Explore standard versus enterprise software development. While standard solutions meet general needs, companies adapt to unique business demands.
When we talk about technology, it's amazing to stay updated on all the latest terminologies and trends. In fact, there are so many out there that it's easy to feel overwhelmed and confused. One such term that seems a bit confusing to some is enterprise software development, which is gaining traction in the tech community but isn't the easiest to define. After all, doesn't the idea of software development include all software?
What is enterprise software and how is it different?
Basically, enterprise software is developed as a means of satisfying the requirements or solving problems of an entire organization rather than an individual user. This large-scale version of a software product allows you to assign multiple user roles and define actions for specific users.
To understand the need and use of enterprise software, it is important to know what a company actually is. Size is the main defining factor of a company. Although a self-employed business owner or small business may describe itself as a company, in theory it is a term more commonly used to describe large companies with many different departments, functions and activities.
Examples of companies include medium and large companies that work internationally, state or federal government entities, or large non-profit groups that work in a variety of areas.
Large-scale deployments
Since a business is a large-scale organization, it only makes sense that enterprise software is large-scale software. However, it goes beyond the mere size of the software. Enterprise application software refers to software that provides mission-critical solutions for all or a large part of an organization. If the software takes care of most of the problems or tasks inherent to the company, it can be defined as enterprise software.
Enterprise software is typically developed with a specific business objective in mind and for the context of its use cases. The objective of each business software is to further assist in carrying out a project. Businesses often benefit from outsourcing their software development needs.
The specifics of enterprise software development
What are the differences between developing standard-level software-as-a-service programs and enterprise-level software?
Interconnectivity
Almost all enterprise software products need to interact or integrate with several other tools or applications that are already in use in an organization. Otherwise, business practices and workflows could face major disruptions. Furthermore, more than one person will use this software daily and sometimes even simultaneously across interconnected networks. Enterprise software development must take into account the need for continuous interconnectivity between other programs and users in the development process to prevent companies from encountering problems later.
Cost
Money is an important factor in every software development project, no matter how big or small. However, there is a difference in costs at the enterprise level compared to other software. Software as a service pricing tends to only require the development cost, a monthly maintenance fee, and any additional services. Enterprise software pricing typically follows the cost model of software licensing, software maintenance and customization, and additional services. Purchasing enterprise-level software means higher initial costs when compared to the SaaS model.
Return on investment
Because these upfront costs are higher than other “standard” software development projects, there is typically a greater and faster return on investment in the product. ROI needs to be short or medium term so that companies can see profits from development costs.
Customization
One of the biggest advantages of enterprise software development is the ability to fully customize it to your company's specific needs. Because the company that pays to develop the software owns it, customization is almost limitless. When it comes to SaaS development, customization is typically limited to the software vendor's tools as it is typically done in a multi-tenant environment. This means that full customization is simply not possible.
Reports and queries
Creating queries and reports in a SaaS software program is difficult as they are in a multi-tenant environment. Queries and reports typically scan data across an entire database, which creates a lot of processing overhead in a multi-tenant environment. This may affect other organizations that may be sharing the database. Thus, SaaS and traditional software development methods typically limit the number and types of reports and queries available to users. On the other hand, custom enterprise software can be done through third-party tools or data can be extracted directly from the data warehouse. This allows for greater data visibility through full report customization.
Testing and training
Both testing and training are important aspects of all development projects, but they are especially important at the enterprise level. Enterprise systems often feature numerous customizations and configurations for a wide variety of factors. This functionality means that intensive testing must occur and is extremely important to ensure that all systems function as designed, regardless of configuration. Compared to the enterprise level, SaaS testing is less intense. Enterprise systems also typically require more intensive training for both end users and internal information technology professionals charged with responsibility for the software.
Introduction to Enterprise Software Development
Enterprise software offers organizations a wide range of benefits as it allows for full customization, enhanced and unique reporting, query interconnectivity, and a multitude of other advantages. However, it comes with its own unique requirements during development and beyond.
From complete customization of pre-built platforms to fully customized and unique software development projects, our team of cutting-edge professionals is experienced in providing reliable and cost-effective enterprise software solutions.
