Software that streamlines operations and boosts efficiency is crucial in helping businesses obtain a competitive advantage, expand their market reach, and grow revenue. Though many businesses opt for software development, over 50% of all software projects do not deliver the expected results or fail completely (according to the report by Project Management Institute). Therefore, it is unsurprising that the demand for a software development consulting company that can provide high-quality services is on the rise. Indeed, reports state that the software consulting market was valued at $244.29B in 2021. Moreover, it is expected to have an impressive growth rate of 12% between 2022 and 2028, reaching an immense $539.18B. So, what is the true value of consulting, and how do you find the right partner who can deliver the results you need? Read on to find out.
What benefits can a software development consulting company provide for your business?
First things first, why is a software development and consulting company so valued? What are the key benefits of the services that it offers? Let’s find out.
1. Potential for a high reward at a very low risk
Probably the most important advantage of software consulting services is its value-to-investment ratio. Consulting services are a lot less expensive than, for example, full-fledged software development. The cost of error is meager since the company providing the services is not directly involved in developing your product. If your partner lacks the required experience you can quickly terminate your cooperation without it having a direct impact on your business. Experienced software product development consulting company, on the other hand, will make sure that the results you obtain match all of your quality requirements. Moreover, after successful consulting, you can expand the cooperation with your partner by involving them in implementing your product. This can help you add the expertise that you lacked or expand your development capacity.
When it comes to the value gained, a software consulting and development company can help you with the following:
- Validate the feasibility of your idea;
- Design a final product vision tailored to your business needs;
- Create a clear step-by-step implementation roadmap;
- Identify and mitigate potential risks;
- Ensure efficient use of resources by optimizing the development time and costs;
- Analyze existing processes to streamline and accelerate software development.
2. Fast results
While it can take months to kick off and see the first results of software development, consulting can bring value as quickly as just several weeks. An experienced consultant does not have to spend time forming a team or establishing processes to complete the required tasks. Indeed, at N-iX, for example, we have a dedicated Solution Group that includes some of the most experienced solution architects, UX designers, business analysts, and technology experts available. With all the necessary processes already in place, the team needs only a few days of preparation after receiving the initial requirements to design an optimal plan and kick off the consultation. Moreover, we have a registry that outlines the most common problems that cause businesses to search for a software development consulting company and the most efficient ways of solving them. This leads to a very swift consulting process that yields the desired results.
3. Flexibility in implementation
Services provided by a software product development consulting company are also flexible, meaning, they can be acquired and applied at any stage of the development cycle. Whether you need to validate your idea before project initiation, design a solution architecture during planning, or assess the ongoing development activities – software consulting will be the solution to the challenge that you have encountered. Furthermore, these services can be easily extended from one stage of development to another. For example, after creating an implementation roadmap during the design stage, you can task the same software consulting and development company to help you ensure a smooth kick-off of project implementation.
4. Access to additional and/or previously unavailable expertise
One does not need to be a professional consulting company to design a product, outline an implementation roadmap and ensure successful delivery. However, even if you possess the required technical expertise, without sufficient prior experience and the necessary capacity, this can become a long and cumbersome process.
This is why dedicating software consulting to a third party is so useful. It instantly gives you access to the expertise and/or capacity that you require, as well as a high degree of certainty that the result will match your requirements.
Success story: expanding market reach in transport management with computer vision
Now that we have explored its key benefits, let’s take a look at how services provided by a software development and consulting company can help a business in real life. We will use N-iX’s cooperation with Redflex – a leading Australian provider of intelligent transport solutions (ITS) - as an example.
The challenge: proving the feasibility and designing a computer vision solution for traffic management
As Redflex was experiencing significant business growth, the company decided to expand their presence to new markets. To achieve this, the company planned to enhance their service portfolio by creating an intelligent traffic management solution powered by computer vision (CV) that would detect distracted driver behavior and unfastened seatbelts. However, before the development could kick off, Redflex needed a reliable software development consulting company to validate their idea and create a design for the future product.
The solution: conducting Product Discovery and building PoCs
N-iX Solution Group, which included experts in CV and Deep Learning, conducted a thorough Product Discovery. We analyzed the data samples received from Redflex and identified potential risks and factors that could affect image quality. Next, we have presented several neural network models that have different approaches to network training. We then designed and developed the PoCs of the two solutions – one for detecting distracted driving and another for identifying unfastened seatbelts. Both PoCs showed a high degree of detection accuracy, 88%, and 91% respectively.
The value: expanding services to new markets
The PoCs developed by N-iX served as a foundation for future development, helping Redflex enhance their service offering, increasing customer satisfaction, and enabling the company to expand to new markets.
How to find a reliable software consulting and development company
At the end of the day, the success of any consulting service is highly dependant on the proficiency of the software development consulting company that you partner with. Therefore, to help you make the right choice, we will outline the key aspects that signify a reliable service provider.
Ensure that you are offered a business-centric approach
The point of any software consulting service is to gain maximum business value in a relatively short time. This requires a deep understanding of all your needs and challenges. Therefore, pay attention to the approach your partner takes at the beginning of your cooperation. A good consulting company always starts with a scope shaping phase during which they will help define all of your requirements and expectations to the last detail. It will assess your idea, validate whether it will bring value to your business, and offer suitable methods or workarounds for effective implementation.
Assess established consulting processes and methodologies
As briefly mentioned before, an experienced software development and consulting company must have clear and structured approaches, processes and methodologies in place that ensure effective consulting. Make sure that a company you partner with has the following:
- Established company-wide software development practices and frameworks (SEI framework, etc.);
- Effective practices and techniques used for planning and analysis (whiteboarding, SWOT analysis, etc.);
- A registry of common business problems and ways to solve them with software consulting.
Make certain open and effective communication will be established
A good consulting provider knows how to establish effective communication with their partner. They are always open about their activities and can provide a clear justification of the approaches and experts they choose to solve the tasks they are assigned.
Analyze proven previous results
Finally, a reliable software product development consulting company always has a solid portfolio of success stories with their previous clients. Learning about a company’s experience is fairly easy. You can take a look at their profile on independent rating platforms that offer verified client reviews such as Clutch.co, or simply browse the Success Stories section on their website to get a good impression of whether the company will be up for the task.
Wrap-up
Software consulting is a low-risk high reward service that can quickly validate your business idea, boost development efficiency, and open new opportunities for gaining value. It is not impossible for businesses to do it on their own. However, it is best to delegate it to an experienced consultant that can guarantee effective error-free results. To pick the right partner, pay close attention to the software development and consulting practices that are established across their organization, the level of transparency in communication, the approach they take to reaching your goals, and, finally, the consulting experience they possess.
Why N-iX is the right software development consulting company for you
- N-iX has over 21 years of experience of providing various software development and consulting services;
- There are over 2,200 experts at N-iX prepared to help you tackle any tech challenge;
- N-iX partners with more than 100 active clients from various industries, such as telecom, manufacturing, automotive, and more;
- We successfully conduct more than 50 Product Discoveries, MVPs, and PoCs every year;
- N-iX has profound expertise in various technological domains, such as AI and Machine Learning, Embedded Software and IoT, Cloud Solutions, Data Analytics, and more.
