Software development challenges and how to overcome them

Software development challenges that many developers and clients experience

It is the goal of every organization to develop and deploy a high-quality product that can meet its unique needs. The software development process is one of the fastest evolving fields in the IT industry. New automation tools and libraries are emerging daily.

Software development is a complex process that comes with many challenges. These challenges should be addressed almost immediately to reduce the impact they may have on end-users.

In this article, I have identified the biggest issues for software developers and the solutions you can do to overcome them.

Challenge 1: Keeping up with the changing requirements

Changing client requirements is one of the major reasons that increases the complexity of software development project. In most instances, clients do not understand that a simple change request may necessitate many changes in the database structure and function.

Solution: To ensure the product aligns with the expectations and requirements, it is important to establish a solid process and a line of communication. Consider the following:

ü Define and agree on the scope of project

ü Do not assume end-user needs and requirements

ü Communicate the needs and expectations between the developer and ideation teams

ü Involve the users from the start of existing product refurbishment

ü Create the user interface from the start of a new product development

ü Create a clear, concise, and thorough requirements document and confirm your understanding of the requirements

ü Where possible, create a prototype to confirm and/or refine the agreed-upon requirements

Challenge 2: Unrealistic deadlines

Unrealistic deadlines can be caused by lack of planning on either the client or the developer. Unrealistic deadlines can cause many issues, such as rushed or buggy software, missed deadlines, and unhappy developers.

Solution: It is important to have realistic timelines for the software development project. The developer should factor in issues, such as testing, debugging, and user acceptance tests (UATs). Part of the development timeline should consider integration with third-party APIs, such as bulk SMS, payment platforms, social media networks etc. Permission is needed to access the APIs and so the development timeline should consider the time sought in providing the use case for the software or system and the time taken to grant the permissions.

Challenge 3: Quality assurance

Not reviewing code, or suppressing errors are a means that some software developers may use to save time and meet deadlines.

Solution: Follow a formal quality assurance process. The developer should always use the best code development practices to meet the requirements.

Challenge 4: Lack of resources

Part of this challenge is caused by complexity of projects which take a lot of time and money to complete. In addition, developers may also face lack of access to computers for testing, shortage of software development personnel, or lack of appropriate technology for the projects they intend to complete.

Lack of resources may result in different issues, such as poor quality software, delays in development and unhappy clients.

Solution: It is important that the software development team have the necessary and required resources for software development. This includes having enough funding, skilled personnel, and time.

Challenge 5: Poor communication

Poor communication can happen due to a variety of reasons, such as lack of clear objectives, unrealistic expectations, and lack of communication between the team members. Poor communication often results in poor quality product, delays in delivery of product, and unhappy clients and developers.

Solution: Ensure that everyone is aware of the objectives of the project and how they can communicate with one another.

Challenge 6: Lack of documentation

This can happen due to different factors, such as lack of time, or lack of understanding of the importance of documentation. Lack of documentation may result in a number of issues, such as software that is difficult to use, unhappy clients, and delays in the user acceptance process.

Solution: It is important to have proper documentation for the software development cycle. Documentation includes both internal documentation like code comments, and external documentation like user manuals.

Challenge 7: Assuring software security

Security breaches have been on the rise in the recent past.

Solution: It is not the sole responsibility of the software engineer to assure the client of the security of the system developed for them. Rather, all the stakeholders including the client, users, management, and application developers all have a role in assuring security. Consider the following:

ü Look beyond technology to improve the security of your software

ü Develop software using high-level programming languages with built-in security features

ü Require security assurance activities, such as penetration testing and code review

ü Perform essential core activities to produce secure applications and systems

Conclusion

It is very difficult to resolve these challenges irrespective of the size of the software development project. Being aware of the possible difficulties and developing strategies for resolving the difficulties, you can make your software development process easier and more efficient.