Belitsoft > ERP Software Development > Web and Mobile Custom ERP to Cut Operational Costs by 25%

Web and Mobile Custom ERP for a Manufacturing Company to Cut Operational Costs by 25%

Client

Our Client is a European manufacturer of timber and wood products, exporting its goods to businesses throughout Europe and Asia. The company has manufactures in the UK, France, Lithuania, and other countries.

Challenge

The Client managed their daily manufacturing and financial workflows without a unified management system, using different XLS/PDF files, emails, and papers. The process was full of manual work.

Key departments were blocked from access to new sales orders

A sales manager created a new order in an XLS file. The order was stored locally, so the procurement, manufacturing, and accountant departments were forced to request it every time. They depended on sales managers even on such routine tasks.

  1. Procurement managers weren't able to fulfill the stock timely. The procurement manager estimated available raw materials to decide about stock fulfillment, without knowing the number of new orders.
  2. Manufacturing staff were unhappy to manually verify defected products and calculate manufacturing costs. The head of production expected an email from the sales manager with order details to start manufacturing. During the process, they had to manually track the amount of defective goods. At the end of production, they were obliged to manually calculate manufacturing costs.
  3. Accountants had no single database, where all bookkeeping information was synchronized. The accountant collected emails from various departments and manually entered the data into the accounting software to calculate payments.

Warehouse employees had to manually get and pass the info to the procurement managers

The procurement manager created an operation and sent a request to a warehouse employee. The employee handled the pallet and confirmed task fulfillment before returning to their workplace.

Sales managers had no tools to track order readiness and delivery status

The data about produced and shipped products was manually entered by sales managers. In the case of large orders, that are often sent in several batches, and it was complicated to monitor which part of the order was shipped and which was still in production.

Business leaders didn't have real-time data about company operations in a single place

Business stakeholders requested employees to make regular reports manually. Without a complete cost-effectiveness picture, they couldn't make timely and data-driven decisions.

A matter of urgency and lack of in-house development expertise

Opening new manufactures in Europe made it crucial to reduce human errors, improve data accuracy, and access company data in real time.

For that, our Client needed a customized ERP solution to automate the manufacturing and financial workflows and create full visibility of key business processes.

Since they lacked in-house developers, they chose Belitsoft as their technology partner. We quickly provided them with a full skilled team specializing in ERP development.

Solution

Process

Results

"I’m happy to see the changes that have occurred in our company thanks to our mutual work. The communication between Belitsoft and us has been really effective. Also, getting regular reports and updates helped clearly see the project readiness."

Rolandas Zacharevičius

Founder of the Company

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What is ERP: a Beginner's Guide What on Earth is ERP? You’ve probably heard the term tossed around in every business IT meeting - but what does it actually mean? ‘Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are designed to address the problem of fragmentation of information or “islands of information" in business organizations.’ International Journal of Operations & Production Management ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) is a software suite that automates and decreases the manual labor. It allows your company to perform in a cost-effective manner. ERP systems include a set of software modules, which manage the information for a separate business function or a group of those. It connects departments to one internal database and centralizes all the information. The database in turn exchanges data flow with the modules. For example, every month we have to inform the payroll office how much has each worker done. Employees should concentrate on their direct duties. By means of ERP automatization we minimize their involvement to the task and its tracked implementation. ‘I don’t see how any company can do effective supply chain management without ERP.’ ERP - Making It Happen To see the whole picture of what can be done by Enterprise Resource Planning alone, enjoy the graph: Source: Panorama report on ERP systems and Enterprise software So, make a step forward and simplify the process by implementing ERP systems: ERP analyzes the functional side of your enterprise and along the way automates and/or removes the irrelevant business functions. Each department has its own unique software that automates simple processes. Simplified working process. The info is already in the database, ready to be used. That will make the information exchange between the inner systems simpler and more robust. The modules have an access to each other’s outputs, while reduced time and effort consumption please the eye. Increased performance and stable implementation These make all segments of the company system fruitful; removes the spots of possible mistakes (e.g. human factor) and saves a great deal of time. Source: Panorama report on ERP systems and Enterprise software So, the main reason why people involve so much effort and money into the software of ERP is the need for constant improvement. The enhanced performance will push business processes increasing the efficiency and drawing customers’ attention. Visually, the influence of ERP systems looks like that: Source: Panorama report on ERP systems and Enterprise software Cloud-based ERP Today, a number of modern companies prefer this type of ERP. And BelitSoft isn’t an exception. However, because the security here is still questionable, some would prefer to have their data behind the walls. People still are suspicious of the Clouds. According to the Panorama report, 72% of respondents were frightened of the possible risks of data loss, and 12% of a possible security breach. Pros: Fast and easy data sharing+the access is seamless and handy. Saves money (no need in servicing and specific equipment) Good choice for small companies that are looking to start without going into too much technical aspects of setting their own hosting Cons: Deprives a full control over the data (hosting-provider is the one responsible for stable work and data integrity) Data security is in the hands of the vendor Still expensive: the price of VM in the Cloud is higher than in the local data-center Belitsoft provides expertise in modernization of business-critical applications, including ERP systems. We help you transition to secure, scalable cloud environments that meet your compliance, performance, and integration needs. On-premise ERP On-premise hosting means using your own resources for the software deployment (you need your equipment to make it work). However, you may also use VPS (Virtual Private Server) or VDS (Virtual Dedicated Server). As my interlocutor noticed, “To keep the machine working you need to hire people that could manage fixing whenever it breaks. Moreover, the space taken is also a reason to think your choice over". So, to make sure nothing will spoil “the moment of truth", the on-premise ERP holder should think of: Pros: Maximum security for your corporate data Full control 24/7 (physical access to any data on the server) Excellent for large and mid-sized enterprises which have a data control and safety in the first place Cons: Additional expenses (hiring specialists for servicing the equipment, space, safety, electricity) Complexities with data access for the distant branches OPEX (operating expenditure) is more profitable than CAPEX (capital exp.) you have buying facilities Ready-to-go vs ERP from scratch: Pros, Cons, and Cost Factors Today you can purchase everything effortlessly. You may choose the way of the least resistance and check out what ERP software has been developed years ago and is still relevant. Source: https://selecthub.com/erp-software/ ‘However, we can’t say that the purchased product is the cure that works straight away. There are always things to change that make developers remove lots of discrepancies. It also happens that some existing modules that are not necessary anymore may be eliminated.’ Dmitry Garbar So, before the implementation, developers have to straighten everything up, adjust and test the results - to make sure the work is done the way you’ve expected. ‘I've never come across ready-to-use ERP software that fits a client perfectly. Often, they're not entirely willing to change their business processes to fit the ERP product. There's always room for the idea of a customized ERP solution.’ Dmitry Garbar Let’s sum up the information. When Off-the-Shelf ERP Works - and When It Doesn’t Off-the-shelf ERP can be a fast solution but often requires trade-offs in flexibility and long-term ownership. The advantages of the ready-to-go ERP are: Short-term savings (by avoiding high costs associated with customization). Faster implementation Stable knowledge support (lots of outside experts on the software who can provide long-term training and advice) Software Sophistication (few bugs, industry-specific solutions and extensive elaboration) The drawbacks are as follows: The need for adjustments and additional development May be difficult to customize it to your processes You have less control over the product (software vendor holds the rights to the code) Is Building Custom ERP Worth It? Developing ERP system from scratch gives you full control, but it’s not without its trade-offs. Let’s look at the benefits and the challenges you should plan for. Some entrepreneurs may find it much more difficult to wisely develop an ERP core that holds their systems together. Firstly, you need to analyze what and how do people do their job in each department. “Each role that is performed in the company is under the question of automatization", Garbar said. “So to get the ball rolling, business analytics (BA) have a chat with every employee in the company to understand the mechanics better". And after the picture of company’s “back-end" has been drawn, we are ready to discuss the time frame, costs, individual desires, and suggestions. Source: ERP - Making It Happen. The overall process builds a totally unique architecture that is capable to adapt to the further changes in the company’s work. However, that coin has two sides. Pros: You get a unique software tailored to the specific nature of your business You have a full control over the software code You save money on the long-term prospects Intellectual property rights to the ERP increase company valuation. Cons: Long development time High costs compared to off-the-shelf solution May become obsolete by the time of implementation ERP Implementation: Costs, Timelines, and ROI Expectations Source: Panorama report on ERP systems and Enterprise software The final cost for the software is always formed individually and depends on the range of factors. What Affects the Cost of ERP? Speaking of ERP system developing, the price includes: Company size (the number of employees, branches, locations and so on) The industry of the business Solution (industry-specific and customized, or general and flexible) Resources required (external consulting, user training, task tracking, etc.) Specific requirements For instance, if you expect to see a sophisticated custom ERP system, you may not find complete designs and architecture that will fully satisfy your desires. In such cases, the implementation may require heavy customization and third-party add-ons, which will increase the costs. But even if the price was named, it can’t be steady when push comes to the software expected to support your business for decades: Source: Panorama report on ERP systems and Enterprise software ERP Cost Ranges by Company Size ERP pricing varies significantly depending on company scale. Industry-wide, ERP implementation costs in the U.S. typically fall within these ranges, broken down by business size: Small businesses: $10K - $150K Mid-sized companies: $150K - $500K Large enterprises: $1M - $10M+ ‘Considering Belitsoft, it’s difficult to name even the average price we offer. The projects we are involved into are diversive and usually require a wide spectrum of services: from the company size and technology team to personal wishes and preferable time frames.’ Dmitry Garbar At Belitsoft, the effort on the project varies from 2000 hours to 96 man-months. And a plethora of those that need ongoing support and constant improvements. The question that doubts is shall the project pay off? Well, let’s see: Source: Panorama report on ERP systems and Enterprise software How Long Does ERP Implementation Take - and Why It Often Gets Delayed Time. If only "as fast as you can" would be taken literally and fulfilled right away. But in the real IT world all we have is to nod hearing 25, 32, 48+ months from the developer. But what takes them so long? Size. Same as with the costs. The size of your company, the amount of employees, and many other factors influence the time spent on analysis, chosen technology, the type of data storage etc. The industry you are operating in Types of ERP. The time needed for the final implementation of purchased and adjusted ERP on the Cloud differs from the on-premise solution tailored directly for the business you run. Personal desires. Any additional functions you want to see in the final product need extra time for development and adoption Respect the deadlines. Not many IT companies may boast for their accurate relationship with deadlines and set time-frames. According to the 2017 report, project duration was over scheduled by 59% in total: Source: Panorama report on ERP systems and Enterprise software Is ERP a Long-Term Investment Worth Making? Just face the fact: Enterprise Resource Planning solutions can’t be developed in a day. ERP is a life-time project - one that demands continuous support and adaptation, but delivers deep operational impact over time. It shapes how your organization operates, grows, and even how your people work, reaching everything you care about in your business. The Best Technologies for ERP Implementation Source: https://www.cuba-platform.com/ The choice of technology arises from the size of a company you run. At Belitsoft, we provide PHP solutions for small and mid-sized businesses, and Java or .NET solutions for larger companies. If your project specifically requires Java expertise, you also have the option to hire dedicated Java developers from our skilled team. hire dedicated java developers Developing a desktop application for a Football Federation we’ve chosen .NET - as a prevalent technology - accompanied by C# and PHP. Creation of the ERP system for Granite Industry vendors involved Laravel, HTML and PHP. Angular JS coupled with .NET is a good replacement for Java to build financial software ‘One independent company carried out the technical audit of the project we were going to engage in. The focus was on specifications and architecture. In the end, they acknowledged only Java and .NET as the most secured technologies.’ As a programming language, Java shows itself as a perfect tool in finance and enterprise development. Amongst its advantages, the most substantial one is versatility. Java is essentially reliable and proven partner when it comes to the building software castles, skyscrapers and highway bridges. However, no one stops mid-sized companies to choose Java as well. It is a balanced language with well-oiled filling for the diverse purposes. Conclusion Two words: simplification and automation. Enterprise Resource Planning systems: Is a complex process that requires a distant understanding of the target. Requires re-orienting and teaching staff to work within a totally new environment. Transforms your enterprise into a computerized structural body managed by a set of software. modules covering the entire business. Provides the techniques accompanied by effective forecasting, planning, and scheduling processes. Makes the data exchange between modules much easier and more systematic. Helps to avoid repeated data entering. Automates business functions so that business processes go flawlessly. Still uncertain which ERP path is right for you? Our architects have guided 300+ projects through in various industries. Book a consultation.
Dzmitry Garbar • 8 min read
Enterprise Mobile Applications: Key Questions to Consider Before Development
Enterprise Mobile Applications: Key Questions to Consider Before Development
What are enterprise mobile applications for? Enterprise mobile applications are meant for internal use within the company. They streamline doing business by bringing together all the processes. Examples of an enterprise mobile app Applications to supervise contractors at a construction site; In-store survey apps; Apps for merchandising audit; Field reporting applications; Applications with reference information; Applications for employee communication on work-related questions. 5 reasons for enterprise mobile application development To skip the paperwork and free up employees from transferring these data to a digital format; To enable photo and video recording; To provide an employee with the most relevant information about the task online; To manage dynamic data; To avoid communication issues within the company. A corporate mobile application should be based on a business logic that allows performing the tasks of each department and employee with minimal costs and maximum efficiency. To increase the efficiency of the application and help the business to grow, identify weak points, analyze business processes preliminarily and optimize them. Should companies provide employees with devices or require them to bring their own? Advantages of purchasing devices Development in a single native language If you don’t purchase devices for employees, you need to develop the application both on iOS and Android. Of course, now it’s possible to use Flutter or ReactNative to develop on two platforms at once. But in practice, applications in non-native languages are more suitable for simple solutions where information from the server should be displayed. There are cases when the application has to work with poor internet or no internet at all, for example, in the construction industry (a car park, a site outside the city), in supermarkets (jammers on site), etc. In such cases, the application needs to store a large amount of data (photos, videos) until the Internet restores, otherwise, all the work done will be lost. For such applications, we recommend using the native languages Swift, Kotlin, Java. Simple support Most likely, some of your employees have old gadgets. When purchasing devices, there is no problem with maintaining outdated technologies. You will know what performance you should count on and be confident in the performance of the system. Users will not complain that there is no free space on their devices Seems that in 2021 it’s not a problem, but the fact is users save megabytes. The ability to set up MDM (Mobile Device Management) You will be able to control all device data: geolocation, usage time, files, blocking. Install and update applications, restrict website visits. Cons: You will have to spend money on purchasing devices and accessories for them (cases, chargers); You will need to keep records of devices and establish the process of issuing; You need to buy SIM cards and top up the balance. How to distribute enterprise mobile applications to employees? The security team often prohibits distributing corporate mobile applications in Google Play and AppleStore. There are also the companies that don’t want to opt for the open distribution for the following reasons: Sensitive data (security requirements increase because any user can download); Customers and competitors can see the company's applications; Dependence on the moderation from Apple or Google (sometimes an application can be under moderation for 1-2 weeks due to constant addition of new requirements). And if to Android users you can simply send a link or file to download, then with iOS app development it’s much more difficult. You have two options here: Apple Developer Program ($100 per year) Apple Developer Program suits you if the number of employees who will use the application is lower than 100. Employees install the application through the TestFlight program and become its internal testers. Keep in mind that if there are more than 100 employees, the application will pass Apple moderation and go to the public AppStore.  Pros: low cost, no moderation, and no legal approval.  Cons: the limited number of users. Apple Developer Enterprise Program ($299 per year) The best way is to use the Apple Developer Enterprise Program. After passing legal procedures, you can send a download link (outside the AppStore). You don't have to wait for moderation, and most importantly, you can use over 100 users without public access.  Pros: the unlimited number of users.  Cons: the cost of service and legal restrictions on use. Bottom Line Ask yourself a few questions before a proprietary enterprise mobile app development: For which operating systems do you want to develop an application? Are you ready to purchase devices and pay for mobile services? How many employees will use the app? And where will you distribute your application? The advantages of implementing corporate mobile applications are obvious. But there are still fears that prevent some managers from digitalization. There is also a danger of sabotage by workers or a decrease in motivation if the staff is conservative. Employees are not always happy with innovations requiring a new collaborative culture in the company, and a leader himself may be at the head of such ideation.  But today, even if your company has a great past, even if it is an integral part of the country’s infrastructure, there is a risk of losing its advantage overnight. Young companies with an agile approach and creative products can overtake clumsy conservatives at once.  As stated in a press release from the British airline company Thomas Cook Airlines Limited, they could not compete with online services. This is happening everywhere. During the lockdown in many industries, only the companies that have mastered the technology have survived. And the companies that had implemented corporate digital systems before the coronavirus were the least affected and quickly moved their work to remote locations. Today it is obvious that there is no turning back, and corporate mobile applications in any company are only a matter of time. Belitsoft specializes in mobile application development. If your business is ready to level up in enterprise technologies and competitiveness, contact us for a free quote.
Dzmitry Garbar • 4 min read
Hire Dedicated Development Team To Cut Costs by more than 40%
Hire Dedicated Development Team To Cut Costs by more than 40%
What Is a Dedicated Software Development Team Model? A dedicated development team is a partnership between a client and outsourced developers. This kind of model works like having your own in-house team, but without the extra hassle, like administrative, HR, tax, and social benefits issues. You can focus on important business tasks while your dedicated development team takes care of the rest. Areas of Responsibility Your Software Development Vendor: hire skilled talents for the software development project build dedicated team for the project plan software development resources and workflow set up an effective communication between the dedicated software development team and you equip and supply infrastructure for the dedicated team seamless transfer knowledge and roles within the project Your Company: approve the members of a dedicated team monitor the product development provide feedback and reviews to the dedicated development team accept the software development results if they meet your expectations Hire dedicated offshore developers from Belitsoft to reveal your full business capacity. Talk directly to our specialist on building a dedicated development team. The Structure of a Dedicated Development Team A highly performing dedicated software development team comprises specialists with strong professional skills, motivation to achieve the goal, transparent communication, and a clear understanding of their roles and duties. The dedicated development team typically includes the roles agreed for a specific project. In practice, this structure may differ. A dedicated team includes: Front-end engineers. Companies hire dedicated front-end developers if they want to get experts who code and test the elements and functionality of the user interface—the “visible” part of the product. Back-end engineers. When you need experts who are to develop the inner part and the background components, you can hire dedicated backend developers. DevOps. If your processes require the involvement of skilled professionals who specialize in coordination of software development, IT operations, and testing, hire dedicated DevOps engineers. UX/UI designers. Specialists who make the user experience simple, intuitive, and engaging. QA engineers. Software product businesses often use a dedicated testing team model to ensure the optimal quality and bug-free functioning of their main assets. Project managers. The team leaders who mitigate risks, plan, manage, track, and optimize the entire development process. Responsible for delivering project requirements to the dedicated team and reporting to the client. Business analysts. The mediator between the development team and the business. They determine requirements, evaluate processes, make reports, and offer suggestions to CEOs, business owners, and other stakeholders. The dedicated development team size varies based on your specific needs. We can start a project with 1-2 specialists, adding more along with the project evolution. We have also built dedicated development teams of 100+ developers and IT experts in an extended period for our clients. Dedicated Development Team Services Custom web and mobile development Testing and QA UX/UI design Data backup and migration services Product engineering services Big Data analytics Remote hosting services for IT infrastructure Maintenance and support for IT infrastructure When You Should Hire Dedicated Development Team Early-stage startups Assemble the required dedicated software team quickly for an early-stage startup with growth aspirations. Hire dedicated developers to save money and speed up the software development process without resorting to full-time in-house developers. Large projects with changing scope To skip a time-consuming recruiting process and build a professional dedicated team quickly, opt to hiring a dedicated software development team for large growing projects. Optimize the working processes by assigning more important, business-oriented tasks to the in-house staff and forward additional work to the remote team. New product launch Hiring a dedicated software development team is an effective way to create and launch a new product. In case your company lacks technical specialists with the enforced skills. So you have to spend a lot of time recruiting. It results in product launch delays. When you decide to work with an outsourcing software development vendor, it speeds the recruitment of a professional dedicated team. Business scaling While your business enlarges, it demands more dedicated developers. Connect to those companies with access to a large pool of proficient engineers. They can supply rapidly extra resources and adjust them to your existing procedures, while offering a thorough experience for every stage of development. Lack of unique skills When there’s a realm that requires specific expertise you don’t have inside your company, or you need to engage specialists who may be limited in your region. With a dedicated development team model, all talents are available to you worldwide. Urgent need for scaling the development capacity An increased scope or unexpected changes to your current development team may cause difficulties with handling the project. Hiring dedicated development teams is an alternative solution, it saves you time and effort on recruitment and HR processes, while providing a functional line-up immediately. When You Should Not Hire Dedicated Development Team Short and middle-term projects If your project is not large and has well-defined requirements, it may not be urgent to hire a dedicated development team. More likely, you need an in-house team to carry out the outlined tasks. For short-term projects, a fixed-price model is suitable, whereas the Time & Material approach is appropriate for medium-term projects. Projects with a full defined scope Projects with well-defined requirements and a rational plan of execution don't demand a dedicated development team. The choice between a fixed-price or Time & Material model should be based on the size and scope of the project. Short overlap time with the vendor Most outsourcing vendors work in different countries. So you need to choose the one that offers convenient working conditions in terms of availability and response time. Agree with your prospective vendor about the minimal overlap period. Otherwise, the working process won’t be smooth. How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Dedicated Development Team? The pricing model in a dedicated development team is quite simple. Every member has a monthly salary. Just as you pay your in-house workforce, you pay remote workers monthly as well. Plus, the vendor’s fee for administrative, overhead, and infrastructure expenses. The total cost of your project depends on the duration and scope. No extra expenses such as renting an office for a dedicated team, purchasing equipment, paying taxes, electricity bills, taking care of sick leaves, etc. Benefits Of Hiring Dedicated Development Team Hiring a dedicated team with Belitsoft ensures you control the development while we guarantee smooth integration with other teams in your company. Access to global talent Hire dedicated developers at Belitsoft and select skilled experts from a wide talent pool. Do not be limited to the experts within your city. Get a wide range of technology expertise. Make your business agile and your products versatile through outsourcing vendors with talents in mobile apps and web apps, blockchain, IoT, and AI. Time & resources savings on hiring Collaborating with outsourcing vendors, you skip the expensive recruitment process. Bring in talents hand-picked on your requirements for your particular project. The dedicated development team model implies your participation in hiring as well. Your role is to select the best candidates from the shortlist suggested by the vendor. Benefit from a quick and simple software development staff augmentation. Transparent and effective management Effective communication is key to the success of an outsourcing model. With tools such as Skype, Basecamp, JIRA, and GoToMeeting, you keep informed and in control of the project's progress. Regular communication and collaboration between the client and the development team ensure transparency, boost productivity, and create a smooth workflow. Flexibility in time, materials, and scalability With a dedicated development team model, you get the best of all the engagement models. You earn flexibility in time and material along with predictability in cost. Cost-efficiency in comparison with in-house models There are no single statistics, but the average outsourcing rate is much lower compared to the average in-house rate. Sometimes, the difference in the rates is not so large. But such vendors usually offer the top efficiency that could hardly be reached with the in-house workforce. Cut extra expenses and resources on equipment, office and infrastructure. Apart from arrangement activities, release more time and resources for important business processes such as competitor analysis and technology research. Dedicated team scalability Access the flexibility to determine the size of the dedicated team on their project. Throughout the development process, you can increase or decrease the team as required. Quality infrastructure Setting up a full IT department is expensive for startups and mid-sized companies. Hiring a dedicated development team offers a cost-effective solution for creating complex tech products with the best resources without additional investments. A software development vendor is already well-equipped to handle projects of varying sizes or complexities, and deliver optimal results. Continuous integration Ongoing evolution and enhancement are crucial for large project success. A dedicated team model is effective for projects that need growth and evolution. Keeping the dedicated team intact avoids the need to expand or set up a new one. What Are the Challenges When Hiring Dedicated Development Teams? Finding remote developers matching company values Finding a development team that aligns with your company's values and approach to software creation can sometimes pose a challenge. While industry standards and recommended methods are widely known, not all practitioners follow them. Setting up effective communication Commonly, dedicated development teams are composed of remote workers who may be co-in a shared office, but not necessarily at your physical location. As a result, managing remote teams presents typical challenges such as maintaining effective communication and keeping dedicated team members motivated. Fortunately, these difficulties are less pronounced when you hire remote dedicated development team with a higher level of experience. Ensuring high level of security For security considerations, especially during the early stages of working with a specific development team, we advise to keep critical projects and software development processes in-house. Over time, as you build a relationship and gain a deeper understanding of the team's capabilities, you can determine the extent to which you can rely on outsourcing. How to Build a Dedicated Development Team? Define requirements and estimate the scope Although changes during the development process are inevitable, it's important to have a well-defined framework in place. It may include the type of solution you need (such as web or mobile), the problem that this solution should solve, and the timeline. To ensure they meet the requirements, the software development vendor needs to understand clearly the tasks and the specialists required. A business analyst works with the clients to determine their needs, and then define the project requests and scope. There are two potential scenarios in determining the project scope: The client has a predefined scope. Here the budget is discussed with the client, considering the priorities and estimated or given timelines. The client does not understand precisely the exact scope. Then, a discovery stage may be conducted to make hypotheses and test them through prototypes. Based on the test results, they analyze the existing scope to determine if it meets the objectives. If not, they conduct further discovery and research, until they identify the needed scope. Choosing a reliable software development vendor We recommend you to pay attention to 3 important aspects, like experience, portfolio, and level of communication. But there are so many results that you definitely need to narrow down the search. And here are great ways to do this: Searching in Google works the best, B2B portals such as Clutch, References from other clients. Find outsourcing vendors with pricing, descriptions, and real reviews from other clients. It facilitates your choice. Searching and interviewing team members The software provider selects suitable candidates for every needed role and interviews. It gives you the option to take part in the interviewing process, providing a valuable opportunity to clarify expectations for the project goals and each development team member's role and responsibilities. By being involved in the hiring process, you can select dedicated software developers who not only possess the technical expertise, but also align with the company culture and exhibit strong soft skills. The goal of this stage is to build a team of highly skilled and motivated professionals to work on your project. Before you hire a dedicated team Before hiring a dedicated team, it's important to agree on the responsibility distribution. Clearly understand the development process and determine in advance who will be responsible for each task to avoid conflicts during critical moments of the project. At this step, the outsourcing vendor deals with the legal nuances of your cooperation. The set of documents usually includes: Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). A dedicated team works with sensitive internal information. That’s why such cooperation normally starts with signing an NDA. The document outlines what material and knowledge should be confidential and what the penalty for its disclosure will be. Master Services Agreement (MSA). It’s a contract specifying most of the terms of the cooperation. Usually, it covers payment terms, protocols for invoicing & payment, dispute resolution, available volume discounts, product warranties, credit limits and credit periods, intellectual property ownership, and liabilities. And the critical thing to mention. To grant all the rights for the developed product to you and your company, it shall clearly state this condition in the MSA.  Statement of work (SOW). This document describes and defines all terms and conditions of your project. It clarifies deliverables, timeline, costs, project conditions, and special requirements. It’s essential to make the SOW clear to every party, which will help avoid misunderstanding and disputes. The development team is given the go-ahead, and the collaboration begins with a call to meet the team, discuss responsibilities, receive access to development tools, align project and business priorities, and establish regular check-ins. Managing the development team To ensure a successful development process with your dedicated team, it's important to stay involved and maintain open communication. Some actions you may take for that include: Holding regular online meetings to review progress and address any issues. Encouraging development team members to ask questions and provide feedback. Staying in touch with the vendor's project manager to ensure everything is on track. Consider holding an offline meeting with the dedicated team to build personal relationships and foster a positive work environment. By actively participating and being available to the team, you can help ensure a successful outcome and build a positive reputation as a supportive client. Why Hire a Dedicated Development Team from Belitsoft? Tangible cost reduction Hiring dedicated developers with Belitsoft allows you to cut your software development costs due to lower rates compared to the US, UK, Israel, and many other countries. You also save on creating IT infrastructure, as well as hiring and onboarding costs. Faster time-to-market Belitsoft’s ability to create a dedicated development team within a shorter timeframe and scale it up promptly afterwards helps reduce your solution’s time-to-market. Team scaling speed and capacity In a matter of weeks, we can assemble a top-notch, multidisciplinary team of 6–8 dedicated software developers and other specialists to work on your project. To get things started quickly, we can even provide you with 1–2 developers right away. For example, in one of our major long-term projects, we have started by providing the enterprise with a dedicated team of 5 specialists, and then gradually expanded the team up to 100+ software developers and QA testers. Multidisciplinary & cross-domain expertise We have created Dedicated Teams for startups, well-established clients, and projects that aimed to merge multiple other standalone projects. Our dedicated development teams comprise skilled professionals in a variety of technologies, including Java developers, .NET developers, including those proficient in SharePoint development, Python developers, PHP developers, C++ developers, and more. As for domains, our team has strong expertise in eLearning, Healthcare, Business Intelligence, Insurance, Logistics, etc. Great flexibility Wherever our clients are located, we make our schedule with at least several hours of time overlap. When you require closer collaboration, our dedicated teams adjust their working hours bound to your schedule. Effective management and regular communication Our dedicated teams are self-sufficient and expertly led by experienced Project Managers with years of managing expertise. By assigning a dedicated project manager to oversee the day-to-day operations and workflows, we ensure that the project is transparent and aligned with your goals. The project manager will keep in regular contact with your in-house project manager or product owner to keep you informed. This allows you to focus on the key aspects of the project while still retaining full technical ownership. Gain access to our company's best practices and the project artifacts and knowledge accumulated during the project. Control the results without spending time on daily management. Quick start To assemble a tailored dedicated development team for you promptly, we refer to the extensive pool of over 400 in-house Developers, Product Managers, and Business Analysts. This vast network and access to top talent from major software development hubs also helps us create dedicated teams that meet your specific needs. Efficient recruitment processes and fast turnaround times allow us to quickly add more skilled developers to your team as on demand. Most times, we can provide an additional 1-2 software developers almost immediately. Years of hands-on expertise Belitsoft has been in software development and IT consulting for 17 years. We’ve received experience in various business scenarios and environments, including mergers and acquisitions, project recovery, and collaboration with both in-house and third-party development teams, among others. These experts have honed their skills in overcoming challenges and delivering successful outcomes. Reliable support Our dedicated development teams provide support services during and after product implementation. You get technical support and backups for your product. This ensures exceptional customer service in the long run. Total security and compliance All the dedicated teams at Belitsoft have a proven track record of delivering successful projects that meet the needs of our clients. Now that we use our ISO 9001 certified quality management system, we ensure that projects are executed with a focus on meeting our customers' expectations for quality, time, and budget. Additionally, Belitsoft provides assurance that our customers' data is protected and secure. Invest in a dedicated development team with us for a smart and profitable solution and get top-notch results at a fair price. Let’s talk. 5 Factors That Make Dedicated Development Team Work Define requirements and goals Before assembling a dedicated development team or outsourcing to a third-party provider, it's crucial to take the time to assess your business needs. From there, establish well-defined goals based on these requirements, including the project's scope, desired outcomes, and potential benefits. Do your own research Before hiring a dedicated development team, it's crucial to conduct a thorough background check. This includes reviewing references, experiences, portfolios, and client testimonials. Assess the team's expertise in handling projects similar to yours, including the number of projects they have completed, the types of clients they have worked with, and the technology they use. With this information you have a better understanding of the development team's ability to meet your expectations. When it comes to long-term projects, consider conducting interviews and skill assessments for each dedicated team member to ensure they are the right fit for the job. Maintain transparent communication Effective communication is crucial for the success of your project and outsourcing relationships. Before deciding, consider the cultural differences, common language, and time zone differences. For example, if you are based in the US and looking to hire a dedicated development team based in India, these factors can greatly affect the outcome of the project. Misalignment in these areas can lead to difficulties in feedback and communication, thus hindering the progress of the project. Build trust To ensure the success of remote projects, establishing trust is essential. Building trust is a gradual process and requires continuous effort from both parties. One way to foster trust is by offering flexible work arrangements, clearly communicating project expectations, being transparent in payment processes, and avoiding changes in project requirements without proper compensation. By making credit a priority, you can ensure a strong and productive relationship with your dedicated development team. Start small To get initiated with hiring a dedicated development team, set up with a small project. This allows you to assess the viability of this model for your needs and determine if you can form a long-lasting relationship with the dedicated team. Starting small reduces risks and helps manage costs effectively, which is beneficial for startups, as well as small and mid-sized businesses. Dedicated Development Team VS Fixed Price Model A fixed-price model is a cooperation based on a fixed budget for the project, regardless of the time and resources needed to complete the project. It means that you and the software vendor agree on the price, deadline, project scope, technologies, and detailed product requirements in advance. However, the vendor needs more time to prepare the detailed specifications. The key favor of a fixed-price is skipping budget-related surprises. The major disadvantage—you cannot make changes in the workflow. Actually, you can work it out, but be ready for extra pay and moving the deadline. The fixed price will work for: MVP development Short-term projects Projects with clear deadlines Projects with determined specifications Dedicated Team VS Time & Material Model The time & material model means that the client pays only for time and resources spent on the project. The leading improvement of the time & material model is the freedom in changing project requirements and scope of work alongside the development. While the key obstacle is the difficulty in planning and controlling the budget because of such changes. This engagement model is suitable for: Projects where requirements can change The market is not thoroughly explored Product market fit is yet to be determined Belitsoft's Engagement Models to Choose From Belitsoft offers several engagement models that ensure an efficient solution to your software development needs, whether it's to expand your in-house team, acquire specialized technical knowledge, or speed up the development process. The Dedicated Team model provides access to Belitsoft's top-notch software development professionals on a long-term basis. The Team Extension model ensures you receive a highly skilled software development team that aligns with the required expertise and cultural fit for your project. The Project-based model offers a dependable collaboration between you and Belitsoft specialists who are focused on delivering specific project objectives. Ready to work with a dedicated team? No need to spend your valuable time searching for a reliable and experienced partner. At Belitsoft we offer top technical talents and 10+ years of expertise. With us, you will reduce costs of software development by over 40%. Need assistance?
Alexander Kom • 14 min read

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