During the pandemic, operations have transformed across all sectors. The answer to different ways of doing things is often software.
The far-reaching impact of COVID-19 has left no stone unturned. It's hard to think beyond the pandemic — even as countries and states begin to reopen, rising infection rates have left many feeling vulnerable and anxious about moving forward.
But the fact remains that we will get to the other side and it is very likely that the world will look very different than it did before. One essential service that will transform, both in terms of operations and demand, is software and technology delivery .
A growing need for software delivery
During the pandemic, operations have transformed across all sectors. The answer to different ways of doing things is often software. It's the force behind the video conferencing technology many of us use for meetings, the means to increase production of essential goods like personal protective equipment (PPE) and groceries, and more.
Many industries will continue to rely on software in a post-COVID-19 world. In finance, for example, consumers will likely look to digital, fintech methods of completing transactions, banking, applying for loans, and so on, rather than visiting physical locations.
Those who create software will have to devise new methods to satisfy this demand across industries to, in turn, help these companies respond to their own customers.
A dependence on outsourcing
With shrinking budgets, increasing remote work, and unmanageable overload for many critical organizations, there will be an increasing reliance on outsourcing software development. Now is the time for companies to turn to outsourcing models to meet their needs, whether to respond to a shortage of supply, their companies' turnover or other reasons caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Outsourcing may be new for many companies that typically perform most or all operations in-house, so both teams will need to adjust expectations and work styles accordingly.
Training for remote collaboration
Previously, business folks typically had some face-to-face time with their developers, even if they worked with an outsourced partner. If you worked with a nearshore development team for example, the physical proximity made it relatively easy to find the software engineers who would help bring your product to fruition.
Now, in-person collaboration is largely out of the question. To make the software delivery process effective, companies will need to train employees to work together and with outsourced teams to ensure they are communicating well and productively and confirming that they are articulating goals and objectives. This will involve leveraging communication tools as well as creating a solid strategy.
Greater efficiency
During the pandemic, many companies may have faced productivity issues as employees adapt to working from home and leaders struggle to meet the needs of workers facing obstacles far greater than just their jobs. Software delivery should contribute to increased efficiency, rather than serving as another obstacle in the way.
Globally, efficiency will be emphasized as the world moves into a post-COVID-19 landscape. Because it will often be impossible to meet colleagues and partners in person, everyone—from outsourced teams to coworkers and managers—must collaborate, communicate, and work efficiently and productively while creating quality software.
Specialized Skill Sets
Given all the changes we are currently experiencing and those to come, companies should look for developers with specialized skills. This will help them achieve the above qualities – efficiency and others – while creating new and innovative products. This, in turn, will allow them to respond to new public demands.
If you don't have the necessary skill sets among your employee base, why not look outside your company – even outside your country? Again, this could mean outsourcing – casting a global net to find talent that isn't necessarily available next door and working with other teams on a project-by-project basis.
However, this is an important aspect of the software delivery process in a post-pandemic environment, where innovation will be even more important than now. Furthermore, given the growing lack of resources, including financing thanks to the economic crisis, companies must take advantage of unique talents by hiring individuals who can build quality products within a budget.
An emphasis on customer satisfaction
Customer satisfaction has always been a priority when it comes to software development and delivery, but in this new scenario, it is even more imperative. Greater difficulties and minimized contact mean organizations need to get it right the first time, with less back and forth in negotiations.
Furthermore, as everyone is suffering the economic impact of the global pandemic, software developers must satisfy the needs of their customers in order to retain them in the future. They must be part of the solution and avoid contributing further to the crises that many companies face. This means that companies can expect to receive services based on solid results.
As they always have, software development teams will also keep the end user in mind when creating products, even if it's not the customer they're working for. In a world plagued by a growing pandemic, everyone relies on digital tools to cope, and competition among developers is fierce – so they will bring their A game to every product.
Software is no longer a “nice to have” – it is now critical for all organizations of all types. And, like practically everything else, it will be transformed in the post-COVID-19 scenario. Both software development teams and companies themselves will be forced to closely analyze operations and form a solid strategy to consider how to effectively deliver quality software in this new era.
At the end of the day, software delivery is about making people's lives easier. Considering all the challenges everyone has been facing, both development teams and organizations will be looking for ways to ease the burden the pandemic has placed on all of us.
