The term in-house development can be a bit confusing, especially for smaller companies. It is a very broad topic and it pertains to a variety of aspects that have an impact on how your company’s software will be created.
In-house development is the process of building software and other IT solutions with the help of your internal experts and employees. It is, of course, possible to hire outside consultants for specific jobs. However, the majority of the work will be done by your team members.
In this article, we will discuss how it works and what are its benefits and pitfalls, to understand its meaning more precisely.
Where Does In-house Development Come From?
In the second decade of the 21st century, it is very unlikely that you will be able to have a project that falls into the realm of software development completed by an outside company without having to deal with any other companies. In other words, there are always at least two parties involved when developing software. In this context, however, we shall focus only on the first party: the one who wishes to create a software product or another type of IT solution and who takes part in major decisions concerning its creation.
The origin of in-house development can be traced back to decades ago. At this point, however, it usually included teams working for big enterprises and corporations which would bring together all of the people needed to create a software product. In addition, these teams would work in-house and be part of the company they were creating a solution for.
In more recent years, however, we can see that smaller companies have chosen this approach as well. Regardless of whether they consist only of five employees or fifty, they can create their products without needing any outside help or collaboration with other companies. If you read article until the end and you will realize why such companies love in-house development so much. It has also been shown that this method significantly increases productivity and success rates when compared to third-party solutions.
How Does The Process Work?
In-house development can be compared to open-source software. It works the same way, only it uses internal employees rather than volunteers.
The whole process falls under what is sometimes called “agile methodology.” This means that small teams are brought together to deal with specific issues and problems, which they must resolve quickly and efficiently. If their work ends up yielding results that are satisfactory for everyone involved, then the product moves on to the next phase of development until it reaches completion.
Of course, this isn’t carried out without any planning or preparation beforehand – different roles need to be assigned to certain people, as well as clear guidelines for creating tasks and jobs so that nothing will be left unfinished or forgotten about along the way.
To keep track of everything, there have been advancements in the world of software technology that have included better management tools and platforms for hosting all kinds of information. This way, there is no need for employees to spend hours on the paperwork that only has a temporary purpose – instead, they focus their energy on resolving more important tasks that will benefit the company as a whole.
How Does An In-house Development Team Look?
An in-house software development team usually consists of a variety of people who are experts in their respective fields. There might be marketing professionals, web developers, online marketers, and many others working together towards one single goal: creating a successful product or service.
Of course, these teams can’t work on a limited budget, so they have to be especially careful about choosing the right people. This is why many companies have started using software that includes built-in tests and tools for assessing specific skills based on actual case studies. This way, it becomes clear whether someone would be most beneficial as part of the marketing side or if they are better suited for development purposes.
What Are The Benefits Of In-house Development?
There are many advantages to be gained from this method of creating software, which is why it has become more popular throughout the years.
The first and most important benefit that should be mentioned is the fact that in-house developers enjoy total creative freedom. They aren’t restricted by time limits or requirements imposed by other companies – instead, they can work on their product at any pace they want to, while also having enough space for generating ideas without needing to worry about whether or not they’ll fit within certain boundaries. This paves the way for much better results than when dealing with third parties. Besides, no one knows your company’s needs and wants better than you do yourself.
On top of that, you can know exactly what is going on at all times. Every development team has its communication system – whether it’s implemented into the product itself or if it happens to be an external service. This way, it becomes much easier to stay up-to-date about progress and project updates.
Finally, there are several benefits related to security. When working with other companies, your data might end up in places where you don’t have any control over how securely it’s stored or who will have access to it in the future. Such issues do not exist when you’re the only one responsible for the creation process – neither your clients nor anyone else will ever get their hands on valuable information without having gained your approval beforehand, which results in peace of mind.
What Are The Drawbacks Of In-House Development?
There is always room for improvement, especially when it comes to any phase or industry within the business world – and this also applies to in-house software development.
While numerous benefits can be accrued from this approach, you have to be prepared for a lengthy recruitment process and significant investment – whether this means buying new equipment or assigning more people towards resolving certain tasks… because let’s face it, every build needs at least one experienced developer who will oversee the entire process while making sure everything runs smoothly! In other words, working with an in-house team requires much more initial funding than outsourcing does.
In-house development is a fairly popular method of creating software nowadays. If handled properly, it offers many benefits that would not be possible otherwise. Hopefully, this article helped you understand this approach and what it brings to the table so that you can decide whether or not it would be beneficial to your business.
