Category: Services

The Cost of Building a Mobile App in 2021

Posted on by galaxy-admin

What is the ballpark of building a mobile application? There are hundreds of estimates available on the web for this answer. However, they happen to be just that – an estimate. Now we know that developing a mobile application may have numerous variables. 

Your mobile application may end up costing $15,000 to $250,000 based on the features you are looking for. There are a few constants that contribute to the cost. Let’s have a look at them – 

Location of the team

Your team’s/ vendor’s location contributes significantly to your app’s development cost. The primary reason beyond this is the different wages based on the geographical location. Developers and designers have different costs across the US, Europe, and Asia. A developer in the US is paid $40-$100. In Asia, a developer with the same skill set and experience is paid $25-$35 per hour. Here is an approximate rate of Android and iOS developers across regions:

RegioniOS ($/hour)Android ($/hour)
North America150168
Australia110110
UK7070
South America4334
Eastern Europe3535
India3026
Indonesia1112

Your App type

After the location selection, the second factor is the application type. There are three options here – 

Web Applications 

  • They are websites with functionality and interactive elements, such as Gmail, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc. 
  • They can be accessed via any browser, and therefore, there is no need to download them from any app store. 
  • Web apps are cost-effective and simple, primarily built using JavaScript, CSS, and HTML. There are no standard SDKs for web apps. 

Native Applications 

  • These applications are created using the language that is native to the operating system of the device in consideration. 
  • Objective C or Swift for iOS devices, Java or Kotlin for Android.
  • Their performance is par excellence. However, they are expensive to develop. 

Hybrid Applications

  • A mix of web apps and native apps. 
  • Helps in reaching out to a larger audience. 
  • Code maintenance is lesser vis-a-vis native apps. 
  • Easy access to the device’s hardware. 
  • Great application performance. 

Platform Selection

If opting for a native application, you can opt to develop your application on Android and iOS simultaneously. Alternatively, you can choose to launch your application on one of the platforms and then develop it for others after some time (e.g. Instagram).

How to make the right choice –  

  • Determine which platform has a greater chunk of your target audience
  • What resources you have if you go for developing apps for iOS vis-a-vis Android – Resource pool, access to development tools, SDKs
  • Will it make more sense to opt for cross-platform development

While there is no major difference in the cost of developing for iOS and Android, the cost will be more if you opt for developing your mobile application on both. 

Features and Functionalities

The basic features social login, push notifications, data encryption, media, messaging, search features. You will also need to decide if your application needs to be connected with the internet, payment gateway, geolocation (if required), third-party integrations, and so on. 

There will always be budget constraints. How to overcome this issue?

  • Prioritize your application’s features and also remember that every new feature will need additional cost and efforts of your team.
  • Determine the complexity of your app as it will have a direct impact on the timeline and cost. 

Design and Development Complexities 

The design and development complexities are a major determining factor in your app cost. Simple layouts, standard color schemes, limited options, icon and logo designs, copywriting; all are vital components of your design. And if these are not developed as you envisioned, it will lead to a lot of back and forth among teams. Make sure your developers and designers are on the same page always. 

What is the cost of building a mobile application in 2021? 

After reading this blog, we hope you know what goes into building a mobile application. You can expect additional costs to come your way as your app grows. This would include the maintenance cost, cost of additional features, storage of data, complex visuals, and so on. 

You may choose to outsource your mobile application development to experts who will help make the design and development journey smoother and swifter. 
Don’t take our word for it, Clutch recognized us as ‘Top development partner’, read all about it here. We are always open to building new relations and working on challenging projects, you can contact us here for an accurate app development estimation.

Saving Money on Product Development – Tips and Tricks

Posted on by galaxy-admin

When it comes to product development, it’s good to shoot for the stars and be ambitious. Ideas are immense fun on paper; execution, however, is another story altogether. The viability of ideas surfaces only when we try to build on them. Without proper expectations, it’s easy to lose sight of what’s important and over-exhaust your budget. So, how to strike the right balance and build great products, within your budget without compromising quality? 

Planning is crucial

There’s a common mistake that people make while planning a product. They opt for outcome-based planning and not process-based. It doesn’t matter if you know everything at the outset, what matters is how you manage the risks.

Planning instead should be about:

  • Making assumptions about the reality of the product
  • How the production is going to work
  • What are the expected results?

What typical planning includes: 

  • Goals – Goals outline what you want your product to deliver. It could be increased sales, recognition, building a community, or providing a service. They help you determine your offerings – an app or a website, essential functionalities, and what channels will be the most suitable for the distribution of the product. They also assist in aligning the small tasks with the bigger picture.
  • Target group –  Identifying and understanding your customers is the most crucial thing to get right. You can start by filtering your customer base with age, place, lifestyle, and needs.  Focusing on a group will help you separate must-have features from the ones that are only for show.
     
  • Timeline – Developing and testing are just a part of the development cycle. You must also account for internal approvals and marketing activities early on while creating a timeline. The number of stakeholders involved and time taken for feedback can significantly affect the time to deploy. Setting an accurate and realistic schedule will have a direct impact on productivity. 
  • Budget – Needless to say, budget determines the direction and speed of product development. A well-defined budget will help you choose the right solutions and leverage the money at hand efficiently.
     
  • Solution – Deciding on the technologies is just as crucial as determining the budget. It’s always a good idea to consult specialists to choose the right set of technologies for your product. Utilize the discovery phase call with the specialists to pin down technologies best suited for your goals. Then use that information to build a detailed plan of product implementation.  

Simplicity over complexity

‘Keeping it simple’ is not only good for product transparency but it also aids in budget management. Unnecessary complexity is the foe for your product. 

Making the calls on essential features and cutting down on the ones you don’t need is the most effective money-saving advice in product development. While it’s easy to go down the path of excessive development for more features, it costs money. And not to forget, that today’s modular technologies allow us to easily add features in subsequent stages when the demand arises. Try taking the MVP route.

Bad choices are costly

Good products come at a price but cheaper alternatives cost more. A poor product leaves a bad taste on users, needs numerous refactors, and has serious vulnerabilities that require frequent patches. This eventually results in a far costlier, but inferior product. 

Go Agile 

By principle, Agile is doing the same amount of work but in short and iterative cycles that aids in tiny achievable goals with fewer delays and faster feedback implementation. Agile teams leverage instantaneous channels for communication to reduce the need for reworks because real-time communication facilitates active participation in the process and immediate reaction to potential errors. 

Outsource entirely

When you’re working on a complex project, outsourcing is one way to ensure that you have access to a large talent pool based on your project requirements. With outsourcing, you can choose between flexible engagement models and opt for the one which suits your budget and project requirements. You would know what to expect and ensure timely deliveries.

You can also hire resources in-house but this may not be the most cost-effective option. By outsourcing, you’re paying for the expertise that you need for a specific time. It is your instant and efficient access to the manpower that can often save significant time and money. 

Saving money on product development can be as easy as avoiding a few mistakes. We recommend that you use a sensible mixture of the above tips and save a substantial amount while maintaining the product quality. 

Swift 5.4 | New Features and Updates

Posted on by galaxy-admin

Swift is the preferred programming language for the Apple ecosystem. It’s a safe, fast, and interactive option that combines the best in Apple’s engineering culture and the contributions from its open-source community. 

With the Swift 5.4 update, there is a significant improvement in the compilation, result builders entry, better code completion in expressions, and so on. Let’s see all the major updates that this new release has in store for us. 

Result builders

Function builders were unofficially a part of Swift 5.1. With this update, they are now formally here named as result builders. 

New result builders can now be defined with the help of new structs via @resultBuilder. This attribute informs SwiftUI which type to be considered as a result builder. However, all result builders need to define at least one static function.  

Implicit member syntax extension

There is an improved way of using implicit member expressions. There is now support for chains of static functions as opposed to a single static member earlier. The compiler can comprehend multiple chained members and act accordingly. 

Multiple variadic parameters in functions

Before this update, you had just one variadic parameter. To elaborate, there is now the possibility to use multiple variadic parameters in functions, subscripts, initializers, and methods. The only condition here is that all these parameters should have labels.  

For example, now one can create a function that will store which team won a particular football match and followed by a second parameter that will store the names of the players that scored the maximum touchdowns. 

Changes in local functions

Local functions now have overloading support. Meaning, nested functions can be overloaded and Swift can select which one gets to run based upon the types that are in use. 

Support for property wrappers

Introduced in 5.1, property wrappers were implemented to attach extra functionality to properties easily. This is now extended to include support for local variables too. 
All the changes mentioned above are well-received in the developers’ community so far. Do let us know which upgrade are you liking the best and which updates/ features are missing in your opinion.

Why are external code audits important?

Posted on by galaxy-admin

It’s a common industry practice for applications to utilize and reuse codes written by other programmers. Although it’s an efficient way of building applications, you might not be fully aware of the vulnerabilities in the code, since it’s not yours, to begin with. That’s where External Code Audits come into the picture. It takes that unknown out of the equation. 

Apart from spotting errors and improving your code external audits will also help you understand the underlying composition, licensing, and obligations. In this blog, we’ll uncover why it’s important to conduct external code audits.We have also covered Code Review best practices in our earlier blog. Read it here.

Improved programming quality

Source code reviews are as important as QA. It not only ensures the highest code quality but also makes it easier for developers to improve overall software performance and add new features for expansion. Improved quality of code and optimized performance means, no need to allocate critical time and resources to solve technical issues and errors.   

External code audits may also help surface any code debt which came as a result of using code created by other developers. 

It saves you money

The time taken for bug detection is related to the fixing costs. Therefore, the longer it takes to detect the bugs, the costlier it gets. You can significantly reduce the cost of development by simply detecting bugs as early as possible. External code audits bring in extra hands to multiply audit efforts and cut the time by a significant margin, providing a direct cost advantage. 

External developers can easily detect mistakes made by other developers, as it’s fresh for them and they have no other obligation other than shipping the best possible version of that code.

Streamlines development

When an engineer (not just developers) does one thing a million times, it gets harder to see subtle mistakes and efficient alternatives. That’s why QA engineers, editors, and supervisors are there. External code audits can help surface inefficiencies in the code and mistakes that go undetected. If given a pass, these mistakes can cause critical development issues and undermine the project management. 

Helps upskill new coders

If you have new and less experienced developers in your team, external code audits can be eye-opening. It can help them improve their skill and learn about different modules, workarounds, and coding practices. Through this practice, the newcomers can come out as experienced coders after learning from their mistakes pointed out during the reviews. 

Improves Project estimation accuracy

Reviewers performing code audits are people who are very familiar with the codebase you’re dealing with. There is a great chance that they already know the underlying common issues with the codebase and can recommend solutions based on the complexity of your project.  Knowing about the issues and possible workarounds beforehand will give you an edge and help you make more precise project estimates, in terms of cost, time, and resources.

Consistent code across the software

When you’re working on complex projects, consistency becomes a challenge. Code audits help maintain consistency in your code throughout the software development project. External developers will keep a watchful eye on the coding style and any other element that needs to be consistent for better understanding and easier transitions in the future. 

Conclusion

Software development, like any other process, is collaborative and when things exchange hands, it creates room for flaws. External code audits eliminate those possibilities while optimizing and speeding up development in the process.

About Galaxy Weblinks

We specialize in delivering end-to-end software design & development services and have hands-on experience with large, medium, and startup business development requirements. Our engineers also help in improving security, reliability, and features to make sure your business application scale and remains secure.

Unveiling Android 12 | Updates and Enhancements

Posted on by galaxy-admin

The developer preview of Android 12 is now available and Google has placed heavy emphasis on app compatibility, privacy, and accessibility of all users. As always, Pixel phones will be the first to receive the update probably around September 2021, followed by billions of other android phones.

In this preview, the UI receives some tweaks and features enhancements in Android 12 (Code-named Snowcone). Let’s see what they are-

Change in Accent Color

The white background color in the drop-down menu and settings menu is now being changed with a pale light-blue tint. It can be seen in both light and dark themes.

Nearby Share for Wi-Fi passwords

Connecting to a new Wi-Fi is now easier with the help of ‘Nearby Share’ for sharing Wi-Fi passwords. The QR code scanner option is present; if you scroll down, you will spot this new option which will look for devices near you for sharing the details.

Changes in Notifications

There are changes seen in the layout of text and visuals along with tweaks in transparency and background. The overlay is lighter in shade and the background is more translucent.

Also, the new notifications snooze now comes with three different time-durations – 30 mins, 1 hour, or 2 hours. Although this option is disabled by default, you can enable it from settings by going on the ‘allow notification snoozing’ under the notification head.

Editing Screenshots 

One can add text in varying fonts and colors on the screenshots. The markup menu will also feature emojis just in case your screenshots need extra flair.

Along with edits for screenshots, you can edit any outgoing image file via a share sheet. When you share an image file, there will be an ‘Edit’ option that enables you to make edits to your selected file.

Media Player Interface 

In the drop-down menu, you will notice a change in the media player. The widget now occupies more space, expanding till the screen edges and takes more space on the lock screen as well when in use.

You can select which apps are shown in the media control and which are restricted. This can be done via Settings > Sound and vibration > Media.

Changes in Accessibility Settings   

Accessibility settings are also reorganized. Font size, display size are grouped under ‘Text and Display’. There was a horizontal line that used to divide different menu options which are now removed.

Privacy Settings

Privacy toggles can be used to block the usage of the camera and microphone. Users will be notified when an app uses either of these functions. In the Privacy Settings, the preview also features an option to disable the phone camera and mute the microphone completely.

Some rumored changes are also creating buzz, like:

  • OS updates could be done directly from Play Store. If this is implemented, it will lead to more frequent updates.
  • Audio-coupled haptic feedback/effects could be seen in Pixel phones. As of now, only the Pixel 4 is believed to have the hardware to implement this feature. This signifies that there can be vibrations in the haptic motors to match the rhythms of the music played.
  • Double-tap gesture for Pixel phones on the back of the phone. This can be done by activating Google Assistant. It can be used for other options as well like taking a screenshot or pausing/ playing media, etc
  • ‘One-handed’ mode is believed to have a feature called, ‘Silky Home’ which will push features further down, making them more accessible. Apart from this, one expects more blank space to be left on the top of the display.

We are eager to see how this update pans out and what effects it will have on app design and development. If all goes well, it will give a lot more control to users’ hands.

About us We, at Galaxy Weblinks, are all for new ideas and experiments. We believe that being up-to-date in this fast-paced world gives us adequate time to explore and implement new changes. Our analytics team is proficient in building apps that are well aligned to our client’s and platform requirements. Contact us for a free consultation!

Streamlining Software Design with Effective Diagrams in 2024

Posted on by galaxy-admin

In 2024, the complexity of software development projects continues to escalate, driven by advancing technology and market demands for faster, more reliable applications. Within this landscape, the clarity and efficiency of the software design process have never been more critical. Effective diagramming techniques stand out as indispensable tools for architects, developers, and project managers aiming to navigate this complexity, transforming abstract ideas into tangible, actionable design plans.

The Importance of Software Design Diagrams:

Software design diagrams are fundamental tools that go beyond mere illustration to play a pivotal role in guiding the software development process. They help us “talk” about complex software architecture, design choices, and how different parts of a system work together, making it easier for everyone involved—from the tech wizards to those who might not speak “tech” as fluently—to stay on the same page. As we dive deeper into 2024, with projects needing more teamwork and different departments working closely together, the importance of using diagrams to keep everyone aligned has grown significantly.

A study by Lucidchart shows that teams using diagrams and other visual tools work 43% more efficiently and cut down on having to redo work by 32%. In a world where teams might not share the same office or even the same time zone, and where project goals and needs can change quickly, diagrams have become key tools for several important reasons:

  • Better Communication: Diagrams act as a bridge, connecting different people on a project, from the ones who build the technology to those who make sure it meets the user’s needs. They turn tricky technical concepts into something everyone can grasp, making sure the whole team is moving in the same direction.
  • Spotting Issues Early: With a clear visual of the project’s structure, it’s easier to see problems or snags early on. Catching these before they turn into bigger headaches saves time and effort later.
  • Making Smarter Choices: Diagrams give a bird’s eye view of how everything fits together, highlighting how information moves, where things link up, and where there might be weak spots. This overview helps everyone make better, informed decisions as the project moves forward.
  • Speeding Up Development: By laying out design choices clearly and helping everyone understand them, diagrams cut down on confusion and backtracking. This means the team can move faster, turning great ideas into reality sooner.

Types of Software Design Diagrams and Their Applications:

  • Unified Modeling Language (UML) Diagrams: 

UML diagrams, including class diagrams, sequence diagrams, and use case diagrams, provide a standardized way to visualize system architecture and object interactions.

  • Entity-Relationship Diagrams (ERDs): 

Essential for database design, ERDs help in mapping out the data landscape of an application, highlighting the relationships between different data entities.

  • Architecture Diagrams: 

These diagrams offer a high-level view of software architecture, showcasing the system’s structure and the interaction between its components.

Streamlining Software Design with Diagrams:

Enhancing Communication: 

Diagrams act as a universal language, bridging gaps between technical and non-technical stakeholders, ensuring everyone has a clear understanding of the project’s architectural vision.

Facilitating Problem-Solving: 

By visualizing complex systems, diagrams allow teams to identify potential issues early in the design phase, saving time and resources.

Improving Documentation: 

Well-crafted diagrams serve as valuable documentation, aiding new team members in coming up to speed and providing a reference point for future maintenance and scalability efforts.

Effective Diagramming Techniques:

  • Start Simple: Begin with high-level diagrams to outline the system architecture before delving into detailed component or class diagrams.
  • Iterate and Refine: Treat diagrams as living documents that evolve with the project, updating them to reflect design changes and decisions.
  • Choose the Right Tools: Leverage modern diagramming tools that support collaboration, version control, and integration with development environments.

Selecting Diagram Tools for Software Design:

The choice of diagramming tools can significantly impact the effectiveness of your software design process. In 2024, tools that offer intuitive interfaces, collaborative features, and compatibility with industry standards like UML are in high demand. Whether it’s cloud-based platforms enabling real-time collaboration or desktop applications with extensive customization capabilities, selecting a tool that fits your team’s workflow is crucial.

Choosing the Right Tools for the Job:

Navigating the software design landscape in 2024 means having the right tools in your toolkit, especially when it comes to diagramming. With the sheer variety of tools available, each boasting its own set of features, choosing the right one can significantly impact your project’s success. Here’s a rundown of some of the most popular diagramming tools out there:

  • Lucidchart: 

This cloud-based tool shines with its extensive template library, real-time collaboration capabilities, and seamless integrations with many development tools. It’s a go-to for teams looking for flexibility and ease of use.

  • Draw.io: 

Perfect for those on a tight budget or small teams, Draw.io is an open-source, web-based tool that’s straightforward yet effective for basic diagramming needs.

  • Microsoft Visio:

For projects that demand intricate diagrams, Visio is a powerhouse desktop application suited for complex, enterprise-level undertakings with its advanced features.

  • PlantUML:

If you prefer working with text to create UML diagrams, PlantUML is a standout choice. It’s praised for its simplicity and how well it works with version control systems, making it ideal for developers who like to keep things straightforward.

Choosing the best tool for your project isn’t a one-size-fits-all decision. It depends on various factors, including the size of your team, your budget, the specific needs of your diagramming project, and how you like to collaborate. Trying out different tools can lead you to the one that best fits your team’s workflow and project requirements. In the quest to streamline software design with effective diagrams in 2024, picking the right diagramming tool is a crucial step towards ensuring clear communication, early problem detection, and a smoother development process.

Best Practices for Creating Software Diagrams:

  • Maintain Consistency: Use consistent notation and symbols across all diagrams to avoid confusion.
  • Focus on Clarity: Avoid cluttering diagrams with excessive detail that could obscure the overall design intent.
  • Engage the Team: Encourage contributions from all team members, fostering a collaborative design process.

Visualizing Software Architecture in 2024:

As software systems become more complex, the ability to effectively visualize architecture is paramount. Architectural diagrams in 2024 serve not just as design aids but as strategic tools for decision-making, helping teams to choose between design patterns, frameworks, and technologies that best meet their project’s objectives.

The Business Impact of Streamlined Software Design:

Streamlined software design, facilitated by effective diagramming, directly contributes to project success, reducing time-to-market, enhancing product quality, and increasing stakeholder satisfaction. In an era where digital transformation initiatives drive business strategy, the efficiency of the software design process becomes a competitive advantage.

Boosting Your Software Design Strategy with Galaxy Weblinks

In the rapidly evolving software development landscape of 2024, the strategic use of effective diagrams has emerged as a critical factor in streamlining software design. Galaxy Weblinks recognizes the power of visual tools in transforming complex system concepts into clear, actionable designs. Our team of experts specializes in employing advanced diagramming techniques and leveraging the latest tools to refine your software design process, ensuring your projects are not only successful but also aligned with the latest industry best practices.

Partner with Galaxy Weblinks to harness the full potential of effective diagramming in your software design projects. Together, we can build a foundation for clarity, efficiency, and innovation that propels your software solutions forward. Reach out to explore how we can help you to streamline your software design strategy, ensuring your projects lead the way in 2024 and beyond.

7 Best Practices For React Security

Posted on by galaxy-admin

React is undoubtedly one of the most popular JS libraries to build applications. It is also one of the most actively developed libraries which means instant bug fixes and security patches. React has many advantages, but may fall susceptible to security threats. Here are a few recommendations that we share based on our vast experience of working with this technology.

(Know more about our proficiency in Front-end Technologies)

Cross-site scripts and URL injections are some of the most common and serious attacks that affect applications in general. These vulnerabilities are targeted to steal sensitive user data and capture user input to steal credentials and card information.

We have made a list of some best practices that will help you enhance the security of React applications. Do have a look!

Protection against XSS

Your application may have some vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit and insert data in your code that your app treats as part of the code. This in turn gives the attacker the access to make requests to the server and even captures user inputs to steal sensitive credentials.

The injection might look like this:

Code!<script>alert(“malicious code”)</script>

Here’s what the same thing looks like with some protection against XSS:

Code!&lt;script&gt;alert(“malicious code”)&lt;/script&gt;

&lt; and &lt; being interpreted as < and >, the browser won’t confuse the data for code.

You can also use:

  • Using the createElement() API.
  • Using JSX auto escape feature.
  • Using dangerouslySetInnerHTML to set HTML directly from React instead of using the error-prone innerHTML.

Adding End-to-End Encryption

Almost every real-time communication application that you’re using comes with End-to-End encryption as standard.

End-to-end encryption means that nobody else other than the parties involved can read the messages. It’s made possible by encryption technology that ensures that the message is encrypted just as it leaves the sender and can only be read once it reaches the intended receiver.

To get E2E in your React application you have to rely on a vendor that provides the tools and kits to ensure secure encryption. Virgil for example is a vendor that provides a platform and JavaScript SDK to create, store, and offer robust E2E secure encryption via public/private key technology.

HTTP Authentication

There are several ways to make authentication secure in your application. Pay special attention to the client-side authentication and authorization because typically they’re ones subject to security flaws.

You can use one of these to ensure your application safety

JSON Web Token (JWT)

  • Move your tokens from localstorage to an HTTP cookie since it’s fairly easy to extract from local storage.
  • Keep, sign, and verify the secret keys in the backend
  • Avoid decoding the token on the client-side and ensure that the payload is small.
  • HTTPS over HTTP under any circumstances

Other methods:

  • OAuth
  • AuthO
  • React Router
  • PassportJs

Rendering HTML

You should always sanitize dynamic values that you assign to dangerouslySetInnerHTML. The recommended sanitizer to use is DOMPurify.

Import purify from “dompurify”;

<div dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html:purify.sanitize(data) }} />

DDoS prevention

Denial of service happens when the app is not secure or it’s unsuccessful in masking the IPs of services. As a result, some services stop because they can’t interact with the server.

One way to deal with these issues is to just limit the number of requests to a given IP from a specific source.

Or you can always- 

  • Add app-level restrictions to the API.
  • Make calls on the server and NOT on the client-side.
  • Add some tests to secure the app layer.

Keep Your Dependencies Updated

There are a lot of third-party dependencies that you use that are patched regularly for security reasons. They can prove to be risky if not updated.

Update your dependencies regularly via security patches and ensure that you leave no backdoor vulnerable for attacks. Try using npm-check-updates to discover dependencies that are out of date. And update if needed to ensure that you’re covered.

Keep An Eye On Library Code

Third-party libraries. Useful? Yes. Risky? A little.

These libraries, modules, or APIs in most cases will help you fast track your development but sometimes they might take your application down with their flaws.

That shouldn’t stop you from using some great third-party offerings. Just a word of caution though, ensure that you are aware of the vulnerabilities, their scale, and workarounds.

And lastly, keep them updated and patch the old ones, just to make your application airtight.

We hope that you find these practices useful and employ some or all to keep your React applications secure and in shape. Do let us know if you’re struggling with some enterprise-wide dependable implementation, we are here to lend a hand. Get in touch with us here.

Prioritizing Your Product’s Features – Dos And Don’ts

Posted on by galaxy-admin

“Is this a must-have?”
“That one is good to have.”
“Is this functional or just a visual aid?”

As project managers, this is just one of the many conversations that you may have when it comes to deciding on the features for your product. Given the numerous options and limited resources, feature prioritization is inevitable. As you continue reading, you will find the non-negotiable dos and don’ts of this process. 

Place your features into themes

You need to start by categorizing all your current features and future feature requests. This can be done with the help of ‘themes’. These themes can be established or you can make use of the existing vision, growth plans of your product, product’s current roadmap, or even time-bound milestones. 

For instance- for deciding on the product features, there are communication channels, engagement, integrations available, user flow, etc. Time-sensitive milestones can be like increasing our newsletter subscribers by x% by the next quarter or reducing the churn rate by a certain percentage. 

Asking questions related to a feature’s implementation 

Saying yes or no to a feature that can aid in your growth plans is a tough call. But you can start by asking the right questions that will back you and your team’s reasoning, like:

  • Can the proposed feature’s functionality be fulfilled with existing features, or with some minor tweaks?
  • How much effort, time, and cost will be needed for development and implementation?
  • How good is the ROI?
  • Will it be vital in attracting new customers?
  • How will it help the current customers?
  • How many customers will benefit from it (an approx estimate)?
  • What will be the usage frequency?
  • Do your competitors have the said feature? How is it working out for them? Is there any data available for the same?
  • If the feature is unique, how will you educate your users for its utility? 

The list may look a little long, but it will give you enough information to back your final decision.  

Collaborate and bring all ideas to the table

Collaboration is important for ideation and bringing out something unique from a mixed bag of ideas. Therefore, it’s vital that you talk to all stakeholders, and encourage maximum participation. You can ask your teams to answer a common set of questions (like the ones mentioned above). 

This gives everyone a fair chance to validate their suggestions and their implementation. Have open discussions about shortlisted features and brainstorm with other team members about the execution. As a project manager, you are the center point of interaction among teams and you can facilitate communications regarding your product with ease.  

Get feedback from your customers on the selected features

Your existing group of customers and their feedback is a great way for understanding their needs. You can ask users to volunteer for testing your features and get their first-hand reactions to them. One can also go for focus groups, in case you are just starting.  

All the responses can then be cross verified with assumptions and expected results. If possible, you can also give some incentive to your users to sign up for the trial runs and be a part of the beta testing group. 

All the points mentioned above are just the tip of the iceberg, we know a lot goes into feature prioritization. 

Thanks to our wide experience, we also believe in what should not be a deciding factor of this process, here are the absolute don’ts:

Heavy reliance on gut feelings  

You and your team’s “gut feeling” can not be in the driver’s seat of feature prioritization. Like said earlier, there must be a good support for passing on or implementing any feature. No one wants to retract features after it goes live, it’s a lot of unnecessary workloads which can be avoided.  

Ad hoc requests implementation

Once in a while, urgent implementation of features is understandable, but it should not be a habit. This goes for all requests, internal ones, short-lived inspiration from competitors, and even customer requests. And this should not be seen as a barrier to creativity. You need to ensure all your teams understand this. We suggest that take the time to ascertain the viability and feasibility of a feature before you dive into the execution. 

Prioritizing many options 

Prioritize a limited number of features. And this does not imply that you are refusing all others, make sure that you keep revisiting old requests. Focus on the bigger features, but ensure that the smaller iterations are also taken into consideration from time to time. 

Doing internal/ external evaluation only

This may seem obvious but always gather internal and external feedback, especially for major feature rollouts. Relying on just one at any point in time can backfire, so try to take a holistic decision and get inputs from a majority of stakeholders.

As pointed earlier, these dos and don’ts are ones that you can not go without. Planning your features takes a lot of effort and to stay ahead of your competitors and in your user’s mind, some extra thoughts will not go waste. While no one can guarantee a 100% success rate of all the new features, going by the experts’ advice can help you in being a step closer to your organization’s goals. Get in touch with us for more discussions about your product and its features.

DevOps For Enhanced Business Growth

Posted on by galaxy-admin

DevOps has been around for a good number of years now. Thanks to the promise of streamlined business and growth operations, it has gained a lot of popularity as well. However, many organizations when faced with numerous implementation challenges, are unable to make a complete transition.

Everyone needs to up their game to thrive in such a highly competitive business world. DevOps will help you in fulfilling many customer expectations like:

  • Prompt bug fixes
  • Fast release of new features and functionalities
  • Responsive feedback system
  • Storage of customer data and its safekeeping

So let’s see how you can leverage DevOps to minimize implementation challenges and provide an enhanced user experience.

Continuous Iteration and Continuous Delivery

The essential rule here is to keep iterating the code numerous times for removing any errors and bugs. CI and CD help you in getting real-time feedback from your website and iterate accordingly. When your program code is entered into a repository, it will be assembled and tested (more on this below) before it goes live. This will create a streamlined CI/CD pipeline, assisting you in numerous ways.

  • Less number of bugs reach your production cycle and QA engineers
  • Iterative deployments cycles will help in releasing new features quickly
  • You are at a lesser risk of causing high disruption as the changes are done in smaller batches
  • Deployments are automated hence your time, especially in the smaller iteration done

Automated Testing

When customers see the 404 error, they may never return to your website. Automated testing can help you avoid such situations. It works on predefined conditions and removes any new bugs that may hamper your user experience. You will benefit in the following areas:

  • The system detects errors before they snowball into bigger problems and fix them with minimum human interventions
  • The right QA tools will decrease the possibility of human errors
  • Your teams can focus on building new test suites and kits

Cultural Shift

DevOps integrated with Agile methodology will result in a lot of changes within your organization. DevOps is driven by a responsible, responsive, and collaborative approach to change.

Automation in processes and tools will lead to a learning environment. Developers, designers, and testers should come together to solve issues before it hampers the user experience. There needs to be a balance among organizational, technology, and innovation goals. Developers and QA engineers can collaborate to create products that end-users demand.

Security 

Any misuse of your user’s data can cost you dearly. DevOps helps you build a secure website so that you can collect, process, and secure your customer’s sensitive data like personal information, payment modes, and banking data. All this can be ensured via:

  • Server updates to be automated
  • SSL/ TLS configurations to be done correctly
  • Code vulnerabilities especially from a security point of view to be checked regularly
  • 2-FA for an added level of security
  • Data encryption
  • Source control
  • Restriction on data access

All the points above are an integral part of DevOps. Its implementation will build a more secure environment for your customers. Given below are a few questions that we encourage our clients to think about before they go in for a complete change.

  • Is your current setup ready to handle faster updates and features?
  • How much transparency and visibility is there throughout your SDLC?
  • With no new cost, can your current infrastructure generate more revenue?
  • How receptive is your team for new changes and an everlasting optimization process?
  • Which processes are you ready to automate right away and the ones in near future?
  • In the current setup, how are you planning on increasing the stability and performance of your business?
  • How much financial liberty is available for future expansion plans?

All these questions are pretty intense but so will be the transformation that you wish to take on. Agile and DevOps go hand in hand. If you have any doubts or need to talk to a DevOps expert, contact us here and we will be happy to help you.

How To Build An Easily Maintainable Application

Posted on by galaxy-admin

Among the many operational challenges, businesses continually face the question of how much time and money they should allocate to application maintenance.

A robust and high-performing application delivers expected business functions with rare instances of manual intervention. If you can succeed in building such an application, you have with you the very coveted almost-zero maintenance app.

However, the drive toward zero-maintenance has its own set of drawbacks. By over-optimizing the applications, the software development process may become “less friendly” to the business. You may face issues such as increasing budgets for future-proofing the solutions, unwillingness to accommodate “unrealistic timelines,” denying complex changes, etc.

End-to-end optimization may be theoretically attainable, but from an ROI perspective, the cost of achieving it may not be justifiable. Zero maintenance, as an objective, may not be easy to achieve. On the other hand, as an initiative, it can be a driver for delivery improvements. In sync with the best practices to build easily maintainable applications right from the initial stage of the development lifecycle, you can expect transformational results.

In this article, we will help you understand the significance of software applications maintenance, just like the maintenance of any other business asset. We’ll also cover the best practices to build an easily maintainable web application.

Why should application maintenance be more of a thing?

Your system’s specifications will change from time to time. They are much more likely to be in constant flux: you learn new facts, business priorities change, architectural changes due to system growth, old platforms replacements, users request new features, legal or regulatory requirements change, previously unexpected use cases, etc. Complying with new regulations, altering a particular table, upgrading to a newer release, interfacing with a different OS, or porting an application to a new server – all necessitate application maintenance.

By ensuring high maintainability practices in your software development, you will be able to:

  • Fix issues or add new features without introducing new bugs.
  • Improve performance or other attributes.
  • Adapt to a changing environment efficiently.
  • On-board new developers quickly.
  • Have a minimal impact on other components because of change to one component.
  • Establish test criteria effectively and efficiently.

Best practices to build an easily maintainable application

Eliminate Dependencies To Clear Technical Debt

Technical debt piles up as we add more and more code, by nature. If the imported code gets updated by the owner, then that code needs to be updated in the programs that use it as well. So, the tech debt that you incur is all the code that you borrow, and all the code they borrowed from, and so on.

Refactoring has made life easier as we started to understand the development processes. For example, rewriting some business logic or it could be switching to different frameworks, etc. You can pick a small chunk of tech debt in every sprint so that you don’t have to suddenly stop taking new features, and clear tech debt.

Adopt Test Driven Development

We all know that the development process is not complete if you haven’t tested your code. No doubt, writing tests might seem like extra work in the beginning. However, you will notice values of test cases when you are about to commit buggy code, only to find out that one of the test cases has failed. Test cases help to make sure that the new piece of code isn’t breaking any available functionality.

But tests become part of the maintenance overhead of a project. Badly written tests are expensive to maintain. For example, ones that include hard-coded error strings, are themselves prone to failure. It is possible to write tests for low and easy maintenance under the guidance of the right TDD team, for example by the reuse of error strings, and this should be a goal during code refactoring.

Balance Modularization And Re-Usability

A modularized solution with reusable components is one of the best practices to design a maintainable solution. Adopting modularization of every single feature and highly reusable components will require expert developers, which may increase the cost. But, these aspects will be significant in the long run due to the decreased cost of flexibility to make changes and maintenance. Every developer must still consider these aspects while writing code, irrespective of the fact that most of these aspects can be handled by using a good framework.

Incorporate Automation

Automation is the crucial part of every app development because it speeds up the delivery of products, simplifies developers’ workflow, and requires the use of fewer tools. There are two ways you can do that by making code testing a shared responsibility. Quality assurance (QA) and developers share the same goal in the SDLC: delivering a quality product on time and on/under budget. To ensure cooperation and alignment towards this goal, developers should share the responsibility of quality testing or can use required automation tools for visual QA as well. Every module must include meaningful regression, functional, and unit tests.

Following the agile methodology, all members of our team (including development and QA) are responsible for testing code. The build is then thoroughly tested including unit and integration testing via a CI process, and then reaches the QA department for black-box testing. it has already been thoroughly tested. Load tests are applied to make sure that undesirable situations are caught.

Create API And Method-Level Documentation

It is far better to not rely on inline comments to explain the logic and write self-documenting code. Although, this does not mean you should adopt zero documentation. This is especially needed when working with multiple teams or when developing an extensible application or consumable library. Because zero documentation leads to poor code readability and hard maintenance for other team members. For example, the public API should be documented precisely, describing the functionality, outputs, and inputs. This enables API users to understand and use the available functionality.

Conclusion

The zero-maintenance journey can be effective only if adopted holistically:

  • From the initiation stage, always involve key stakeholders cutting across multiple IT layers, to derive synergic benefits.
  • Look for improvements in key focus areas such as infrastructure, tools, services, operating models, and processes.

Your task is not over even after you’ve leveraged mobile/web app maintenance. Application maintenance requires frequent attention as it is not a mere one-time task. You would need to continue to monitor it to stay ahead of your competitors or have a competitive advantage over them. Regular monitoring will keep your app/system bug-free and will ensure an efficient and seamless user experience.

About Galaxy Weblinks

We specialize in delivering end-to-end software design & development services and have hands-on experience with automation testing in agile development environments. Our engineers, QA analysts, and developers help improve security, reliability, and features to make sure your business application and IT structure scale and remain secure.