“Can it be done?” is not the right question to ask when building custom software

After extensive and in-depth research, you conceived a great idea for a custom software development. And not only did you devise this great idea, but you also took the necessary steps to validate your idea as much as you can by conducting market research through competitor analysis. You then tested your software using a group of representative users and even built a small prototype to showcase your idea. After addressing these risks, you are confronted with the following question: Can my software be built, and what would it cost? This is where a technical feasibility assessment will help you to ask the right questions to mitigate the risk before investing money and resources to develop software using the wrong technology.

What is technical feasibility?

Technical feasibility is the process of validating the technology, architecture and design of your software or product. Its objective is to confirm that the software will work and to make sure that there are no development obstacles. Technical feasibility includes, amongst other considerations, a clear vision of your implementation plans, the development approach and timescale.

How to mitigate technical feasibility?

The process of mitigating technical feasibility includes developing a working model of the software or product. It is not necessary for the infrastructure or software of the initial working model to represent what will eventually be used in the final product or product. You can use off-the-shelf infrastructure and a “canned” framework for the initial working model. Ultimately, the purpose of the working model is to demonstrate satisfactorily that your app is functional and producible. The working model can also be used as a visual means to share your concept with others.

Once you have something that your customers believe is truly valuable and it has been developed in such a way that your users will use it to satisfy a specific need, then you can proceed to review the approach to make sure your software is viable from a technical feasibility perspective.

Can it be built is not the right question

Anything can be built given sufficient time and unlimited resources. The right question is rather, what can be built within your available time frame and budget? Let’s take the example of an app to illustrate. To get started you need to consider amongst others the following questions: What is the appropriate development platform? Windows, Android or iOS? Which development language are you going to use? Does the app need to be integrated with an existing IT system or other platforms?

App and software development requires an all-inclusive evaluation of and approach to the value, business viability, usability and technical feasibility risks of the project. Polymorph delivers an enduring experience to our clients from idea conceptualisation and requirement analysis of the app/software to post-launch support.

If you would like to assess whether you are ready to start building your app, please use our free app calculator to find out in a few simple steps.

Planning to build an app? 

Try our free software development calculator to maximise your ROI.

Request for Access to Information

The following forms are available to download with regards to request for access to information:

REQUEST FOR ACCESS TO RECORD

OUTCOME OF REQUEST AND OF FEES PAYABLE

INTERNAL APPEAL FORM