A known problem: a shortage of technical hands. That may mean that you have no or not enough software developers at your disposal, but often it goes further than that: you lack someone with the vision to manage a digital project. What problems do you run into if you don’t have enough technical knowledge in-house? And where should you look for solutions?
Not innovating is a sin
The problems you encounter with a shortage of technical hands can vary per company. Some companies have no technical knowledge at all. These are often companies that in themselves have little to do with the digital world. For example, healthcare or educational institutions. Then it is not surprising that they do not employ a programmer or CTO. But with that, the problem is that they ignore a whole world, and don’t explore it. Non-technical organizations can also benefit from innovating and automating their data and IT systems.
It is also possible that as a company you already have a concept for a digital project, such as an app or a data processing system, but you do not have the manpower to carry out the project yourself. Or maybe you are already developing certain SaaS solutions as a company, but you notice that you have little time for other things. For example, you spend all day solving bugs or answering customer questions. At that point you will no longer be able to improve the product at all. Sin. Even then you clearly need extra hands.
Developing software is more than typing code code
When companies lack technical hands, they quickly move towards the option of hiring a programmer. Or they will outsource it. But we often see that in both situations the project does not go as the client had in mind. The product first breaks down a piece or three times, and then is rebuilt a piece or three times, and so on.
What is that about? The programmers that are hired are often very adept at building and coding. But that doesn’t mean they also have experience managing the process. And the point is, running a software process is more than just typing code. The programmer does not think of certain consequences. He will often not notice certain bugs, because testing the product is not necessarily part of his function. He does not sit in the user’s chair, does not think about how to create the best possible user experience. And you can’t expect that from that person either. That’s not his job.
Bring the vision into your home
If you only want to build an informative website, you will still get there with only a programmer. But if the project becomes more complicated than that, you will still want to have more technical knowledge in-house. After all, you want a product that not only works without problems, but is also pleasant to use.
How do you best approach it then? Especially talk to a party that can give advice and point you in a direction. At Wise Minds we conduct non-binding conversations. We look at the possibilities and what a company should pay attention to if they want the project to run successfully. And we also look at how you want the app or system to be experienced by the user.
As I mentioned earlier, with a project that becomes more complicated than an informative website, you quickly need several people for a successful realization. Preferably a complete team, with a product owner and something like a scrum master. If you do not have such a team yourself, you can hire one. Ideally, you would hire a team that is attuned to each other and that manages everything internally.
It is important: bring in people who understand the development process, who have a long-term vision. Managing a software team is an art in itself.