Intelligent CIO Africa Issue 12 | Page 77

INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Software for Business Kickstarting business growth with smart software development ///////////////////////////// software. Such a team requires a deep understanding of the business in question, and can balance creativity, innovation and agility with an intuitive understanding of the fundamental business challenge. Naturally, the question arises as to whether to use in-house developers, or to outsource to enterprise software development specialists. Negotiating a complex environment Without doubt, today’s business environment is far more complex, dynamic and disruptive than it was just ten years ago. As a result, the time to market is critical – and having a mere 6-month lead can give you that much-needed competitive advantage. With this in mind, companies that go the in-house route must carefully consider what skills they have on hand, in addition to the capacity of their teams and how quickly they can scale up or down. They must balance this knowledge with the perceived risks of outsourcing, which include time to market and high costs. The in-house IT department may also harbour fears of losing control over systems, or being left without maintenance support. CEO of redPanda Software, Gareth Hawkey, provides insight into the considerations necessary when choosing between the in-house department or outsourcing specialists for your critical enterprise software development. www.intelligentcio.com C hoosing the right development approach is key to success in a fast- moving environment. . . . In today’s digitally-driven business environment, it is critical that businesses are powered by enterprise software that is tailored to their specific needs. Indeed, every business – even if they sit within the same sector or industry – has a unique customer experience and differentiated offering, which must be reflected and supported by the enterprise software that drives the business. The challenge, however, is finding the right team or company to develop bespoke Specialised knowledge, niche skills Once the in-house option has been considered, businesses must consider the advantages of outsourcing the development process. To begin with, outsourced firms specialise in development, and have the necessary structures and processes in place. This allows such companies to become predictable and reliable in both their approach and delivery. Moreover, specialised companies are also well positioned to attract and retain talented INTELLIGENTCIO 77