Customers are what ultimately drive products on the market. If a product is not user friendly, then the product is more than likely not going to flourish and could be taken off the market. A user friendly product is as important as the technology behind it.
How are customer's needs for a product identified?
Development of a tangible product such as computer software, is done through a process called market research. The existing need and the potential need of a product are available in segments and studied very carefully. Crucial factors in the development of product are made based on assumptions of how well the product will suit individual needs and unrealistic assumptions could ruin an entire business venture.
When does the software become developed?
Market research is carefully studied according to the customer's needs, then the product is given to a research and development team to get a concept of the product that is the most cost effective. This step could solve the needs of customers better than a competitor's product in the present. The software is developed and tested, and then a development team adopts the software and develops the proposed system. The product is then given to the customer when this process is completed.
Marketing divisions sell the software to customers who may develop a segment and buy the software in the future. This division also passes feedback from customers to developers, then the research and development team make additions to the product.
What is the system development life cycle?
Phases of the Life Cycle begins with:
-System/Information Engineering Modeling-This is begun by establishing requirements for all system elements. In order for software to be user friendly it must be compatible with hardware, and fill the needs of the user. Then the system will be put in place, maximizing the output. Development teams will study the software until the ideal software is achieved.
-System Analysis and Design-In this phase, functionality and operations are looked over in detail. This phase will show exactly what the user will be able to do with the software and to avoid high costs later on, this phase should be studied very carefully.
-Implementation-This is the phase where planning sets into reality. Hardware is built and designs are translated into code.
-Testing-This phase is put to test in real world scenarios. During this phase, the software is tested to be sure it meets the needs of the user it is intended for, and if any bugs are found, they will be resolved through testing.
-Maintenance-Due to unexpected input into the computer system, software will more than likely undergo changes after the initial use. The software should be developed in the implementation process to be sure corrections and upgrades can continually be made.
Timing is crucial in developing software. In the event of a delay, the market can be taken over by competitors, and if a product gets a ‘bug', it could ruin the reputation of a company. Most customers expect a user friendly product similar to file sharing software by RLink, etc.
From Missouri Cindi continues to devote much of her writing to computer software, which she does on top of her full time career in the medical world.
