by Simon & Garfunkel

February 12th, 2020

23 16

The What and How of Account Management and Customer Success Management in IT

Putting all the eggs you have in the same basket is to be avoided in every walk of life; software development is no exception. Seasoned IT managers and C-suiters know this, so they form, maintain, and upgrade a diverse client portfolio.

In the pursuit of business stability and prosperity, software development companies need versatile professionals to ensure excellence. BrightMarbles Group follows suit in ensuring distinguished professionalism in keeping our clients happy and technically advanced.

Account management and customer success management play a major role in client conversion and retention. This article explains how these two operations interact, what differentiates them from each other, and how they benefit both service providers and their clients.

Account Management Defined

The term account in the phrase account manager refers to an active client.

Now that we’ve made this clear, let’s start from the assumption that every service-providing business wants to keep all – or at least most – of their clients on the client list.

Account managers contribute greatly to reaching this goal by carrying out the following operations:

Keeping in touch with clients, to supervise each account’s current condition, growth opportunities, and any other collaboration touchpoints.
Monitoring the competition and listening to the general market pulse to react on time and offer renewals, cross-selling or upselling features in a timely manner to the existing accounts.
Collaborating with the customer success department to stay informed on all the potential bottlenecks and provide assistance when necessary.

Account specialists and managers must keep track of everything that’s going on with their account. Only this approach ensures that they propose the best additional option for their client in real time.

BM Insight: At BMGH, we take a (pro)active role in supplying each new client with enough information to kickstart the collaboration. As a softdev company, we work with businesses from different fields. Hence, the onboarding process differs from client to client. Our account and customer success managers, as well as technical leads, provide continuous assistance to our clients from day one, mainly via adequate communication and strict time management. Dragana Ječmenica explains how to maintain effective communication between clients and service providers in her article Mastering Client Communication: The Art of Productive Dialogue.

Customer Success Management Explained

Customer success management refers to a set of activities that cater to clients’ needs day after day so that they keep doing business with you.

When your sales specialists have closed the deal, the customer success managers should immediately take over, ensuring that the newly acquired clients get all the vital information for the forthcoming cooperation.

Therefore, customer success managers need to possess knowledge of the sales trade, customer-service qualifications, and finely polished soft interpersonal skills.

Customer success specialists and managers typically focus on the following:

Client onboarding. Introducing each new client to all the operational, compliance, and security procedures crucial for the future collaboration. This should be a two-way process, meaning that the client has to inform the software service provider about their relevant internal processes.
Monitoring daily tasks and overcoming obstacles. The CS team in every softdev company is at clients’ disposal day after day to monitor clients’ contentment with everything software engineers deliver regarding the product they’re working on.
Ensuring seamless support. Only a satisfied customer is a successful customer. Hence, customer success will touch every single base that increases client satisfaction. They actively work with leading engineers, dedicated teams or extended teams, project managers, and any other relevant parties.
Education and feedback. CS specialists and managers are on the constant lookout for new applicable strategies and tech solutions that would strengthen their clients’ market position and improve the existing technical partnerships. Obtaining recurring feedback is another must-perform activity to stay up to date with their clients’ expectations, issues, and, eventually, conversions.

BM Insight: It’s illusionary to think that account managers and customer success professionals, together with the tech staff, are enough to handle your clients’ needs. From our experience, a highly operational and far-sighted tech company needs various experts on the payroll to keep things moving forward. Sometimes software companies agree that some of their non-tech, in-house teams provide additional services to an existing client or even land a full-scale, independent project because you can never tell what else your next client will need; in addition to core software development services. That’s why we’ve brought together a unique fleet of seasoned senior employees. Read more about it in our blog post The Entourage of IT Projects: The Binding Tissue of IT Software Development.

Making the Best Work Possible | BrightMarbles

Account Management vs. Customer Success Management

We’ve already pointed out that customer success managers and specialists observe the client’s business from an operational point of view. When a tangible problem happens, the CS crew steps in.

Account managers, on the other hand, are more concentrated on the monetary aspect of collaboration – keeping an eye on upselling, cross-selling, contract renewals, and overall financial satisfaction of both service providers and service receivers.

The CS and AM teams need to have clear and continuous communication with each other, and with the client’s representatives, so as to always stay alert in terms of improving a client’s status and progress.

BM Insight: Both the CS and AM sides need to be in constant interplay with the tech stack to fully understand how every project is being developed. Accordingly, account and customer success pundits must learn everything necessary about the referential domain. For instance, if a CS manager and an AM manager are in charge of a client whose mobile app we’re building, they must possess enough technical and project-management knowledge to participate in the process. In our article From Scratch to Full Stack: The Business Lifecycle of Software Development, we explain how software products are created; a useful guide for current and future CS and AM pros.

Key Account Managers

But what are key account managers? In a nutshell, the term key account manager refers to an account management professional who supervises long-term, financially opulent clients. Hence, ordinary, non-key account managers commonly lead short-term, less lucrative clients, which doesn’t mean that ordinary account managers are less important or skilled. It’s the nature and scale of accounts that differentiates key account managers from account managers.

At one point, an account manager might handle a larger client, which would make them a key account manager. Conversely, a key account manager could be assigned a smaller account in the next round of client distribution.

Clients typically prefer working with the same account manager once they’ve built mutual trust and mapped the work process. Startup owners need to bear this in mind.

That being said, business managers in general must avoid the trap of showing more care or attention to wealthier and bigger accounts.

It is the scale of the collaboration and pre-defined processes that differ, not the attitude toward the client.

We’ll get back to key account management below, with some invaluable insights from our top-tier key account manager.

BM Insight: Our CS and AM, as well as key account managers, perform their operations with our clients’ benefits in mind. They’re always looking for the most effective way of providing our software development and testing services to clients who need our expertise, within an optimal time, while maximizing their return on investment.

The Risks of High Customer Concentration

Business management in general isn’t an arbitrary set of actions. Au contraire, we often find some unexpected regularities in companies and industries that have nothing in common.

In the beginning of this post, we used the metaphor of putting all your eggs in one basket.

But what if one egg is significantly bigger than the other ones? Obviously, it means that losing it would make the omelet you were planning to eat for breakfast much smaller.

This is what happens when one account brings in more than 20% of the company revenue. Officially called high customer concentration, it can have different influence on every business, IT companies included.

BM Insight: Closely related to the above is the Pareto Principle – a business-management rule which says that the major share of companies’ revenues is generated from a small number of clients. In numbers, it holds the 80/20 rule, meaning that 20% of company clients bring about 80% of its revenue. While we should take the exact numbers here with a grain of salt, it is true that most companies perform their client acquisition in a way that corresponds to the Pareto Principle.

The Pros and Cons of High Customer Concentration

The key benefits of embracing the high-client-concentration policy are:

Long-term business relationships,
Fewer accounts to handle at the same time, and
Lower expenses for the legal and finance department.

However, if that client leaves, your company will experience a significant revenue drop and cash flow issues. Depending on your size, you might not be able to focus on smaller companies, such as startups, which could bring more profits in the time ahead.

Our business vision is to paint a diverse and colorful picture in every step we make, just as our CEO Boris Berat explains in his interview for the company blog.

BM Insight: Even though we work with large companies, startups have a special place in our hearts. As we weren’t born this way but used to be a small business, we know how much it means to startup visionaries to get an extra hand and accelerate their growth. Our Marketing Analyst Nastasija Trajanova has put together a guide Navigating the Tech Sea: Tips for Seed-Stage Companies that helps new business owner enter the entrepreneurial waters.

Client Management from the Inside

BrightMarbles Group Holding started as a core software development company. However, as our client list kept growing, we were able to hire a variety of senior experts for different niches. Now we’re a versatile business entity that covers a wide range of digital services.

As our Chief Experience Officer Nevena Nemeš explains in her article Empowering Brands through Full-Spectrum Digital Services: Bright Marbles Approach:

“We have grown and adapted to become a dynamic digital powerhouse. Our evolution is a nod to our genuine passion for innovation, creativity, and a user-first approach. All of these align with our core mission: helping brands not just survive but excel online.”

Nevena handles several new accounts which have opted for our unique smorgasbord of integrated digital services. In addition to software development services, BMGH covers UI/UX design, content marketing in all its forms and videography in all its formats. For instance, if we build your app, you can also get top-notch UI, with polished UX copy, and a promo video.

Q&A with our Chief Experience Officer

Now hear what Nevena has to say about our current and future goals in terms of account & customer success management and client satisfaction:

Q: “Nevena, how has the evolution of BrightMarbles changed the way you approach client relationships?”

A: “The growth of BrightMarbles has broadened our horizons significantly. As we expanded our suite of services, we’ve learned to understand our clients from multiple perspectives, not just from a singular product or service standpoint. We observed a trend of clients seeking more integrated digital solutions and, therefore, reassessed our account management strategies. Instead of merely meeting client requirements, we transitioned to a more proactive approach – forecasting their needs and advising on the latest digital trends. This elevated our role from just a custom software provider to a full-fledged trusted digital consultant.”

Q: “In terms of mixed digital services, how do you feel this abundance of options enhances the client experience?”

A: “Our mixed digital services approach means we’re not just a one-stop solution; we’re a partner in our clients’ journey. Each of our services complements the other, allowing us to provide a holistic experience. Hence, our clients don’t have to jump between different vendors but get a seamless service tailored to their needs. For instance, a well-designed UI backed by powerful content can drastically enhance user experience, leading to customer success. It’s about building an ecosystem where all elements work in harmony.”

Q: “With the complex nature of software development, how does BrightMarbles ensure a smooth client onboarding process and long-term success?”

A: “Our onboarding process is meticulously designed to introduce clients to our ecosystem, ensuring they understand how to leverage our services for maximum benefit. The customer success managers play a crucial role here, guiding the clients through every step and addressing any queries or concerns they may have. We also have a robust feedback loop in place, allowing us to continuously refine our onboarding process and client management practices based on real-world experiences. What’s more, leveraging data-driven insights enables us to make informed decisions and provide strategic guidance to our clients.”

Q: “How does BrightMarbles ensure alignment between the account management team, focusing on growth, and the customer success team, ensuring satisfaction?”

A: “At BrightMarbles, we conduct joint sessions where both teams share client feedback, milestones achieved, and upcoming opportunities. This keeps both teams updated and ensures that while we’re seeking growth, we’re not compromising on existing client satisfaction.”

Q: “Finally, what advice would you give to other IT companies looking to strengthen their account management and customer success functions?”

A: “Invest in training and development for both your account managers and customer success managers. Ensure they have a deep understanding of the IT industry, your products, and services, and foster a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement. By doing so, you not only enhance client satisfaction and retention but also drive sustainable growth for your business.”

Conclusion

In the IT sector, understanding the distinct yet collaborative roles of Account Management and Customer Success Management is key to nurturing enduring client relationships. Just as these roles require clarity and precise delineation, so does the process of selecting a partner in the digital realm. When it comes to finding the right digital product development agency, it’s all about aligning with an agency that understands and caters to your specific needs. To help guide you in making this crucial choice, you might want to explore these 10 key aspects.

We’ve come to the end of this guide. Ready to elevate your business with industry-leading account and customer success management strategies? Talk to our experts at BrightMarbles today!

About Author

Pavle Bobić, BrightMarbles’ resident wordsmith extraordinaire. With a passion for wordplay and a keen eye for eye-grabbing marketing materials, Pavle has been producing top-quality web content and copies for fintech, IT, and eCommerce since 2013. Now he keeps sharing his wealth of experience and expertise as part of the BrightMarbles team, making an impact by creating distinguished content across various digital channels.

by Simon & Garfunkel

February 12th, 2020

23 16

Why Agile Development Is a Startup’s Best Friend

Agile and Scrum are the two project management buzzwords that have resonated strongly with the tech world in the last two decades. In the akin-to space race softdev environment, this method and framework, respectively, have proven to be precious time-saving and asset-boosting vehicles.

As an authoritative partner of startups, BrightMarbles Group Holding educates new business owners on how to use Agile development at their utmost benefit.

This article explains why Agile development is a startup’s best friend, providing relevant comparisons, and illustrating its positive effects via our experts’ insights.

Agile Methodology Explained

The Agile methodology is a project management strategy in which projects are divided into smaller chunks, with constant revisions of completed bits (and bytes). This approach is based on a round-the-clock collaboration, with the three typical stages: planning, execution, revision.

In a wider sense, Agile is a special work philosophy, applicable to different industries. Published in 2001 in the form of the Agile Manifesto, this operational mindset puts people in the spotlight, prioritizing team collaboration and cross-functional operability.

The dynamic nature of the Agile methodology is the reason why it has become the most widespread project management approach in the brave tech world. As software innovations are galloping from the colorful present to the promising future, Agile is the most optimal approach to softdev organization.

BM Insight: As one of the softdev revolution forerunners, BMGH roots its operations in simply the best methodologies and tools available on the market; Agile is no exception. Our project-management experience speaks in favor of Agile and all the joys it brings. Hence, our veteran product and delivery manager Tanja Maliković, also a passionate fantasy aficionado, has put together a one-of-a-kind, epic-fantasy story on the birth of Agile. Read Part 1 and Part 2 on our blog.

Agile vs. Scrum vs. Kanban

When talking about Agile, let’s see how it differs from Scrum and Kanban.

Agile is the supreme term in the Agile environment, referring to the project-management philosophy explained above. It comprises various frameworks, but the point is that large, long-term projects are divided into smaller tasks, handled within shorter periods so that the entire software development process is accelerated.

Scrum is one of the frameworks within Agile that ensures executing smaller tasks within a project with utmost precision. The Scrum’s key measure is a sprint – a specified interval during which a group of engineers needs to finish the agreed amount of work.

Kanban is another well-known and often-used Agile framework, based on visual task cards, and applied predominantly in manual industry. However, some software developers also use Kanban to get things organized and done on time.

Scrum and Kanban are sometimes combined in the production plants that incorporate software solutions directly into tangible products.

BM Insight: Scrum is a much-discussed framework with various adapted versions. Our Scrum masters and their colleagues in product-development companies don’t have the same workdays or tasks. In our article Scrum 101: Applying the Most Popular Agile Framework, we’ve debunked Scrum from our unique point of view.

Testing and Agile

Agile provides a dynamic and cost-effective testing framework throughout the software development lifecycle.

Compared to traditional testing methods, comprised within the Waterfall development methodology, Agile advocates the test early, test often business policy. Before the Agile Manifesto was published, Waterfall was the predominant model in project management. The major feature of this methodology is that one development process consists of consecutive stages; each of these stages must be completed before the next one begins.

As the softdev game accelerated at the turn of the century, a need for a more iterative and result-oriented project-management method arose. In other words, the time had come to go agile.

Dunja Ibročić, our in-house Scrum Master, who has successfully organized and implemented dozens of projects, puts it this way:

“Unlike the traditional testing that adheres to a linear or sequential development model, Agile advocates a more iterative and incremental approach to testing. Agile is often driven by tests, and thus the notion of testing promotes continuous integration with development. Testing and quality have become imperative for all team members.” Read more about her stance on testing in Agile development techniques in her eponymous blog post.

Agile Testing Is Saving

To rephrase the adage “Caring is sharing”, we can say with confidence that Agile testing is saving; but saving what? Here are several ways in which Agile testing saves your money, energy, and time:

Early detection of issues. Thanks to Agile continuous testing, issues are found and addressed as soon as they are discovered, reducing the chance that expensive defects appear in the later stages of development.
Quick feedback. Continuous interactions between developers, testers, and stakeholders help find and correct bugs or malfunctions early in the development cycle, reducing the time required for fixing them later.
Prioritizing software features. Working in the Agile environment allows for the prioritization of features based on their value to the customer. Hence, softdevs and testers can focus on the most critical and valuable features first, using limited testing resources efficiently. Also, Agile teams are typically flexible, and adaptable to changing requirements and priorities.
Reduced documentation. Rather than demanding comprehensive test plans and documentation, Agile project managers focus on working software.
Continuous Integration and Automation. The iterative nature of Agile practices includes continuous integration and test automation, leading to faster testing processes and reducing manual testing. Nevertheless, manual testing may still play a vital role in some aspects of software development.
Incremental Releases. Agile testing typically results in smaller, incremental releases of software. Testing and maintaining the quality of each release is thus easier, plus, it’s cheaper than testing large, monolithic applications.
Reduced Rework. Early and continuous testing cuts the need for extensive rework in the later stages of development.
Client Satisfaction. Software engineers and project managers utilizing Agile testing deliver value to their clients early and often. When customers are satisfied with the software and its quality, you can expect a high retention rate and further recommendations.

As our test engineer Bojana Šatara Anić claims in her article Shift Left Testing: A Key for Improving Your QA Strategy:

“Regardless of the chosen term, the Shift Left means to test early and test often. It intends to identify and resolve bugs, thus reducing costs, as early as possible in the Software Development Life Cycle. Discovering bugs and bottlenecks early in the development process increases efficiency in the software development process.”

BM Insight: Not only that we hold Agile-enhanced testing extremely important, but we also maintain a strict quality-assurance quality in every single code we write, check, and verify. Find out more about our QA perspective from the blog post Quality Assurance: The Measure of Software Development Excellence.

Why Use Agile in Startup Software Development

Now, let’s break down and sum up the key benefits of using Agile in startup software development:

Time efficiency. Small project chunks, dynamic teams, and wisely distributed tasks – all thanks to Agile – ensure timely and error-free software delivery.
Enhanced collaboration of team members. Agile puts the interplay between software and engineers in the spotlight, enhancing productive collaboration between team members. In a startup environment, it bears the make-it-or-break-it importance.
Fast-submitted iterations. Above we explained the Agile-based Scrum framework and its stages, i.e., sprints. This kind of project organization ensures fast-submitted iterations. The result: developers, project managers, marketers, and all involved parties increase their efficiency. To top it off, clients receive what they’ve ordered on time.
Swift adaptation to ongoing changes. Startup owners are especially prone to ongoing market changes. Be it a new feature a competitor has launched, an investment surge, or a new idea that crosses their mind, SMB-entrepreneurs profit from Agile software development on many levels.
Early delivery. With Agile, you can tell at an early stage whether a product or software solution is worth finishing in the first place. It is an MVP-based approach to software building, meaning that a business owner can have the most viable product in their hands pretty soon. From that point onward, they’ll quickly decide how and whether to continue building it.

Higher level of employees’ ownership over tasks and projects. The Agile working principle brings unprecedented autonomy to software development teams. In turn, it increases the responsibility and ownership that team leads and members have over particular projects.

BM Insight: There’s no well-used Agile without versatile and people-centered project management. Further, exquisite Scrum masters need equally powerful software engineers to start the development engine and keep it revving. Then, detail-oriented testers are a must-have, to polish every product before the launch. Marketers, HR, and Legal&Finance experts are also vital to spread the word about the latest startup partnerships, cater to employees’ wellbeing, and ensure continuous compliance, respectively. In our article The Entourage of IT Projects – The Binding Tissue of IT Software Development, we dig into every professional we need to bring software to life.

Why Not Use Agile to Build Softdev Startups

Even though we consider Agile the best thing since bread came sliced – i.e., since Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web in 1989 – it’s not a panacea for all software development projects.

But who wouldn’t want Agile, especially after the heaps we’ve praised on it so far, one might wonder.

Let’s start from the premise that not every business owner needs a fast-built software solution. For instance, you’re a multifaceted investor who simply wants to diversify their portfolio. You have enough time and assets not to succumb to the predominant trend of making apps as quickly as it gets.

In that case, you probably prefer stability to dynamics. As Agile and stability don’t always overlap, such business owners might not embrace this softdev methodology. It also might lack predictability, which is frowned upon by most investors.

Also, the flexible and dynamic nature of Agile and Scrum could lead to confusion and lack of accountability. All the professionals working on the project must be completely on board. Otherwise, you can expect missed deadlines and inaccurate estimates.

We typically perceive flexibility as something positive. However, imagine a context in which project managers or team leaders lack the necessary organizational skills and commitment. Instead of task-devouring efficiency, you get confusion. And if a project is transferred to a new team of engineers, the lack of documentation – meant to make things easier and speed up the work process – turns out to be a major drawback.

Now you may proceed to the lounge and see how we tackle these potential defects of Agile.

Agile Development from the BrightMarbles’ Perspective

Ever since our conception in 2016, BrightMarbles Group has been keeping a special place in our business plan for startups. We know how much sweat, blood, and tears it takes to run from 0 to 100m in the shortest time possible. This experience and awareness help us recognize startups worth giving an extra hand.

After all, every soonicorn, unicorn, decacorn, and every other -corn was once a startup.

The Agile software development methodology has been our loyal ally in most of the projects we’ve worked on. It works perfectly for us because we hire, learn, and start partnerships with Agile in mind. Its vigorous character, omniapplicability, and adaptability have found a great match in our Mibsters.

Advocating and applying a culture of excellence in every code we write, we’ve nurtured a dozen Agile-based productive collaborations with startups from various industries. Whether we deliver full-scale design, development, and/or marketing services, provide team augmentations, or offer dedicated teams, this combo of Agile and our specific, in-house strategies maximizes the return on investment (ROI) for our stakeholders. For all these reasons, we usually rely on Agile when starting a new business collaboration with startups.

That being said, we don’t mind adapting Agile frameworks and principles to our clients’ specific requests and plans. When we’re negotiating the terms of potential collaborations or crafting our pitches, nothing is more important than listening to our clients’ demands.

Conclusion

The story of Agile, startups, and BrightMarbles is coming to an end. We’ve explained the basics of the Agile methodology, its most common frameworks, and how it helps both startups and software service providers.

We’ve also given you a chance to see why our Agile and Scrum professionals think Agile is so handy for effective software development, from testing to launching.

Keep following our blog and social media channels for more authentic business stories and news from the ever-changing world of software development.

Contact us if you have questions, or simply need a software development partner for your startup – brightmarbles.io/contact.

About Author

by Simon & Garfunkel

February 12th, 2020

23 16

The Anatomy of a Successful MVP: What Startups Need to Know

In software and in love, everything is to be shown. Just like you need to present your emotions to the person you’re in love with, developing software means displaying as soon as possible what it will do.

In the stages of software development lifecycle from scratch to completion, the beginning is crucial, especially when you’re building a solution for a client or potential investor.

At this phase, softdev companies must convince the relevant stakeholders that their project is worth investing in.

A minimum viable product (MVP) is a necessary starting point for a fully functional, user-friendly, and ROI-effective software solution.

This article dissects the anatomy of successful MVP development to help startups grasp its importance in business operations.

What Is a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)?

An MVP is a basic version of a proposed product, showcasing its core functionalities and potential in the market. While it doesn’t possess all the necessary features, it should still come with a minimum of releasable functions.

Apart from being meant for attracting clients and investors, the role of MVP is also to gather feedback from users. Together with the other, in-progress attributes, those reviews will help the engineers, managers, and stakeholders understand what additional components it needs.

BM Insight: The startup market is the most interesting and dynamic region of the global IT scene. It’s also the most vulnerable area. Various reports give different results on the longevity of tech startups. The gist is that many such businesses don’t make it till the age of 5. Our mission is to turn the tide for every startup we decide to work with. From developing the MVP to showing the ropes in other business operations, BM experts are here to honestly boost IT startups. Among many other things, we’ve prepared an insightful guide on that matter Navigating the Tech Sea: Tips for Seed-Stage Companies, written by our marketing analyst Nastasija Trajanova.

Key Components of an Effective MVP

Your MVP needs to contain the following elements to maximize its probability of winning over the target users and clients:

Ease of use. Concentrate on the key features that properly prove the product’s basic usability.
Adaptability. The MVP and its creators must be open to feedback, users’ demands, and stakeholders’ questions so that it is scaled up (or down) to the best possible product.

Measurability. An MVP’s value is amplified by tangible and quantifiable metrics. The more you can measure, the more refined the final product can become.
Consumer-Centricity. The MVP should be entirely user-friendly. Beyond its initial features, be prepared to adjust based on consumer feedback, either by adding new features or removing unnecessary ones.

Minimum Viable Product (MVP) vs. Proof of Concept (PoC) vs. Prototype

A minimum viable product, a proof of concept (PoC), and a prototype might confuse some people, so let’s explain the latter two in detail.

A Proof of Concept is a confirmation strategy used at the beginning of the software development process. The main goal of PoC is to validate whether people would use your software idea in real life.

We’ve discussed PoC more closely in one of our previous articles – The Role of Proof of Concept in Software Development.

A Prototype is a practical version of the product in question, whether software or tangible, real-world item. There’s only one sample of a prototype.

In order of appearance during the software development process: first comes PoC, then prototype, and the last is MVP.

MVP is the final product’s next of kin, i.e., the version you can present to your focus groups, investors, and clients.

BM Insight: At BrightMarbles Group Holding, we approach every stage of software design with utmost professional dedication and financial responsibility. Hence, we hold the pitching stage extremely important for successful software building and implementation. Learn everything you should know about this topic from our guide The Art of Crafting a Software Development Project Pitch.

Why Are MVPs Game-Changers in the Current Tech Ecosystem?

In the current (and forthcoming) ecosystem, the competition for every cent of investment is and will be harsh. The crisis we’ve been going through in the last several quarters adds to the feeling of uncertainty. In such an environment, being able to show and tell how your idea is actually going to work in practice means a world.

Once you’re past the PoC and prototype stage, it’s time to instill the product philosophy into a real solution. Building an MVP is a safe(r) bet that someone will embrace, promote, and financially support your business idea.

In the code-eat-code tech ecosystem, an MVP can set startups apart, showcasing their product’s viability and potential. Startups that don’t provide an MVP are less likely to get funds for further product development and deployment.

Lean Startups and MVP

Lean startups, characterized by swift iterations and adaptability, rely heavily on MVPs to validate their hypotheses in real-market conditions, distinguishing them from traditional SMB.

Lean startups and their products are developed on account of an existing company. The central idea behind such an endeavor is that there’s already demand for the solution in question; for instance, the existing company’s customers have expressed a desire to use such a product if it appears on the market.

If the idea fails, the costs are relatively cheap; at least less costly than those incurred by a business started from scratch.

Relying on an MVP when founding a lean startup or launching a related product additionally validates the idea and wraps the entire project into an additional protective layer.

How Does BrightMarbles Group Handle MVP Development?

At BrightMarbles Group, our approach to MVP development is rooted in understanding the unique vision of each startup and ensuring it is faithfully reflected in the final product.

Customized Brainstorming Sessions: Before diving into development, we host brainstorming sessions with startups. This ensures that we identify and integrate the core value proposition of the product right from the start.

“True innovation starts with a clear understanding of the problem at hand. Our brainstorming sessions are crucial in bridging the gap between an idea and a viable product.” – Dunja Ibročić, Product and Delivery Manager at BrightMarbles

Rapid Prototyping with Enhanced UI/UX: Speed and efficiency don’t mean sacrificing quality. We prioritize a swift transition from idea to prototype, ensuring optimal user experience from the onset.

“In today’s fast-paced tech world, a prototype that looks and feels great can make all the difference.” – Viktorija Simonoska, Senior Product Designer at BrightMarbles Macedonia

BM Insight: The MVP’s functionality is not enough to convince the target stakeholders that your product will actually be a useful problem-solver. You need a shiny wrapping that will make it appealing to the eye of the public (and financiers), particularly in software development. This is the role of user interface/user experience (UI/UX) design. Our omnipotent designer and videographer Marko Vladušić explains motion design in the UI/UX context in his comprehensive blog post Fluid Magic: How Motion Design Breathes Life into UI/UX Design.

Iterative Development: Our process doesn’t stop at the first iteration. We believe in evolving the product based on real-world user feedback, ensuring that the MVP remains agile and responsive to actual market needs.

“An MVP’s strength lies in its adaptability. Through iterative development, we ensure that our products are always market-aligned.” – Zoran Regoda, Senior Software Architect at Brightly

Education and Expert Assistance: Our relationship with startups goes beyond just development. We provide continuous educational support, ensuring that our partners are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge for sustained growth.

“Empowering our partners with knowledge is as vital as the tech solutions we provide.” – Milenko Jevremović, CTO at UN1QUELY

With a team that boasts a wealth of experience and a proven track record, BrightMarbles stands as a beacon for startups looking to turn their ideas into market-ready MVPs.

“Every MVP is a journey. At BrightMarbles Group, we ensure it’s a journey towards success.” – Tanja Maliković, Product and Delivery Manager at BrightMarbles

Business Benefits of the MVP Approach

To sum up the points expressed in this piece up to now, developing an MVP benefits businesses for the following reasons:

Cost-Efficiency. By focusing on core features, you can avoid allocating resources and time on elements that may not resonate with users.
Streamlined Market Entry. An MVP allows for a quicker and more focused launch, paving the way for immediate user feedback and potential traction.
Risk Mitigation. Launching an MVP helps in identifying potential pitfalls early on, thus reducing financial, developmental, and operational risks.
Engaging Stakeholders. An MVP serves as a tangible representation of your vision, enabling clearer communication with stakeholders and potential investors.

Potential MVP Issues and How to Address Them

As our goal is not to sugarcoat any softdev principle, procedure, or phenomenon, let’s discuss some potential MVP issues and how to handle them:

Feature Overload: Ensure you don’t overcomplicate the MVP with non-essential features. Stay focused on the primary goal to save time and resources.
Losing Sight of the Product Goal: Regularly revisit and reassess the product’s primary objective. This helps in maintaining alignment with the intended vision and user needs.
Overlooking User Feedback: Prioritize and implement user suggestions. They provide invaluable insights that can guide refinements and improve the product’s market fit.

BM Insight: When clients or investors see your MVP, it’s time for negotiations. Given that they like it and recognize its business potential, get ready to negotiate the best possible conditions for your enterprise. Our Dragana Ječmenica has compiled some handy tips for improving client communication. Read her article Mastering Client Communication: The Art of Productive Dialogue.

Our Success Stories with MVPs

BrightMarbles Group has always believed in the transformative power of innovation. For example, when we encountered Carna Health and NAQ, we recognized two ventures set to revolutionize their respective sectors.

Carna Health: In a world increasingly valuing convenience and timely health insights, Carna Health’s vision of delivering clinical whole blood tests right at the patient’s home intrigued us. Our team dived deep into understanding the intricate aspects of the medical tech involved. We worked closely with Carna Health to streamline the integration of the compact reader technology into their service offerings. Our collaborative efforts ensured that not only were the blood test results immediate but the data transmission back to the clinical teams was seamless, secure, and real-time.

“Innovating in the healthcare sector brings its own set of challenges, but the prospect of revolutionizing patient care and convenience propelled our collaborative efforts with Carna Health.” – Boris Berat, CEO at BrightMarbles Group

Introducing the Carna Platform – transforming the kidney disease management

NAQ: In today’s digitally connected era, cybersecurity and compliance aren’t mere options but necessities. NAQ’s vision of simplifying and automating cybersecurity processes resonated with our core values. We collaborated with NAQ to enhance the platform’s functionality and user experience, ensuring businesses could effortlessly meet regulatory and industry requirements. Our focus was not just on technical prowess but ensuring that even the most complex cybersecurity protocols were accessible and understandable for businesses of all scales.

“NAQ’s ambition to demystify cybersecurity was a challenge we eagerly took on. Making robust security measures user-friendly was a journey of innovation and technical dexterity.” – Bojan Tomić, COO at BrightMarbles Group

GDPR Essentials | Interview with Nadia Kadhim, Naq Cyber

BrightMarbles Group takes pride in playing a pivotal role in turning the visions of Carna Health and NAQ into tangible realities. Our collaborations with these innovative ventures exemplify our commitment to pushing technological boundaries and creating solutions that impact industries and everyday lives.

BM Insight: Our idea is to bring software into projects that matter, i.e., the ones that are trying to make a positive impact on the community and society or bear global significance. Therefore, we’ve been doing our best to offer mentorship, guidance, and professional assistance to startups from ideation to validation, to designing and completing ground-breaking software solutions. Our CXO Nevena Nemeš is one of the key promoters of our client-based approach to providing softdev and digital services. Read everything about it in her article Empowering Brands through Full-Spectrum Digital Services: BrightMarbles Approach.

Conclusion

Understanding the significance of a minimum viable product (MVP) is crucial for startups looking to secure funding and gauge market interest. Preparing an MVP opens more opportunities for startups, enabling them to present their business ideas simultaneously to more potential partners.

Our experts from BrightMarbles Group Holding always go the extra code to help new ventures prepare their MVPs and develop their innovative software solutions. Feel free to contact us for additional information, tailored quotas, and any other sort of softdev expertise.

About Author

by Simon & Garfunkel

February 12th, 2020

23 16

Maximizing ROI in Software Development: What You Need to Know

When a client approaches a software provider, they usually have two major things in mind; the first one is the price, and the second one is the quality of the solution they’ll get.

Unlike the offline ecosystem, where you can physically measure the inputs and outputs, investing in a software solution might appear somewhat blurry. Every sane businessperson – and our goal is to try and work only with the sane ones – wants to know how the software in question will upgrade their business operations.

That’s why we at BrightMarbles Group Holding (BMGH) like to explain to our leads what return on investment they can expect once they become our clients.

This article discusses and compares different calculations and components of ROI in software development services. As usual, we also share some in-house tricks of the trade that work best for us.

What Is Return on Investment?

Return on Investment (ROI) is a profitability metric that shows how much money an investor will earn upon an investment.

We calculate ROI by deducting the cost of investment from the gain of investment and dividing that number by the cost of investment. In other words:

ROI: (Current Value of Investment – Cost of Investment)/Cost of Investment x 100

If a business invested $10000 in a software solution and made the net profit of $15000, it has earned $5000. The ROI here is 150%.

ROI is expressed in percents so that you can easily compare various investments and their performance.

So far, everything seems smooth and straightforward. Well, the business world would be way too simple if things were that plain.

Bear in mind that ROI is only one measure we need to factor in business operations. For now, let’s continue breaking down this concept into smaller parts; later in the text, we’ll explain why relying solely on ROI is not enough to make sound financial decisions.

BM Insight: We often work with startups to help them elevate their product and business. Our special approach to software development business lifecycle is particularly mapped out with such ventures in mind. Our experts typically know at once what stack will make the most of each new startup we partner with. Contact us to get a customized offer and software project estimation.

How Is ROI a Useful Metric?

Business, Technology, Internet and network concept. Young businessman working in the field of the future, he sees the inscription: return on investment

ROI is a practical measurement for three main reasons:

Ease and simplicity of use. It’s a simple mathematical formula, easily processed and understood by everyone. Positive ROI means that an investment is justified per se. Negative ROI implies that you shouldn’t make that investment.
Time-based comparability. ROI calculations for previous investments can help business owners decide on their future deals. If you know from your own or other people’s experience that putting money into a certain project has yielded positive ROI every time, you’ll probably want to repeat the operation.
Landing the best investment. Like the above, when you have several ROI calculations for different projects at your disposal, estimating which investment will bring a higher gain is more reliable.

All these factors are relevant and important to clients aiming at a software provider to advance their business services. Unlike tangible products, where all the elements are calculated more straightly, ROI for software solutions is not always as clear.

Let’s see one of the possible scenarios on a practical business example.

ROI for Shoe-Selling Software

In one of our previous blog posts – The Role of Proof of Concept in Software Development – we’ve defined the differences between the proof of concept, prototype, and minimum viable product (MVP) using an example of a plugin for an online shoe shop.

Now, let’s use the same instance, but from a client’s point of view.

So, you have an online shoe-selling store, with a security payment plugin and other necessary add-ons. You’ve realized that your competitors have integrated some cutting-edge tools and their traffic and sales have increased. You want to improve the existing website and add some innovative features, such as automated email follow up messages, AI-based chatbots, or some extra selection options.

As you approach a software development company – say, BMGH – they should give you an overview of the potential business collaboration. Within this presentation, you’re supposed to receive a financial estimate of the workforce and time necessary to complete those improvements to your e-store. Once you know how much it’ll cost, you’ll decide whether you can afford that investment. When those add-ons are implemented, you can wait for one or two quarters to calculate whether and how much your sales have increased. Now that you know your net profit and costs over a specific period, you’ll know whether ROI makes sense.

Let’s delve into a hypothetical scenario for better clarity.

Imagine you own an online shoe-selling store, ShoeSpectacular.com. Over the past year, without any new software integrations, the net profit was $100,000. You’ve observed that competitors with advanced features have increased their sales, and after some market research, you decide to invest in some software upgrades

Initial Scenario:

Annual Net Profit: $100,000

After a detailed analysis and consultation, BMGH quotes a price of $20,000 for several software enhancements. These include automated email follow-ups, AI-based chatbots, and added selection options. You decide to invest in these features hoping it will boost your sales.

A year after implementing the software enhancements, you notice:

Annual Net Profit with New Software: $130,000

Additional Earnings: $30,000
Investment: $20,000
Net Gain: $10,000

In this hypothetical scenario, ShoeSpectacular.com’s investment in the software upgrades delivered a 150% ROI. This means that for every dollar invested in the software upgrade, there was a $1.50 return.

This example simplifies the intricacies of real-world scenarios but serves as an illustrative representation of how ROI can be visualized and calculated for software enhancements.

BM Insight: Pitching is an important part of business in every field, and the IT industry is not an exception. Besides having some of the most experienced software engineers in the niche on our payroll, we display several seasoned sales specialists. When a client approaches our company, we always start with a comprehensive pitch. Read more about our special pitching powers in the blog post The Art of Crafting a Software Development Project Pitch.

Offering Tangible Assurance: How We Instill Confidence During Negotiations

In the fluctuating digital landscape, clients rightfully demand reassurance, especially for ROI. At BrightMarbles Group, we’ve incorporated several steps in our negotiation process to alleviate concerns and bolster client confidence:

Showcasing Past Projects. We present a curated portfolio of our most successful projects that align with the client’s industry or needs. By demonstrating our previous successes, we provide tangible evidence of the potential positive returns they can expect.
Client Testimonials and Case Studies. Authentic feedback from our previous clients acts as an endorsement of our capabilities. Case studies, in particular, delve deep into how we tackled challenges and achieved tangible results, allowing prospective clients to envision similar success.
Clear Documentation. We offer clear contractual clauses that highlight our commitment to the project’s success. This might include specific deliverables, timelines, and other milestones that we commit to achieving.
Performance Guarantees. While software development is a dynamic field and absolute guarantees are challenging, we can provide performance guarantees. These could relate to system uptime, user load handling, response times, and more.
Post-launch Support. To further assuage any concerns, we emphasize our commitment to post-launch support. Ensuring the software runs smoothly and adapting as necessary can heavily influence ROI, and we make it clear that we’re partners in this journey.

Is ROI Completely Reliable?

business people team analytics and monitoring on web report dashboard monitor concept and vector illustration business working concept

We’ve highlighted above the benefits of calculating ROI for general business purposes. Still, time is an important component that must be included in calculating return on investment.

Using the e-store example above, let’s say that the client had two similarly attractive offers for their software needs: one was BMGH, and the other was, say, OTC. The premise is that both companies would provide the same number of mobile developers, working at the same rate.

The former company offered to finish all the additional features within four months, while the latter could complete them in eight months’ time. From the client’s point of view, the first offer is more appealing because they could integrate the features sooner, starting to generate more revenue as soon as possible. Either way, they should calculate their ROI within a specified time after the features have been included in the e-store.

What Influences ROI’s Reliability

While ROI serves as an invaluable metric for businesses, the following variables largely influence its reliability:

Time Factor

As mentioned, the duration of a software project plays a crucial role. For instance, two offers might seem equivalent in cost and features, but if one solution can be integrated sooner, it means the potential for earlier returns. The faster a company can capitalize on new software tools, the sooner they can start realizing a return on that investment.

Development Quality

High-quality development leads to fewer bugs, better user experiences, and reduced costs related to fixes and patches. An initially cheaper solution might end up costing more in the long run if it’s compromised by issues.

Scalability

As businesses evolve, their software requirements will change. Hence, investing in scalable solutions that can grow with your business is an asset. While it might mean higher initial costs, it’s likely to prevent substantial future expenses related to system overhauls or replacements. Scalable solutions also adapt to increasing user loads, ensuring a consistent user experience and uninterrupted service.

Post-launch Support

Immediate post-launch troubleshooting and regular updates differentiates a system that continuously evolves to meet changing business needs from the one that sleeps. Consistent support translates to enhanced user satisfaction, leading to a better ROI.

Unfactored Variables

Market shifts, technological advancements, or global events can unpredictably affect the ROI of software investments. If any of these happens, businesses must remain agile, adapting their strategies in line with these unforeseen variables.

Based on the above, ROI is a vital metric but an isolated one. It’s intertwined with several aspects of software development and deployment. Relying solely on ROI without considering these interconnected factors can paint an incomplete picture of an investment’s true value.

BM Insight: Reliable and professional IT companies must hire various experts to deliver speckless software tools and additions. In addition to qualified, seasoned software engineers, you need skillful quality assurance specialists, legal and finance experts, HR-aces, marketing gurus, and all other necessary positions that help softdev operations thrive. In our article The Entourage of IT Projects: The Binding Tissue of IT Software Development, we cover all the professions that one tech company needs to deliver speckless, optimal-ROI solutions to their clients.

How to Up Your ROI

You can never calculate your ROI to the last cent. However, you should be able to calculate a relatively accurate return on your investment, based on the software provider’s track record, reputation, and direct communication. During the development stage and in the aftermath, when the solution is up and working, pay attention to the following three features to maximize ROI:

Inspect your market. We’ve partially touched on this topic when presenting the shoe e-store above. Examine your market – both the rivals and customers – before hiring a software company. What have the other similar businesses done to improve their traffic and profits? How can you match their offer and upgrade your assortment of services? Apart from the competitor analysis, ask your registered and new buyers what features they’d like to see on your app/website.

Always use analytics. Fast forward to the post-implementation period: what are your revenue metrics showing? Has there been a surge in sales in the given period? What about the website traffic, first-time buyers, recurring customers, and the overall retention rate? Use the website analytics tools and your financial reports to see whether your business indicators are better now than in the period before the new software implementation.
Engage in Continuous Feedback. Implement mechanisms to continuously gather user feedback. Users often provide insights into bugs or suggest potential features that can enhance their experience. Addressing these can lead to increased user satisfaction and, consequently, a higher ROI.
Toy with ideas. Trial-and-error is often time- and asset-consuming. However, it typically yields some innovative solutions that you otherwise wouldn’t test. For instance, if the introduction of an AI-enhanced chatbot hasn’t improved the website or in-app customer experience, ditch it and redirect the saving to another, more useful feature.
Leverage Cloud Solutions. Cloud platforms can optimize costs by scaling resources according to demand. Instead of investing heavily upfront, use cloud solutions to pay for only what you use. This approach can improve ROI by optimizing operational costs. Generally speaking, scalability is a great asset for every softdev company and its clients because it allows for limitless adaptability for both sides.

Decoding ROI: Perspectives from BrightMarbles Group Leaders

No one understands the nuances of software development and its corresponding return on investment (ROI) than industry experts. In the next few paragraphs, the leaders of BrightMarbles Group offer their unique perspectives on how to maximize ROI from different angles of the software development lifecycle.

The Long-Term Vision

Boris Berat, CEO at BrightMarbles Group

“In my experience, clients are often concerned about the initial cost of software development. My two cents thereof: always consider the bigger picture; an upfront investment might seem hefty, but the dividends it pays in efficiency, customer satisfaction, and competitive advantage can far outweigh the initial costs, generating the desired ROI.”

Prioritizing User Experience

Nevena Nemeš, CXO at BrightMarbles Group

“From a customer experience standpoint, intuitive software design can drastically enhance user retention rates, leading to a higher ROI. It’s not just about building software but crafting software that people love to use. User feedback and constant iterations ensure that our software solutions remain user-centric and relevant in the long haul.”

Efficiency in Delivery

Miloš Milić, Quality and Delivery Director at BrightMarbles Group

“Timely delivery ensures that the software can go to market faster, leading to quicker returns. It’s essential to have a clear scope and efficient processes in place. Our teams work diligently to adhere to timelines without compromising on quality, benefiting our clients’ bottom lines.”

The Security Imperative

Branko Džakula, CISO at BrightMarbles Group & COO and Co-founder at UN1QUELY

“Security should never be an afterthought. Ensuring protected software from the start can prevent costly breaches and maintain customer trust, indirectly improving ROI. It’s a holistic approach; beyond the code, we also focus on staff training and constant vigilance to keep our solutions robust and secure.”

Future-Proofing with Technology

Sanel Jovanović, IT Director at Brightly

“Adopting the latest technologies and providing scalable software can make future transitions smoother, ensuring a consistent ROI as the business grows. It’s all about foresight. By anticipating future needs and integrating flexibility into our software solutions, we set our clients up for sustained success.”

In summary, maximizing ROI in software development isn’t about a singular approach but a composite of strategic decisions that span design, delivery, security, and scalability. As evidenced by the insights from BrightMarbles Group’s leaders, understanding and optimizing each of these elements is key to ensuring software not only delivers value but also drives business growth.

Navigating Challenges: What If Your ROI Doesn’t Meet Expectations?

Every investment carries an inherent risk, including when investing in software solutions. At BrightMarbles Group, we prioritize complete transparency with our clients. While we always aim for the highest quality standards, we’re also aware that, occasionally, outcomes might deviate from initial expectations.

If a client feels that their ROI isn’t aligning with their projections, we take a systematic approach:

Analysis & Evaluation: Our first step is to understand the root cause. Are there any weaknesses in the software solution? Could there be integration issues or challenges with the user experience?

Open Communication: We maintain a candid dialogue with our clients about their concerns, sharing our findings transparently. It’s a moment for us to listen, learn, and adapt.
Strategy Adjustment: Based on the feedback, we can tweak our strategy, offering additional support or modifications to optimize the software solution.
Long-term Commitment: Our mission goes beyond just delivering software. We’re committed to ensuring that our clients enjoy sustained benefits from our solutions. If further support or training is needed, we’re here to assist.

Only such a comprehensive and knowledge-based approach to ROI in software development sets the stage for continuous and fruitful softdev partnerships.

Conclusion

For every contemporary business, implementing innovative software cobbles the path to intensive lead generation, better performances, and, eventually, higher revenue. While doing so, every entrepreneur must approach this endeavor with utmost financial care. As such investments are mostly intangible at first, software development companies should guide their clients all the way, from scratch to fully deployed solutions. When both clients and software providers approach investments in software development as explained above, the former are typically satisfied with their ROI.

BrightMarbles Group Holding prides itself on tailored business partnerships and tech investments that bring positive changes to the world around us and keep all the parties contented, from stakeholders to our employees. Call us to learn more about our special softdev and ROI management method.

About Author

by Simon & Garfunkel

February 12th, 2020

23 16

The Role of Proof of Concept in Software Development

Reality check is a powerful preventive method for avoiding business failures in various branches.

The software development industry is no exception. Software engineers, QA specialists, company founders, marketers, and other interested parties often come up with product (and) development ideas. At least, that’s the case at BrightMarbles Group Holding.

The potential obstacle here could be the fact that this world is too small for all the ideas we can generate. No matter how unique and wonderful our vision is, it won’t work unless the clients and potential users need it.

This is where proof of concept (PoC) takes the floor. It’s an effective way of identifying whether your concept is feasible in practice, plus, you’ll know what to do afterward.

Now, let’s define PoC, unravel why it’s important, and draw the steps to creating one.

What Is Proof of Concept?

A proof of concept (PoC) in software development is a confirmation strategy used at the beginning of the software development lifecycle. The main objective of any PoC procedure is to check whether your software concept has practical implementation and use in real life. In even more simple terms: it’s software with an addition of some practical services that you think people will buy and use.

Skipping the PoC stage might result in developing a software solution that fulfills neither the market demands nor the necessary functionalities. It could mean losing investments and wasting time and, eventually, driving your freshly launched business into the ground.

As a rule of thumb, a product’s design must meet certain demands of the market on top of being meticulously coded, tested, and executed.

BM Insight: Proof of concept is a must to prepare a complete software development round. If you want to extend your knowledge of the components in the software development lifecycle, read our guide Scratch to Full Stack: The Business Lifecycle of Software Development.

PoC and Stakeholders

In an ideally arranged PoC phase, all the stakeholders should gather to work on the vision of the once-to-be final product and its purpose. The investors and/or clients, in-house IT crew, C-suiters, and all other relevant players are expected to cover the opportunities and threats, as well as the potential boundaries the product may face. Finetuning the dev process itself, the engineering team, and testing are the three must-execute features here.

The PoC Format

The PoC format depends on the stakeholders’ preferences. For instance, if part of a software product pitch, you can create a written document or full-scale PP presentation, with various graphic details.

Most commonly, a PoC is either a document, a demo, or some sort of presentation. While there’s sometimes no programming in this period, your concept should contain all the necessary documentation and technical specifications.

This less appealing segment is better defined internally, only to get before the external stakeholders with a ready-made story.

BM Insight: As you’re ideating the proof of concept, remember that you’ll need to put together a project pitch, once you decide to sell the service/product in question. Creating PoC with a pitch in mind will save you some time afterward as you’re preparing this presentation. We bring a full-fledged guide to pitching in the free world in our post The Art of Crafting a Software Development Project Pitch.

How Does PoC Differ from Prototype and MVP?

No, we won’t be discussing Nikola Jokić in this paragraph. What we’re talking about here is PoC in comparison with the prototype and the minimum viable product (MVP) because this distinction might confuse some readers.

So, PoC is a product in its conceptual, imaginary chapter. Let’s say you want to make an ecommerce plugin for online shoe sellers. It would help e-shop owners and buyers personalize the shopping experience, enhancing the customer journey.

A prototype is the tangible iteration of the product in question, but there’s only one example or version. In the example below, it would be the raw version of the shoe-shopping customization app.

Hedge: prototypes are typically more related to tangible products than software but we’re covering the whole theoretical range.

The MVP stage comes later, when all the product’s features and its applicability have been polished. The minimum viable product is the first iteration of the conceived solution – the one you can present to your focus/test groups, clients, and investors. In this case, it would refer to the app without the initial issues, but still not ready for a wider commercial launch.

BM Insight: Every software development process has its technical and its business aspect. They’re intertwined and mutually dependent so that none of them can function successfully on its own. As a holding, we always do our homework and meticulously finetune our engineering and operating skills as we grow. That’s the only safe road to long-lasting, evergreen excellence. Our community and marketing expert Svetlana Kosić talks more about it in her blog post Excellence – The Driving Force Behind Our Company’s Growth.

Three PoC Types

According to influential sales strategist Michael Humblot, there are three types of proof of concept:

Customer-Oriented PoC

Checking how potential customers would potentially interact with the product in question. Typically, you choose a few types of audience and the same number of features to test how each segment would use every feature.

Use Case PoC

You need to convince the potential buyer/investor that the software will bring the expected benefits. Doing a use case will help them understand if the return on their investment will be satisfactory. As they see the practical use of the projected product, they’ll make the right decision, plus, you’ll also see in practice whether it works for both of you.

PoC Technical Check

Every company has its own internal software systems with mutually connected units. Integrating a new solution that’s supposedly going to improve the existing system requires a proper technical check. Your in-house team and the company tech stack should work together to confirm everything fits in properly. Conversely, this inspection will detect the potential issues so that you can eliminate them by the prototype and MVP stage.

BM Insight: You can initiate a softdev collaboration on different grounds. Sometimes clients will opt for your software product, and some other times they’ll take your solution, only to customize it with their internal team. Also, you can provide a dedicated team of software engineers to monitor the product implementation or carry out other software services for that very client. Find out more about this third option from our blog post The ABCs of Dedicated Teams on Software Development Projects.

Why Do I Need a PoC?

Every product, tangible and digital, originates from an idea. But not all ideas are morphed into desirable and useful products, to users’, clients’, and developers’ satisfaction.

It’s the PoC stage that sets apart potentially lucrative products from those that don’t see the light of day. Now, let’s explain why you need a thoroughly executed PoC stage:

Amplifying investment potential. The more information a client gets about the potential product, the more likely they are to put their money in it. PoC is the gateway through which those assets will enter your business.
Rational budgeting. Every investment demands a budget breakdown. The PoC stage is here to convince all the stakeholders that you’ll spend the assets rationally on a product that makes a difference.
In-depth planning. Both you and the interested parties need to visualize the product development. PoC allows you to draft a persuasive and applicable action plan and win over substantial assets and shareholders.

Dodging the obstacles. The more particularities you specify before the journey starts, the fewer surprises will come up along the way. Preparing outstanding PoC will hence help you dodge such obstacles.
Timely workforce allocation. If the conceived software solution has practical potential, you can find, hire, and allocate the workforce in a timely manner.
Full-scale discussion. On top of all the above, let all the stakeholders have a word, express their opinions, and take an active role in the entire project. Make sure to explain yourself regarding every suggestion you accept or decline.

From Ideation to PoC Creation in 5 Easy Pieces

After the theoretical introduction and feature division, let’s go through the five critical points for producing comprehensive PoC:

Putting Problem & Solution in the Spotlight

Investors invest their assets in products that resolve some existing problem. Without pinpointing a practical issue, there’s no need for an investment. At the end of the day, sponsors expect a return on their investment.

Therefore, define the problem that your solution is going to heal, supported with some reliable data, to show there’s a market gap worth bridging. Website questionnaires, conversations with focus groups, and interviews with relevant niche experts are methods for collecting valuable intel.

BM Insight: At the holding level, we believe in the power of well-conducted professional interviews. By this, we don’t refer only to interviewing potential job candidates, but communicating with our clients, partners, and managers. Our CEO Boris Berat has shared some game-changing niche trends and company decisions in his recent interview, conducted by the BrightMarbles’ CXO Nevena Nemeš.

Listing the Resources and Budget

What are the offline and online resources necessary to breathe life into the PoC in question? For tangible products, list the machines and raw materials. For software solutions, state what technologies, programming languages, security protocols, and expertise you’ll need to make things work.

Give a rough budget estimate, so that the interested parties know the project calculation from day one.

Defining the KPIs

Every investor, client, or stakeholder wants to know how you’ll measure the success of the product in question.

If we start with the assumption there’s a relevant market need – which would be great for your idea – think of the metrics and criteria that would specify your product as successful. For the shoe-selling plugin from the above, those KPIs could be the number of downloads within a certain interval, or the revenue generated through in-app ads.

Leave room for the other relevant entities to express their ideas for the KPIs. Reaching a mutual agreement on the measurable indicators is another great milestone in turning your PoC into a real product.

Specifying the Development Rhythm (Deadlines, Milestones, Scope)

When presenting your PoC for a certain software solution, show proactivity by defining the project deadlines, milestones, i.e., the product and project scope. If you don’t do that and the investors don’t insist on submitting those data, it’s more likely that a certain misunderstanding will emerge later.

Additionally, when they see you take care of such details, they’ll become more interested in the project.

Bringing the Prototype to Life

If all the stages above ended well, now it’s time to start working on your prototype, i.e., the first version of your software solution. Direct all your workforce and technical resources to one goal: preparing the prototype for presentation in the time ahead (in line with the features arranged in number 4).

BM Insight: Once you get to the software product development stage, you need to decide how often you’ll test the developed features. Also, define with your client/stakeholders the presentation and report rhythm. As some of the interested parties might not possess technical knowledge but will invest anyway, try to remain proactive and transparent all project long. At our softdev power plant, we support the test early, test often principle. Our Bojana Šatara-Anić has written a thorough article on the topic of early testing Shift Left Testing: A Key for Improving Your QA Strategy.

BrightMarbles and PoC

At BrightMarbles, we understand the power of PoC in guiding software development. Our approach to creating software solutions is always underpinned by the strong foundation of a well-researched and developed proof of concept. We believe it’s the bedrock of a successful project, as it ensures alignment between our clients’ vision, market needs, and our technical capabilities.

Beyond simply developing PoCs, we also offer tailored workshops for our clients. These sessions serve as an interactive platform where ideas are refined and developed, challenging assumptions, and pushing boundaries in a collaborative environment. Our expert team provides the necessary guidance and insights to help navigate through the process and come up with a robust and reliable proof of concept.

Our PoC process also involves extensive collaboration with stakeholders, deep market research, and a keen focus on innovation. With the guidance of our PoC, and the added benefit of our workshops, we’ve been successful in transforming ambitious ideas into practical, useful, and profitable digital solutions. The main strength of our proof-of-concept strategies lies in our commitment to understanding not just the technical aspects but also the business implications of every project.

The Closing Letters

In the ever-evolving world of software development, innovative ideas are a dime a dozen. However, only a few of these ideas can effectively meet market needs and be transformed into successful products. This is why PoC is vital – as a reality check for validating ideas, saving resources, reducing risks, and increasing chances of success. A well-executed PoC is an excellent tool for convincing stakeholders and potential investors about the viability and potential profitability of your software concept.

Here at BrightMarbles, we value the importance of Proof of Concept, and we integrate it into our software development processes. By doing so, we ensure that we provide our clients with not just software, but solutions that are tailor-made to meet their needs and yield a satisfactory return on investment.

Navigate through our blog section to gain more core softdev knowledge, upgrade your business aptitude, and get ready for the exciting ITech world of tomorrow.

by Simon & Garfunkel

February 12th, 2020

23 16

The Art of Crafting a Software Development Project Pitch

In this irreversibly connected business world, almost every business in every field needs some sort of software solution. Be it a mere time tracker to calculate the hours for accurate payroll or an entire top-down software architecture system, we all benefit from technological features.

Still, it doesn’t mean that software development companies are brimming with clients and projects. It’s quite the opposite: directors, managers, sales, and marketing departments must work harder than ever to win over potential customers.

On the road to steady and long-lasting business success, writing a powerful software development pitch matters a lot.

This guide will show you how to put together a conversion-boosting pitch, together with several real-life examples from our portfolio.

What Is a Pitch?

In a nutshell, a pitch is a meticulously crafted sales presentation. A longer explanation would highlight that its main aim is to convince you to buy a certain product or service.

There’s a rough division of pitches into a pitch made for the audience who knows the product or service, and the one created for people who aren’t familiar with either.

We’ll focus on preparing a pitch for a potential client who still doesn’t know much about your business but needs the software services you provide.

Why Do You Need a Pitch?

When a business notices a demand for a software solution, they won’t go around exploring softdev companies in detail. They’ll contact a few enterprises they come across by word of mouth or after (usually) short online research.

Once they ask you about the services they need, react at once and put together all the vital information to get that project.

So, writing a pitch is like making The-Best-Of album of your services that will convince the lead they should do business with you.

The Elements/Stages of Software Development Project Pitch

When putting together a software development proposal, include everything necessary to grab the client’s attention and nudge them into using your services.

Go through all the following stages to make sure you draft a perfect pitch:

Covering the Business Details

As the starting pistol goes off, first, let the client know what points you’ll be covering throughout the course of the pitch. Hence, provide the essential business details, as follows:

Your company name and the softdev services you offer,
The project name, its purpose, and scope.
The main development stages and basic details about the project.
Milestones and expected deliveries.
The benefits the client will experience once they implement the features developed during the project.
The total amount of money the client will pay (explain the costs, discounts, and other relevant information).
Payment information (invoice dates, when the payment procedure should start, etc.)
Round it off with several strongest points of your softdev company and why you’re a game-changer.

Naming the Problem Scope and Client’s Needs

Now that the client has gotten the gist of everything contained in the rest of the pitch, get deeper into every aspect mentioned above.

Your client knows what issue they have, no doubt about that, but give them your own view of the problem. It means you’ve done your research and know exactly how to help them. At this point, address the problem as precisely as possible, stressing out the consequences they’ll suffer if they don’t react promptly.

Think about starting with something like: “You still haven’t integrated the multi-factor authentication method into your business system. Consequently, your exposure to potential unauthorized access to personal data is XY% higher than in other companies.”

Make sure to talk about the complete scope of functionalities you need to cover. Let the client see that you’ll prepare a solution for each bug, error or lack of implementation.

BM Insight: Let’s use this cybersecurity example to highlight our utmost devotion to meeting highest personal data security standards. In 2022, we obtained the ISO 27001 Certificate, having proven that we fulfill all the legal requirements regarding our customers’ and employees’ data safety. For more details about all the relevant regulations we follow, read the blog post written by the Holding’s vCISO Branko Džakula.

Listing the Proposed Features and Solutions

The business and collaboration details have been defined and the project scope has been specified. It’s time to get into the thick of it – the part where you list the proposed features, solutions, and technologies you’ll implement.

Start with an overview of the teams, technologies, and tasks you’ll be performing over the project duration.

On the one hand, don’t go too deep into the tech details. They’re not relevant for the client. What’s more, they might think you’re trying to confuse them with niche jargon. Focus on the three main things, and stick to them when pitching for every client:

The improvement the client’s business will experience upon implementing your software solutions.
The approximate pricing.
The project timeframe.

Specify the down payment, and the total price of the project. Here, you should express the hourly rate for each software engineer, designer, or marketing expert working on that project. If you don’t tell the client how much each professional costs, the final cost of the project might not be justified.

Also, include the potential extra costs, such as additional tech expenses (hosting and domain services, if any, additional testing, security measures, or any other services you need to pay to carry out this project properly).

BM Insight: Yes, don’t overexpose clients to tech argot, but do name a few programming languages or technologies your developers will be using; especially if those solutions are in some way untypical or innovative. You’ll leave a positive impression on the listening party, expertise-wise. For instance, our mobile development squad relies on Flutter for cross-platform app development, thus saving time and assets. Marko Krstanović – one of the most experienced Flutterists under our roof – has described the competitive advantage of such approach in his article Flutter: The Future of Cross-Platform Mobile App Development. Such platforms are worth mentioning in a softdev pitch.

Why You, and Not Someone Else?

Let’s move on to the stage in which you’ll push a bit harder to convince the client you’re their perfect choice.

No educated guesses and assumptions, only heavy facts, full-scale case studies, and testimonials are to be presented here.

The following four Es – supported with heavy evidence – will turn most leads into clients: expertise, experience, excellence, effort.

We’ll break them down into nuts and bolts:

Expertise

Paraphrasing the old saying: a case study is worth a thousand descriptions. Take one or two case studies relevant for the client’s niche and showcase what you’ve already done for similar clients.

Highlight what the problem was and how you resolved it with your software solutions. If not NDA-restricted, include the stats that display the improved business operations upon deploying your product. Provide the metrics in charts and graphs to grasp the client’s attention. Present the project leaders and let the client know they’ll work on their project, as well.

Such a detailed approach should convert a skeptic into your new follower.

Experience

If you’re a newly founded business, don’t think you can’t prove your experience. For instance, BrightMarbles Group Holding was founded in 2016, and yet, some of our engineers and other professionals have more than 10 years of experience.

Your clients simply want to know how you’ll help them improve their business operations. In that sense, your task here is to demonstrate you have the necessary grit to get things done.

Hence, present the most experienced engineers (and other relevant professionals) who will work on that project. Depending on the context, think about letting them present themselves. At this point, do your best to build trust between your company and the client. If you play this game well, you’ll get one step closer to forming a true business partnership.

BM Insight: When pitching our new clients, we like to emphasize that we perceive business collaborations as professional partnerships. Only if we completely believe each other can we deliver perfect solutions to our clients’ doorsteps. Read more about the concept of partnerships in the IT industry and our successful collabs in the blog post Software Development Partnerships: How to Know Who’ll Make You Grow.

Excellence

Even if you have the most seasoned techsperts, designers, marketers, Scrum masters, and other professionals at disposal, it still doesn’t mean they’ll excel at their next project.

What helps here is sharing the testimonials from your previous or current clients. Be it reviews on your website, ratings on specialized platforms, or special, client-provided videos (recommended and more convenient), new clients will pay attention to their opinions. At this stage, it’s also wise to promote your Quality Assurance methods, teams, and services. Tell your clients what you do during software development to ensure delivering bug-free, polished solutions.

BM Insight: Our company pays equal attention to all the professionals under our roof. Even though we’re a software development powerhouse, engineers need both assistance and counseling to perform miracles. So, our Mibsters come from different walks of life, from design, marketing, and humanities, to law, finance, and engineering management. The blog post The Entourage of IT Projects – The Binding Tissue of IT Software Development tells the story of all these remarkable professionals that get this engine going.

Effort

If you’ve presented all the information, people, and details as described so far, the client will already be highly likely to start doing business with you. Now it’s effort time, i.e., your turn to work hard and meet their expectations.

Specifying Milestones on a Timeline

Every softdev project is manageable more easily when a thorough timeline is available from day one. In collaboration with the team leads, engineers, and Scrum masters assigned to that project, give time estimates, and present them on a timeline.

Also, define approximate dates for each stage of the development project. Make your internal deadlines, as well, and give yourself some time between those marks and the milestones presented to the client. You’ll significantly reduce potential issues with deadlines.

The more information the client has in the beginning, the more comfortable they’ll feel about the entire partnership.

BM Insight: Effective time management is the backbone of successful software development. If you plan the milestones, your daily tasks, and meetings (Sprints) properly, the core work will go smoothly. This is where Scrum masters, product owners, and engineers need to build and maintain a cohesive connection. Our blog post Scrum 101: Applying the Most Popular Agile Framework will teach you how to tweak your project-planning skills.

Providing a Cost Estimate

We’ve already mentioned the cost estimate in the introduction, but it would be smart to break down the expenses into greater detail somewhere at this point.

Answer yourself the following questions to get the accurate information for your client:

How much does an engineer’s hour cost?
If you add services other than software development – say, marketing or design – what are hourly rates for these experts?
How many hours of practical work will each of them spend on the client’s project?
Are there any technical or operational costs the client needs to be aware of?

Paying is one of the most delicate matters in every business collaboration, so the pitch needs to be as detailed as possible on this matter.

BM Insight: The project price may differ based on whether the client needs a dedicated team of software developers, an appendix to their existing team, or they have some custom requirements. When possible, negotiate those terms in advance and include the proper price in the pitch.

Underlining the Potential Obstacles

Based on the previous projects, your employees’ estimates, and your general experience, count in the potential obstacles for every specific project.

For instance, tell your client about the common potential issues for that very project, given their requests and the tech framework you’re going to use. While doing so, don’t let them think at any stage that you can’t resolve those problems. It’s just a precaution that will give you enough room for prompt reactions in the case of such occurrences.

State Your Open-Door Policy and Transparency

In the final stage, communicate with your client that you want to stay transparent throughout your collaboration. Our stance is that the open-door policy and attentiveness to clients’ questions and requests yields better results in the end.

Still, every company should arrange this part of collaboration in line with their values and policies.

BrightMarbles’ C-Suite on Pitching

Those were the basics of successful pitching in software development, with some additional ingredients from our own kitchen. But this is still not the whole truth about the X-factor that lets us stand apart from the competition.

For this special occasion, our managers have shared some exclusive tricks of the BrightMarbles trade they apply to convince prospects that we have what they need.

In the quest for new clients, our team never loses sight of what truly makes a winning pitch. As Nevena Nemeš, our Chief Experience Officer, poignantly puts it, “Our special pitch ingredient is our ability to understand clients’ needs on a deeper level and present solutions that can transform their business. We don’t just deliver software; we provide an exceptional experience.”

Miloš Milić, our Delivery Director, emphasizes on a different note, “We put our emphasis on the procedures, which we then custom-tailor to fit the needs of each client. Also, we have experts who specialize in product management and uphold a rigorous quality standard, ensuring that every product we deliver isn’t just functional but truly exceptional.”

Darko Kovač, our CTO, adds, “Our specific advantage over other similar businesses is through our innovative use of technology and methodology. We understand the potential of each technology stack and how to tailor it to deliver maximum benefits for each client.”

Lastly, Boris Berat, our CEO, shares his insight on our strategic approach: “We’re not just another software development company. We partner with our clients, understand their needs, and guide them through every step of the process. Our team’s commitment to delivering high-quality, personalized solutions is what makes us stand out, and that’s what we communicate in every pitch.”

The Closing Words

Gathering some of the best software engineers out there and hiring an outstanding entourage is Base One. Learning how to pack, present, and charge your services is equally important to become and remain a successful software development company.

After reading this guide, you’ll know more about writing a softdev pitch that converts, that’s for sure. All the additional tips and links to our practical content bits will help you understand the entire industry even better. And the practical in-house intel from our C-suiters is here to additionally illustrate how we get pitches done.

We’ll keep posting such educated and refreshing content from the IT industry, based on our knowledge and experience. Follow us for more practices, procedures, and stories from the world of software development.

by Simon & Garfunkel

February 12th, 2020

23 16

The ABCs of Dedicated Teams on Software Development Projects

Every business entity needs a selected number of software tools. From sheer time-tracking solutions to project management software and more complex options, every modern business needs digital assistance.

And while the market offers many possibilities, some companies want or need to create software or have it made by third parties.

Either way, you can take two possible lanes at that crossroads. The first one is employing in-house software engineers to get your software done. This is a more time-consuming and pricy option.

The other one is hiring a dedicated team for your software development projects.

This article explains how dedicated teams work and help businesses build software tools.

What Is a Dedicated Team in First Place?

A dedicated software development team is an IT engineering squad employed to create a new software system for a particular company. It’s a team your software provider has put together to address your specific requirements and bring your ideas to life.

Making the Best Work Possible | BrightMarbles

Who Is Part of a Dedicated Team?

Typically, a dedicated team consists of various business professionals, from software engineers and project managers to UI/UX designers and QA specialists.

BM Insight: At BrightMarbles Group Holding, we gather qualified and experienced experts from different walks of business life. From the core software development crew to visual artists, engineers, and many other professionals, we proudly provide professional expertise in our software development projects. Learn more about these teams and their tasks in our blog post, The Entourage of IT Projects – The Binding Tissue of IT Software Development.

Also, different software development projects require other team structures. For instance, mobile application development demands a different team formation than building a complex software solution from scratch.

Dedicated Teams vs. Team Augmentation

Team augmentation means hiring additional developers for an existing team. In line with the current project demands, companies either upscale or downscale the team to maintain rational budgeting.

As opposed to that, hiring a dedicated team means having a group of software pros who exclusively work on your project. Of course, every non-tech company can form its very own in-house software engineering department.

In practice, it’s usually a long-lasting and costly process.

Hence, it pays off more to find a reliable software vendor and let them provide a dedicated team for your business needs.

The Key Pros of Dedicated Software Development Teams

Faster Delivery Time

Once the dedicated team has been formed, they’re up and running to delve into the project in question. Just imagine the amount of assets, time, and energy you’d have to invest in creating a software development team.

Moreover, software engineers – especially seniors – are in high demand. In other words, you can’t just get into a general store and take away a seasoned NodeJS or Flutter developer.

Even if the assets and energy are not an issue, potential business deals and ongoing operations would be on hold during that period.

So, every business owner or corporate leader needs to know that paying an external, dedicated software development team is a guarantee that the job will be done faster.

BM Insight: Many dedicated teams of diligent Mibsters work on our software projects for our clients. If we’re to pinpoint one unique selling proposition (USP) that propels us fast forward, it would likely be double-, triple-, multiple, prior-to-delivery checkups. We like to constantly and thoroughly test all our solutions from day one until the moment of launch. Our blog post, Quality Assurance – The Measure of Software Development Excellence, explains why QA plays a major role in software production.

🔥Meet our exceptional QA Team | BrightMarbles

Supportive Work Environment

Even though we’re writing this piece with our clients in mind, let’s not forget the performers, i.e., the members of the dedicated team.

When a developer is a sheer outsourcer hired per project, they need a comprehensive learning curve. Also, their commitment to the project might wane, especially if they’re crucified between several projects.

Being aware that satisfied professionals are developing your software gives you peace of mind. What’s more, hooking up with a software development provider that encourages accepting and training young IT professionals will also add to your employer branding.

BM Insight: We’re flattered to have such a well-versed Flutter and iOS developer as Marko Krstanović under our roof. He’s one of our senior staff members equally competent in communicating with our clients and workers. In one of his latest blog posts, he has written about The 7 Essential Tips for Junior Developers in the World of Mobile Development.

Defined Budget and Workload

Let’s say that a non-tech business decides to hire one or more freelance software developers. As you have no previous project manager or Scrum master’s experience, you’ll first waste a lot of time estimating the entire project.

You don’t know how many people and time you’ll need to get your things done. Consequently, you can’t define the budget and allocate the assets.

Finally, you need to find out the level of complexity, workload-wise, meaning that you can’t set a deadline for this squad of mercenaries.

There are two alternatives; the first is to form an in-house dedicated team. It’s more reasonable than hiring random devs from the Web, indeed. However, you’ll have to commit yourself to pay full workers’ contributions and burden your business with obligatory employment contracts.

The second alternative is having a professional vendor offer you a ready-made team of software engineers. They’ll give you an estimate, suggest the number of people, and offer hourly rates for all the professionals included. Based on this projection and the input from the team, you’ll get a full-scale offer for the project in question.

Now it’s up to you whether you’ll accept the proposal, negotiate different teams, or move on. The most significant benefit here is that you keep concentrating on your core business instead of losing chrono and monetary assets doing things you’re not adept at.

BM Insight: Non-tech business professionals might not be aware how important project management and Agile methodology (especially the Scrum framework) are for efficient software development. If you want to learn the ropes of Scrum, read our article Scrum 101: Applying the Most Popular Agile Framework. You still won’t have enough knowledge to handle it, but you’ll realize its significance.

Handpicked Expertise

Closely related to the time and assets above, gathering random people to work on things you don’t understand typically results in a lack of expertise.

The software development business lifecycle has its regularities, with some vital links that mustn’t be skipped in decision-making. It takes a lot of preparatory steps, such as the mentioned estimation and development plan to budgeting and team creation. In other words, the software-building and designing works can begin only when all the introductory checkpoints have been successfully passed.

Working with a dedicated software development team is the guarantee that all of these steps are completed.

Experienced Management

No matter how proficient you are in your industry, you probably don’t know as much about some other niches, IT included.

An A-level broker with ten years of stock exchange experience wouldn’t let a senior software engineer play with their shares, right? If you happen to be that very Wolf of Wall Street, don’t break the code of business conduct; let the tech guys and their managers do what they’re best at. They know what it takes to form a winning full-stack squad and how to guide them to the best possible outcome.

When you partner with a know-how software development company, its C-suit will take your project from the idea to the framework stage, to implementation and, eventually, delivery. Your role as a client will be to communicate your concept, follow how it becomes tangible, and monitor its birth. Of course, you’re welcome to speak up and express your concerns or ideas along the way. There’s experienced management on the other side of the table, ready to listen to you and build the perfect product for your needs.

Depending on the type of company and the project in question, you might want to include a project manager from your side or even the CEO as the overlooking body on the project.

Nurturing a Culture of Inclusion and Excellence | BrightMarbles

Business Continuity and Effectiveness

Proficient software development professionals have dozens of finished projects in their experience log.

Why is this important?

It means they have already seen various clients’ demands and acted accordingly. They’ve completed numerous estimates and can tell whether a project could face certain issues in later stages.

This business continuity isn’t something you can learn overnight. Even if you’re a top manager in your niche, you won’t be able to meet their level of in-field effectiveness.

Also, with dedicated teams, bear in mind that the number of team members is not set in stone. Such groups of professionals working together can vary in number. It’s these experienced professionals overlooking the projects and leading the tech stack who can give you an approximate calculation when the team needs to be increased or reduced.

All these factors are important for clients who want to turn their ideas into software development projects.

Who Are Dedicated Teams for?

Dedicated teams are the best option for business clients aiming primarily at long-term, continuous software development goals. The negotiations, the team formation, and the duration of it all typically don’t pay off for fast and short-term projects.

In other words, dedicated teams are perfect for well-negotiated and carefully planned development projects, I.e., trustworthy software partnerships, dare we say.

Obviously, dedicated teams are the only reasonable solution for every company that doesn’t have an in-house dev team. Whether they want to have a software tool developed or their systems maintained, dedicated teams will help them accomplish their objectives.

Finally, businesses that simply want software engineers’ full attention and focus should go for such teams.

BM Insight: Our mission is to always try and go one step ahead of the competition regarding software development concepts. We’re convinced that every collaboration demands our complete concentration. That’s why we’re keen on developing thorough partnerships with our clients and other business subjects. Read more about it in our post Software Partnerships: How to Know Who’ll Make You Grow.

A Conversation with the Minds Behind the Padrino Delivery Platform

Conclusion

Now you know more about dedicated teams on software development projects. As an add-on, we’ve shared some thoughts and tactics from the BMGH biz kitchen and shown you how we handle our operations.

Keep returning to our blog for updates on current tech industry affairs and our in-house innovations. We’re happy to inform, share, and develop all the time.

About Author

by Simon & Garfunkel

February 12th, 2020

23 16

Belgrade Marathon Wrap-Up – The Three Days of Sporting Festivities

Another round of the Belgrade Marathon is behind us. This year marked the 36th edition of the region’s largest sporting spectacle, with three dynamic days of athletic festivities that shattered numerous records, including the number of runners – around 10,500 participants ran along the spring-scented streets of the Serbian capital.

BrightMarbles Group Holding (BMGH), as the exclusive technological partner, played the major role in the event’s organization. Our team of engineers developed the BG Marathon web and mobile apps and monitored their performance throughout the race, with a clear plan of further development of the tech aspect of the entire manifestation.

Beogradski maraton d.o.o, as the organizer of the marathon race, arranged many sporting and business events during the week before the race to communicate its values and promote a healthy lifestyle.

First, let’s say a few words about the collaboration between BMGH and Beogradski maraton d.o.o.

Later on, we’ll talk about the sporting side of the Belgrade Marathon and its effect on the entire community.

BrightMarbles and Marathon App

At BMGH, we always highlight, advocate, and practice excellence in our daily errands. Of course, you can do business in different ways, and excellence is a color with many shades.

The cunning plan behind everything we do is to invest all our knowledge, experience, and operability in the projects we’re working on. As every project is a living matter, we learn along the way, while trying to deliver seamless, and bug-free solutions; we’re only humans, after all, as Rag’N’Bone Man would say.

BM Insight: In software development – mobile apps included – the final product’s efficiency and quality depends on the testing procedures, among many other things. Our quality assurance (QA) team leaves no code unturned to ensure meticulous, continuous testing throughout the software development process. Find out more about special QA forces in the blog post Quality Assurance: The Measure of Software Development Excellence.

It was this hunger for perfection that made BrightMarbles and Beogradski maraton d.o.o. click and start a business collaboration.

Our main professional goal for this year’s marathon was to reinvent the BG Marathon tech platform. The major functionality that we agreed to introduce was the option to track each runner from the race start to the end. The competition numbers came with integrated tracking devices which were automatically scanned at the beginning. Provided by a third party, this tracking functionality was successfully integrated into the marathon app by the BMGH engineers.

Prior to the race, the participants could register for the race and get the payment details for the participation fee via that very app.

In the following period, the joint plan of BMGH and Beogradski maraton d.o.o. is to keep adding new features to the marathon app and perfecting the overall tech infrastructure behind all the related events.

BM Insight: While our app development engineers carried out the better part of tasks on the BG Marathon app, a large team of cross-functional professionals brought it to life. Our designers, videographers, and marketers did their share of work, as well. As a matter of fact, that’s how we handle all our projects and tasks: we closely collaborate in the house to produce the best software solutions. Read more about the various professionals working on BrightMarbles’ business projects in the blog post The Entourage of IT Projects – The Binding Tissue of IT Software Development.

Running Events

The following running events took place within this year’s Belgrade Marathon.

The Marathon Race

The central Belgrade Marathon race started at 9 am, on April 23. The weather was a bit sultry and hot for an April Sunday. The streets of Belgrade were filled with shiny happy marathon runners coming from different corners of the world.

After precisely 2 hours, 14 minutes, and 28 seconds, the first marathon runner crossed the finish line. It was Chakib Lachgar, from Morocco. As the winner of this year’s marathon race, he had the honors to climb the highest position on the podium. Francis Cheruiyot from Kenya came second, only seven seconds behind him. Francis’s compatriot Johnson Kiprop Limo took third place, with the time of 2:17:13.

The first Serbian who finished the Marathon Race this year was Đuro Borbelj (2:42:57).

The winner of the women’s race is Feyne Gudeto Gemeda from Ethiopia, with 2:30:30. The second and third came Sardana Trofimova and Jane Moranga Onyangi from Kirgizia and Kenya, respectively.

The oldest runner this year was Vlada Stevanović (“Čika Vlada”), aged 89.

The 27^th Children’s Race took place on April 15.

Half-marathon

There’s no marathon without a half-marathon race. Traditionally part of the Belgrade Marathon racing events, the BG Half-Marathon race was won by two runners from Kenya: Lydia Jebichii won the women’s race, and Bernard Wambua came first in the men’s race.

10-km Race and Aqua Viva “Trka zadovoljstva” Race (with Canine Race)

Bilja Cvijanović from Serbia was the first female runner to conquer the 10-km race, and her male counterpart was Uroš Gutić, from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

It was a pleasure to see such a huge turnout for the 10-km race. As Beogradski maraton d.o.o. company – together with its sponsors and partners, BrightMarbles included – works hard to promote a healthy lifestyle, it seems that their effort has paid off. Based on what we saw in the 10-km race and the Aqua Viva “Trka zadovoljstva” and the canine race within it, more and more people run for leisure and fun.

Everything we do together makes sense only if we galvanize the wider community to adopt some positive habits and start caring about their minds and bodies.

Business Events

The Marathon Race and its spinoff sporting events are only one side of the medal. The other – equally important and potent – side is the business aspect of this massive event.

Without the networking and corporate matters discussed at those business events, the other events wouldn’t be possible. Our promo and biz squad took a chance to mingle, spread the word about our marathon mobile app, and take part in the accompanying panels and lectures.

Here’s what we think was most interesting and appealing for a wider audience.

Belgrade Marathon Running Expo

The Belgrade Marathon Running Expo was held on the premises of the Belgrade Fair, April 20-22. The aim of this string of events was to promote the values of the Belgrade Marathon while ensuring education, fun, and networking for runners, sponsors, and other involved parties.

During those three days, runners and their coaches explained how to prepare for a marathon race, including physical training and mental preparations. They talked about the most common injuries that marathon runners suffer from.

The panel discussion gathered doctors, physiotherapists, psychologists, professional runners, and recreational marathon racers.

Some running teams and their head coaches presented their tactics, visions, and preparations for marathon races.

Also, there were different workshops and educational events, such as the body combat practice, mixed aerobics, body balance, dance fitness, kangoo jumps, and many other interesting physical activities that promote a healthy lifestyle.

Our Mibsters were present at the Belgrade Marathon Running Expo, where we talked about our collaboration with Beogradski Maraton Company and presented our work on the BG Marathon mobile app.

BG Marathon’s Sports Forum

The program of the BG Marathon’s Sports Forum comprised many educational lectures.

BM Insight: Our CXO Nevena Nemeš talked about the functionalities of the BG Marathon mobile app. In her presentation, Nevena discussed the major advantages that this app brought to the runners and organizers of the Belgrade Marathon. She also described the business collaboration between BrightMarbles Group Holding and Beogradski maraton d.o.o. to make an as user-friendly app as possible.

We’d also like to highlight the presentation “Running as a business model”, held by Sašo Belovski, PhD – the director of the Prague SuperHalf Marathon.

Igor Radošević, PhD, from the Faculty of Physical Culture and Sports Management at the University of Singidunum, talked about the management of large sporting events, while Prof. Milica Vukašinović, PhD – the director of the Anti-Doping Agency of Serbia – held a lecture “Supplementation, hydration, and doping control.” Nevena Joksimović, our renowned marathon runner who has run all six World Series marathons (New York, Boston, Chicago, London, Berlin, and Tokyo).

Among many other presentations and lectures, we’d like to point out a view of the Belgrade Marathon from the business partners’ perspective – companies Nike, Enervit, and Mercator – and a take on the marathon race from the sports media’s point of view – TV Arena Sport and Viber.

The final touch on the BG Marathon Sports forum: it was an inspirative and network-boosting event that combined sports with business while promoting healthy living.

The Future of Two BMs

From the very beginning, the collaboration between BrightMarbles Group Holding and Beogradski maraton d.o.o. has been productive and innovative.

As highlighted above, we’re planning to advance the ongoing projects and keep bringing innovation into the world of running, both regionally and internationally.

Stay tuned for more running novelties and unique experiences produced by the two BMs.

About Author

by Simon & Garfunkel

February 12th, 2020

23 16

The Entourage of IT Projects – The Binding Tissue of IT Software Development

Software development at its core is a complex process handled by tech experts.

But have you ever wondered what’s hiding behind the curtains of software solutions you’re using, besides their coding majesties?

Because coding and other core activities are not enough to bring a user-friendly solution and present it to the world.

Other business professionals need to jump on the bandwagon to reach the desired business goals.

There’s an entire community of intertwined professionals behind every code we make – this entourage of IT projects is the binding tissue of every software development process.

In the next few paragraphs, we’ll give you a sneak peek into the activities and duties of these invaluable people.

Software Engineers – Juniors, Mediors, Seniors, Veterans, Tech Officers

BrightMarbles Group Holding (BMGH) is primarily a tech powerhouse. Even though we gather professionals from different walks of life, we thrive on creating exceptional, user-driven, beautiful digital products and services that propel our dynamic success story.

Hence, our software engineers are the first regiment of Mibsters we’re presenting in this post. For starters, let’s specify who qualifies as a software engineer at BrightMarbles. If you go through our think tank of developers, you’ll see that most of them have 8+ years of experience in software development. A few of them are already development veterans, with dozens of completed projects for clients with a global impact.

Tech officers are driving cogs in the core software development mechanism. They make sure these projects are handled in line with industry standards. Our tech officers take an active role in technical strategy and tactical implementation, lending a hand in practical coding whenever necessary.

BM Insight: We strongly believe in leading by example, rather than beating around the bush, business-wise. Our case studies are the best indicator of our capabilities, such as the one about the mobile app our team made for the Coffee Bandit company. Read more about this collaboration and the work process behind it in our blog post Redesigning Coffee Experience.

Our clients and approach to the entire software development lifecycle are such that we accept nothing less than experience, expertise, and excellence. We also have juniors under the umbrella of BMGH, but our core focus is on mediors and seniors; our projects simply dictate such acquisition and distribution of talent.

DevOps Engineers

DevOps Engineers play a vital role in the software development process by combining their expertise in both development and IT operations. Their responsibilities include infrastructure management, system administration, and participation in release processes. An in-depth understanding of development and operations, including coding, code reviews, unit testing, and Agile methodologies, is required for success in this role.

The focus of their work is on continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) through the use of automation tools. These solutions streamline the software development process, improving efficiency and reducing errors in the building, testing, and deployment of software.

Effective communication skills are also essential for DevOps engineers as they collaborate with a variety of teams and stakeholders. They must be able to articulate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences, ensuring seamless collaboration and effective problem-solving.

Delivery Unit

Behind a successful software development project, there’s a diligent crew of distinguished testing engineers and business organization pros – the delivery unit. Let’s see who they are and what they do.

Quality Squad

Our quality consultants are the software engineers’ next of kin. It’s impossible to deliver a functional and error-free product without their diligent and committed work.

You’ve probably understood already that we’re a bit dogmatic about our Mibsters’ dedication to work and knowledge. We apply the same method to our quality squad. They’re a team of educated, hard-working testers, with substantial testing mileage. Having assured the quality of miles and miles of our code, the Mibster quality consultants are the guarantee that everything we release is ready for the end user.

Performing the tests in Agile development techniques, our testing team works hand in hand with our engineering crew. Just like all other divisions of the Marbles’ Universe, the QA Mibsters follow and implement new approaches and strategies on the testing horizon.

As a company, we advocate the shift left testing method, meaning that we test as often as possible from the outset of every development process. It allows our testers, development engineers, and project managers to keep the product polished from day one and notify the clients in real time.

Most of our testers possess the PSM 1 and PSM 2 Certificates – PSM stands for Professional Scrum Master – meaning that we take care of the quality of both the code and every software development project we work on.

We also make sure that we have enough manual and automation testers at our disposal to cover both these testing fields, in line with the clients’ specific requests.

Project Managers, Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Business Analysts

Project management and task organization are essential to effective and timely software development. Our project managers and scrum masters are, indeed, the supreme binding tissue behind every software development project.

Project Managers expertly steer the helm of one or more assigned projects, meticulously orchestrating every facet from inception to completion. They adeptly manage milestones, scope, quality, resources, potential risks, and financial aspects to ensure projects align with overarching goals and objectives. With a keen eye for detail and exceptional organizational skills, Project Managers skillfully navigate the complexities of project lifecycles while maintaining effective communication among team members and stakeholders. Their leadership fosters a collaborative environment, driving projects to successful outcomes and delivering value to the organization.

Scrum Masters, on the other hand, primarily focus on facilitating the Scrum framework within a development team. They work closely with the team to ensure the Scrum process is followed effectively and help remove any obstacles that might hinder progress. Scrum masters also collaborate with the product owner to refine the product backlog and ensure that the team’s efforts are aligned with the product vision and goals.

BM Insight: Scrum is the most widely used Agile framework, popular for its ease of use and effective outcomes. Scrum masters ensure their Scrum team implements Scrum values and events in their daily work. They collaborate with product owners and developers (within the team) and project managers (as out-of-team, in-the-company supervisors) to arrange the work process in alignment with the specifications. Our certified Scrum Master Tamara Petrović explains all the nuts and bolts of the Scrum framework in her blog post Scrum 101: Applying the Most Popular Agile Framework.

Product Owners possess in-depth domain expertise that empowers them to steer the software development team towards successful product delivery. They are entrusted with the crucial responsibility of crafting the product vision, strategically prioritizing features, and ensuring that the team’s efforts consistently align with the business’s best interests. By maintaining a customer-centric focus, Product Owners ensure that the software solutions developed cater to user needs and deliver maximum value to the organization.

Finally, IT Business Analysts serve as the vital link between an organization’s software development team and its business stakeholders. They leverage their comprehensive understanding of both technical and business aspects to gather, analyze, and translate business requirements into functional specifications. By doing so, they ensure that the software solutions being developed align with the organization’s objectives and meet its users’ needs. These professionals work closely with project managers, product owners, developers, and other stakeholders throughout the software development life cycle.

Security Experts

Cybersecurity is a burning issue for all businesses, regardless of their size, niche, or location. To build on this fiery metaphor, we can be so bold to say that online safety is the Olympic flame of software development. No matter how applicable your software is or how perfectly it works, it’s not considered complete until you protect it from various risks.

Enlisting dedicated full-time cybersecurity specialists is crucial for attracting new clients, retaining existing ones, and ensuring the resilience of the software you create. Our cybersec division, UN1QUELY, offers an extensive suite of services that cater to diverse cybersecurity needs. These include vCISO (Security Advisory), Penetration Testing (Offensive Security), SecOps (Security Operations Team as a Service), SOCaaS (Security Operations Center as a Service), and Developer Security Courses and Training. The UN1QUELY team works diligently on our in-house projects while leveraging their expertise to assist other businesses in navigating the intricate digital landscape securely and confidently.

BM Insight: Cybersecurity is just a word, and we don’t recommend taking words for granted in this specific field. We rather insist on certificates, passed compliance audits, and extensive documentation in terms of security standards. Our vCISO Branko Džakula is an experienced and multiply certified cybersecurity expert. In his blog post Announcing BMGH’s ISO 27001 Certification, he breaks down why having earned this certification was important for the entire holding and how it helps us stand out as a completely secure and compliant software entity.

Creative Squad

Graphic, Motion, UI/UX Designers and Videographers

Creative squad is the face of both the company and the software it makes.

In essence, effective employer branding hinges on the talents of skilled designers and videographers. These creative professionals are the driving force behind a company’s visual presentation and social media presence, adept at spotlighting and accentuating the positive aspects of the business and its employees.

With a dynamic and multifaceted creative team at its core, we’re able to effortlessly transcend the boundaries of software development, delivering an enticing fusion of creative services to our clients. By seamlessly integrating development and marketing expertise, we’re providing a holistic, unified experience tailored to meet the diverse needs of our clients with flair and finesse.

BM Insight: Experienced and knowledgeable videographers are a rare species. It takes many hours of shooting, editing, and producing to call someone a good videographer. Our video artist Goran Breberina ticks all the boxes and always searches for new ways to go above and beyond. In his article Through the Lens: Skills That Make a Good Videographer, he describes the growth path to becoming a great videographer, from soft skills to editing abilities, to proper equipment.

On the other hand, UI/UX designers (user interface/user experience) are the eyes and wits behind visual solutions. They figure out what a mobile app or any other software solution should look like. Equally – or even more – importantly, these visual artists need to make it as intuitive and user-friendly as it gets. A visually stunning, yet complicated-to-use tool won’t hit the bull’s eye. The same goes for bleak but perfectly functional solutions. UI/UX designers must find that sweet spot to present the product in the best light and make users happy along the way.

BM Insight: In some aspects, the work of video designers and their UI/UX colleagues overlap, while their duties and goals differ in others. Motion is one of the concepts they have in common. Our UI/UX mastermind Marko Vladušić explains how motion galvanizes UI/UX design in his piece Fluid Magic: How Motion Design Breathes Life into Ui/UX Design.

Copywriters and Content Writers

Software engineers, tech officers, and testers know their syntax rules, for sure. However, once their job is done, someone needs to spread the word about their proficiency and efficiency. This is where the marketing team grabs the mic. In addition to the aforementioned designers and masters of promo videos, it’s good to have writers in the room.

Copywriters are here to speak (in) the brand’s voice, hence generating leads and converting them to clients. This is a simplification, but that’s the gist of it. They usually produce social media and website copies, in-app content (UX writing), video scripts, and other forms of written materials that promote their software company.

BM Insight: Some IT companies outsource their promo activities to agencies and freelancers. At BrightMarbles, we’ve concluded that having an in-house branding team drives better results in terms of our business image. They’re here to cover every success story, turn it into a case study, and present it to the public. For instance, our CXO Nevena Nemeš embodies effective communication with clients, productive interaction between our Mibsters, and brisk copywriting, usually with built-in higher values.

Content writers typically write blog posts, newsletters, and other content forms that aim at educating and informing, rather than selling. As content is broad term, bear in mind that it doesn’t only refer to the written word. Podcasts and interviews with clients, experts, and relevant in-house staff are all content bits, both in video and audio formats.

Organizing live and online events (meetups, workshops) is also necessary in IT companies, either to present your results or educate the public about certain niche topics or current affairs. Content marketers and writers usually conceptualize such occasions, help in their execution, and produce follow-up content.

Community managers and social media wizards are also part of the marketing team in IT companies, in charge of painting the brand’s picture on social networks.

BM Insight: Whenever our company organizes meetups, it’s with a higher purpose in mind. As we strongly support and practice inclusion and diversity in our business operations, we’re especially committed to ensuring absolutely equal rights and conditions for all genders. In the article Women in Tech Leadership: Shattering the Glass Ceiling, one of our marketing specialists Nastasija Trajanova follows up on the eponymous online event, held to celebrate the role of women in the IT industry.

Sales Troops, Account Managers, and Customer Success Managers

The role of sales troopers is to win over new clients who need software development services for their businesses.

Some IT companies form dedicated sales teams, constantly on the lookout for new leads. In other enterprises, the company management carries out sales, i.e., connects the company to customers.

We don’t do business consulting, so it’s up to you to choose your path, sales-wise. From our point of view, some sales deals can be closed only if the top managers sit at the table.

Also, let’s not forget about account managers and customer success specialists. The former group of sales pros is focused on upselling and renewing contracts. The latter sales wizards cater to clients’ demands from day one, including the onboarding process, identifying their needs, and keeping them happy with the provided services.

BM Insight: We think it’s important to be as transparent and honest as possible in communication with both clients and workers. We always do our best to announce our Mibsters’ duties and assignments on time. Flexibility, openness to suggestions, and career shifts are all possible within the World of Marbles. Top down, we like to keep people informed and prepared for every important decision we make. In that light, have a look at the interview with our CEO Boris Berat.

Finance and Law Experts

We’ve already highlighted that software development is every IT company’s bread and butter. Once the food is on the table, it needs to be distributed in accordance with the merits, contributions, and contracts. This is where we meet finance specialists. They’re the monetary backbone of every IT company, taking care of the payroll and making sure the company follows tax regulations.

Also, the company’s C-suite must work closely with finance specialists on the company budgeting and financial strategy. For instance, annual bonuses, raises, or salary cuts need to be announced in advance to the finance department so that they can plan their tasks accordingly.

On the other hand, law experts make sure the company follows all the work regulations of the country they’re operating in; complying with the niche-related specifics to pass all the possible audits and inspections.

HR Department

The inner workings of a software development project can take various shapes. Sometimes, clients handpick developers from within an IT company for direct collaboration and communication, fostering cross-company cooperation. In other cases, clients outline their expectations upfront, checking in at key milestones to track progress. Regardless of the approach, engineers require consistent, comprehensive support.

From holding regular 1-on-1 sessions with developers and team leaders to facilitating joint meetings with clients and in-house programmers, HR specialists perform a multitude of valuable tasks for every software company. They also strengthen team bonds through team-building sessions.

Furthermore, HR teams coordinate regular employee performance reviews and contribute to work evaluations. Crucially, they help IT professionals navigate and shape their careers. Whether it’s guiding software and QA engineers or other IT industry workers through a career transition, HR specialists are indispensable resources for growth and development.

BM Insight: Thanks to tech growth spurts, the contemporary global business market is the Tower of Babel, professions-wise. With the unprecedented development of artificial intelligence, the number of jobs will certainly keep diversifying. For all these reasons, we know that lifelong learning remains one of the conceptual pillars of the software development niche. Read more about our long-term education values in the blog post Continuous Learning, written by our marketing maven Svetlana Kosić.

Conclusion

The world of software development is a rapidly evolving and forward-thinking landscape. Predicting its transformations in the coming years is no easy feat. However, with our diverse array of business professionals at the heart of BrightMarbles Group, we stand ready to continually deliver top-tier software products and services to our clients, staying at the forefront of industry innovation and exceeding expectations.

About Author

by Simon & Garfunkel

February 12th, 2020

23 16

Software Development Partnerships: How to Know Who’ll Make You Grow

This is the Age of Software. Working without apps and other related solutions is almost impossible, no matter what walk of life you run your business race in. Even if you think you don’t need software engineers by your side, your competition begs to differ.

Choosing the right software partner on time makes an enterprise more propulsive and responsive to tech innovations and professional demands.

But what does the right software provider look like, and what should they bring to the table for a sumptuous business feast?

You’ll find out this and much more in the paragraphs below.

What Is a Software Partnership?

Let’s start with one possible explanation of a software partnership: it’s an official business relationship between two legal entities.

One entity is the company that needs IT services. The other entity is the provider of these services – the software development partner, which may range from one self-employed software engineer to a full-fledged software-providing company.

Everything negotiated and agreed upon by both parties must be detailed in a relevant and valid legal agreement. It defines the rights and obligations of each party, including the notice period, payment details, delivery milestones, and other relevant information.

A Software Partner as a Business Upgrade

Whether you’re a tech business or operate in a non-tech field, partnering with a software development company lifts part of the biz burden off your back.

Just think of the time and assets you’d spend forming an in-house team of engineers. It would be a significant investment even for a large company, let alone an ab-ovo startup. Having a dev team under your roof is not that simple anymore. You must meet many standards, from employment types to compliance and information security. From our long-term practice, we know it’s a set of demanding, time-consuming tasks.

BM Insight: Among many other regulations and procedures we’ve complied with, BrightMarbles Group Holding also holds the ISO 27001 Certification. It proves that a company has met the strict international standards for protecting data confidentiality, integrity, and availability via an in-house information security management system (ISMS). Read more about the stringent regulations and our compliance thereof in the article Announcing BMGH’s ISO 27001 Certification, written by our CISO Branko Džakula.

Immediate and Ongoing Project Assessment

Having your software done through a partnership means a project angel is always watching over you.

Let’s say you wish to talk through the software tool, mobile app, or any other digital product you want to build. Now imagine there’s a team of well-versed engineers, scrum masters, and project managers on the other side of the table. They’ve already been here and know how to assess various projects quickly, safely, and reliably.

An experienced squad of skillful engineers gets the gist. It helps you define the development process after the first meeting. When our Mibsters negotiate new projects, we approach each client with equal passion. What is different is the tailor-made project plan we prepare for every new partnership. That’s our special ingredient in helping top global leaders grow their ventures.

Compare this with a startup owner sitting down with one or two in-house engineers, trying to figure things out.

BM Insight: We like to break down the complete software development process to our clients. Some stages are the same or similar in everything we do; others differ from project to project and client to client. For more valuable data about the business lifecycle of software building at BrightMarbles, read our blog post From Scratch to Full Stack: The Business Lifecycle of Software Development, by Pavle Bobić.

Optimized Time-to-Market

Rare are the businesses that have a lot of time on their hands for product or software development. Working under tight deadlines, understaffed, and pressed by stakeholders is a more common work model.

In this context, partnering with reliable and proven software techsperts is a blessing. Knowing that your software partner holds the entire software in their safe hands is deliberating. Once the partnership details and milestones have been arranged, you can keep handling your daily business and monitor the development process.

It’s the professional expertise and ease of collaboration that make for a comfortable and productive business partnership from day one.

The knowledge, experience, and relevant tech stack that the software company brings to the table make all the difference, especially in terms of time to market. A software development team that lacks any of the above may not live up to the client’s expectations, potentially affecting its revenue and reputation.

Just for the record, a prompt time to market doesn’t necessarily include faster delivery. Launching an unfinished or faulty product just for the sake of launch is always more expensive than offering a well-brewed and fully-tested solution.

This is something that a software provider and their client(s) must communicate on time. If a client wants a hastily developed product, their software partner is here to present the drawbacks.

BM Insight: We at BrightMarbles leave nothing to chance in our software development projects. Before we take our clients’ products and ideas to the final stage, each line of code has been double- and triple-tested, ready to see the light of the day in its perfect rendition. Our one-of-a-kind quality assurance team makes sure that no bug or glitch goes under the radar. Even if such a mishap occurs, they’re here to react at once. Our article Quality Assurance: The Measure of Software Development Excellence gives more information about quality assurance in general and our special approach to this matter.

Narrow, Knowledge-based Expertise

No successful software development partnership is possible without educated and seasoned professionals at the helm. That being said, how can a client know whether a company can meet their expectations?

For starters, seek enterprises with a proven track record of completed projects. The first few places to search are their business pages on social media, company websites, as well as their past clients and employees. Check the company ratings, reviews, and descriptions on specialized websites, such as Clutch, Pangea, or Digital Knights (DK).

BM Insight: Speaking of the latter two platforms, BrightMarbles is a proud member of Clutch’s top 1% software development providers on a global scale, and DK verified us as part of 7% of the best IT companies in the world. It takes a full-scale three-month monitoring and passing strict procedures to become part of the DK-approved realm. We’re also a Microsoft Gold Partner and Adobe Solution Partner. Those recognitions prove our hard work and our obligation to keep improving at the same pace. Come and see The BrightMarbles Trophy Cabinet and check all the other certificates and accolades we’ve earned.

Going through the case studies and testimonials on the software company’s website will help you get a complete picture of the company’s expertise. While having reviews from big shots doesn’t mean that the provider in question is your perfect choice, consider this data during the selection process.

Scanning their employees and C-suite is another invaluable method of understanding whether a software provider should become your partner. See what they publish on LinkedIn and other business networks. Don’t skip Glassdoor, or other similar websites during your audit. Employees’ impressions sometimes tell more about a company than classic employer branding.

Cost-Effective Budgeting

Let’s be clear: opting for a cost-effective offer doesn’t mean choosing the cheapest proposal but the most reasonably priced IT partner. Accepting the bid with the lowest developer rates could mean you’ll end up with a junior-stacked software provider. While this doesn’t necessarily mean the final product will be subpar, such an outcome is more probable.

There’s a reason why senior software engineers come at a certain price. The time they’ve invested in their education and experience so far is a promise they’ll repeat what they’ve done – they’ll do it again, with equal passion and commitment. From this, we can conclude that senior software engineers are a brand per se. The more projects and coding lines they have under their fingertips, the more likely they’ll deliver a top-notch product.

BM Insight: It’s a fact that the density of senior engineers per square foot at BrightMarbles is among the highest in the IT community. Still, it doesn’t mean we rest on laurels. Au contraire, technology is a living matter, and one must stay updated on current affairs and forthcoming trends emerging behind the cloud. Our techsperts invest a lot of their time and energy in constant improvement. We hold in-house exchanges among our Mibsters, follow external resources and attend specialized conferences. Our blog post How to Stay up to Date as a Software Engineer reveals many interesting tricks of coding trade to stay in shape.

Scalable Approach and Detailed Screening

Scalability is one of the buzzwords in software development, with a reason. If a client wants to accelerate the development process or increase/decrease the workload, so be it. It’s important to talk about these things in advance so that none of the parties is caught by surprise.

Generally, clients should inquire about the following scalability and project management aspects when choosing a software partner:

Capability to adapt their staff and stack to clients’ specific needs
Capacity to grow new solutions from scratch and/or improve the existing solutions
Options to increase/reduce the number of dedicated engineers per project
Openness to detailed screening and interviewing of potential engineers who will work on a project.

As for the latter, we can’t stress enough how important it is that the client meets the development team before the project kicks off. All the BrightMarbles Group companies support and exercise an open-door policy, both inside the house and with our clients. We’re always here to organize meetings, consulting sessions, and other events to let our clients get to know our techsperts and other relevant specialists.

BrightMarbles’ Tech Partnerships

People working at BrightMarbles Group apply everything written above in their daily work. We keep pushing business frontiers, building sustainable and inclusive partnerships worldwide.

Since our inception, we’ve been leveraging a wide range of projects for clients in different niches. Our stance is that the diversity of clients, industry-wise, brings peace of mind in terms of business stability and future growth. We also prefer that our biz partnerships leave a positive mark on the community.

At the end of this post, we’ll present several tech partnerships in which our expertise and experience make a difference.

Carna – Partnering for the Next Generation of Kidney Care

Embarking on an ambitious mission to make blood testing and healthcare accessible to all, the Carna team has joined forces with Nova Biomedical and BrightMarbles to bring clinical-grade blood testing right to people’s doorsteps. We primarily concentrate on monitoring acute and chronic kidney diseases through at-home capillary blood testing for creatinine. Moreover, our partnership provides a variety of other at-home and point-of-care tests, many of which are FDA/CE-certified or nearing the final stages of development, including an electrolyte panel (such as potassium, sodium, and more). This strategy enables individuals with chronic conditions to proactively manage their health using just a few drops of blood, ultimately promoting healthier and happier lives.

BrightMarbles serves as the official technology partner, responsible for the app and all other software features that support this innovative healthcare solution.

The Belgrade Marathon – Exclusive Technology Partnership

The Belgrade Marathon isn’t only the most important mass-participation sporting event in the region. It’s also a renowned brand that promotes a healthy lifestyle and social inclusion. For these reasons and many other values that we share, BrightMarbles is honored to be the Belgrade Marathon’s official/exclusive tech partnership.

Our team of engineers has built a marathon app that elevates the entire experience of participating in the main race and other running fixtures. From streamlined registration and payment to live tracking, our platform ensures a smooth marathon experience for both runners and spectators.

Read more about our collaboration and partnership in our blog post Belgrade Marathon and BrightMarbles: Partnership, Collaboration, Camaraderie.

Padrino – Co-founders and Complete Technology Providers

At BrightMarbles Group, our driving force is the desire to create impactful and innovative technology solutions that benefit our community. This motivation has led us to partner with Padrino Delivery, revolutionizing the food delivery landscape in Novi Sad. Our skilled software engineers and designers have meticulously developed the Padrino app, while our dedicated marketing team is eager to share the narrative of this inspiring collaboration.

Naq Cyber – Shareholders and Strategic Technology Partners

As strategic and technology partners, Naq Cyber and BrightMarbles have initiated the journey towards shaping the future of cybersecurity and data compliance solutions. The rapidly growing adoption of Naq Cyber fully automated security platform within the digital health and defense industries speaks to its effectiveness. By converting compliance into a competitive advantage, the platform assists European SMEs in acquiring more business opportunities and streamlining their sales operations.

These are only some of our many business and technological partnerships. Our CEO Boris Berat has spoken about our collaborations in his interview for the company blog: Working Together on Projects that Matter: An Interview with BMGH CEO and Co-founder Boris Berat.

Conclusion

The more clients know about software partnerships, the better for their professional expectations and plans.

When a business entity chooses one software development partner over other potential options, it’s both an honor and an obligation for the selected provider. As software development is a dynamic work environment, it takes passing many checkpoints successfully to get a speckless final product.

The tips, practical procedures, and our in-house insights shared above should help every company choose their software partner with relative ease.

The BrightMarbles software development team is at your service for any additional questions, inquiries and suggestions.

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