Two to three decades ago software development predominantly focused on creating stand-alone applications that could run on local operating systems such as desktops or mobile phones. Typical functions like accounting, word processing, CAD and speciality or other management services were some of the main uses. However, as organisations and individuals increasingly migrated to the cloud over the past decade, the custom software development landscape changed radically. It created endless possibilities for bespoke software development to impact and grow businesses on multiple levels. Let’s have a look at three major areas where South African companies are currently seeing remarkable growth:
2. Financial: Growing existing customer base and new revenue streams
3. External: Customer engagement and retention
Customers continue to find online shopping apps more convenient to use which means businesses are investing in mobile apps to connect their customers for more revenue generation. Online shopping is but one area where investing in software development can have an impact – software development can yield massive returns and bolsters business growth in energy and utilities, property management, legal services and education to name but a few.
1. Internal: Improved engagement with current employees and systems to streamline communication and business operations
Traditionally, companies relied on manual processes to manage internal communication and engage with both customers and staff. As remote work increases and technology evolves, manual processes and physical presence as prerequisites to productivity and profitability are fast becoming redundant. Businesses, in adapting to remote workforces, are providing their staff with the necessary software, hardware, and tools to continue working while staying connected and informed.
Employee engagement software and apps are growing in popularity. These include amongst others software that can be used to onboard new employees and survey tools (such as the Roslin survey employed by Polymorph) that can drive daily engagement with employees and can take the form of dashboards, activity feeds and even gamification. It can also be used to monitor progress, identify problem areas and improve employee retention. It also can reward employees for achievements and can be used to create online collaborative spaces – all drivers of employee retention. From a business perspective, investing in software development can streamline business communications and operations.
2. Financial: Growing existing customer base and new revenue streams
A great example of a South African company that created an app to increase new revenue streams beyond its existing customer base is One Day Only. Polymorph is proud to be part of their success story. The Polymorph team helped build a mobile app for iOS and Android devices which was launched just before Black Friday. The mobile app saw One Day Only increase business momentum, overall growth, and gain thousands of new users. Having a platform that drives continuous engagement and customer feedback as well as a place where customers can find the latest products and news was invaluable to One Day Only’s customer growth and enhanced revenue streams.
3. External: Customer engagement and retention
Polymorph joined forces with Energy Partners (EP), a leading energy utility provider in South Africa, to develop a reliable data management platform that collects and manages data from IoT devices across the entire EP network. During a project of this scope, proactively communicating and engaging the customer will result in lifetime customer value. In this instance, it not only made EP a client for life but also revolutionised their communication between partners and clients. Further, Polymorph, along with STBB, developed a legal property mobile app that modernised STBB’s entire process, increased workflow visibility and created a great customer experience.
Planning to build custom software? Complete the free software development planning canvas (follow the link below) to ensure your project will have the best chance of success.
