukraine, but we at Devlight want to share a few of our own.

• Sense Bank

Sense Bank is one of the largest Ukrainian banks with the international capital. According to the National Bank of Ukraine, as of January 1, 2022, the Bank kept top positions across all banking market segments, was named as one of the most stable and trusted banks in Ukraine, was in the TOP-10 list by the amount of assets, was designated as one of the systemically important banks of Ukraine.

Sense Bank became part of the Power Banking joint banking network, which was created at the initiative of the National Bank of Ukraine. This means that 74 critical branches of Sense Bank will work even in conditions of a prolonged blackout. All of them are provided with alternative energy sources and backup communication channels.

The first request was to conduct a series of consultations to develop a super app for digital banking. The company has its own in-house team, but due to the rapid growth of the company, the development does not have time. To address this task, the company decided to hire app developers in Ukraine.

• Nova Poshta

Nova Poshta, the largest Ukrainian international group of logistics companies, is the leader of express delivery in terms of the volume of delivered parcels in Ukraine, with a chain of more than 10 000 branches. The company, founded in 2001, has provided businesses and individuals with a full range of logistics and related services.  The daily record for the number of shipments was set in December 2021, when Nova Poshta delivered 1.8 million shipments per day. According to Nova Poshta, the company delivered 113 million parcels and cargo in 6 months of 2022.

With the growth of the e-commerce market in the form of large retailers represented by online stores and marketplaces for small and medium-sized businesses. Although the business has an internal staff, it lacks time for development because of its rapid growth and the expansion of its offerings and geographic reach. According to the reviews, the Ukrainian team established a friendly working atmosphere despite the time difference.

Potential Risks of Hiring Mobile App Developers in Ukraine

Ukraine has strict labor laws. Regulations favor employees, which means that the focus is on employee well-being rather than business growth. You need a strong fixed-term or permanent employment contract in the local language to hire developers in Ukraine. Legally, the contract must include certain employment-related information and terms, including:

• Employee and employer names;
• Workplace;
• Job details and start date;
• Remuneration methods;
• Working hours;
• Holidays;
• Social Security;
• Occupational Risk Protection.

Nevertheless, the biggest change that has happened to app developers in Ukraine because of the war is relocation. 64% of those surveyed were forced to move because of the war, but 24% had already returned to where they lived before the full-scale invasion began. 40% of Ukrainian Haitians are in places of relocation: 27% in Ukraine and 13% abroad. But in addition to moving, there were other changes.

Approximately 1% of the interviewed Haitians are mobilized. Surveys may not capture the full extent of mobilization and job loss among IT professionals, as these professionals may not be able or motivated to respond. However, the obtained figures show that such changes affected some of the Ukraine app developers.

Consider Hiring Devlight as One of the Most Trusted App Development Companies in Ukraine 

If you’ve already made the decision to work with Ukrainian software developers, your next move should be to identify a reliable tech partner. Pay close attention to an outsourcing provider’s knowledge, experience, client testimonials, and completed projects while deciding. Devlight is a wonderful and reliable choice. What makes us one of the most experienced app development companies in Ukraine?

• We are a mobile app engineering company that has been in business since 2016 and produces top-notch apps for big names in the market. We currently work with the top 100 firms according to Forbes to create digital category leaders;
• Having more than 6 years of experience developing mobile apps, 35 million installs, and more than 100 completed projects, we have cases of working with media and market Giants — our portfolio of 100+ projects includes cooperation with Sense bank, Nova Poshta, Visa, Vodafone, Tailor Brands, and Movinga; 
• Devlight has been recognized as one of the top app developers in Ukraine by Clutch.co, an independent research company based in Washington. Clutch.co is known for identifying the leading software and professional services firms that provide outstanding results for their clients. Using the Leaders Matrix methodology, Clutch.co has mapped the capabilities of top B2B service companies, and Devlight has achieved the highest rankings based on various criteria, including the company’s experience, market client list, industry recognition, and client reference interviews.
• We are among GitHub top contributors, with more than 13 thousand reviews and thousands of network members. Thanks to open-source solutions, we contribute to the development of the mobile development industry and, accordingly, receive good reviews, as evidenced by 13k stars. Our open-source solutions were among the top libraries of the world rating in GiftHub;

• Devlight is proud to be recognized by GoodFirms as Top Mobile App Development Company in Ukraine. Our team’s dedication to delivering high-quality mobile app solutions has helped us achieve this recognition. We strive to continue providing exceptional services to our clients and be a top contender in the app development industry.
• Devlight has its own Mobile App Development School — we launched a project where we taught people how to code on Android. Our graduates show a high employment rate. This is how we contribute to the development of the IT community of app developers in Ukraine, further develop the talent pool.
• Devlight is thrilled to be recognized as one of the Top Mobile App Development Companies in Ukraine by DesignRush. Our team of skilled professionals takes great pride in delivering exceptional mobile app solutions to clients worldwide. Our commitment to quality and user-centric approach has set us apart in the industry. Check Devlight Profile on DesignRush to learn more about our expertise and experience in mobile app development.
• Devlight is delighted to announce that we have been featured on the prestigious platform, TopDevelopers.co. We are listed among the leading mobile app development companies in Ukraine, a testament to our commitment to excellence.

The post Hire Top-Rated App Developers in Ukraine: Devlight’s Competitive Advantage appeared first on Devlight.

There can be multiple reasons for a project vendor switch: the app has matured to significant improvements, or the MVP didn’t live up to the client’s expectations. Many cases result in a software transition plan, creating conditions in which technical support and development of the project have become the most popular service of mobile and web development studios. 

Relay races with the transfer of the project from one team to another have not yet become firmly established in everyday life. Many companies would rather choose to stick to the same development supplier because of the risks that creating a stable knowledge transition plan for software projects imposes. However, we are here to prove that even the most complicated solutions can be implemented seamlessly if you pay attention to detail. 

Why Do You Need an Established Application Transition Plan?

Sometimes, the old manager leaves the project, and you start noticing that the dev team went off the beaten track. Alternatively, working with the old team may become too expensive for the client and force them to look for a cheaper option. 

The question “Why did you part ways with the previous vendor?” is always the first one we ask when we start developing an IT project transition plan. Nevertheless, there can be multiple reasons for this, and the human factor is far from being the most important.

Buggy application and negative feedback from users

This situation arises when your application relies on technology that is not keeping up with the times, either unintentionally or on purpose. The publisher may, in fact, decide not to release new updates to its technology for various reasons. Of course, this is a solid reason to start searching for another vendor.

Unmotivated delays on releases

The previous contractor may not be meeting important deadlines. Is their lack of necessary competencies clear? Remember: missing deadlines is an important reason for coming up with a software transition plan checklist. Of course, switching to a new vendor doesn’t mean rebuilding the app from scratch. Despite requiring immediate, unforeseen solutions, switching saves you much more in the long term.

No dynamics and lack of efficiency

You will likely be faced with a frozen application if your dev team shows no consistency in their progress. The efficient separation of roles and responsibilities is crucial for dynamic development. If you notice tremendous irrationalities in how the software team’s work is arranged, you should consider moving to another architecture. An IT project transition plan template will allow your app to evolve. 

No sufficient communication

What do you want as a client? In addition to advancing your competitors, be sure to meet your users’ expectations. If your application no longer resembles the initial plan, you feel frustrated because of the lack of communication, and correcting each minor error takes ages — you should switch the vendor. 

Distorted focus

Indeed, an IT transition plan is also an opportunity to clean up or enrich an application or to reformulate its evolving needs. In a computer development project, it is estimated that almost half of the desired functionalities are never used. Using the Agile methodology in your projects allows you to focus first on the most important features and limit this percentage.

Slowing down the scaling process

This can quickly become problematic because your application, developed at a given time on a certain version of the technology used, risks falling behind if the updates are no longer installed. This risk is all the greater if your application uses peripherals that would continue to benefit from new updates. It could end up not supporting them anymore, and the scaling will become even harder over time.

Exceeding budget and deadlines

Several factors directly impact the development costs. Evolutions that make any maintenance operation laborious, the economic situation, new technology used, or bug accumulation cause going over budget. The vendor should feel free to reconsider the initial budget, but the procedure should be clear and within the legal terms of the contract. 

Lack of automatization

Tools like Jira and Confluence allow you to follow the development process and see each feature’s progress in real-time. If your company keeps everything behind closed doors and you often feel a lack of transparency — do not settle for less. It’s time to move on. 

Lack of tech documentation and requirements

A code or application audit will help us see more clearly and let you determine the aspects where your software can evolve or if it will be necessary to restart everything. However, the old vendor should be ready to cooperate as sometimes the knowledge transition plan for software projects is bound to people. Responsible documentation handling should always result in a clear SDLC process.

Challenges in Switching the Vendor: Overcome Them With a Reliable Application Transition Plan

Even a minor refinement, in the form of the remaining 15%, results in huge expenses not provided for by the original budget. If the previous contractor completed only half of the work, it would most likely be more profitable to start from scratch. Sometimes, dealing with the legacy of a previous developer can be much more time-consuming and difficult than starting over with an IT project transition plan template. What other challenges might you face?

The Current Vendor Denies to Cooperate During the Software Transition Plan

If a manager introduces people to someone else’s team, it’s worth finding out if it’s a product team or freelancers. We noticed that freelancers do not have the habit of working according to corporate principles. They very rarely hold on to the product with their heart and soul. They just make money and have no interest in the release’s success. 

Previous vendors may also sabotage the project transfer because a software transition plan is a painful procedure for their ego. In the worst case, they won’t share all the necessary documents, and we will have to carry out most audits by ourselves. However, this is not the end of the world.

How to check the vendor for quality (professionalism, seniority, and maturity)

The search for a contractor must be approached thoroughly, and especially if you do not have much experience in dealing with IT companies, the main thing to focus on is interviews with performers and management. It is important to understand how transparent the project management processes are in the company and how well-established their methodology is. Talk to them to get a better idea of what it will be like to work with this IT company. You can also study any IT project transition plan template to have a better understanding.

Here are four aspects that define software development quality:

• Vendor’s professionalism — A responsible approach with attention to detail should be seen in everything, starting from the offered solutions to documentation.
• Team seniority — Choose development companies that are able to retain talent and take care of their employees. The team consisting of senior developers, business analytics, and designers is a good sign.
• Software company’s maturity — The product is constantly evolving, taking into account user feedback. The vendor keeps track of all processes and carries out detailed measures to ensure them.
• Vendor’s experience — Has the company dealt with the same/similar projects before? How successful were these cooperation cases?

Very often, an IT project transition plan opens up a new look at your product and can ultimately solve the accumulated problems by bringing your project to a fundamentally higher level. 

Agreed SLA

SLA (Service Level Agreement) is a document that regulates the working relationship between the client and support. It describes the situation in which this document was required, the amount of support (number of hours per month), roles on the project, response time depending on the status of the task (critical, urgent, normal), what the result of the response will be, as well as how it is planned and the terms for paid time for the project manager, developer, tester, analyst and designer.

SLA work is the result of negotiations. So, taking over a project means new discussions based on the current conditions. Every development team is free to define its comfortable format of cooperation. Thus, the SLA will differ from one vendor to another, but such things cannot be left in the form of an oral agreement.

Users shouldn’t notice the switch to another vendor

If your goal is to serve the end user and make them more productive, integration is a no-brainer. Today, it is often said that employees are “timeless.” And, because the software market is so saturated, users are bound to have high expectations. 

An IT transition plan should take this into account and create the base for a smooth transition. Finally, after you exchange the development process for a tangibly more qualitative provider, a new company will take care of the previous bugs, thus making the user experience even better.

Challenges in Switching the Vendor: Overcome Them With a Reliable Application Transition Plan

Building a new web of audits and human connections is difficult. Thus, an application transition plan requires maximum cooperation between the client, the previous software team and the new software team. Of course, we won’t do everything from scratch, but to know where to start, Devlight carries out a few important audits as well as analyzes the current workflow.

Documentation, access, and communication channels brief

The longer a team works on a project, the more it covers functionality with good code. At first, these are partial edits, but over time, this code covers the entire project. Of course, can be painful to hand over your masterpiece to another vendor. The team may not agree with this, but evidence is needed.

The acceptance test document, which includes all the functionality and bugs, will be used to analyze the current situation and determine the success of the project. Both the client and the performer are responsible for it, so they should take care of each other’s time and effort. A brief can be used as insurance against counterproductive showdowns on the topic “Is this specific bug new or inherited?”

Even Google Docs can be used for bug documentation: attach photos or videos and describe the actions step by step and what they lead to. Problems should be described as specifically as possible. Some of the bugs may be less critical than others. Whether we should fix them now or wait — it’s up to the client. 

Finally, let’s not forget the IT transition plan is also an analysis of the reasons for the transfer of the project (inability to fulfil the strategy, poor understanding of the requirements, etc). We usually ask the client for their point of view to avoid possible miscommunications in future cooperation.

Knowledge transfer 

Sooner or later, everyone has to accept the knowledge transition plan for software projects. In order to do this effectively with minimum risk for the client/project, we recommend following the scheme above, created and perfected by dozens of successful Devlight cases.

Of course, modern development frameworks are extremely helpful in project management, and in general, all the ceremonials and roles in the team are known, but there is always room for improvement, so it’s better to understand the team’s activities from beginning to end when designing an application transition plan.

It is worth noting that it is best to conduct KT when it is possible to keep 2 teams in parallel so that new employees gradually join the development process, deal with system configuration, and process systems together with knowledge holders. For example, using JIRA, which helps us deal with the life cycle of a defect, requires knowing many details of the previous workflow. Nevertheless, this step is often skipped.

Code Audit as a Part of Software Transition Plan

Knowledge transfer, mentioned earlier, does not reveal all the problems of the project. To fully comprehend the code, the team needs to start coding. The code review should result in developers saying: “OK, we know what to do and how to handle the project further.” But implementing new features and dealing with dependencies is another story.

If the performance of your current contractor raises questions, it is best to seek an audit from a third party. A professional view from the outside will allow you to assess the situation and find the least costly way to solve the problem. The Devlight code review means the customer receives a specific list of what needs to be fixed. Even if they later decide to choose another vendor, they can use this document, which summarises what is wrong with security, scaling and other aspects.

Design audit

We conduct interface audits according to the same principles as we develop the design: feasibility, reliability, convenience, and acceptance. You can call them the four qualities of the interface. During development, we create these qualities, and during the audit, we check them.

The interface should allow the user to perform their basic tasks. This doesn’t just apply to buttons — scripts may not work either. At the same time, we check if the interface allows scenarios to be passed in alternative ways. The principle of convenience helps to evaluate how effective the patterns the designer has chosen are — in other words, how quickly the user solves problems. We then attach the screenshots to your IT project transition plan template.

Finally, can we discuss the UI? Yes, but we that’s not all we focus on. Everything influences the perception: understandable texts, brand voice, animations, illustrations and the number of menu items — each element works to ensure that the interface establishes a positive relationship with the user.

QA audit

QA helps us assess how much the IT transition plan client is potentially losing based on Firebase analysis. Firebase is Google’s mobile app development platform that provides state-of-the-art features for developing, repackaging, and enhancing apps. Firebase is, at its core, a set of tools that developers can use to create and modify applications based on their needs. The goal of Firebase is to solve three main problems for developers:

• Quickly create an application
• Issue and provide robust health monitoring
• Engage users

Some of the most popular features of the Google Firebase platform include databases, authentication, push notifications, analytics and file storage. We analyse these features and more as part of an IT project transition plan.

Analytic analysis of the product

As a code review is based on the technical side, the marketing department deals with measuring app performance in terms of user efficiency. Analysing the business model and product processes must get us answers to key questions:

• Who is this product for?
• What is its central service?
• What is its priority functionality, and how is this priority supported?

Perhaps the client has been moving in the wrong direction with their old team. The task of another vendor is to find the right path, believe in this path and convey this confidence to the client.

Software Transition Plan Demo + Conclusion 

The more entropy in the project, the longer drawing a software transition plan checklist will take. Our practice shows that it can last from a week to a month. This is enough time to understand the nuances of the code and study the architecture and technologies. In the result, we summarize our analysis and make up a short budget conclusion: 

• Everything is ok, so the client has to pay just for a few new features;
• We cover the technical gap (in case there are too many product bugs to start immediate work)
• The final option is to rewrite the code from scratch

Although the client wants to know the exact terms and plans, any IT transition plan should start from the stage: “let’s figure it out first, let’s see how things work there.” Meetings should be very frequent at each stage.

How Our Team Creates Software Transition Plans That Work

Regardless of the reason why the project is going to other hands, the new team is expected to be rescued. The job of the manager is to set the frame for the whole team’s cooperation: talk, ask, answer, and explain.

Once the client understands your goals, we make sure to measure their success in achieving them by setting appropriate key metrics. The stated goal reflects the intended result. At the same time, we need some kind of benchmark to assess the success of achieving this result. This is why we set SMART goals. SMART goal setting provides clear and measurable indicators of success that can be easily identified at the end of the project, describing to what extent these goals have been achieved.

The Devlight software transition plan checklist also contains the next questions for the client:

• “What did you not like about the old team, and what did you like?”
• “What are your plans for the project?”
• “What audits/briefs/documents can you provide?”

After that, the manager and the client agree on the time that the team will devote to getting to know the code. A week, two weeks, or a month — the term depends on the size of the project. Sometimes we can refuse to review the code if we plan to rewrite it fully. Partial refactoring acts as a lifeline, which will simplify and reduce the cost of development in the future.

We will start working on the acceptance document after the software transition plan contract is concluded. It describes the project, its functionality, and its bugs. The acceptance document will insure the new team from liability for problems left after the previous team and save time and nerves for all project participants.

We make sure to arrange the knowledge transition plan for software projects according to SLA, determining the arising tasks according to the degree of criticality, response time and required result. Devlight understands that it is necessary to predict the timing, taking into account possible risks that the client should be aware of.

Project Transfer Blockers

Changing a contractor when developing an IT product (whether it’s a mobile application, website development, desktop application, or customization of a ready-made solution for yourself) is always painful. Clients want to avoid it with all their might. Why? Because specific pitfalls accompany the whole application transition plan process. 

Occuring budget override

Implementation of a knowledge transition plan for software projects costs money. Whether you’re hiring freelancers to write content or a catering service provider to host an event, you’ll likely need to spend a certain amount of money.

Since you have already identified the goals and stakeholders in the project plan, this information can be used for budgeting. For example, if this project involves multiple departments, will the costs of the project be shared among them? If you have a certain measure of success, such as the number of participants in an event or the number of new users, is your estimated budget capable of meeting that measure?

Creating a budget during the IT project transition plan (before you start any spending) will ensure that the financial side of the contract is fully agreed upon. Devlight will take over the entire setup of the process and show you all the materials — audits, artefacts and documentation. 

The slowdown of the release process 

Clients don’t want to wait a long time for the next releases, but following the software transition plan checklist is essential for preparing the project release. Without a stable new base and correction implementation now, the project won’t be able to scale. As a solution, we may set a lower price of ownership — fix less and spend less time on refinement or support. This will result in a new revenue stream.

The boundary against client dissatisfaction is again drawn in the SLA: we determine the response time to client requests in advance. This way, we guarantee to bear legal responsibility for not fulfilling our side of the contract. Naturally, even a perfect software transition plan can cause some release slowdowns because the period needed to teach a completely new team was not included in the initial development timing.

Overestimating the state of the project

Often, a software transition plan manager makes confident promises that a new team will pull it all off. We at Devlight do not guarantee anything we are unsure of. Responsible managers must ensure their promises with a buffer of time in case of unforeseen obstacles. A negative result of the audit may scare the client away as they were unprepared to see the real state of things. And it is our responsibility to have your back.

So, if you plan to start drawing a software transition plan, mentally prepare yourself for the fact that your app may be doing worse than you thought. The sooner you understand the real situation and decide to fix it, the easier it will be to start. 

Intellectual property

Intellectual property in the IT field is no different from intellectual property in other areas. It allows its owner to get the full benefit of a product that has gone from idea to market launch. Only the owner agrees to copy, modify, distribute, sell or modify the intellectual property during the application transition plan included. Thus, we will need a lot of permissions from the previous vendor before we can start full-scale work.

On the other hand, you shouldn’t worry that we will use the result of your programmers’ creative activity. If our team needs access to any object code protected as a literary work, we will contact the author and ask for permission to do so.

The previous vendor sabotages cooperation

For a software transition plan manager, relationships with another team can be a nightmare. We try to deal with things professionally and aspire to make the transition process as painless as possible for all parties. However, the vendor may sabotage an application transition plan in a different way: incompetence accusations, slowing down the cooperation process or holding back documentation. As a client, you should be ready for such pitfalls.

Using ready libraries or your own archives

Taking a ready-made lib seems like a great solution to speed up the application transition plan. Everything has already been written or invented before the new team arrived. However, projects are growing, getting covered with more and more logic, and sometimes it becomes more difficult to understand them. After several years of project development, any new developer can easily get used to the project, so a clear project architecture is needed. However, some libraries may reduce project maintainability to zero.

If the app was coded using ready solutions, it may be hard for a new vendor to handle it. One of the necessary IT project transition plan steps that is often overlooked is deciding on using own resources only or sticking to the previously made libraries. Choosing either option will lead to a completely new perspective.

The app’s general incapability

Even the best IT project transition plan template will not help if the app is impossible to assess or transfer properly. Outdated apps that have not been taken proper care of will require serious time and money investment. If we notice a great technical gap between the current state of things and what we strive for, we will need a lot of effort to cover this lack. However, we don’t usually refuse projects, so even the worst scenario is not the end of the world!

If you feel that your project needs a software transition plan, we can carry out a surface analysis before you decide to transfer your project to us! 

The post How to Make the Transition of Your Software Project From One Vendor to Another appeared first on Devlight.

The last decades have made mental health problems much more visible than before. People talk about mental illness more, consider them more seriously, and the infrastructure for dealing with symptoms has grown significantly.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, in 2020 one out of five adults in the United States live with mental illness. It is about 53 million people only in the USA who regularly feel discomfort due to their psychological state. All of them need some assistance — whether it’s attending a psychiatrist in their neighborhood, taking pills, or trying to improve themselves on their own.

All these people would win from having some kind of app that would help them reduce struggling and increase happiness levels. That’s what mental health apps are about — bringing calm to people’s lives and making them happier. If you want to create a startup and think about what exactly you should do — mental health apps are definitely something to consider as they are not only in demand, but also bring good to this world. 

Mental health apps bring even more awareness to mental health issues in people’s lives, and more people start taking preventative steps to decline mental health problems before it develops into something serious.

Aspects to Consider When Developing a Mental Health App

Despite many downloads, some mental health apps on the modern mobile market have a low number of active users. Only half the battle is won by releasing a successful app receiving user retention. Then you have to win consumers’ loyalty, which is simpler to achieve with a fundamental understanding of critical specialty KPIs that you should consider straight during the development: 

Expertise

When it comes to finding answers for mental health issues, including specialists and providing data with a scientific foundation is always a win-win situation. People are becoming more careful when it comes to their own health. Thus, they are choosing solutions that are supported by data, statistics, and studies.

Business leaders should remember that therapists have already developed strategies for managing specific problems. These approaches are covered by medical testing held by practicing doctors. Thus, consider real-life statistics when deciding how to design a mental health app. Your product should be helpful at the maximum but at least not harmful or scientifically unfounded at the minimum. 

Human Support In-App

Entrepreneurs who are developing mental health apps should ensure that the in-app support is appropriate and provided by licensed therapists. In an emergency, doctor help may be crucial. Therefore, business owners that care about their customers’ safety and well-being ensure professional help and 24/7 medical support are available within their apps.

Relevant Content

Apps for mental wellness must provide accurate and up-to-date information, as even tiny errors could endanger a patient’s well-being. Unfortunately, a lot of apps that support mental health offer stale advice, incorrect therapy recommendations, etc. Business owners must continuously update material to prevent this misunderstanding, ensuring that clients obtain knowledgeable assistance.

Intuitive Design 

The design of a mental health app should adhere to UI/UX guidelines that emphasize simplicity and minimalism. Extensive details and vivid colors shouldn’t be used because they can exacerbate disorders. Additionally, pay particular attention to how sound affects your in-app experience. Avoid using loud, abrupt sounds and choose tranquil, calming music or the sounds of nature instead.

Interactive Tools

Incorporating self-monitoring features typically influences a person’s progress because they learn to self-monitor potentially hazardous situations, recognize triggers, maintain control over mood patterns or sleep patterns, and develop appropriate reactions. Thus, all types of interactive diaries, tools for self-discipline, and fill-in charts will be popular with users. 

Praising Inspiration

Motivation triggers are crucial when considering how to create a mental health app because their users typically suffer from severe psychological conditions that cause sadness, anxiety, and a lack of drive. Users feel better when they receive little prizes (in-app cash, stickers, or badges) since they become more motivated. Gamification components also motivate users to complete tasks they are unsure of. Remember that users may become discouraged if they do not receive the desired reward.

Features You Must Include in a Mental Health App

In-depth mental health app design can lessen the stress on therapists and psychiatrists, enable mental health providers to reach a wider audience, and keep a constant relationship with their patients to better understand their mental condition and present needs. It’s also important to realize that users can be of any age and come from any background. Making a mental health tracking app’s UX as user-friendly as feasible is crucial. The following features are key to developing a successful and modern mental health app:

Registration and Profiles

The addition of sign-up and profile elements is the first stage in developing a mental health app. Given that the signup procedure is a user’s first encounter with your app, it should be simple and straightforward.

In contrast, the profile settings should have all the data required to use the app, such as complete name, contact information, age, gender, disorders, long-term illnesses, allergies, intolerances, etc. Additionally, if experts use this patient profile, you might want to add a file-uploading feature so that users can attach test results and reports.

Self-Monitoring

Apps for mental health can also be used for tracking general well-being and monitoring mental health issues. This tool might be helpful for keeping track of things like eating habits, mood swings, symptoms, physical activity, thoughts, and sentiments. Data can be examined by users themselves or by experts. To make self-monitoring simpler and more practical, you can also include a calendar and a checklist.

Diary

Every mental health app seeks to enhance its users’ quality of life. The diary function makes it easier to write down ideas and allows users to express feelings. The diary must offer features for regular typing, drawing for people who express their feelings better with graphics, and audio notes for people who prefer speaking and those with dyslexia and dysgraphia. Additionally, think about enabling note-sharing with a specialist via the app or another platform.

Audio and Video Content

In situations where a therapy session or immediate assistance isn’t required, including additional video and audio content options is a good idea. It may feature calming elements, mood-lifting affirmations, educational materials, stress-relieving activities, symptom mitigation or aggravation stage prevention, management of sleep loss, etc. Additionally, the video recording feature and uploading audio and video files will be useful for patients or practitioners who would like to rewatch their sessions. 

Reminders and Notifications

Include the notification feature so that users are reminded to monitor their mental health throughout the day, engage in exercise, take medication, rest, get informed when a specialist appointment is coming up, and receive encouragement for completing tasks. However, it’s crucial to avoid going overboard because, according to psychologists, too many notifications and reminders increase stress in daily life.

Our Expertise — Emotional Intelligence Case Study

Devlight has an amazing experience in mental health app development! Let us tell you about EQ — the first app in the world to foster emotional intelligence. It aims to help users develop three long-lasting skills: regulating their emotions, creating their preferred resource emotional states, and influencing other people’s emotions.

The ability to experience and communicate emotions in our interactions with others, the world, and ourselves is fundamental to being human. However, the classical education and parenting system mainly emphasizes the formation of IQ or the mental and cognitive skills developed via acquiring and applying information knowledge. EQ has always been striving to change this, and they saw us as the company that would share their vision. 

About EQ App

EQ develops and produces a range of educational programs, including seminars, lectures, and offline and online workshops. They choose thematic apps as one of the tools for information sharing. Through its products and services, the company aspires to support individuals in becoming more effective and attentive in life’s most crucial domain: interpersonal relationships.

Request

As the client reached out to us for help, they already had an app operating, but it wasn’t what they wanted it to be. Users found it challenging to grasp the app’s value and seemed discouraged from making a purchase because of some problems and an unclear content structure. Our overall goal was to raise the value of the app by making improvements and developing means for the user to easily and clearly access mental health content offered by the EQ app.

Solution

Devlight created a new app version with a fresh idea and altered the content distribution mechanism. The EQ app aids users in achieving their individual objectives, such as overcoming fears, gaining control over their reactions, or healing broken connections with loved ones.

The Designer from our team designed new UI elements and upgraded the app structure. It became clearer and more intuitive so users could explore the app easily and without being distracted. The younger audience may now find the app useful despite the fact that it touches on a number of quite complicated subjects. Studying emotional intelligence is now fun and interactive together with EQ.

Customer feedbacks

“The Devlight team actively participates in our project development and the ideas we want to implement. In some segments of our business, they think two or three steps ahead of us.” – Andrii Zibran, Co-Founder and CMO

The results of EQ mobile application

• 70K+ – Installs of app in the App Store and Google Play
• 4K+ – Monthly active users just after the release
• 200 + – Daily active users just after the release
• 7m+ – Average engagement time
• 300% – Ukrainian market users growth

Benefits of mental health apps 

Let’s outline the importance of apps for mental health. Why do people need them, what can they do better than an ordinary therapist in the vicinity, and what are their benefits?

Wider outreach

Both patients and healthcare professionals win from mental health apps. Therapists can reach more people in less time, and patients don’t need to look for a doctor in their own city, wasting their time traveling to the clinic. 

Less stress, more happiness

Depression, burning out, stress, and anxiety are one of the most common mental disorders today. They became as usual as morning coffee, and almost everyone experiences them once in a while. There is a scope of mental health apps targeting this audience: they help to reduce stress through meditation or other conscious practices. This results in a more calm, happy, and stable society.

Immediate access from anywhere

Physical visits to clinics are no longer needed to get a proper consultation with a therapist or doctor. This benefit brings out two more. Foremost, people can get help immediately and at any time, if needed. Imagine how many people need help at the darkest moments when nobody is around them. That’s when mental health apps emerge in all their efficiency. Secondly, people from remote regions and small settlements win from mental healthcare mobile apps. Living far from big cities doesn’t mean you don’t have to deal with mental health problems, but unfortunately in remote regions usually you can’t find a good clinic or a proper therapist if there is one. Mental health apps bring help to places where it is needed.

Treatment assistance

People undergoing mental health treatment need to keep in mind all the medication, doses, and when to administer them. Sometimes it is hard to handle. Some mental health apps are created to solve this problem: they are making data recording and monitoring easy and convenient. This is good not only for a patient but also for doctors and psychotherapists as later they can get the data analyzed and draw the necessary conclusions from it. 

Immediate feedback 

If the app is connecting healthcare providers with people who need treatment, it can provide immediate feedback according to the service the patient has used. This results in fast improvement of services and creating a better experience for patients with each feedback received.

Types of mental health apps

There are certain types of mental health apps. Before we continue with ideas for mental health apps, let’s quickly go through their types, each of which is intended to solve different types of problems.

Mental Disorder Apps

They are generally made for patients who are already diagnosed and need to stick with treatment, but don’t want or can do it offline. Mainly, they are apps for connecting patients with healthcare providers, like an online clinic. Here one can go through a course of therapy right in the app or attend several consultations with different specialists if needed. But also, mental disorder apps can not include the second parties as healthcare providers — they can also be just self-guided programs for dealing with different types of mental illness.

Anxiety and Stress Management Apps 

In a 2020 survey, 62% of respondents reported experiencing some degree of anxiety. Thus, anxiety becomes one of the most common psychological problems among ordinary people — those we see every day in queues, at cafes, at work, and in shopping malls. It can be described as persistent, undue worries that just don’t go away. And with anxiety there is always stress — people experience it under external triggers such as conflicts at work or in personal life that often lead to anger, fatigue, and even muscle pain. People all over the world struggle to build inner calmness and mental strength, and you can help them by developing a relevant app. A distinguished stress management app will be widely recognized by people all over the world. 

Self-Improvement apps

Monitoring mood swings, empowering positive thinking, fighting addiction, sleep improvement, or just keeping oneself motivated — are some examples of what self-improvement apps could be aimed at. The most recognizable such apps are Calm and Headspace, which offers meditations, calm music, and practices for deep introspection or better sleeping. Apps of this type are usually used widely all over the world and are easy to scale even more.

Mental health app ideas

Online therapy app

These types of apps are specially designed for people with mental disorders, who need to see a therapist regularly. With this app, treatment will be accessible to everyone. People struggling with depression or psychosis can discuss their worries and problems with a qualified specialist from the comfort of their homes. This can significantly reduce patient resistance to taking the first step toward treatment. They don’t have to leave their comfort zone, they can choose from a bunch of different specialists and try different ones until they find the right one. This searching process doesn’t include traveling to a dozen different clinics, that is what makes it convenient and attractive.

Features to include:

• matching client with a therapist

Based on patients’ preferences, special needs, and disorder particulars, the app can make the perfect match with a therapist, whose qualifications will satisfy patients’ requests.

• therapists review

Making it possible for users to leave feedback to therapists they’ve spoken with will also make it much easier for newcomers to find the perfect match among all the specialists.

• video, audio, or text chat

Video chat is essential for therapy, though for some customers it will be easier to start using a less personalized and more anonymous way like texting. Aiming to create the perfect environment, we have to prepare for all situations that could take place dealing with mental disorders. 

Self-managing app for people with mental disorders

The target audience for this type of app is the same as for the previous one, but this doesn’t include direct communication with specialists. These apps come more as a supplement to a therapy that is in process, which makes it easier to deal with mental disorder symptoms. 

Before starting the development of such an application, you need to consult with specialists or invite several to your team. A person without a medical education will not be able to create a real working application that can make life easier for people with serious mental illnesses. Depression, psychosis, and schizophrenia will all have different features, and they all need to be considered.

Features to include:

• notifications

Only regular exercises will help to achieve the result. Notifications will remind the user about tasks that need to be completed.

• self-monitoring

It will help clients track their way and the improvements they make going through it

• medication tracker

People diagnosed with mental illness usually are prescribed meds. To make treatment more convenient, app can remind what pills and when the user has to consume.

The apps listed below will be aimed at mentally healthy people who want to improve their lives, track their moods, cultivate positive thinking and break bad habits.

Sleep app

Having a good quality night’s sleep is essential for having a good quality of life. But nowadays a lot of people are struggling with it. According to the Philips Global Sleep Survey conducted in 2019, 62% of adults around the world say they don’t sleep as well as they would like. And 8 out of 10 adults would like to improve their sleep. Sleep apps suggest different ways to bring more quality to your sleep and help fall asleep faster: through relaxing music, sleep meditation, or relaxing interactive games.

Features to include:

• sleep tracker

So that customers can not only feel results by having better sleep at night, but also see it on the reports.

Mood tracker app

Mood, symptoms, day-to-day activities, thoughts: through these applications, you can make your customers track anything, depending on needs and your target audience. They are useful for noticing mood swings and triggers that cause them. For a better understanding of causes and consequences, you can add to your features a detailed private journal. 

Meditation app

Mindfulness and meditation are a huge trend over the last few years and the demand keeps increasing. According to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the number of people practicing meditation has tripled since 2012.

Meditations help reduce stress, be more concentrated, get grounded, understand yourself and your feelings better, and reach inner calmness. These applications are still on the rise today. In 2015 the U.S. meditation market was estimated to be valued at $959 million, growing to $1.08 billion in 2016 and $1.21 billion in 2017. Annual revenue growth is expected to be 11.4%, to $2.08 billion by 2022. If you analyze the meditation apps market and find out how you can fill the unmet demand, you can definitely get your share of the market.

Self-improvement app

This type of apps is for everybody. They are really diverse and can be for any aim you can imagine: overcoming fears, breaking bad habits, cultivating positive thinking, creating new habits like reading, running, and doing breath practices. As there is a wide range of different types of these apps, first you need to answer the question about your target audience and what problem of the self-improvement field will this app solve.

Top Mental Health Apps in the Market

The best mental health applications are reasonably priced, easy to use, well made, and have few technical issues. Many of these applications offer distinctive features that make improving your general wellness fun and convenient. By removing some of the usual obstacles, high-quality therapy apps assist you in receiving better mental health care, while mindfulness applications can improve your focus and productivity. With so many options accessible today, we considered these five winners the best based on their use of evidence-based therapies, availability of frequent content updates, the range of therapies provided, prices, and individual user ratings. 

1. BetterHelp

BetterHelp is one of the most adaptable, user-friendly therapy subscription apps accessible, with reasonable prices, a broad choice of available therapists, and many communication options. BetterHelp is a wonderful option for people seeking psychological help while on a tight schedule because it provides flexible communication choices and a wide range of therapists. A monthly subscription to BetterHelp includes one talk therapy session per week with your therapist through live video, audio, or chat, 24/7, unlimited in-app texting in a “room.”

2. Talkspace

Another highly adaptable psychological treatment application we would like to emphasize is Talkspace, which has a huge selection of therapists and therapy approaches. From the less expensive messaging-only option to a plan that includes one weekly live video session combined with unlimited messaging and weekly expert-led mental health courses, you may select from a variety of membership options at a broad range of rates.

After completing a brief initial screening, you will be paired with a qualified Talkspace therapist and given a time slot. All of the company’s clinicians have undergone a background investigation. You won’t have to worry about long wait times because Talkspace therapists offer limitless texting in your personal therapy “room” five days a week.

3. Headspace

Although meditation is the main focus of Headspace’s services, the app also has tools for assisting you in overcoming daily obstacles. Targeted “SOS” sessions from Headspace specialists help people with anxiety relax in stressful situations. You can select a session to suit your particular needs, regardless of whether you’re struggling with loss, rage, or stress. If you seek more activity while working from home, fitness professionals may help you stay more present in your body by accompanying you in breathing, cardio, and movement routines. Many users love the “sleepcasts” function of Headspace, which combines ambient noises with calming stories you can listen to before falling asleep.

The premium Headspace app is available for both iOS and Android users and operates on a subscription-based model. With a monthly membership, you’ll receive a seven-day free trial; with an annual subscription, you get a fourteen-day free trial. Verified college students and families (whether or not they reside in the same household) are eligible for discounted subscriptions.

4. Sanvello

Sanvello, which is accessible on iOS and Android, offers users evidence-based support in four important areas: self-care, peer support, coaching, and therapy. It is based on mindfulness and a CBT approach. No matter where you are on the mental wellness continuum or how much care you need right now, this model will offer you assistance when you most need it.

The self-care features offered by Sanvello are intended to assist you as you navigate the typical stressors that will come your way. You can track your patterns over time — including your thoughts, routines, physical activity, sleep, and emotions — by using mood tracking to identify areas where you could make positive adjustments. 

5. Calm

Get grounded during the day with yoga, stretching, and dancing courses from Calm, and develop deeper mindfulness with a collection of thematic meditations. You can monitor your development using Daily Streaks and Mindful Minutes along the road and participate in one- to three-week mindfulness workshops.

With the Calm app’s free version, you can use a few restricted functions, like timed meditations, sleep preparation routines, one bedtime tale, and one breathing exercise. Before deciding to subscribe, you can use the free seven-day trial to try out Calm Premium. There are family and student plans available.

Primary Business Models for Mental Health App Development

If we consider the top-performing mental health applications, we’ll see that the majority of them continue to work based on membership fees. That can be explained by our subscription economy, where ownership costs increase over time. Apple acknowledges that the subscription revenue model brings in more money for apps. Nevertheless, all kinds of standard app monetization methods are now applied to mental health app development:

• Premium app versions

Paid apps use a concept similar to freemium apps, but users cannot access the app before making a real purchase in the relevant app market. If a customer purchases a certain application, some businesses might also provide bonuses or complimentary little co-products.

• In-app purchase of specific services

This means that a user must make an in-app purchase to access more features or content. Internal links that promote relevant things like books, podcasts, or workshops allow you to market and sell goods.

• Paid add-free app versions and in-app advertising in general

Keep in mind that mental health app development commercials shouldn’t ever ruin the user experience (if you prefer them to all other forms of monetization). The advertising business strategy appears to be entirely legitimate except for that. Consider integrating convenient banner ads or mixing & matching in-app promotions.

• The freemium model

Freemium continues to be one of the most well-liked business and consumer revenue models since it enables simultaneous engagement of multiple user segments. The typical freemium software offers a small number of features, but if a user wants access to extra features or material, they must make an in-app purchase. The freemium business model may also offer a fully functional free version for a brief trial time, following which customers must pay to use the app on an ongoing basis.

Standards and Regulations for Mental Health App Development

Companies engaged in mental health app development should prioritize personal data security because the process involves what is referred to as “sensitive information.” Many clients who struggle with mental instability choose digital treatment over traditional therapy because the software assumes fewer participants (or even complete exclusion of everyone but the user) and provides a higher level of anonymity. Developers of mental health apps must adhere to specific legal and regulatory requirements like HIPAA, GDPR, and other regulations to minimize the danger of personal data exposure in order to ensure that consumer expectations are met.

Additionally, only licensed and certified therapists are permitted to provide healthcare services. Employing qualified professionals to assist the audience improves app efficiency and prevents any civil or even criminal consequences. Because mental health services are frequently subject to various levels of government liability, therapists should also have a basic understanding of the legal system of the country in which they work.

I Have an Idea for a Mental Health App. What Should I Do Next?

Short answer: implement! Long answer: divide the implementation process into the next stages and follow them to success:

• Choose and Analyze the Target Audience

To make your mental health app a sustainable business, you will have to maintain a user’s interest and encourage them to use the app frequently. How to reach this? Develop the app keeping in mind the peculiarities of your target audience, know how to approach them, and what exactly they need. Thus, start by doing a professional target audience study. 

Vital factors to take into account include cultural quirks, user backgrounds (scientifically grounded products or gamification model apps), demographics (such as mental health apps for kids, teens, and students, among many others), and financial concerns (paid or free mental health apps).

• Make Market Research and Analyze Your Competitors

Researching the market is the next step. Examine the current market’s offers and their level of popularity. Read app reviews on App Store and Google Play. List the apps you enjoy and ones that don’t correspond to your vision. Make a note of their benefits and drawbacks. By separating applications by subject, you can determine which apps are more in demand.

• Develop

High-quality mental health app developers must work diligently to complete the process of developing mental health apps. Depending on the project’s size and functional complexity, we assign two or more developers to create the application’s server side, APIs, and business logic and convert the UI design into a usable user interface.

In order to meet rigorous deadlines and adapt the health app development process to changing client demands and requirements, Devlight uses the Agile methodology. All features are gradually developed and tested. Thanks to this strategy, we can launch the product more quickly and spend less on development. 

• Create an MVP

The next stage in developing an app is to create a prototype, or MVP, for each of the features you’ve specified above. This will allow you to see how the design will look and make changes before moving forward with actual development, ensuring that the product will function as intended. Making sure everything is in order before starting the app development can save you money.

• Test

Our team advises performing functional requirements analysis, defect detection, application security verification, and compliance testing during the testing phase. Then we gradually release the product to the focus group (for example, a group of patients with mental health conditions) and all project stakeholders for testing and collecting feedback after the testing phase is complete.

Sincere feedback is obtained during distribution, and the mental health software is continually improved as necessary. The application of mental health necessitates constant care and assistance. Therefore, we urge you to keep working with the company that develops mental health apps.

• Release

Now that your mental health application is ready for release upload it to an appropriate platform or both if you choose cross-platform development.

• Boost the App by Applying Marketing Techniques 

Two distinct marketing phases occur whenever a new app is released on the market: one occurs before the official launch, and the other occurs after. You must market your app and raise awareness of what it is and how it will benefit people while the app is new to your business.

• Update According to Feedback From Users

With the in-app analytics tools you incorporated during development, it’s now time to handle user complaints and requests, address bugs, and keep the application updated. To keep the expenses of maintenance low, don’t forget to implement a solid DevOps approach. Including Google Analytics or another similar service during the development stage will give you user interaction statistics once the app is released. By assisting you in finding new growth areas, this data will help you drive additional improvements to your mental health app.

Conclusion

The topic of mental health has been gaining momentum in recent years and has no plans to stop. For ambitious entrepreneurs who want to invest in an application that will be both useful for people and profitable for the owner, mental health app is one of the best choices today. You just need to select the most promising idea and go ahead.

The post Mental Health App Development: Ideas, Case Studies, How to Create… appeared first on Devlight.

Most software development companies will insist on a product discovery phase before launching a development. This solution is natural since the discovery phase increases the chances of a project being successful. Building an app or website without an opening discovery process is just as risky as building a house without an architectural plan. This step shows how the project will function, look, involve the target audience, and help your business achieve its goals.

In this article, we will take a detailed look at what the product discovery process is, what gives it a competitive edge, and how to get started in software development. So buckle up, we’re about to get started.

What Is a Project Discovery Phase

The discovery phase in software development is a stage of collecting information that gives an understanding of the industry for which the product is being developed, the business of your client, and the target audience. It is important to gain a deep understanding of the expectations of the client, the user feedback of decision-makers, and the pain points of end users regarding the product.

A preliminary analysis of the needs of the client, the market, competitors, target audience, the upcoming scope of work, and resources is carried out in any area where the contractor wants to fulfill their obligations to the client in a quality manner.

Product discovery means:

• discussion of the project’s existing business processes or the concept of a future project, expectations, and wishes regarding the deadlines;
• definition of the target audience;
• competitive market analysis (direct and indirect competitors);
• formulating solutions to business problems;
• determination of the scope of work;
• setting deadlines and priorities based on the project complexity and market trends;
• schematic distribution of roles and appointment of specialists who should be involved in the process (cross-functional teams are often created).

In the discovery phase, depending on the resources of the executor, the following team members can be involved:

• the project/product manager (communicates with the client at all stages of the product development process, structures the actual team effort, and is responsible for reporting on the implementation of tasks);
• business analyst or consultant/expert in a certain area (studies the market, target audience, client’s business processes, offers solution ideas for business goals and problems);
• UI/UX specialist (creates an interactive prototype and a design of a future project);
• solution architect or engineer evaluating the technical component of creating a product (defines and offers tools, platforms, and other solutions determining the feasibility risk of the product).

The Purposes of Discovery Phase of a Project

The main purpose the product discovery phase can bring to your company is that it helps you to:

• Make a development roadmap

In the final result, we will deal with a cleardeal a clear technical task with a description of the key functionality of the future product, which makes planning the development phase itself easier and clearer.

You will receive a complete project schedule with milestones, deliverables, and deadlines. The Software Requirements Specification (SRS) and mockups developed during the product discovery process can be used to find additional investors.

• Improve communication

Even a good presentation cannot guarantee that you have chosen the right company. Regular communication at this stage allows you to evaluate the real team effort, your experience, and approach to the project, and establish two-way trust. You can use the results of the discovery process with other IT vendors before starting development.

• Save resources such as time and money

The main value is the expertise and experience shared by the development company since they allow it to make the job faster. For instance, Devlight has been working in this field for years and knows how to help you perform a discovery. We are capable of conducting a product discovery process resulting in valuable insights that you will not find with a simple search on the Internet. These are live examples and real-life experiences. We share them so that you don’t have to dedicate years to learning everything from scratch.

• Idea validation

You will have an opportunity to check your actions with the guide and apply different product discovery techniques to implement changes at an early stage in case anything needs improvement. Thus, through discovery, you can validate your product ideas.

• Complex analysis and data gathering

The discovery phase helps both the development team and the client find an answer to the principal question: which problems of future users can our solution address? Modern product discovery is about gathering and analyzing requirements, systematizing all the input information, and lots of planning that eventually clarifies the big picture of the whole project and eliminates any early-stage uncertainty.

Finally, the discovery phase is fundamental for the future success of your product development. Devlight will teach you how to conduct the product discovery phase in such a way as to avoid typical mistakes that often occur at the initial stage (we provide smart methodology/guidelines). 

Our team believes in a properly conducted discovery process as a way to save your resources such as time and money with “tips and hacks” content-type: we always provide a separate block with the solution space clarifying the main points of what you will have to do. With no lengthy instructions or unclear directions, we get down to business.

Will Skipping Project Discovery Save You Time and Money?

Even if you have a great idea but don’t have a target audience or don’t meet their needs, you won’t have a successful business. To avoid this, you need to study the market, find out who your competitors are, analyze their products and determine your target user identity before hopping into development. For a small project, this might take approximately one to two weeks, for a larger one it will take about two months of work.

The discovery phase and customer research can seem overwhelming in terms of time and resources. Still, they allow the team to determine project timelines and budgets, specify end product requirements, identify end-user needs, and get feedback from them about the product. The more preliminary preparation is carried out before the start of product development, the more understandable and predictable will be the product strategy.

For the client, product discovery plays the role of preliminary preparation for the implementation of the project. This phase allows the client to:

• more accurately determine the essence of an idea or project based on a real analysis of the market and the pain points of the target audience;
• identify some aspects of the project that were not taken into account initially;
• establish the basis for cross-functional collaboration and clarify the requirements for the future team members;
• understand target customer expectations and concerns based on competitor product research and user stories;
• get an expert assessment of the project and information on how to properly implement it;
• consider alternative solutions and technologies that will help make the project a reality;
• minimize and optimize costs;
• draw up clear terms of reference with the definition of the exact deadlines and budget for the project;
• understand how the performer meets the expectations, and make the final decision on the entire process of further cooperation.

As you can see, all of these benefits are worth investing more money and time into the product discovery process. Prepare and study the market instead of mapping your road out straight in practice. This approach will save you time in the next stages and prevent the product from failures or unnecessary touch-ups.  

When Should You Start the Discovery Project Management?

Having a detailed “estimate” of the product idea, it will be easier for you to take the next steps — for example, find an investor or defend the project in front of the manager, select the necessary specialists, etc. In addition, without an assessment, it is difficult to determine both the development timeline and the required team composition. Thus, product discovery is a valuable preparatory step before launching any new app, service, or additional features. 

New Product Development

The product development process is not something that can go naturally. Stated workflows and scenarios have been already invented. If you want to choose the best development scenario and properly assess the possible risks, you need to carry out the preparation stage before launching any product. 

It starts with the team deciding on the format and duration of sprints (meetings) and selecting tools for structuring and reporting on the work done. For example, tasks can be distributed and stored in a cloud-based Trello project management software. Diagrams, graphs, maps, and diagrams can be created in Microsoft Visio Drawing or draw.io. Prototypes and mockups are easy to create in Sketch, NinjaMock, or Axure.

Upgrading an Existing Product

Things get easier if you already have a stable team involved in product development. The discovery phase in this case will take less time and involve just a slight change in the teamwork routine. However, you should always carry out a discovery before launching new features to your project. Understand that after an upgrade you will practically deal with a new product. New target audiences or market competitors open up after you implement the changes, thus you should be able to predict them.

After all, the discovery process helps to prevent the need to make costly additional edits and changes in the course of work. It establishes a balance between the new business goals of the client and the interests of the end users of the upgraded product.

New Business Opportunities

Even when developing a minimum viable product, you need to plan product development several years in advance. This allows you to take into account all the business goals, requirements, and restrictions, as well as lay a flexible product architecture. In this matter, the discovery phase is not only needed before broadening your product horizons but any project architecture should already take into account the possibility of scaling the product and increasing the load.

Software Discovery Phase Team: Its Roles and Responsibilities

To ensure the accuracy of calculations and anticipate risks, companies tend to assemble a team of experts from several departments. Often this is an analyst, designer, and experienced developer — involving team members who have narrow expertise is great for building high-load solutions. The product discovery process helps you determine which specialists you will need and what will be their responsibilities.

The PM, after meeting with the client and clarifying their expectations, assembles a team that will be involved in the project and decides what the product development discovery phase will consist of, and who will play what role in it.

Tip! The distribution of roles can be fixed in a kind of Mind / Role Map or diagram, which can be created in the free tool Google draw.io. The role map is provided to the client so that they understand who is responsible for what, and who to contact with questions during the project implementation helping product teams decide on the workflow.

When the roles and tasks are distributed among the team members, the stage of studying the product strategy, competitive market, and user experience begin. It is worthwhile to involve not only team members, but also people outside the project in the process of studying user needs — they can also voice and describe practical problems and provide the solution space.

Business Analyst

A business analyst and consultant performs user experience analysis and potential customer interviews. Based on the results of the survey, they compile a BPMN diagram detailing the requirements for the product development.

Product requirements are formed based on user stories and hypotheses associated with them. BA makes up a map or plan of steps that users and project employees take when performing certain manipulations with the product. All actions are recorded in small and sequential blocks. All participants in future conversations, meetings, or interviews should feel it during the product development.

Models of groups and roles of future users are created, for example, a seller and a buyer, so that the development team understands the goals, objectives, and needs of the people for whom the product is being developed. Any user story is written for a person or functional role using the next product discovery techniques:

• “As a buyer, I want to fill out an order form on the site so that I can get a response from the seller.”
• “As a seller, I want to get notified about the new order and the time left for its processing so that I can respond in time and not miss the order.”
• “As a seller, I want to know about the incoming order in time so that I  have time to prepare its dispatch.”

A user story is considered complete if it has value and a protagonist, demonstrates a way to achieve the goal, when read, offers one or more solutions that are easy to translate into reality.

UI/UX Designer

A UX designer is involved in the work to visualize the look of the future project and get it approved by the client. This specialist creates a clickable prototype to test interaction methods and simulate user experience. All interactions are modeled as close as possible to what the final product will have helping product teams decide on feature improvement. Professional design thinking is needed for this.

An interactive prototype is also created to conduct product discovery. This helps a client demonstrate a business project to investors, get feedback from end users or a focus group, and test a real user experience before starting development.

Product Manager

The project/product manager finds the best ideas for a company’s business, in line with what a user would expect from the service, and executes them in the best possible way.

Tip! The missions depend on the structure, its sector, and the maturity of its product. PM is the conductor of the entire feature delivery cycle and the linear process of product development. From ticket writing to production, through testing. These are also all the hazards that may arise, such as the identification of dependencies or bugs that feed its backlog daily.

The project/product manager leads the discovery phase in software development, so they should possess business, technical, and design thinking. Product discovery plays a vital role in understanding your product context and building the right strategy for it. This phase is more than essential, the better you know your end users (≠ clients), their needs, and their contexts, the more relevant you will be in the solutions you will build for them.

Tech Lead or a Solution Architect

The solutions architect has the role of designing, explaining, and implementing solutions adapted to the specific problems of the company. This specialist builds complex offers, conducts usability testing, and advises clients on the transformation of information systems. They must study the technical feasibility as well as its risks before proposing solutions.

In a constantly changing technological context and business space, companies must ensure that their information systems are kept up to date to meet new requirements. This digital transformation requires specific expertise and practices to keep the company at the forefront of quality product delivery:

1. Analyze the project environment and its issues. Tech Leads manage the entire project and take care of the cost of the solutions. A Solution Architect designs and projects the system and the interaction of components. This employee is responsible for the correct functioning of the entire ecosystem.
2. Define a trajectory of solutions adapted to the company. Typically, companies have their information systems, informational context, and integration requirements. The Solution Architect must then ensure that the system they offer meets the product discovery process expectations of the company.
3. Comply with constraints. Each solution-based tool and its specific implementation can generate significant costs. The Solutions Architect must therefore know how to optimize the budget allocated to the project to provide as many ideas as possible, taking into account technological and managerial constraints.

How We Conduct the Project Discovery Phase at Devlight

The product discovery phase in software development work begins with the collection of requirements for the product. It’s good if the client has terms of reference (TOR), a specification, or at least a brief description of the idea, based on which we can make a list of requirements (UserStory) for the minimum viable product, according to which the development expenses will already be calculated.

However, there are not always formulated requirements and/or wishes. Thus, a discovery process aims to find out how much the development will cost and last (and whether it is worth developing the product at all). It happens that a client only has an idea for a future business (not a “product”, but a “business”). There are no technical specifications, no clear requirements, there is not even an understanding of where to start — there is no dedicated MVP. 

In this case, project/product managers need to conduct analytics before the preparation of technical specifications or drawing any prototypes — the first stages (sprints) of product management. For instance, startups often seek to reduce the time and cost of analytics. Then, our product team helps them visualize, estimate the top-level architecture, and determine which functions can and should be implemented immediately and in the future. 

Below we will consider the main qualitative research stages and artifacts that we and the client will receive as a result of these studies. The steps can be mandatory or optional, depending on the level of detail of the concept and the type of project: for example, in B2C, drawing screens of a future application is welcome to evaluate the UX and help to impress future investors with the idea.

Phase 1: Product’s Value Creating

The starting point of the project life cycle is not planning, but initiation. At this product discovery stage, the project has not yet been confirmed. The client and the product team should review it in general terms and evaluate the perspective. First of all, you need to understand whether it is worth taking on it. To do this, you need to define the following.

Trend Canvas

The trend canvas is the new standard when it comes to supporting companies and organizations in dealing with trends systemically. As a tool for innovation teams, managers and economists, the trend canvas creates a holistic perspective of the future — and thus helps to assess trends and their impact.

With the trend canvas, trends are understood holistically and translated for your company context. It is a simple product management framework for dealing with complex relationships and a tool to understand organizational potential and risks. It helps to answer these central questions:

• How are individual trends changing the reality of people’s lives?
• What effects do trends have on society?
• How are trends changing the economy and your market?
• How do I have to adjust my organization and my processes to remain future-proof?
• What new products do people need based on potential client feedback?

Key Business Ideas Mapping

This stage is similar to the analytics stage, but with a lower level of detail. Examples of business ideas: what problems does the business solve and how does it benefit its users? Business ideas are closely connected with defining the problem space.

For example, ordering online using a shopping cart instead of sending a Viber message. Online payment, not a transfer to a card through a bank application. As a result of this stage, a client receives a summary table of all orders and clear information about their users, admin panel, the number of product, and their management.

Value Proposition Canvas

A value proposition canvas is a tool that creators and businesses can use to visualize, design, and refine how to create value for their users during product delivery. It ensures that the services offered meet the concrete needs of customers and/or users.

After conducting user research, we specify the expectations of users and prevent the client from getting lost on less demanded features/products. Finally, we materialize the value proposition canvas in a dual representation: the profile of the target users on the one hand and the value proposition on the other.

Customer Journey Map

Using available customer feedback or by introducing the product idea to focus groups, we collect data that helps us understand how will users get in touch with our product. Of course, it is preferred that this journey consists of as few steps as possible which will mean our product is within easy functional reach for the customers: it is simple, effective, popular, and deals with their pain points in the most convenient way.

This user research data is arranged in the form of a simple diagram (the so-called “map”) that illustrates the stages like getting acquainted with the product, choosing to use it, getting back to it, or recommending it to others.

Phase 2: Requirement Gathering & Collecting

This Discovery part can be called the research phase. It is the collection of information about the idea, the formalization of product requirements, the verification of business hypotheses, the formalization of the solution, problem space, and then the cost estimate for both the initial version (MVP) and further development.

Backlog Creating

At this stage, product teams are working on all the requirements — both for the MVP and with the expectation of further product development. As a rule (especially when evaluating large projects), clients prioritize creating a User Story as the main way to divide the development into stages and assess each stage separately. At the same time, MVP is the highest priority.

For example, if we have an application that allows us to work with PDF documents, then the MVP for this app will enable users to open PDF files only to review them, and in the next versions we will add the ability to create, edit, and delete the files, as well as share them with other users.

User Stories Creating

If we are analyzing a process automation project, then a detailed “as is” User Story (US) helps to identify bottlenecks (for example steps on which product teams spend a lot of time or make mistakes) and suggest their corrections and/or automation.

A brief description of how the system will be used describes the functional requirements for the system and the acceptance criteria. User stories allow the client to prioritize the implementation of product functionality effectively.

BPMN Modelling

From the point of view of tools, it is very convenient to model the future process in BPMN notation, but it is not always immediately clear to the client, so the model has to be simplified when reviewed with the client. In general, you can use any visual models in which the sequence of steps is easily traced. The main thing is that the model fixes the future process and is unambiguously readable by you and the client.

Business Tasks Describing

During this discovery phase, we discuss the process that needs to be automated or improved. By discussing the current process, you can learn a lot about your client. Especially when people begin to contradict each other or get distracted from the course of the discussion, go into details that only they understand. 

Tip! Describing business tasks is about filtering a lot of what the client says. Devlight always tries to understand what the client is not satisfied with from the current process, and what are the main improvements they expect in terms of business goals. Of course, business analytics are actively involved at this stage to assess the problem space and the criteria for the success of the project.

PRD Completing

PRD (Product Requirements Document) is a description that includes all the requirements for a specific product and reflects how the product will look and how it will work. The requirements in such a document reflect the client’s vision and expectations for the product.

It is used to define product requirements and direct project/product managers during the whole discovery phase. After fixing the requirements for the future process as a whole, we proceed to the collection, analysis, and verification of requirements for specific functional areas.

Phase 3: High Fidelity Prototyping Creating & Testing

Now it’s time to discuss with the team a specific action plan for the visual implementation of the project. Even if the client can’t wait to get started, we don’t recommend rushing without having created a quality prototype. Effective applied and tangible planning can prevent many of the root causes of project failure. 

A good prototype will take some work and time, so allow enough time at the start of the project. At this discovery process stage, a layout is created that mimics the user’s interaction with the project’s interface.

A prototype is needed to present the project to the client and evaluate its usability. Testing such a layout allows you to identify and eliminate errors in advance before investing in the development of the final design solution and code. The prototype differs from the finished product but is very similar in structure and functionality. It can be drawn on paper or created in a graphics editor. The main difference between these methods is the level of detail and clickability of elements.

Figma Hi-Fi Prototype Creating

If the prototype was explicitly written as an artifact for the product discovery process, then it is prepared by UX specialists in cooperation with a business analyst. In this case, we are talking about well-designed high-fidelity prototypes, often clickable that help you catch all errors in the scripts before submitting mockups to development.

Figma turns your images into a full-fledged prototype — with working buttons, scrolling, and switches. That is, at a level sufficient for a general understanding of the layout of the screens and transfer to the designer, who will already prepare the final design, which will go into development.

User Flows Mapping

To determine how the user will interact with the interface of the new product, a User Flow is created in the form of schematically depicted screens of the software solution and transitions between them. Thus, user behavior scenarios based on proposed solutions are designed through visual prototypes of the interface.

Clickable Prototype Creating

The wireframe is the blueprint that indicates where the main elements of your app are in the US and the transitions between screens. Wireframe models offer a user’s journey given user behavior patterns. The approved frames will form the basis of the final design. 

We draw key screens and visualize what the future application might look like. This artifact is optional, but extremely useful if you want to demonstrate an idea to an investor, let the client “feel” the product, and get feedback through user interviews.

Clickable Prototype Realtime Testing

The prototypes go through several rounds of testing, depending on the project’s complexity. Testing prototypes will greatly facilitate the coordination of requirements and the estimation of labor costs for the development phase. The potential customer feedback determines the success of the prototype in this case.

Iteration Changes

Backlog management, clarification of requirements with the client (remotely), documentation, clarification of requirements for the team, conducting product demonstrations based on the results — all those iterations are continuously accompanying the product prototype. Those are hundreds of testing rounds that allow you to receive validated ideas and implement final improvements.

Phase 4: Product’s Software Integrations Plan Creating

The idea of a proper discovery phase is that the client receives a mini-analytics of the future application in a short time (2-4 weeks to 2-4 months for big projects). Based on these data, it is already possible to make an assessment, make a decision on further development, and if the project starts, these data will form the basis of the TOR. 

In its fourth stage, product discovery is about technical specification of the future product’s plan and implementing the data mentioned earlier into a visual representation (diagrams and documentation).

Software Architecture Diagram

The concept we produce at Devlight necessarily includes a proposal for the top-level architecture of the IT product. This is a diagram of all system components, as well as internal or external services (for example, CRM client), with which we need to interact — here we determine what data we will exchange. 

Data Flow Diagram

The product discovery also includes compiling a preliminary logical data model: how many entities, what parameters, what data, and how much will be stored in the system. This is necessary to develop a viable solution for the product architecture and evaluate additional work, such as example, load testing. 

API Methods Specification

An API stands for application programming interface and allows two applications to communicate with each other by making data or functionality of an existing application available for other applications to use. Here is what should make the notion of application programming interface clearer

Using an API, therefore, makes it possible to use the functionality of an existing program rather than redevelop a new one separately. So it’s a big time saver. Thus, specifying the API methods is an integral part of the product discovery process.

3D-Party Services Integration Model

Today, web applications use many programming interfaces. Developments are carried out by reusing functional bricks made available by third-party solutions. Thus, you should always study the competitive landscape of similar apps and useful services before developing your own product. 

Assembly design modes require developers to fully understand how to interact with other software and systems. The API is an optimal solution for communication between two systems and the web service facilitates the interactions between two machines. It helps to integrate outside services straight during the product discovery.

Full Technical Specification Creating

The functional specification, together with the prototype, tells what elements the system interface consists of and how it works. It describes what is laborious, impossible, or pointless to show in a prototype. With its help, you can improve the proposed solutions, answer the questions of developers and other project participants, and fix the agreements on paper.

Tip! Creating one continuous Excel file with the List of Features is a common mistake. The problem is that when you have one continuous list with 100+ positions, it is difficult to follow the overall picture of the world behind it. 

During the functional specification stage, we form a final document, which essentially consolidates all the above-described artifacts — requirements (stories and their detailing), prototype, and architectural elements (description of architecture, methods, integrations, etc.). 

We prefer to gather data in the form of a user story broken into functional areas and keep the high-level requirements for those areas separate. Thus, you have both a high-level picture of the world and a list of stories by which you can evaluate the complexity of development. This way, we will have all the necessary information about the entire project in one place and all the necessary information about a specific task, which allows us to evaluate the functionality as a whole.

Phase 5: Closing Summary and Preparing Documentation

The result of the discovery phase is horizontal analytics that allows you to cover the entire project to its slightest details. It is an elaborated and detailed scope of tasks to carry out for the first MVP or for the entire product in general.

The purpose of the study is to “probe” the hypotheses associated with the product, and its usability risk, and collect requirements to estimate the time and cost of development.

Estimating the Cost and Duration of the Project

After completing the study, we get the requirements for the project. They are gathered in the document that describes the client’s tasks and the proposed solution: architecture, list of features and logical data model, main screens, expected development time, and cost. 

This is a ready-made commercial offer, with which our partner can apply to an investor or manager for project approval. It consists of specific costs and duration plans that will guide the team through future development.

Calendar Planning

After setting the duration of the project at the previous stage, we can move on to scheduling the tasks, estimating the loads, and deducing the deadlines for carrying out each stage. By setting a start date, you can plan each task taking into account the expected completion time, and decide which tasks can be carried out in parallel. 

Tip! The deadlines for the different stages are calculated, taking great care to keep room for maneuver to compensate for any unforeseen events, and the schedule is thus built little by little until the final delivery date.

Naturally, the schedule will certainly have to be modified based on your own assumptions during the project.

Team Formation

For the duration of the product discovery, the two companies merge in a way: Devlight offers the client business analytics and IT architectural services yet the client is free to involve any specialists from their team too. Some of our professionals will remain on the project afterward and others will leave. 

The project manager may be responsible for interviewing the candidates and seeking employees. However, in Devlight it is HR specialist who seeks professionals with a shared understanding of the project to form the future team. This stage is the final step of product discovery and the initial step of product development.

Tips For Conducting Project Discovery Stage from Devlight Team

Before establishing the project schedule and diving into development, we recommend that you learn some tips that have been helping us and our clients for years. There is always room for improvement, especially as you gain experience together with Devlight. 

Conduct Project Vision Sessions

This product discovery step is quite optional. If you are at the idea stage, we recommend holding sessions on project vision, if you already have a ready-made concept and you have been on the market for a long time, we can move on to functional development. 

Form a Separate Brainstorm Team

The ideal option is to allocate a dedicated team from your side that can quickly and qualitatively give feedback (the team that is responsible for making a decision) so that all people who make decisions and are interested in it are involved from the client’s side. Here is how to do it:

• Interview existing employees about the current onboarding process.
• Find out the wishes of managers about what can be included in the process.
• Create an overall onboarding process (90-day plan).
• Record training videos for the employee dashboard to make the process as clear as possible.
• Draw up procedures and checklists for the onboarding process.

Product discovery is an iterative process. It consists of the stages that go through and through again, so sometimes a dedicated team that will be responsible for controlling the whole process of discovery can be helpful. They can bring about fresh ideas if they are familiar with the product vision closely and instruct the outsource developers. 

Technical Consulting

It is recommended that a technical person who has all the solutions that the client already has is involved in consultation from the client’s side. At this point, it’s time to choose the right infrastructure architecture and the right technologies for testing assumptions. In-depth technical consulting will make your product supportable and scalable. Any deviations or changes in the future may result in high costs, so value risk and invest in analytics at any stage.

Mix and Unite Ideas

Keep ideas in your head and think about the architecture for them. Introducing a survey tool to gather customer feedback at any stage of iteration changes is great to validate ideas in course of continuous learning. Implement new approaches and mix the experience advised by any employee since the same methodology won’t work for all products.

Keep Your Company’s Behavioral Pattern

Finally, keep a behavioral pattern for users when analyzing competitors, uniqueness should not come from behavioral habits. Of course, users’ problems change. But clients may have gotten used to your way of approaching the solution. Stick to your brand way and develop the new product in the same framework.

How to Start the Discovery Phase of a Project in Software Development?

Quite easy. We’re ready to consult and guide you throughout the entire product discovery process. Devlight advises the clients to begin with The product discovery to ensure that the product development and launch will be smooth, and fit within the estimated deadlines and budgets.

The life path of a project starts with the discovery phase and moves into the product delivery phase. As part of discovery, we:

• explore the subject area;
• we study the client’s business processes;
• find out the customer’s expectations from the new product;
• identify bottlenecks;
• we formulate solutions to client’s problems at a high level;
• set priorities and form a backlog;
• compile a roadmap for the project.

There are initial conditions that will allow you to conduct product discovery:

• client confidence;
• their desire to meet you halfway for a good result;
• the relative freedom of timing.

On the last point — everyone should have a shared understanding of approximately when the project should start, when to enter the peak, and when to end. 

Final Thoughts

What are the benefits of the product discovery phase for the client:

• Obtaining a visual concept for testing a business idea.
• Estimation of the development time and budget, taking into account all the requirements for the product/project and the prospects for its development.
• You can carry out separate start-up work on analytics and architecture design to reduce labor costs for further analytics, technical specifications, and roadmap.
• Reducing the risk of errors in the implementation of the product.

Devlight is a mobile app development company operating since 2016 and creating world-class apps for industry leaders. With more than 35M of app installs and 50+ projects under our belt, we are a dedicated team of development enthusiasts and scrupulous analytics that believe in the importance of product discovery.

We kindly invite you to cooperate with us. What should you expect? In our methodology, we have phase 1, which targets to create value for the product by trend canvas, key business ideas, CMJ, and other deliverables. Devlight will share with you the methodology tested and validated dozens of times over six years. See the results by checking the companies we had worked with!

Besides, be sure to check our next article, where we showed exactly how the deliverables of the product discovery phase should look like and the exact flow of its running. 

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Although we have experienced rather unpredictable times, it was difficult to imagine the current situation (both epidemiological and economic). The past month has put an end to the cycle of economic growth that has successfully lasted for 11 years, thus, launching the creation of a new reality. However, it’s a long way off. Now we are only at the beginning of the first wave of the crisis, and in the meantime Bloomberg analysts say that this recession is likely to be the most brutal in our history.

The eurozone economy lost 12% of GDP as compared to the previous year, and the economic indicators of China returned to the early 1990s level. At this time, in most countries, the collapse is just starting. The scale of the crisis is enormous, both geographically and in terms of market disruption. For CEOs, the crisis is not the time to panic. This is the most important time to make bold and correct decisions about what the next few months of business operation will look like.  Understanding and accepting the complex reality undoubtedly encourages us to take action to protect and preserve the business. However, such actions must be taken very carefully, with surgical precision, as there may be no second chance.

Over the last four years, we have been helping businesses actively grow,  equipping each with new technologies, creating new digital business models and digital products. Now, at the beginning of this difficult period, we feel the need to preserve and support what we have created and to help our clients survive this economic shock without catastrophic losses.

In this article, we have promptly prepared all the information you need to make the right decisions at the very outset of a crisis. We have carefully studied every item to help you hold your position in the market and maintain your business efficiency.

First of all, the situation that unfolds around should be analyzed in two aspects:

Quarantine has already locked up at home 1 billion people. The internet is one of the few ways to get out. Fortunately, the online world is not exposed to organic viruses, so it offers us almost the only alternative to continue our work, engage with the community and consume products and services.

As a result, even those businesses that previously had poor digital permeability are now intensively thinking on how to move their products and services online.

The past 25 years of digitalization have consistently been aimed at reducing the amount of human contact in the value chain or in providing a service. This issue has become relevant in one day, here and now.  This lightning-fast dynamic forces entrepreneurs to look for ready-made solutions, even if they can not fully cover all the requests. The imperative of speed becomes the main one here.

For many businessmen, this way looks almost perfect. Services like Uber Eats, Glovo or Delivery Hero and their local counterparts are experiencing an incredible surge in demand. The bulk of retailers will finally see the online segment generating more revenue than the offline one. Services covering the range of needs for efficient work from home are also on the list of the lucky ones.   By forcing many people to work, shop and amuse themselves at home, the crisis may give a permanent boost to online companies. Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Slack, WeChat Work, and other corporate-messaging services are experiencing a surge in demand. Data from Sensor Tower, an analytics firm, suggests that weekly new users of such apps leaped from 1.4m in early January to 6.7m in early March. A survey in Britain for Barclaycard, a payments firm, points to year-on-year growth of 12% in subscription entertainment services like Netflix in the four weeks to February 21st, and of nearly 9% growth in food takeaway and delivery spending. Amazon is hiring 100,000 new distribution workers in America to meet the demand for internet shopping.

The flip side of the coin

In this situation is that with the start of quarantine, social isolation and the shutdown of a large part of the business, people’s real income is crawling downward. In a large part of the world, as of April, many people will be left without a full-time job as well as without an answer when they will get it back.  Steven Mnuchin, America’s treasury secretary, warned that the country’s unemployment rate could reach 20% unless a vaccine is invented.

Since this crisis is not local in terms of geography or niche, the consequences will be equally hard for everyone.  Governments of many countries firmly state that they are ready to support people in such difficult conditions, negotiate with banks on credit and mortgage holidays and ease fiscal pressure. However, even these measures will not be enough in the absence of permanent work. The market basket of the majority will be revised and subject to rapid adjustment.

The same applies to business opportunities to grow or at least maintain current positions. As governments restrict the movement of citizens to save lives, the number of struggling companies is increasing.  The light industry and service industries that are dominant in many countries have simply stopped.

The decline is going to continue. Scott Stringer, CFO of the New York-based company, predicts that the city’s hotels will be two-thirds empty by the end of June. Restaurants and pubs can face an 80% drop in sales. The American Hotel & Lodging Association is afraid of a blow that exceeds the impacts of September  11, 2001, and the 2008 Great Recession put together. Morgan Stanley Bank estimates that retail traffic may decline by 60% in the coming weeks as more and more US cities follow the European example and stay in quarantine. This is a reality we couldn’t even imagine three months ago.

Describing this context, we do not take into account that there is a risk of a prolonged fight with the virus far beyond the second quarter. In this case, the economic consequences will be catastrophic, since no one in the modern world is prepared for crises that may last for several years.

On March 16, French President Emmanuel Macron declared that “No business will be allowed to fail” due to the virus. >Ernest Hemingway described bankruptcy as an experience that happens “in two ways: gradually and then suddenly.” The task of the manager is to make the right decision staying between these two ways.

The economic response to the “19” pandemic is already following this pattern. Consumers respond to it in the same way.

The course of events that unfold around us has a direct impact on a large number of digital businesses. Most of them are not in the market basket, so it is easy to leave them, change the tariff plan or just pause the subscription. This, in turn, is instantly reflected in the revenue of digital companies.

Moreover, as major players of the digital business have started to provide their services for free, a significant part of digital product users expect the same pattern as the standard for digital brands.

Changing economic doctrine also changes users’ behavioral patterns. Value migrates from one product to another; and we are not talking about the current time of quarantine, which leads to an asymmetry of consumption, but about the future that will come after the quarantine. At one point for hundreds of thousands of people; job search services will become more relevant than Netflix, and products that help quickly gain new skills or an entire profession will easily replace TikTok and Instagram shopping. People will rethink the current reality and see new sources of value. Will you be ready for new challenges?

What to do in this situation? How not to lose the audience and business at all?

The CFO, CMO, and CEOs have these questions in their minds and there is a common basis for the answer.
Professor Robert Kaplan in his legendary book BSC wrote the following: “In times of crisis, there are only two ways: either you cut costs to a minimum and prepare to jump right after growth starts again, or you quickly invent a new business model that will start generating the revenue you need to miniize the crisis. Everything else is nothing more than just music in the background. You need to be determined enough to work in both aspects together. ”

Upon careful analysis of the situation and communication with our clients, digital business executives and startup communities, we have outlined some important tips for how to adapt your digital product to new realities, how to prepare for a possible downturn in demand, and how to get ready for a gradual end of this crisis.

Here is what we suggest.

• Update the customer journey map of your product. In a rapidly-changing environment, the users’ previous experience may easily become irrelevant, and instead, a greater need for other parts of your product or its additional functionality may arise.  Over the last three weeks, the world has turned upside down. It is a mistake to think that the same is not happening to your users. Now, they are probably looking for something in your product and your brand in general that can help them to adapt to today’s realities.  To quickly turn the situation in your favor, you can carry out 5-10 new user interviews to gather new insights, get information about your users’ current pain, their new expectations for your product, and then, based on gathered information, create relevant value. The main thing is to act promptly.
  
• Take a closer look at your product analytics over the last few weeks and discover new growth points. Having analyzed the analytics of a mobile application of one of our clients, we quickly discovered the massive flow of users from the functionality, for purchasing financial services and electronic transport tickets, to the functionality for online payments, payments by scanning QR code on websites and card to card transfers. (There are specific behavioral patterns for Ukraine that may be different from those in your country. We still have a lot of cash to use;) Try to understand how these growth points can survive or continue to grow. If this is the case, make easier or more accessible new functionality that is important to your audience.For one of our clients, a large chain of gas stations (one of the few entities that continue to operate under conditions of quarantine), we have urgently developed the functionality for advance purchases of coffee, hot-dogs, and other takeaway products to minimize contact with other people.
  
• Try to keep as much of your business as possible, don’t focus on winning new segments or aggressively promoting new functionality. In the face of information overload with news on pandemic and economic downturn, your press release on new functionality may go unnoticed or ignored. In the coming weeks marketing campaigns that are not related to healthcare will have little effect, as for the majority of the population, the # 1 focus, for now, is to stay healthy. We suggest reviewing your release plan for the next few months and focus on the implementation of the preceding items, moving ahead with small scale releases. For this, we recommend using the KANO framework to give your users only the most valuable functionality.

• Allow your users to continue using your service (those who unsubscribe because of financial problems). Launch a temporary compensation program, discount program, or freemium model to support your user at difficult times. Believe  – the user will reward you. Your main prerogative in times of crisis is to try not to take away people’s usual comfort or level of service, if possible. After overcoming financial difficulties, your efforts will be quickly monetized by a large audience. 
  
• And most importantly, ensure the continuity of operation and stability of your product, regardless of the situation around. Your users expect a high level of service from you, even (we would say especially) in times of economic instability. From the user’s perspective, the value of money spent is much higher in times of crisis and economic downturn. Practice shows that now buyers of goods or services are much more sensitive during the purchase process than usual. Our advice here is to start building off-site options for your business. Alternatively, software and design outsourcing can be a great start.  During an economic downturn, an off-site team can help you save up to 40% of your budget on product support and development without losing quality and often with it increasing. This is especially relevant in the context of a total home office, where the former in-house capacity is no longer different from the outsource team.

Under high levels of uncertainty, you need to operate at high speeds. The right steps at the beginning of a crisis give you a much better chance of surviving difficult times and saving the business. Many executives who survived the 2008 financial crisis say they regret starting so late. Early actions could have saved much of their business and assets.

In order not to see the second part of Hemingway’s sentence, we suggest that you use the full potential of your leadership and make the difficult decisions to preserve what you and the team have been building for so long.

The post Technology leadership through the wave of the economic crisis appeared first on Devlight.

These trends and growing uncertainty make us think and act at a quick pace. Which actions will have the greatest effect? What should be done in the first place? Simply cutting costs is not a strategy…

However, this can only be a small part of a big plan to survive the crisis and accumulate resources for rapid growth as the economy recovers. Right actions at the outset of a crisis give a business a much better chance to survive in difficult times, retaining the maximum of its assets. In private conversations, many executives who managed to survive the 2008 financial crisis say they regret not taking action immediately upon the first symptoms of the coming storm. For many businesses, it seemed that it will be the short-term difficulties and they would be able to survive these times with little loss.Though, reality had different plans.

Ernest Hemingway described bankruptcy as an experience that happens “in two ways: gradually and then suddenly.” The task of the manager is to make the right decision staying between these two ways. In order to escape the second part of Hemingway’s sentence, we suggest that you use the full potential of your leadership and make the difficult decisions to preserve what you and your team have been building for so long.

Here you can find 6 important tips for how to adapt your digital product to new realities. 

The post 6 important tips to adapt your digital product to new realities appeared first on Devlight.

Let’s start with the conventional axiom: business that does not change is doomed to extinction. The impulse for evolution can be either the forward-thinking approach of the CEO of the company, or a crisis, or circumstances like the coronavirus pandemic.
When these “black swans” intersect at one point or, a country, for example, a CEO’s flexibility and his/her ability to rebuild processes becomes number one of the management agenda.

Outsourcing during the crisis
We are at this negative point. A layout of the global financial crisis caused, among other things, by the dropout of the Chinese economy’s growth rate, is already being depicted, and the coronavirus pandemic is really affecting the degree of business engagement. Nevertheless, modern technology provides entrepreneurs with the tools that make it possible to survive during this difficult time. One of them is outsourcing the company’s services that do not bring direct income to the company: IT departments (development and support of digital solutions), legal department, financial department and others.

Here it is appropriate to ask the question: “How exactly can the implementation of a remote back office help business to overcome the crisis?” First, outsourcing stands out against the traditional approach to back-office with its continuity. Schematically: none of the developers ever leaves for vacation, and the project manager does not quit during the inspection time or the business season. In addition, you forget about the situations when your highly qualified employee can be recruited by the competitors.

In fact, this is a win-win situation: an outsourcer fully meets the needs of business units, and the CEO has time for strategic planning, business development, and creativity. The fact that the CEO has time to create and implement ideas is the second advantage of outsourcing. a CEO still spends a significant amount of his/her precious time on routine work. Outsourcing takes care of it and creates space for the CEO to do what is really worth doing.
Outsourcing is a synonym to a full understanding of what the businessman pays for. For example, the company employs two IT department employees who handle 200 operations daily. Fortunately, things are going well, and the number of transactions has increased to 250. Obviously, we need a third specialist. In addition to the hassle of searching, allowance, and so on, we take a person to the staff who will not be fully loaded with the work. At the same time, outsourcing provides an opportunity to get the right resource in the right quantity “here and now”. Concerns about bonuses, audits and working hours, as well as office maintenance, are all a thing of the past.

By the way, speaking about the office. The situation with the virus forces the organizers not only to cancel large events, but also forces owners/shareholders to think about transferring employees to a remote work, to which they are not accustomed. At the same time, working remotely is a familiar process for outsourcers: their absence in the offices does not affect the efficiency and performance of tasks.
The sum of all the above advantages not only increases the efficiency and profitability of the enterprise, but also the chances to survive the negative economic and social conditions, and to recover quickly.

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