Thinking about the future

Table of Contents

Software Business Analysis - This article is part of a series.

Part 1: Presentation of the serie

Part 2: Lets Talk About Business

Part 3: Documenting your business need

Part 4: Technical aspects

Part 5: Make or Buy?

Part 6: This Article

Part 7: Glossary

Like any company asset, an application requires maintenance and evolution to retain its value. Once the first version is in production, you’ll need to start thinking about what comes next.

Support and training
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To ensure the training of new employees and daily support for internal users, you mainly have the choice between:

Purchasing a support and/or training contract from the vendor (sometimes included in the subscription).
External training, books, videos, etc.
Internal company support, which handles common cases and contacts the vendor for more complex issues or bugs.
Specialized service providers for that application, who will play the same role as internal support.

Maintenance and bug fixes
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Disclaimer: This section is only relevant if you had a custom application developed, as you most likely won’t have access to the source code of an “off-the-shelf” application.
Good maintenance management prevents major problems and extends your application’s lifespan. Even after its launch, keep in mind that your application will require continuous maintenance and (almost) always bug fixes discovered after the warranty period.

In the case of a custom application, you have the choice between:

Subscribing to an Application Management Services (AMS) contract with the provider who developed your application. This is often the most expensive option but the most reliable due to the vendor’s knowledge of their own development.
Organizing this maintenance internally, if you have access to your application’s source code and sufficient development expertise.
Working with another external provider, again, provided you have access to the source code.

The last two cases once again illustrate the importance of owning the source code of your custom application. This ensures you can call upon any developer or company for future enhancements or fixes, without being exclusively dependent on the initial provider. Furthermore, it secures the application’s use within your company even in the event of bankruptcy or a strategic shift by the development company.

Major developments
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In a few months or years, your application will need to evolve to remain relevant in the face of market changes, new technologies, and user feedback. Major developments can include:

Adding new features: Implementing a marketplace or integrating a customer support chat.
User interface redesign: A new graphic charter or a significant change in the customer experience.
Integration with other systems: A new CRM or the arrival of an ERP.

These evolutions are often more complex than simple fixes and require a new phase of specification and development.

Roadmap
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The roadmap is the strategic plan that defines your application’s long-term vision and planned evolutions. It doesn’t list detailed tasks but rather major milestones and key features to be developed in the coming months or years. It’s an internal communication tool (and sometimes visible to your customers, depending on the case) that aligns all stakeholders on the general direction the application will take in the future.