How mobile apps are boosting the profits of hospitality industry?

All over the world, individuals have started spending more on staying in luxurious places. So, the hospitality industry is booming and has become one of the most profitable industries. The customer expectations have also changed and they expect instant and innovative solutions.  

Mobile apps have come up as a prominent solution to customer delight in the hospitality industry. Individuals now have faster access to exciting discounts and offers in hotels, instant booking options, etc. at their fingertips.

Let us see how a mobile app helps to facilitate quality service in the hospitality industry.

How is mobile app development advantageous to hotels and the hospitality industry?

In today’s digital age, mobile devices are playing a crucial role in improving performance and boosting efficiency in different industries. The hospitality industry is no exception to it. A dedicated mobile app offers plenty of benefits to the clients and owners of hotels.

Booking has become much smoother and easier:
Today, everyone has a smartphone and prefers it for booking the hotels instantly from anywhere. People get ample of choices online and all the required information and ensure a quick booking experience. The apps have a payment integration facility and so, the customers can swiftly do the payment online.

Guests can easily access the information:
With a dedicated mobile app for a hotel or hospitality business, the guests can access the required information faster. They can access contact numbers of the front desk of the hotel. They can find the menu and order from the app and do the dinner reservations. They can know if any service is chargeable or free of cost. Using the app, they can book appointments for massages spa treatments. The apps also guide the guests through the hotel and other destinations.

They can boost the productivity of hotel staff:
In hotels, mobile apps help to keep track of the inventory as well as resources. They can monitor the work of the staff.

Hotels can share live and up-to-date information:
Hotels can convey real-time updates to the end customers by embedding IoT in hospitality with the app. They can easily put whatever information they want to convey in the app, delete or modify it within seconds. For example, they can notify the guests in advance about room cleaning, swimming pool availability, etc. It saves the time for the staff as well, as they would otherwise make phone calls to inform the customers.

It strengthens the bond with customers:
When it comes to staying connected with the customers, traditional ways like making phone calls is not as effective as a mobile app. An app allows the hotels to send more personalized messages, respond immediately to the customers, collect their feedback, etc. This helps to better understand your customers and understand the customer behaviour. It builds a rapport with customers and increases their trust in the business.

Marketing and advertising:
Paper ads can be quite costly and could reach lesser people. However, a mobile app can be useful to share the latest deals, offers or discounts directly to the target audience. Engaging ads can attract audiences at a quicker rate. An app helps to create brand awareness of the hotel.

Strengthens the loyalty program:
If the loyalty program is integrated into the mobile app of the hotel, it will let the guests collect points much easier, earn rewards, and also claim their benefits on their bookings and hotel stays. They can also build comprehensive profiles for themselves in the app to gain more points.

Competitive advantage:
To remain high in the competition, it is necessary for the hotels to have their mobile app. An app helps to enhance the service quality of the hotels to a great extent which provides a competitive advantage to them.

Conclusion:
Modern travellers and guests expect that a hotel should have a mobile app of their own. It helps to enhance the user experience of the guests and boost the customer base.

If you want to give a fantastic experience to your customers, you should develop a custom app for your hotel from an experienced mobile app development company as per your business needs. It will exponentially boost revenue while growing your brand affinity.

How is Mobile App Development Influencing the Transportation and Logistics Industry?

Today, mobile app development has hit almost all types of industries. And why not? It has made life quite simple. People don’t have to go banks for transactions as few taps on a mobile app can do it. Likewise, booking appointments, shows, movies or travel tickets can be sitting at the very comfort of homes. That is why businesses are rapidly adopting the mobile technology and developing dedicated mobile apps.

The transportation and logistics industry have also been influenced by mobile app development in numerous ways. Mobile apps have played a significant role in improving the experience of travellers, customers, clients, drivers and the involved staff members in the transportation and logistics business.  Also, IoT in transportation embedded with the mobile apps have been transforming the way this business works.

Significant benefits of mobile app development in the transportation industry:

Monitoring the real-time load of the vehicles:

A mobile app embedded with IoT devices can assure real-time tracking of load and cargo. There are sensors attached to the tires of the vehicles which calculate the load on it and send the readings to the owners. It helps the owners to get real-time updates when the load is delivered to the destination.

Improved communication:

A dedicated mobile app allows direct communication with customers and clients which builds trust in them. It also helps proper communication between the owners, fleet managers, and drivers to manage the shifts and shipments.

Geo-location tracking:

Geo-location tracking solutions have transformed the way the transportation and logistics industry work. It helps in locating the vehicles and aware them about the roads that are congested with traffic or not working due to bad weather conditions.

Enhanced safety:

A mobile app allows transparent communication which enhances operational efficiency. In case of bad weather conditions, the drivers can be well-informed in advance using the apps. It will ensure the safety of resources and the drivers.

Tracking the speed limit of the vehicles:

There are mobile apps that track the speed limits of the vehicles and alert the drivers about it. The app can also send messages to owners so that they can keep track from distance.

Payment integration process:

Today, modern travellers, customers, and clients have a great advantage due to the mobile apps. The apps have payment integration and they can make instant payments online. 

Efficient fleet and warehouse management:

Mobile apps provide real-time data about the location of the vehicle, loads in it, etc. which helps in the proper management of the fleet. It helps the fleet managers to go the extra mile and make instant decisions whenever required in the business. The apps embedded with IoT help in inventory and warehouse management.  

Conclusion:

Mobile app development in transportation has been improving operations and enhancing workflow. The owners can make informed decisions while cutting costs and saving the time for their staff members. A specialized mobile app is an important investment which can not only boost profits but also give a competitive advantage.

Biz4Solutions a leading provider of world-class apps for the transportation and logistics industry. Our company has rich experience of 8 years in developing mobile and web-based apps. We have already developed on-demand and IoT-based apps.

If you are looking forward to taking leverage of mobile technology and develop a new-age custom app for your transportation and logistics business, we can be your technical partner. Contact us to know more.

Why On-Demand Apps Have Become a Leading Choice of Entrepreneurs Today?

On-demand app development has been flourishing for a few years due to significant reasons. This market influences more than 22.4 million customers per year, according to the statistics from Harvard Business Review, a management magazine by Harvard Business Publishing. It has influenced thriving industrial domains like food, grocery, transportation, healthcare, beauty, electronic equipment, home services, etc.

On-demand apps provide the customers with a superb shopping experience, fast delivery options, and payment facility, sitting at the very comfort of their homes. This is the reason why On-demand app development has become a favorite business model for entrepreneurs and startups across the world. 

The reason behind the success of on-demand apps

An on-demand app for business connects the customers directly to the sellers making the process hassle-free. In this busy world, these apps play a crucial role in saving the time and efforts of the end-users. They can conveniently place orders from anywhere and anytime. They have got the taste of personalized services through these apps. Here is why these apps are preferred on a large scale by one and all:

·         Ease of selecting the provider

·         Easy tracking of orders

·         Cashless payment methods

·         Wish list

·         Activity list

·         Notifications of discounts and offers

·         Fast delivery options

·         Order cancellation

·         Rating and review option

·         Multiple order booking

·         Unlimited choices for any product

The on-demand services have opened doors to unlimited business opportunities and its future is quite bright. The personalized touch of the apps is a game-changer in this market.

Significant benefits of on-demand app development as a business model

Security and scalability: On-demand apps have to deal with sensitive personal information of the end-users like names, their contact details, addresses, bank account details, etc. That’s why the on-demand app development services employ powerful security features in the apps to maintain the safety and confidentiality of the data.

Efficiency: The on-demand solutions are highly efficient due to their user-friendliness, customizability and customer satisfaction that they provide. The end-users get the services delivered to their destinations on a few clicks on their smartphone. Instant payment methods make it all the more efficient.

Flexibility: These apps are quite flexible to influence a wide range of audiences. For instance, an on-demand grocery app has products for kids, adults and old people as well. This flexibility increases the profit margins of the company. Also, the customers have a choice to compare the price of a product and then buy.

Unlimited business opportunities: Different businesses like food, beauty, home-services, travel, and transport, healthcare, etc. can develop a dedicated app for their business. They can directly advertise their products and services to their target audience using the app. They can build better customer relationships and create a brand of themselves.  

Wrap-up:

The on-demand apps are known for providing efficient and effective services to the customers. These apps have swiftly changed customer trends. They have already got addicted to these services. Looking at the current scenario of the market, it seems that these are going to stay for a long time. So, the on-demand app development services are heading towards huge business profits.

If you have an idea for an on-demand app and want to convert it into a successful mobile app, Biz4Solutions could be your trustable partner. We have developed 100+ mobile and web apps for global clients. Our team is empowered with 100+ developers, quality analysts, business analysts, and technical architects. We have developed successful on-demand apps like BeachCaddy- for people going on a beach vacation, Phlex65- for people seeking healthcare information and Exut- for people willing to buy alcohol and beverages online.

So, what are you waiting for? Contact now!

Factors Affecting and Future Scope of iOS App Development in India

With the rising popularity of Apple devices across the globe, there has been a noticeable rise in iOS app development companies. iOS smart devices are witnessing increasingly high demand worldwide as they have robust and secure features. It is the second most widely used platform after Android. Yet, the future of iOS app development seems as bright as Android, especially in India. Let’s explore in detail.

What factors affect iOS app development?

Emulators: iOS emulators are faster, provide better support and of higher quality, as compared to other operating systems. This allows the developers to easily and efficiently develop the app. Android emulators are comparatively slower and not good at support.

Lesser fragmentation and bugs: The apps developed in iOS have lesser bugs comparatively as the number of versions and the types of devices are limited and the code in Swift is shorter. The apps in other operating systems need to deal with a large number of screen sizes, brands, and platforms.

Better tools and developer support: Apple provide great support and tools to its developers than any other operating system. iOS app developers find it quite effective and reliable. For instance, XCode is better than Android Development Studio.

Coding language of Swift: Coding is the most crucial part of the entire app development process. Swift is being widely used by the developers for iOS app development and it is known for delivering excellent results with minimal coding efforts. It also acts as a great communication tool between the coder and the computer.

Lesser development time: iOS has faster emulators which require less time for development as compared to other platforms. Also, the coding language- Swift requires shorter codes which saves time and efforts of the iOS app developer.

Why is the future of iOS App Development bright in India?

India is one of the fastest-growing markets for Apple devices in the world. Their high demand has created ample of job opportunities for iOS app developers in India. The key reasons why the future of iOS App Development is bright in India are mentioned below:

Global support
The network of Apple Inc’s developers and the developer center of Apple provide invaluable support and resources to the developers from any corner of the world. They help in coding for all Apple platforms like iOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS, etc.

Skilled and affordable workforce
iOS app developers in India have vast knowledge and a strong technical background in iOS. They are highly experienced in creating error-free apps and implementing user-friendly functions. Also, as compared to other markets, Indian iOS app developers provide an advantage over the costs. They are budget-friendly while providing higher quality in work.

Flexibility
A good iOS app development company in India provides several flexible hiring models as per the business requirement.

Monetization
Most of the apple users prefer paid mobile apps. This is an inspiration to the iOS app developers to create interesting apps for different business models. These apps can be monetized on the I-tune store to earn more money.

The Bottom Line:

iOS apps have a rich and innovative look. They are easy to build and more profitable. Their engaging features and high-level of security have helped them gained prominence in the market. Apple uses the most modern technologies in their apps and constantly improves its UI/UX design.

Due to all such significant reasons, the development of iOS apps is worth consideration. Also, looking at the availability of highly skilled and experienced developers in India, the future of iOS app development seems brighter.

What Features Make A Social Media App Extraordinary?

A decade ago, who imagined that social media apps would dominate the internet so rapidly? Today, it rarely happens that we use our phones but don’t open a social app. WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and many other thriving apps have made us habituated to them.

Let us look at some numbers.

Social media statistics

• A report from Statista, a renowned online portal for statistics, shows that social media users worldwide would cross 3.1 billion in 2021.
• Another report from Smart Insights, an emerging marketing research and advisory company, shows that this number of social media users is expected to reach 3.484 billion till 2019.

These staggering numbers indicate how fast social media is capturing the internet. But what is the reason behind its popularity?

Why are social media apps so popular?

• Social apps provide entertainment and infotainment
• People from different corners of the world can connect and communicate easily and quickly
• People can earn a substantial living through the social media app platform by setting their online business
• People can post their skillsets and accomplishments and make themselves known to their peers and potential employers
• People of similar interests can create dedicated groups and communities to achieve common goals
• They can be used to create awareness for social causes and bring change in the society

Significant advantages of the social media platform for businesses

• Businesses can swiftly connect to their target audience and customers
• They can advertise their products or services to a wide range of audience in a short time
• They can provide personalized support, notifications, updates, etc. to their customers
• A social media app helps the businesses to create brand awareness, free of cost or using paid services
• These apps help to boost the website traffic
• Businesses can work on online reputation management (ORM) through customer reviews and provide better services to boost sales

With so many prospering benefits, several businesses prefer to create dedicated mobile applications today. Due to this, social media app development services are growing and providing innovative solutions. To ensure that the app becomes appealing to the users and highly successful, the app developers need to add exciting features to it.

What are the features of an addictive social media app?

User-friendly and attractive UI: The app must be easy to use and navigate through so that a wide range of audiences can be influenced. It should have alluring UI/UX so that the app engages the users for a longer time.

Easy connectivity: Ease of connectivity is the most significant feature of a social media app. The app should have advanced connecting features and search criteria for the audience of diverse backgrounds to connect swiftly.

Custom user profiles: A good app should let the users to extensively customize individual profiles by adding their bios, uploading pictures, etc. It makes them feel important.

Push notifications and news feed: A social app needs to boost engagement by generating a constant flow of news feed. It should have the ability to send notifications about other users’ posts, any special events, etc.

Building network: An app that allows the users to expand their following to a large number of people in less time or few clicks, grabs the attention of more users.

Integration with other social media platforms: To enhance popularity, a social app must easily integrate with other leading social platforms. It helps to organically grow the user-base.

Security and privacy: The personal information of the users is the most important asset of a social app and it should not be hacked or leaked to any third party. So, the app should have advanced privacy and security features. The users should have a secure login facility and privacy control options to ensure that their sensitive information remains safe. While collaborating with third-party apps, it should be ensured that only authorized apps should be preferred.

Other exciting features: Features like advanced settings, real-time chatting options, Google map integration, calling facility, file transfer facility, and ability to post reviews, share posts, comment on them, update the status, etc. make a social app exceptional.

Conclusion:

The habit-forming social apps are the ones that have all the above-mentioned features integrated into them. These keep the users interested for a longer time. They become popular quickly and generate more revenue. So, a mobile app development company should keep all the above points in mind while developing a social media app.

Higher the number of engaged and active users on a social app, the more valuable the app becomes. So, are you looking forward to investing in a social app? We can help! Get in touch to know more.

Actionable Tips to Improve Your Mobile App’s User Experience (UX)

Amongst millions of mobile apps on the app stores, the ones with soothing mobile usability and a great UI/UX design have much higher chances of becoming successful. To make the app stand out from the crowd, the app developers must focus on building a successful and useful experience.

Here are some practical tips that can help in improving your mobile app user experience.

Keeping the UI/UX design simple:
While doing UI/UX development, the developers may want to design something out-of-the-box but could end up designing something complicated. While reaching a certain goal of design, the developers could spend more time on unnecessary features. This could affect the simplicity of the app. So, developers should have a minimalistic design approach and keep it simple.

Uniformity in the design throughout the app:
After finalizing the overall design of the mobile app, it should be kept uniform till the end. This avoids the confusion of the users while navigating through the app. If the colors or typology of the app keep changing for different pages on the app, the users could get diverted and disturbed. So, the UI/UX design should be consistent, maintaining the aesthetics and structure of the app.

Colour combinations in the UI/UX design:
To avoid visual saturation, it is necessary to choose a color scheme that has fewer colors. Usually, a maximum of three is considered to be decent choice. If these three colors are in conjunction with the logo, the aim should be to maintain consistency within the app design. One should avoid using strident or vibrant colors in the app. It would disturb the users and result in disengaging them. So, it is always a better option to use warm colors while UI/UX design. One must wisely choose colors that provoke certain sensations as per the psychology of colors.

Enhanced search features:
Users come to the app with different goals. Some want to buy something and some simply want to explore some information. A good app must have navigation which eases their search. If they find it difficult to get useful links, the chances are that the users will bounce back to other apps. One should provide advanced search features or in-app search engine to make the searching quicker and easier. It will also enhance the usability of the app.

Removing unnecessary functionalities while UI/UX development:
Most of the users come to the app searching only for some particular links and functionalities. So, there is no point in loading the app with more links. It affects the user experience badly. One should study the important links on the app and the ones which are most preferred by users and eliminate unnecessary links.

Error notification while navigating:
When the users are using the app and something goes wrong, then they should get a clear notification of the error or the next action they need to take. They should be able to clearly identify the issue and it shouldn’t waste their time at all. They should not get stuck while navigating through the app or else they will get irritated and prefer other apps.

CONCLUSION:
UI/UX development isn’t that easy. It requires an in-depth thought process to create an ideal user experience and also meet the business goals at the same time. The implementation of the best practices mentioned here can help the developers to create the required user experience. It will be user-centric, more engaging and profitable for the end-users.

If you want to develop a flawless app that provides amazing user experience, Biz4Solutions, a leading UI/UX company can be your technical partner. Get in touch to know more.

How a healthcare management system (HMS) is improving hospitals and clinics?

The global digital health market was at US$179.6 billion in 2016 and by the end of 2025, it is estimated to cross US$536.6 billion, according to the statistics from Transparency Market Research, leading research and advisory firm. These rising numbers indicate the massive scope of digitalization in healthcare.
Needless to say, technology has been a game-changer in saving countless patients and improving the quality of our lives. Hence, most of the medical organizations are adopting the latest digital trends to provide the best possible services to their patients. The organizations that do not adopt these advancements in the coming years could probably lose their patients and ranking.
Medical organizations adopting primitive style of technologies could face several issues like:

• Difficulty in coordination (sorting, filing, maintaining, and accessing) of endless paperwork
• Gathering of accurate medical data from different systems to store on a centralized platform
• Lack of communication between doctors, hospital staff and patients whenever needed
• Manual billing and claims management processes, leading to error and time wastage of staff
• Disorganized appointment scheduling
• Sensitive medical data scattered across places, threatening its security

Digital solutions like a full-fledged healthcare management system or medical app solutions for doctors are playing a big role in improving these challenges. They are enhancing the operations of many hospitals, clinics and independent medical practices in a big way.
It is interesting to know how these solutions have impacted the functioning of medical organizations. Let’s explore them in detail. 

How digitalization is influencing healthcare management?
Data integration:
Healthcare organizations need to track, organize and store a large amount of data like clinical, financial, patient, claim, pharmacy, R&D, cutting edge technologies, etc. However, the challenge is to keep it integrated and sorted. Especially in large or multi-specialty hospitals, several complex systems are utilized and so, storing the data in one system is tedious. As a solution to this, virtual data centers are used where all the data is properly distributed in corresponding enterprise systems and managed efficiently. Such data centers facilitate the electronic exchange of data and benefit healthcare organizations, care providers, insurance companies and patients.

Digital medical records and improved data security:
All the necessary patient data like medical history, test results, prescribed treatment, etc. can now be saved digitally in the form of electronic medical records (EMRs) and electronic health records (EHRs). These records can be instantly accessed by the doctors for monitoring the patient’s health and ensuring an accurate diagnosis.
To ensure higher security of sensitive medical data, modern healthcare solutions follow HIPAA compliance, so that, all the standards for medical data protection are met.

Enhanced care that empowers patients:
Leveraging technology has led to easing the patient journey. It has empowered them to a greater extent in several ways.

• Patients can instantly book appointments from anywhere using a patient scheduler app or other doctor on-demand solutions. It saves their efforts and reduces long waiting hours.
• The facility of online health assistance and e-prescriptions provides immediate help to patients, especially in case of emergency.
• Check-in and check-out procedures, payment methods, etc. can be made patient-friendly with use of technology.
• Patients have access to their health records, freedom to communicate directly with doctors, the ability to choose amongst the best doctors, and much more.

With this level of authority, the process has become more patient-centric leading to increased patient participation and higher satisfaction rates.

Automated processes with Robotic Process Automation (RPA):
Managing hospitals is a crucial task where even a small error can cost the lives of people. So, instead of a manual system, an automated system using Robotic Process Automation (RPA) avoids human errors, especially in documentation-related tasks, administrative tasks, etc. For example, software bots can track patient records like their personal information, health issues, contact details, etc. and generate reports for audits. Bots can calculate bill amount and speed-up account settlements. They can also streamline claims management. In large hospitals, RPA is used to track details like staff availability, room occupancy, operational information, etc.

Higher efficiency using the Internet of Things (IoT) in healthcare:
Internet of Things (IoT) is undoubtedly revolutionizing healthcare practices. Connected wearable devices gather real-time data like heart rate, blood pressure, calories burned, etc. and proactively alert the doctors about life-threatening health situations of patients. Likewise, remote monitoring technology enhances communication and transparency among doctors and patients.
Other IoT applications include:

• Faster disease diagnosis
• Timely reminders and alert messages
• Error reduction in medical data
• Management of drugs and inventory
• Remote medical assistance

Higher ratings and better hospital reputation:
In this competitive world, any hospital willing to be amongst the top-rated hospitals should achieve good ratings from patients and insurance companies. A new-age HMS helps to establish a reputation as a technically advanced and modern hospital. It contributes to a great extent in improving the patient experience which allows them to secure a good rating.
Also, the insurance companies rely on electronic data and an HMS is an apt solution for this. It collects and sends accurate patient information to the insurance companies in digital format. The companies which send electronic data have higher chances of getting good ratings by the insurance companies. 

Improved clinical decision-making:
A good HMS tracks real-time medical data with high accuracy. Such data-driven insights make clinical and operational decision-making fast and efficient. With easy access to clear information at the fingerprints, hospital staff and other resources can be streamlined and well-managed.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Clinics and hospitals are already adopting new approaches to enhance the patient experience. They are modernizing their systems to boost efficiency and improve productivity. For example, an HMS acts as a reliable solution to different challenges faced by medical practitioners. Also, the effective implementation of emerging technologies like IoT, wearable devices, on-demand solutions, RPA, etc. is playing a remarkable role in healthcare management.

How Cross-Platform App Development is a Better Choice for Any Business?

A few years back, cross-platform app development was considered to be risky, less reliable, difficult to update, and less user-friendly. However, this perception has changed with the development of its framework. Today, worldwide businesses commonly prefer cross-platform apps. This enables the apps to get maximum exposure as it can target both Android and iOS platforms.

Yet, whether to go for a native app or choose a cross-platform app is still a challenging decision for many businesses, but nowadays, there is more preference given to cross-platform products. This article explains some of its major advantages.

Top advantages of cross-platform app development

Reusable Code

The developers don’t need to write a fresh code every time, they can reuse the same code for all platforms. The concept of ‘write once, run everywhere’ eliminates the repetitive tasks of the developers and simplifies their work. The single codebase can be used again and again, saving time and efforts of the development team.

Cost-effective

Thanks to cross-platform mobile application development that the companies don’t need to spend a fortune on a lot of resources, new tools, and technologies. When a single code is used across different platforms, businesses need to invest just once. It is a one-time investment and very cost-effective.

Faster time to market

Since the code is designed only once, it consumes less time and gets completed faster. It reduces the efforts of developers to a huge extent and allows them to adhere to the deadlines. The businesses can ensure timely delivery of the final app to their clients.

Easy Implementation

Several cross-platform app development frameworks like Appcelerator, PhoneGap Sencha Touch, etc. are designed to work with scripting-level languages. These frameworks offer solutions which help the development team to easily make changes. For example, when Appcelerator is used, the developers can write the code in HTML5 and easily converted for any platform as per the client needs. It makes the implementation easier and synchronizing updates for all mobile devices also becomes easier.

Uniformity

Cross-platform app development ensures sameness and uniformity in the overall look of the apps across different platforms because the same code is used. User experience is one of the most important consideration in an app and the same codebase maintains consistency in it. If the end-users need to use different methods to access the same app, chances are that they find it cumbersome or will avoid using it. So, cross-platform apps are preferred by many clients globally.

Easy maintenance and deployment

It is easy to run a single code over all platforms and easy to make any changes and deploy the code. Even the updates of the app can be synchronized across all platforms and devices with ease. If any bug is found in the code, it needs to be fixed just once, while saving time and money of the development teams.

Ideal for prototyping

Cross-platform app development is ideal for prototyping as it is faster, budget-friendly and releases the app on different platforms at the same time. The businesses who want to test if their product could succeed in the market, development of a prototype is the best idea.

React Native is an open source framework for cross-platform mobile app development which allows you to develop Android and iOS apps with JavaScript and a few other native component APIs. It is advantageous for prototyping and allows the start-ups and other businesses to get a high-quality app at a minimal cost.

Wider reach and easy marketing

Today, many businesses, small or big, are developing their dedicated apps as these apps serve to be one of the best tools for promotion and marketing. The cross-platform apps are reachable to a wide range of audiences as they target both- Android and iOS at the same time and so, many businesses find them advantageous.

Summary:

It is a challenging decision for the businesses to decide whether to go for native, cross-platform or hybrid app development. Businesses should try to understand their customer’s needs, diverse mobile devices used by them, coverage of supported platforms, customer demographics, etc. factors along with their budget, while deciding which platform to choose. Yet, looking at the advantages mentioned here, cross-platform app development seems to be the right choice for diverse audiences.

How to Effectively Work With Offshore Development Teams Using an Agile Model?

Today, most companies are choosing offshore app development for their software needs, in spite of the challenges like the difference in time-zones, language barrier, cultural differences, etc. The immense benefits of offshore development like affordability, availability of a highly-skilled workforce, quality work, and flexibility are responsible for this. Hiring an offshore team gives the leverage of building high-quality MVP to start-ups and small companies; this being cost-effective. Also, agile methodology is a powerful way of project management as it ensures the simplified breakdown of tasks, continuous improvement, early delivery of project and effective team collaboration and interaction. But, the question is how can agile methodology efficiently be applied in offshore app development?

In this article, we will discuss the best ways to efficiently work with offshore teams in an agile environment.

Best practices for a successful agile offshore app development
Agile methodology is already quite popular worldwide due many advantages it provides. Here are a few proven steps that should be implemented to make offshore development work successful.

Use collaboration technology for better communication:
Strong and transparent communication is necessary for the final products to be the best pieces of work. Collaboration technologies help the teams to interact effectively, irrespective of differences in time zones and locations. Project management tools like Trello, JIRA, etc. and communication tools like Slack facilitate information sharing and keep all the team members on the same page. If you plan to hire offshore app developers, you should invest in advanced communication tools and also in high-performance computers, secure Wi-Fi network, video conferencing tools like Skype and Zoom, etc.

Define a vision statement of the product by planning ahead:
It is vital to determine all the tasks and plan accordingly before starting the project. You should consider different aspects like the volume of all the tasks, milestones, timeline for all deliverables, scope, budget, etc. It is necessary to present a complete picture of the project beforehand to the team. It allows the team to be flexible in their app development and research the obstacles proactively and work accordingly.

Invest in training of the offshore team:
If you want your mobile app development to be a success, you should consider training your offshore app developers on the technology you want to use and also about your company and products. They need to thoroughly understand the customer’s point of view to develop a profitable product for you. So, training the offshore team is an important practice.

Conduct demos regularly:
Demos are held to show the progress of the team after a certain period called iteration in the agile methodology. For better results, you should conduct regular demos and review if the team has achieved the decided milestones, what obstacles they faced, probable solutions, etc. These demos should evaluate team performance and give constructive feedback to them. All the decisions should be communicated to all team members and well-documented. These demos also help in good collaboration of teams with the clients.

Treat them as your partners:
For a successful project, treat your offshore team as your partners; as an extension of your onshore team. Make sure they align with the corporate culture of your company. Frequent communication through collaborative tools, video conferences, etc. should be conducted for building strong relationships between onshore and offshore teams.

Create a consistent development environment:
Working with the offshore app development team is a tedious job, especially due to the distributed work environment. So, it is necessary to create a development environment that is transparent, reliable, flexible and has less friction. Team members should feel involved and motivated to work. They should be given positive feedbacks. It is advisable to rely more on processes and tools for a positive work environment. Guidelines should be created for ensuring that the team feels supported and effective work.

Summary:
Many experts say that agile and offshore development cannot go hand-in-hand. Some businesses even avoid outsourcing as they follow the agile model for their projects. Agile needs strict following of principles and values, which can be quite tedious while working with a team from a different time zone, location, and culture.

Though, offshore app development is not easy in an agile environment, yet, it can be very productive with the tips mentioned above. The key is good communication and proper planning. The teams can develop trustful partnerships and achieve high-performance.

Hope these tips were helpful to you. If you’re thinking of contacting an offshore app development company, you’re not alone. There is a pool of experienced and skilled app developers in India. This could a wise option as app developers in India have scalability, flexibility in working and affordable as well.

Clients Compliment Biz4Solutions’ Collaboration Style via Clutch.co

The foundation of any productive partnership is open communication. That’s why we prioritize our project management skills in tandem with our ability to deliver innovative software solutions.

Whether we’re working on a mobile app, IoT solution, RPA (Robotic Process Automation) or custom software, we always communicate clearly about the project timeline, budget, and objectives. We’re focused on understanding our clients’ business goals inside and out — and they’ve expressed their appreciation.

For instance, you can find us on Clutch, a B2B ratings and reviews platform. Our former customers use the website to leave detailed feedback about our collaboration style. Most recently, a hospitality company praised our listening skills after we’d partnered on an app development project.

In the body of the review, the CEO of the company complimented our consistent, timely updates. We know complicated requirements require in-depth conversations, and stakeholders deserve to be kept well-informed. Therefore, we made it a priority to schedule conference calls when needed.

“With so many moving parts of a business, it is a breath of fresh air to have that type of professionalism.” — CEO, Hospitality Company

The client also noted the high quality of our services.  The iOS, Android, and web-based apps we delivered have seen more than 3,000 users so far. The applications help vacationers move and monitor their beach chairs, umbrellas, and equipment. 

Polished solutions like Beach Caddy wouldn’t have been possible without a positive partnership based on transparent communication. We bring this approach to all our engagements.

Clutch’s sister site also provide proof of our successful collaborations. We’re listed as one of the top app development companies in Dallas on The Manifest, a resource for business buyers that highlights key facts about industry leaders.

It’s clear that our clients value our listening skills, and we’re listening to their feedback! Whenever a former customer comments on our services via Clutch, we bring those lessons to the next project.

What is your ideal software solution? Let’s have a conversation about it! You can message us using our contact form or schedule a brief meeting with one of our specialists.