Top Application Development Companies

What is Application Development?

Application development is referred to the process of designing, creating, and implementing software applications. It can be done by large application development companies working on multiple projects, or via a single freelance developer. Application development defines the processes using which an application is created and typically follows a standard methodology.

Why Do We Need Application Development?

Application development is becoming more important each day since businesses/organizations feel the need to create applications that allow direct access to their business. Hiring app development companies for designing a dedicated application helps users connect to a business directly instead of going there via separate channels. Having a dedicated application also save users’ time, allowing them to access it on the go.

Application development companies can also add many additional features within mobile or table applications that improve their security, ease of use, and reliability. As we step into 2022, businesses want to ensure that their users have a premium experience and do more with less effort. Enterprise application development therefore not only improves user convenience but also helps in branding.

Today, most people look for products, services, or information via their smartphones or tablet devices. Though some individuals still use browsers, having a dedicated app for a website/business you frequently visit is definitely a plus. It not only removes the need for a third-party application but also offers a direct way to interact with an organization or brand. Having a dedicated app also paves way for personalized interactions with a company.  This is why most brands and businesses look for app development companies that can help them create a special identity for the brand.

What are Application Development Methodology?

Application development is closely related to the software development lifecycle(SDLC).

The SDLC of an application can vary greatly based on the size of the product to be developed, the specificity of requirements provided by clients, the kind of changes required by clients, the size/experience of the application development companies, and the type of application to be developed.

The primary stages of an SDLC for enterprise application development involve planning, analysis, construction, design, testing, implementation, and support. After considering them carefully, most application development methodologies can be grouped into one of three categories:

• Waterfall
• Rapid Application Development (RAD)
• Agile

1. Waterfall

This methodology of application development involves much planning and sequencing, with most projects being mapped out in the planning and analyzing stage. Here, clients come with an explicit list of functionalities and features that they want in the application. The project manager of the app development companies then assess the client’s requirements and allot work among teams.

This app development methodology is named ‘waterfall’ because once you go down, you can never retreat; everything flows downward. The development team works together over a fixed duration, building exactly according to the specifications provided by clients and the references provided. The entire application is

The waterfall methodology works best for app development when:

• Project budgets are fixed
• Similar projects have been done by you/your team before
• You do not anticipate many changes
• The client’s instructions are precise and they are not much involved in the development process until the very end

2. Rapid Application Development (RAD)

As you may have guessed, the waterfall method of app development presents multiple problems. Not only does it take the client much time to see a functioning product, but the teams within the application development companies also need to be sufficiently large to accommodate all the requirements. Moreover, the probability of the client not liking the finished product is high, since they are not involved in the project till the very end.

Due to the above problems, many projects developed using the waterfall model had to be redeveloped from scratch. It also caused the birth of a new methodology called Rapid Application Development (RAD), which is the antithesis of the waterfall methodology.

RAD is primarily based on prototypes, meaning that the objective of development is to produce a working version of the app as quickly as possible, and then to reiterate it continuously thereafter. The teams working in the app development companies and their clients work closely together throughout the process, ensuring that there is a consensus before moving to the next stage of development. RAD teams are mostly small in size and comprise experienced developers that are skilled in multiple disciplines. Therefore, if a project needs to divert from its previous plan of action, RAD can accommodate it easily.

In the case of RAD methodology, the product gets more and more refined with each iteration. Early prototypes might be rough but indicate what the finished product would be like. Thus, each iteration after another looks more like the final product. This ensures better transparency and higher rates of customer satisfaction. Even if changes are expected, RAD allows application development companies to accommodate them much faster as compared to waterfall. Also, RAD never gets attached to a particular prototype and is always willing to change their reference points as per the customer’s convenience.

Despite the obvious advantages, RAD is not without faults. RAD requires very skillful and well-paid programmers to work on projects that may change in complexity each day. There is a lower emphasis on sticking to deadlines and higher importance given to the addition of new features, leading to extended delivery dates. RAD requires much inputs from customers who may not exactly know what they need or may not always be available. Moreover, for certain applications, having a prototype isn’t as useful as viewing the entire product.

The RAD methodology of application development works best when:

• Delivery dates are flexible
• App development companies work closely with clients
• Customers are highly engaged
• Development teams are experienced

3. Agile

 The Agile methodology of application development is quite similar to RAD, but it also includes some changes to make it ideal for larger projects. Like RAD, Agile is iterative, but with each iteration, it aims to add new features gradually. Each such feature is created in a methodical way and clients are involved to view and approve them before the app development team moves to the next feature.

Agile uses time sprints, within which a particular feature/functionality should be created, tested, and presented before clients. Agile tries to incorporate the entire software development lifecycle for a feature into each time sprint, which helps application development companies to stick to a fixed schedule and allows for frequent reviews.