As businesses become increasingly reliant on digital applications it can be confusing to know what technologies to use and how to get started.
Our professional developers will have an understanding of what you want to achieve, and make sure your application will have an intuitive design, using the right technology and providing long term reliability.
In this guide we will show you how development works, what to think about before investing and what to look for in a solution to give you long term benefits.
1. What Are Application Development Services?
Application Development services include designing, developing, testing, deploying and managing applications.
We can develop from simple internal applications to highly complex enterprise style applications for thousands of customers.
Create bespoke applications to suit your organisation’s individual needs and challenges.
These can also be integrated with other applications within the business.
Common application types include:
Web Applications – Applications that run via the web. Often for a Customer Portal, Business Management and Online Services.
Mobile Apps – Applications built for mobile phones/tablets.
Enterprise Applications – Used for Inventory, Customer Relationship, Financial and Workforce management.
Cloud Based Applications – Applications that run on Cloud.
AI Applications – Applications that use Machine Learning, Intelligent Automation and Chat Interfaces.
There are usually a series of steps taken when developing applications. These steps can be found on SAPs Application Development Guide.
The main thing to note is that you start by considering what problem you are trying to solve within your business.
For example if a retail firm is having problems with Inventory Management they may need an integrated Inventory application.
The ideal solution would be to reduce friction within your business whilst providing measurable benefits.
2. Application Development Process
Having a structured development approach will help minimise risk, increase collaboration and avoid unwanted costs due to changes to the application later in the process.
A great way to approach this is by considering 7 stages.
Stage 1 – Requirements
Your developers will identify your business goals, target users, essential features, technical constraints and desired outcomes.
This will then be documented as part of a scope document.
Stage 2 – Planning & Architecture
The development team will choose the correct technology stack, data structure and database. The host, integration and other aspects will also be decided.
Performance, security, maintainability and scalability should all be considered in regards to your architecture.
Stage 3 – UI & UX
Your designers will build wireframes, prototypes, navigation and layout for your application.
By testing your application early in this stage you can identify any usability issues.
Stage 4 – Development
Engineers will develop your application including front-end, back-end, links to your database, APIs and functionality.
Agile development practices are usually used so that incremental features can be delivered and feedback obtained.
Stage 5 – QA
Testing will occur to ensure the application performs as expected. This will include checking the application is compatible, performs well, is accessible and secure.
Automated testing can be used to help speed up testing. Manual testing can also identify any issues in relation to real user interaction.
Stage 6 – Deployment
The application will be deployed.
You should consider implementing back-ups, monitoring and roll-back processes.
Stage 7 – Maintenance & Enhancements
Once your application is live your Developers will monitor performance and implement patches, bug fixes and enhancements based on user feedback.
This is a very important stage as applications tend to change over time.
3. Choosing Your Development Strategy
Not all companies will need a full-blown application. You should consider your budget, technical requirements, available resources and future goals.
The 3 most common strategies are below.
| Strategy | Best suited for | Main benefit |
| Custom Development | Complex business requirements | More flexibility |
| Low Code Development | Internal tools/processes | Faster to implement |
| Ready Made Software | Standard business processes | Less complex |
Custom Development
This gives you more control over the application. This is very useful if you need specific processes and cannot use existing products.
Low Code Development
Low code platforms allow you to use visual tools with pre-built components. This means you do not need to code much.
These can be useful for internal dashboards, approvals and basic business applications.
Ready Made Software
If your business does not need anything too complex then ready-made applications will be suitable. There are however limitations with customisation, integration and subscription costs.
FIT Selection Framework
Using the FIT (Functionality, Integration & Total ownership) framework is a useful original method of helping you select.
You can consider the 3 elements.
Effectiveness – Does the solution work? Is there any unnecessary functionality?
Interoperability – Can it easily integrate with other databases, payment systems, APIs and tools?
Total Ownership – How easy is it to implement? Licensing? Maintain? Infrastructure? Future upgrades?
A good solution that works well in all 3 areas will likely be a better investment.
4. Key Features of Modern Business Applications
Modern applications need to be reliable, secure and flexible.
Key features to look for include:
Security
Security should never be an afterthought.
Ensure you have:
- Multi-factor authentication
- Role based access
- Data encryption in transit and at rest.
- Secure API authentication.
- Vulnerability checks.
- Back-up & recovery.
Scalability & Performance
Your application should be able to scale to larger numbers of users, transactions and data.
Ensuring your application remains responsive by using Cloud, optimised DB queries, caching and the correct architecture.
Third Party Integrations
Often businesses will use more than one piece of software.
Using API integration you can connect your application to other applications, payment gateways, accountancy software and other services.
User Experience & Accessibility
Your application will have improved usability for all devices with clear navigation, responsive layouts, readability and accessibility.
AI & Automation
AI can be used to help with repetitive tasks, recommendations, predictions, customer service and document processing.
According to IBM, the biggest trends driving application development in 2025 & 2026 are AI assisted, mobile first and low code. However, any new technology should have a business goal.
5. Application Development Costs & Measuring ROI
The cost will depend heavily on the complexity, functionality, integrations, security and time to develop.
Often simple internal applications will cost less than large enterprise applications with lots of users and complex integration.
However, it is important to consider the overall cost of ownership.
Costs include:
- Planning & Development
- UI/UX
- Infrastructure & Hosting
- Licensing
- Security & Compliance
- Maintenance
- Enhancements & Technical Support.
Application Investment Scorecard
The 5 factors below are original to your business and can help decide whether your project will have large returns.
| Factor | Consider |
| Efficiency | How many hours are saved through automation? |
| Adoption | How engaged are your users? Are they using the features? |
| Reliability | How many errors & downtime are there? |
| Financial Impact | Has your revenue increased or are you saving money? |
| Scalability | Can your application grow to meet future needs? |
For example, if your application is saving you 20 hours of admin per month.
If you assume an average labour cost of $25 per hour, you would save 500.00permonth(6,000.00 per year). This is a simplistic view and does not take into consideration the implementation, infrastructure or maintenance costs but shows how you can measure potential returns. The best investments will be ones that will provide financial analysis, improvements to operations and user satisfaction.
Conclusion
A well thought out digital product, using the right technologies and with good engineering will see you get the most out of your application development strategy. The best one is one that will solve an identified problem, fit in with your operations, protect users data and allow you to meet your future business requirements.
By setting clear objectives, considering your application development strategies, ensuring you have the correct technical knowledge and having a realistic maintenance plan in place your business can focus on producing functional applications which offer utility.
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