Specific-Group https://specific-group.com Best Custom Software Development Company in Miami Thu, 12 Apr 2018 12:58:35 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.13 https://specific-group.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cropped-favicon-32x32.png Specific-Group https://specific-group.com 32 32 Top Advantages of Hiring a Software Consulting Company https://specific-group.com/blog/top-advantages-of-hiring-a-software-consulting-company/ Thu, 12 Apr 2018 12:58:35 +0000 https://specific-group.com/?p=6524 Technology creates business advantages. Streamlining logistics, opening omnichannel sales routes, improving productivity and dozens of operational functions all depend on increasingly complex software platforms. Selecting, deploying and using these technologies is crucial to ongoing success. And often, it’s more difficult than it appears. Trying to arrange all IT solutions in-house gets expensive in time, resources, […]

The post Top Advantages of Hiring a Software Consulting Company appeared first on Specific-Group.

]]>
Technology creates business advantages. Streamlining logistics, opening omnichannel sales routes, improving productivity and dozens of operational functions all depend on increasingly complex software platforms. Selecting, deploying and using these technologies is crucial to ongoing success. And often, it’s more difficult than it appears. Trying to arrange all IT solutions in-house gets expensive in time, resources, and money. You’ve got enough balls in the air dealing with the global economy – but there is a solution. Hand off some of those balls to an experienced third-party company.

Expertise in Integrated Technologies

In-house IT departments tend to focus on network technologies and security. When you need to add additional services, you may not have the right team member on staff. As the need for increasingly disparate technologies grows, it becomes more and more challenging to maintain a full-service internal IT department. That’s where a reputable IT consulting company comes in. Good companies offer a range of services with more than one field of expertise. They also have the experience need to implement different projects for distinct industries. Whether you have a startup, mid-sized company or international business, there is a consulting company out there that can meet your needs.

Keep IT Costs Lower and Controlled

Another issue with in-house IT is the spiraling cost. The more expertise you hire, the higher your salary line grows and the more expensive your operational costs. Working with a consulting company gives you a set cost and the specialist attention you need.

Faster Software Deployment

Tackling a major project like a platform switch or adding functionality can be slow. It can take months to get everything ready, but consulting companies can shorten this deployment time frame. Using proven procedures that can help roll out your project quickly, they take on the burden of project management and communication.

Objective Advice

Change is hard. It’s even more difficult when balancing the needs and wants of dozens of employees. Resistance to change can bog down technology adoption, leaving your business vulnerable to disruption. A consulting company facilitates the transition by bringing C-level execs, company stakeholders and other important operational employees onboard. With a frank discussion of concerns and objections, an objective third-party can make sensible recommendations about the type of change you need and how to best implement it.

Gain the Competitive Advantage

New technologies hit the market all of the time. Some will revolutionize business processes while others will suck up resources with little to show for it. Separating solid options that deliver real value from the dozens of options that don’t requires expertise and constant attention to what is available. You don’t have the time to invest in such a focused approach to technology. After all, you need to keep your attention on your business and delivering value to your customers. Working with an IT consulting company gives you insider knowledge about leading-edge technologies without having to make an extra investment. That means you can stay on top of changes as they happen, and retain your competitive advantage.

No single company can combine the expertise needed to stay at the top of every aspect of business operations. Logistics companies focus on moving goods, while manufacturers streamline production. Focus means you create exceptional service in your area, but it can leave you at a loss when it comes to outside issues. Technology is complicated, involves every aspect of your business and changes dramatically every few years. Working with a solid third-party IT consulting company helps you reduce the burden while keeping current with the changing ways of doing business.

custom-software-development-miami-florida

The post Top Advantages of Hiring a Software Consulting Company appeared first on Specific-Group.

]]>
Custom Property Management Software: Key Features to Know https://specific-group.com/blog/custom-property-management-software-key-features-to-know/ Thu, 05 Apr 2018 13:00:50 +0000 https://specific-group.com/?p=6515 Whether you’re overseeing a single tenant or thousands of commercial units, being a property manager requires you to wear many hats. For example, collecting rent, advertising new vacancies and handling maintenance requests. With so many tasks to manage for each property, scaling your business can pose a major challenge. This is especially true if you don’t […]

The post Custom Property Management Software: Key Features to Know appeared first on Specific-Group.

]]>
Whether you’re overseeing a single tenant or thousands of commercial units, being a property manager requires you to wear many hats. For example, collecting rent, advertising new vacancies and handling maintenance requests. With so many tasks to manage for each property, scaling your business can pose a major challenge. This is especially true if you don’t have a way to track and organize all of these responsibilities.

The best property management software aligns well with your needs and objectives. It should also grow with you as your business evolves. By using custom property management software, you can benefit from a tailor-made, feature-rich solution that’s easy to use and that helps you remain organized and attentive.

You can manage nearly any type of property with custom software solutions, including:

  • Residential properties: apartment buildings, houses, single-family and multiple-unit properties
  • Commercial properties: office buildings and retail sites
  • Homeowners associations: condominiums and townhouses
  • Hospitality properties: hotels and vacation rentals
  • Student housing: apartments and houses dedicated to off-campus college students

Here are the top four features that you should look for in custom property management software. This is how each one can make you more efficient and productive.

1. Accounting

Collecting rent is the foundation of managing any property, and it should be as easy and pain-free as possible for both you and your tenants. Good property management software should include accounting functionality such as tracking payables and receivables, tax filing and electronic funds transfer.

Basic accounting features may be built directly into the software. If you’re looking for something with more advanced functionality, however, then look for software that can integrate with a third-party accounting system such as QuickBooks.

2. Lease Management

After collecting rent, lease and contract management is the next most important responsibility of a property manager. As you know, there are so many documents to keep track of during the leasing process. Rental rental applications, home insurance policies, background checks, and more. It can be difficult to stay organized all on your own.

Mature property management software includes features such as document storage and electronic signatures that make lease management much easier. You’ll benefit from keeping a digital trail that records the entire leasing process, saving you valuable time and effort.

3. Maintenance Management

Once your tenants move into the property, it’s inevitable that you’ll have to deal with issues and maintenance requests at some point. As a property manager, you have a legal responsibility and a commitment to good service to uphold. This means you must respond and resolve issues in a timely manner.

You can use custom property management software to keep track of your property’s upkeep and handle maintenance requests. Tenants can submit requests directly through the software interface, and you can automatically delegate work orders to certain individuals and track their progress.

4. Owner and Tenant Portals

The lack of a reliable channel for owner-tenant communications is one of the biggest points of complaint during a lease. Custom property management software can provide a dedicated portal that allows both owners and tenants to handle their responsibilities and get in contact.

Owners can share documents, collect rental payments and access information on a property’s financial well-being. Meanwhile, tenants can pay their rent online, submit maintenance requests and get in touch with their landlord.

Custom Property Management Software: A Case Study

Grid Systems, LLC provides community management services. They work with condominiums and Homeowners Associations throughout the United States. Grid Systems approached the project managers and developers at Specific-Group in need of a custom property management software to handle dozens of communities in one database.

So, Specific-Group created a modern web application to manage complicated workflows. Interaction between applications was implemented in a secure way via APIs, protected by SSL and certificate authentication.

As a result, Specific-Group’s custom solution allowed Grid Systems to eliminate manual tasks and streamline their business. The software was designed to be sleek, user-friendly, and easy to manage. And as a bonus, developers recommended the Amazon AWS as hosting system. This dramatically improved the running costs and rollout of new servers.

If your organization is in need of discovering these benefits for yourself, contact our team today. We are dedicated to finding a solution that increases productivity and decreases cost.

custom-software-development-miami-florida

The post Custom Property Management Software: Key Features to Know appeared first on Specific-Group.

]]>
Custom Travel App Development: 6 Features to Attract Customers https://specific-group.com/blog/custom-travel-app-development/ Thu, 29 Mar 2018 12:59:41 +0000 https://specific-group.com/?p=6486 There has never been a better time to create a custom-built travel app. According to the UN World Tourism Organization, there were 1.3 billion tourist visits in 2017. This number is expected to grow by 4 to 5 percent the following year. Yet the swelling numbers of tourists mean that potential users of your travel […]

The post Custom Travel App Development: 6 Features to Attract Customers appeared first on Specific-Group.

]]>
There has never been a better time to create a custom-built travel app. According to the UN World Tourism Organization, there were 1.3 billion tourist visits in 2017. This number is expected to grow by 4 to 5 percent the following year. Yet the swelling numbers of tourists mean that potential users of your travel app have more options than ever before. To improve user adoption and retention, you will need to truly stand out.

Top travel and ticket booking apps such as Kayak, Hopper, and Airbnb have a rich array of features designed to attract and retain customers. Below, we’ll discuss six of our hottest tips to put you on the path to success with your custom travel or ticketing mobile app.

1. Easy Booking

Whether someone is heading out of state or around the world, booking the trip should be the easy part. Many customers want an end-to-end travel booking solution that handles everything from hotel and restaurant reservations to sightseeing tours and ground transportation. Above all, booking must be as simple and straightforward as possible. Users should be able to make reservations and receive tickets with just a few taps on the screen. To lower the barriers to entry and avoid “password fatigue,” many travel apps allow new users to sign up with existing social media accounts, such as Facebook and Google.

2. Payment Gateway

Of course, just as important as a simple booking process is the ability to easily send and manage mobile payments. You should integrate your app with payment services such as PayPal, Google Wallet, and Apple Pay. These systems are mature and trusted, and they prioritize a good user experience. On the other hand, building your own payments system is not advised. Although you’ll save money on the middleman fees, you must understand that the business logic is extremely complex and the project will take a long time. In addition, your customers will likely be leery of sharing their payment card information directly with a merchant. You could be liable in the event of a data breach.

3. Rewards System

The top travel companies have their own customer loyalty programs, from Hilton Honors to Delta SkyMiles. These rewards programs provide benefits like free upgrades, discounts, late check-outs, and airport lounge access to customers who use their services early and often. Similarly, your travel app can give special recognition to those who use it most frequently. For example, if your app helps people find cheap flights, you can offer “power users”coupons or special deals that aren’t accessible to the masses. Not only will this assist with customer retention, but it will help you gain more data about what types of rewards people find most valuable.

4. Travel Planner

There is no reason for people to stop using your app once their flight has touched down. One of the most valuable travel app features is a travel planner or calendar that helps users organize their entire vacation from start to finish. Travel apps with planners, calendars, and organizers can be tremendously valuable for your users. These features provide flight details and layover information, keep track of your rental car agreement, and so forth. For example, the TripIt mobile app combines all of your travel reservations, tickets, itineraries, and bookings within a single sleek and easy-to-use interface.

5. Geolocation

When traveling to an unfamiliar location, people will need constant advice. This includes where to store their luggage, where to buy an emergency toothbrush, where the nearest restroom is, where to have a nice steak dinner, and more. Travel apps that make use of geolocation can help answer all these queries. By displaying the closest shops, hotels, and restaurants to your current location, apps with geolocation can remain useful during the entirety of the trip. They can even help users save money. The HotelTonight booking app, for example, includes “GeoRates”. These are discounted offers that are only visible to people within a few miles of the hotel.

6. Feedback

People love to share experiences, especially when having unique and exciting experiences like travel. That’s why your custom travel app should include a way for travelers to view and leave star reviews and recommendations about hotels, restaurants, attractions, and other travel amenities. You can choose to provide your own review system, or you can integrate your app with dedicated review services such as Google Maps, TripAdvisor, and Yelp. Not only will this feedback boost existing users’ engagement and retention, it will also help new users make smarter decisions about their own travel plans.

Custom Travel App Development

The six suggestions listed above are just a drop in the bucket when it comes to useful travel app features. Other possibilities include weather forecasts, currency and time conversions, and language translations. By providing a one-stop shopping experience for your users’ travel needs, you will be much more likely to attract them and see them return again and again. To build these features, you’ll want to join forces with a knowledgeable and experienced custom mobile app development partner such as Specific-Group. Contact us today for a free consultation about your custom travel app.

custom-software-development-miami-florida

The post Custom Travel App Development: 6 Features to Attract Customers appeared first on Specific-Group.

]]>
The Hidden Benefits of Development with React Native https://specific-group.com/blog/hidden-benefits-development-react-native/ Thu, 22 Mar 2018 13:09:48 +0000 https://specific-group.com/?p=6451 Good mobile developers are always looking to optimize. This is true not only the apps they create, but also their own processes and workflows. There are dozens of tools, frameworks, languages, and platforms available, and more appearing all the time. It can sometimes be hard to figure out what’s here to stay and what’s only […]

The post The Hidden Benefits of Development with React Native appeared first on Specific-Group.

]]>
Good mobile developers are always looking to optimize. This is true not only the apps they create, but also their own processes and workflows. There are dozens of tools, frameworks, languages, and platforms available, and more appearing all the time. It can sometimes be hard to figure out what’s here to stay and what’s only a passing trend.

In certain instances, however, it’s clear that a new technology truly deserves all of the buzz that it’s receiving. React Native is one of those cases. The idea that makes React Native so ingenious, and so popular, is simple.

Prior to the release of React Native, companies usually had to create two different apps for iOS and Android smartphones from scratch. Both required using different programming languages. React Native allows you to write code in just one language, JavaScript, and port that code to multiple platforms. This provides a native app experience on each one.

The Core Benefits of Using React Native

Reusability: React Native was originally developed by Facebook to design the user interface of its mobile application. In the beginning, the React Native framework only worked with iOS. However now it is able to render mobile UIs for Android as well. Unlike other “hybrid” mobile app solutions, React Native does not use WebView components. Instead, it uses native components that compile directly to the device’s own machine language. Rather than providing an awkward and slow user experience that’s not optimized for either platform, React Native gives all the benefits of a native application.

Efficiency: React Native brings the efficiency and portability of web development to the smartphone. In fact, under the hood React Native makes use of Facebook’s React JavaScript library for user interfaces. The benefits of React, such as high performance and a virtual DOM, carry over to React Native as well. Using React Native can make you more efficient and speed up your development times in a variety of ways. For example, React Native can interface with third-party plugins so that you can use the device’s own functionality and even sensors like the accelerometer and gyroscope.

JavaScript: JavaScript has risen from its lowly origins to become the king of web programming languages. Nearly everyone calling themselves a “web developer” has had a good deal of experience with JavaScript. The use of JavaScript for React Native gives the framework a massive popularity boost. Other mobile development languages such as Swift and Objective-C can be frustrating and puzzling for newcomers. With React Native, any front-end developer can try their hand at mobile development after a brief introductory period to learn the ropes.

Apps That Use React Native

Despite its status as a relative newcomer, React Native has quickly gained adoption among companies of all sizes and industries. With so many benefits of using React Native, it’s no surprise that there are a variety of well-known mobile apps that make use of it.

Facebook: As the creator of React Native, Facebook uses the framework in several different ways to support its mobile applications. For example, Facebook’s Ads Manager was the first cross-platform app to make use of React Native, helping to handle complex business logic about different currencies, time zones, and date/time conventions.

Walmart: Even a retail juggernaut like Walmart is able to innovate by introducing React Native into its tech stack. With millions of dollars in profit every day, Walmart needs a scalable solution for its mobile app to handle large volumes of transactions during times of high user demand. For example, Black Friday. By switching to React Native, Walmart improved their app’s performance on iOS and Android and share 95 percent of the code base between the two platforms.

Bloomberg: Financial software and media company Bloomberg recently released a new mobile app for consumers on iOS and Android devices that leverages React Native. Bloomberg’s mobile development team took five months to build the new app with React Native. This is half as long as it would have taken to build both apps separately. Developers particularly enjoy React Native’s “hot reloading” feature. This allows them to quickly see the impact of their changes without having to recompile the app.

Enterprise React Native Solutions

Ever since React Native was born at a hackathon in 2013, the project has always been user-focused. The React Native code base is open source, and the developer community is one of the most active and welcoming anywhere. As of this writing, React Native is the third most starred repository on GitHub. Facebook has announced its commitment to maintaining React Native now and in the future. Developers can rest assured that the framework has the backing of a large tech company and a healthy open source community.

Thinking about using React Native for your next mobile development project? You’ve made an excellent choice, and you’ve come to the right place. Do you need dedicated developers to supplement your current IT team, or you want to hire on a per-project basis? Specific-Group can help fulfill your needs. Our dedicated project managers based in Miami, Florida will work with you to find the setup that’s easiest and most effective for your organization’s workflow. Our experienced and knowledgeable development team has the expertise and skill set that’s required for any React Native custom project.

custom-software-development-miami-florida

The post The Hidden Benefits of Development with React Native appeared first on Specific-Group.

]]>
The 5 Common Issues Your Logistics Software Needs to Address https://specific-group.com/blog/common-issues-logistics-software-needs-to-address/ Thu, 15 Mar 2018 13:08:41 +0000 https://specific-group.com/?p=6094 Your business has the right people, the right customers, and the right materials and resources. But how do you get them all to connect with each other? Logistics software is a critical part of your company’s operations. Without a way to efficiently transport goods from their point of origin and distribute them to their point […]

The post The 5 Common Issues Your Logistics Software Needs to Address appeared first on Specific-Group.

]]>
Your business has the right people, the right customers, and the right materials and resources. But how do you get them all to connect with each other? Logistics software is a critical part of your company’s operations. Without a way to efficiently transport goods from their point of origin and distribute them to their point of consumption, your business would barely last long enough to call yourself a business.

Modern supply chains can be extremely complex, spanning multiple locations in different states and countries. Businesses need to get the right products to the right people in a timely manner. So, you will need to rely on dedicated logistics software as your business expands. Not all logistics software applications are created equal, however. Below, we’ll discuss five of the most important functions that your software must perform in order to improve efficiency, lower costs, and make smarter decisions.

1. Management

UPS has more than 108,000 vehicles in its delivery fleet, including cars, vans, tractors and even motorcycles. While your own fleet probably doesn’t have quite as high a number, monitoring and managing all the vehicles under your supervision can be a challenge. Dedicated logistics software tracks and displays vehicle status. You can also schedule repairs and maintenance as necessary.

Not only do you need to monitor your vehicles, you also need to manage your inventory to deliver the right items. Logistics software can automatically update your inventory in real time so that you can continue to sell items on backorder and provide an estimated date of availability.

2. Navigation

Although you can spend hours planning the best schedules for your delivery vehicles, it won’t be of much use if you encounter delays along the way. Long delays can throw your entire plans out the window. Logistics software equipped with navigation functionality allows you to manage, monitor and track vehicles on the road in real time. In the event of unexpected accidents or weather conditions, you can easily re-route vehicles by finding the new optimal path.

Including vehicle navigation and tracking in your logistics software has another key benefit. You can ensure that drivers are behaving safely. The U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Association now requires most commercial drivers to attach an electronic logging device to their vehicle so that their supervisors can verify they worked the correct number of hours and obeyed traffic laws.

3. Reporting and Business Intelligence

As you scale your operations, it will become harder and harder for human analysts to go through the data themselves. The best logistics software will empower you with more information about your fleet. It also includes ways to analyze and report on this data.

Sophisticated logistics applications can identify inefficiencies in your transport workflow that are invisible to the naked eye. It will also help you correct them. With software you can select a set of the most important metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs). Then you can track them over time in custom-generated reports and dashboards. In doing so, you will improve data visibility throughout your organization and streamline the decision-making process.

4. Accounting

With so many vehicles and goods moving from place to place, it’s a challenge to keep track of all the finances involved. You may want to have a dedicated accounting solution depending on the complexity of your operations. Logistics software often includes basic accounting functions to help you reduce errors and send and receive payments on time.

Logistics software can help you track credits, calculate your revenue and expenses, and manage your financial documentation. Many solutions include automatic costing and invoicing, lightening your employees’ manual workloads. You can even log information at regular intervals to help ensure your organization’s compliance in the event of an audit.

5. Planning and Booking

Whether you deliver by land, sea or air, logistics software can help you schedule deliveries in the ways that make the most sense and automatically resolve time conflicts. No matter who you are or what products you deliver, your supply chain can be optimized. Whether it’s in raw materials, inventory, warehousing, labor or delivery, logistics software can find hidden delays and extra costs that can be removed from your supply chain.

By strategically using custom logistics software, you can be smarter about how you plan for future business. This allows you to service more customers and increase profits. For example, you can study the order history of a particular item to forecast when you should order more, or improve your warehouse load planning so that delivery vehicles are sent out with the most efficient distribution of items.

Tailor-made Logistics Software

From better reporting and business intelligence to more efficient planning and scheduling, logistics software can drastically improve your company’s operations. By joining forces with a custom software development partner, you can build logistics software exactly in line with your own specifications and requirements. This will make your logistics solution more flexible and better suited to scale with your business. Ready to find out how custom logistics software can benefit your own organization? Contact Specific-Group today for a free consultation.

Specific-Group-Call-to-Action

The post The 5 Common Issues Your Logistics Software Needs to Address appeared first on Specific-Group.

]]>
5 Ways a Mobile Retail Application Can Increase Sales https://specific-group.com/blog/ways-a-mobile-retail-application-can-increase-sales/ Thu, 08 Mar 2018 13:57:14 +0000 https://specific-group.com/?p=6126 Mobile is the most common way for users to access the internet. Currently, 57 percent of traffic comes from mobile devices and desktop usage continues to lag. If you aren’t already engaging with your customers via a mobile retail application, you’re already behind the wave. Apps offer a direct engagement method that drives tremendous value. […]

The post 5 Ways a Mobile Retail Application Can Increase Sales appeared first on Specific-Group.

]]>
Mobile is the most common way for users to access the internet. Currently, 57 percent of traffic comes from mobile devices and desktop usage continues to lag. If you aren’t already engaging with your customers via a mobile retail application, you’re already behind the wave. Apps offer a direct engagement method that drives tremendous value. More than that, millennials even more likely to use mobile devices to engage with brands. Thus, you can no longer ignore potential revenue streams available through an app. Here are five ways your app can help build revenue streams.

1. Push Notifications

When you have a special offer, discount code, or sale, the biggest challenge is getting the offer in front of your customers’ eyes. Traditional mailings are expensive and email open rates are minimal. However, push notifications allow you to deliver the offer directly to customers and guarantee they will see it. Plus, it offers you a way to engage specifically with mobile customers by offering some specials exclusively through your app.

2. Loyalty Rewards

Repeat customers are the backbone of a stable and successful business. Not only do new customers cost more to acquire, often five to 10 times more, they spend a lot less. Your mobile retail application can come with a loyalty program to engage with repeat customers. Since repeat customers spend an average of 67 percent more, loyalty rewards programs are a great way of showing appreciation. By tracking info through your app, you can make it easier for customers to use their rewards and get rid of some of the purchase friction by storing payment information.

3. GPS Coupons

Coffee shops have shown the value of the geo-targeted offer, but the application are endless for a brick-and-mortar store of any type. By using GPS location data to send out coupons directly to local shoppers, you can increase the number of visitors to your locations.

4. Streamline Operations

A convenient customer experience drives more business. For example, Chick-Fil-A and McDonald’s are leading the charge with a mobile retail application payment system. This allows customers to place an order, pay in advance and skip the line at pick up. This is an added convenience for both the restaurant and the diner. By putting more work hours into product creation and less into transaction handling, businesses improve their bottom line and help control one of the largest cost lines of doing business: man hours.

5. Price Comparison

While no store likes the idea of being a showroom for their competitors, the behavior is not going to disappear from consumer consciousness. However, an agile and smart business turns that to their advantage. Consider Best Buy’s app that allows consumers to scan items and get instant access to reviews. Since Best Buy also offers a Price Match, they don’t lose out on sales when customers pull out a mobile device.

There are many ways to use an app to engage with your customers, and all of them will eventually drive more revenue for your business. Some offer direct value propositions like discount offers and coupon redemption. Others are an added value that brings customers back to the experts. Hollister is a good example of a value-added app function. They provide a guide within their mobile app to display the perfect fit for each style of jeans. So how can your retail business benefit from this type of mobile retail application?

Look at your customers and performance, then find ways that you can connect through a custom app that represents your business. Specific-Group is here to help you through the process.

Specific-Group-Call-to-Action

The post 5 Ways a Mobile Retail Application Can Increase Sales appeared first on Specific-Group.

]]>
Custom Order Management Software: Key Features to Increase Efficiency https://specific-group.com/blog/custom-order-management-software/ Thu, 01 Mar 2018 14:02:40 +0000 https://specific-group.com/?p=5955 Custom software development can bring considerable advantages to your organization. You can tweak software to fit your exact business requirements, especially if you need to perform complex integrations with third-party systems. When compared with pre-built or “boxed” software, these solutions are more flexible and scalable. This means it can change alongside your business as you […]

The post Custom Order Management Software: Key Features to Increase Efficiency appeared first on Specific-Group.

]]>
Custom software development can bring considerable advantages to your organization. You can tweak software to fit your exact business requirements, especially if you need to perform complex integrations with third-party systems. When compared with pre-built or “boxed” software, these solutions are more flexible and scalable. This means it can change alongside your business as you expand and evolve.

A growing number of companies in nearly every industry are realizing the benefits of partnering with custom software development. Below, we’ll discuss some of the most important ways that custom order management software can make your enterprise more efficient and productive.

Order Management Automation

Managing orders well is one of the most important factors to the success of your business. To deliver products and services according to schedule and in line with customer expectations, you need a dedicated end-to-end custom order management software. This will give you a more comprehensive view into current and previous orders.

Order management lies at the intersection of sales and fulfillment. Custom software can unify and integrate these areas within a single easy-to-use platform. This way, different departments and people can more easily communicate, share data, and view revenue streams.

In addition to these integrations, custom order management software can also streamline activities such as accounting, billing, and collections. Processes are often burdened and slowed down by using manual efforts and offline spreadsheets. However, automation saves your company time by helping you regain proactive control over workflow.

Another field that can benefit from automation, especially for small businesses, is invoicing. Companies need to be able to group clients by a certain attribute, customize their invoice documents, and store data in the cloud for better security and reduced costs. A custom order management software with invoicing functionality can enable you to turn orders into invoices with a single click.

Security and Regulatory Compliance

As mentioned above, one of the biggest selling points of custom software is flexibility and scalability. Not only is this flexible enough to fit your own business requirements, it also adapts to today’s changing compliance laws and regulations. This is because it’s developed specifically in accordance with your unique business requirements. So custom solutions can more easily help you meet whatever laws and regulations you must be compliant with. In addition, most software development firms give you access to the application’s source code. This helps your team confirm that the software is behaving as it should.

You can even partner with a custom software developer to create a compliance management application. Such an application can provide you visibility across your entire enterprise so that you can establish an internal controls system. You’ll be able to track issues in real time and keep an eye on your monthly, quarterly, and annual compliance metrics.

Documentation and Reporting

As an additional benefit, custom software can serve your internal systems. For instance, documentation and reporting applications allow you to home in on metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) that are most important. So many companies want to make better data-driven decisions. However, they’re stifled by not having real-time access to the most important information. Unfortunately, their reporting capabilities are far too slow. The insights might as well be useless once they actually land on the desks of key decision-makers.

Custom software applications can be immensely valuable in breaking down organizational silos and fostering collaboration across the entire enterprise. The right reporting solution will allow you to build streamlined, attractive dashboards and reports that emphasize the KPIs that you want to monitor.

By improving the visibility of data for everyone who needs it, you’ll be making it easier to collaborate with teams about their reports. Custom documentation and reporting software breaks down institutional barriers and enables valuable insights to reach stakeholders at the times when they need them most.

Final Thoughts

The topics above are just a few of the ways that custom software can benefit your business even long after your initial investment. Interested in learning more about what custom software can do for your company? Based in Miami, Florida, Specific-Group has extensive experience in these topics above and more. Read how Specific-Group has helped other organizations by developing an efficient and effective system for customers.

Specific-Group-Call-to-Action

The post Custom Order Management Software: Key Features to Increase Efficiency appeared first on Specific-Group.

]]>
Specific-Group to Attend the O’Reilly Software Architecture Conference https://specific-group.com/blog/oreilly-software-architecture-conference/ Thu, 22 Feb 2018 13:00:48 +0000 https://specific-group.com/?p=6085 O’Reilly Software Architecture Conference 2018 “The O’Reilly Software Architecture Conference builds skills by focusing on technical breadth as well as depth. Understanding the tradeoffs, technology options, and engineering practices is critical because the long-term success of many companies balances on the effectiveness and versatility of the software engineering architecture teams that design, implement, and deploy […]

The post Specific-Group to Attend the O’Reilly Software Architecture Conference appeared first on Specific-Group.

]]>
O’Reilly Software Architecture Conference 2018

“The O’Reilly Software Architecture Conference builds skills by focusing on technical breadth as well as depth. Understanding the tradeoffs, technology options, and engineering practices is critical because the long-term success of many companies balances on the effectiveness and versatility of the software engineering architecture teams that design, implement, and deploy it.”

Speakers of the conference in New York, NY will share new best practices and approaches to software engineering. Engineers, developers, tech managers, and more will also be in attendance. For the latest conference news, visit the official website.

The O’Reilly Software Architecture Conference will focus on the following:

  • Microservices
  • Cloud native development and deployment
  • Application architecture
  • Enterprise architecture
  • Leadership and management
  • Distributed systems

Prominent speakers include Abby Beck, the senior product designer on the Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) team at Google. Also speaking is Paul Bakker, a senior software engineer on the edge developer experience team at Netflix. Attendees anticipate learning from their expertise and tools of the trade as well as success stories.

Specific-Group will be in attendance of this year’s O’Reilly Software Architecture Conference. Any person seeking to implement custom software solutions to make their current systems more effective should contact a member of our team.

Specific-Group-Call-to-Action

The post Specific-Group to Attend the O’Reilly Software Architecture Conference appeared first on Specific-Group.

]]>
Front End, Back End, and Full Stack Developers: A Comparison https://specific-group.com/blog/front-end-back-end-full-stack-developers-a-comparison/ Thu, 15 Feb 2018 12:50:07 +0000 https://specific-group.com/?p=5693 Are you redesigning your website or adding an eCommerce platform? You already know that you need help with a web development project. Unfortunately, your current IT team doesn’t have all the skills you need for the job. More than that, you may not be certain what kind of talent you want to hire. The truth […]

The post Front End, Back End, and Full Stack Developers: A Comparison appeared first on Specific-Group.

]]>
Are you redesigning your website or adding an eCommerce platform? You already know that you need help with a web development project. Unfortunately, your current IT team doesn’t have all the skills you need for the job. More than that, you may not be certain what kind of talent you want to hire.

The truth is that not all web developers are created equal. Some specialize in certain programming languages. Others have expert knowledge in mobile devices or databases. In general, however, there are three categories by which to classify web developers. These are front end, back end, and full stack developers. Each are responsible for running the different parts of a website, specific software, or application. Below, you’ll find a description of what each one does, so that you can choose the right kind for your needs.

Front End Developers

As the name implies, front end developers work on the “front end” of a website. This is also known as the “client side”. It refers to the actual look, feel and presentation of the website as it appears in your browser. It includes the colors and fonts, the drop-down menus, and the transitions and animations. Front end development prioritizes the user experience, and how to make the website functional and visually appealing for your audience. Front end developers possess technical skills in languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. They may also be familiar with front end frameworks such as Bootstrap, jQuery, Angular, and Backbone.

A particularly talented front end developer understands the specific goals of your software and identifies potential problems in user experience. They should also be able to execute their own recommendations to solve the issue.

 

Before moving on, it’s important to note that front end developers aren’t the same thing as web designers. Although, both roles closely collaborate and web designers often have knowledge of HTML and CSS. The main point of distinction is that web design is focused on aesthetics and usability. Web development is focused on turning these designs into reality. Despite this difference, it’s not uncommon to hear people use the phrase “web design” for the front end development work on a website.

Back End Developers

Front end developers focus on the website’s actual appearance and behavior for the user. Back end developers focus on the website’s internal logic. The back end of a website is composed of three things: a server, an application and a database. The goal of a back end developer is to get these three components to communicate. This is because the web browser must be able to receive and display the right information.

Still aren’t sure of the difference between front and back end? Think about what happens on Google’s website when you search for something. Simply put, back end developers are responsible for taking your search query and running it through the Google database in order to find the most relevant results. Meanwhile, front end developers are responsible for taking those results and displaying them in the web browser in a way that’s attractive and meaningful for the end user.

Front end developers must know HTML, CSS, and JavaScript at a minimum. Back end developers aren’t required to know any particular language or framework. Instead, they typically specialize in a given back end programming language, such as Ruby, .NET, PHP, Python or Java. They also use tools such as MySQL and Oracle to find and store important data.

Full Stack Developers

Full stack developers represent the best of both worlds, uniting the front and the back end. These people are comfortable wearing both hats, and they have expertise in all layers of a website’s development. This includes, but is by no means limited to, topics such as servers, hosting, databases and user interfaces. Facebook popularized the idea of a full stack programmer in 2010. They explain, “People who develop broad skills also tend to develop a good mental model of how different layers of a system behave. This turns out to be especially valuable for performance & optimization work.”

Beyond the front end trifecta of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, full stack developers must be familiar with at least one back end programming language. This gives them the ability to build a fully functional, mature web application from scratch. Most full stack developers tend to focus on one or two aspects of the website during a project. They just have the ability to contribute to any part of the code base if need be.

In recent years, the lines between websites’ front end and back end have become more blurred, as much of the computation from the back end is being moved into the browser. This means that full stack developers have never been in more demand, as their flexibility and versatility is finally coming in handy.

Which Developer Should You Choose?

Although we’ve discussed the three main types of web developers. However, there are really only two choices for your situation: a specialist or a full stack developer. Businesses might choose a front end or back end developer if they need a particular area of expertise, or they have a specific project to accomplish without the right resources.

On the other hand, full stack developers are the right choice if you need someone who’s a “jack of all trades” and you want to keep costs low. Using a full stack developer will probably be more costly than either a front end or back end developer. However, it’s less costly than hiring two specialists, one for each end of the stack. For example, if you just want to spruce up your website’s design to make it look more modern, a front end developer will be all you need. If you want to add an eCommerce store, you’ll need a full stack developer, since this will involve both front end design and back end logic. No matter what, a full stack programmer should identify the responsibilities of the front and back end and solve problems efficiently.

Whether you decide to go with a specialist or a full stack developer, there’s someone out there who’s the perfect fit for your situation. Specific-Group provides talent matching services based on your unique needs, so that you can always be sure you’ll get a quality product.

Specific-Group-Call-to-Action

The post Front End, Back End, and Full Stack Developers: A Comparison appeared first on Specific-Group.

]]>
The Key Benefits of Using React Native for Your Business https://specific-group.com/blog/key-benefits-of-using-react-native-for-your-business/ Thu, 08 Feb 2018 18:36:29 +0000 https://specific-group.com/?p=5866 Two major platforms dominate the mobile market, but doubling up on development time gets expensive. Creating an app that performs equally well on Android or iOS, with all of the same functionality, can be an incredible challenge and big budget sink. React Native allows you to develop a smooth user experience on any platform. For […]

The post The Key Benefits of Using React Native for Your Business appeared first on Specific-Group.

]]>
Two major platforms dominate the mobile market, but doubling up on development time gets expensive. Creating an app that performs equally well on Android or iOS, with all of the same functionality, can be an incredible challenge and big budget sink. React Native allows you to develop a smooth user experience on any platform. For business apps, where intense graphics components are not an issue, React Native is a great way to speed up development and create easy continuity in your development flow. Here are just a few reasons why React Native should be your next app development platform.

1. Open Source Community of Developers

The more niche the development project, the fewer developers available and the more expensive their time. The mobile addition to the React platform continues the open source trend and enjoys a robust community of users who can assist with projects. Not only does that mean you will find it easier to staff your development squad, you’ll also find that your existing developers have easy access to the resources they need for new projects.

2. Reuse Code but Stay Native

Android and iOS own the largest share, by far, of the mobile OS market, but that still leaves you with the hassle of creating apps that work with both. Native apps are faster and function more smoothly, but the development cost can get out of control when you need to offer support for both Android and iOS. With React Native, most of your code applies to both systems. Sure, you’ll need to make some tweaks for performance on one or the other, but the bulk of the framework deploys seamlessly on either OS. That’s a big savings in time and money when rolling out a new app or pushing updates.

3. Fast and Functional

One of the biggest drawbacks of web-based mobile app design is the slow performance. With Native React, you still get 60 fps in reaction speed, even while the app is performing complex queries and using a lot of resources. The speed ensures a seamless UI experience that seems native, even though the app runs on JavaScript through Native React.

4. Add New Functions With React Native

In a traditional development environment, you can’t just switch platforms without a complete redesign. With React Native, you simply add React Native UI components with no need to rewrite any of your existing code. This gives you tremendous flexibility and a lot of savings on the front end.

5. Live Reloading for Faster Cycles

For developers, one of the biggest benefits is the ability to instantly assess changes in real time. There’s no need to code a change, save, upload it to a test site and run. With this flexible and agile platform, you can see changes as you make them. That helps improve workflow and cuts out delays when updating the UI for your app.

React Native is designed to be developer friendly. Specific-Group uses dedicated specialists that can help in emergencies or provide long-term support for your app development. The platform uses easily readable language and works with familiar development tools, so with the right partner, you can get your current IT team up to speed. Specific-Group excels at providing a right-sized IT solution for your enterprise app development needs. When you want it done right, done quickly and done on budget, contact us about your next React Native development project.

Specific-Group-Call-to-Action

The post The Key Benefits of Using React Native for Your Business appeared first on Specific-Group.

]]>