What is enterprise programming? The simple definition of enterprise programming is a large corporation or company whose business has nothing to do with software development but decides to hire enterprise programmers to build a system that is specific to their company. How is enterprise software different from other software? The most obvious difference is the fact that enterprise software is created on a much larger scale and is generally for a huge user base that is able to support all personnel within the organization. It tends to come with much more variability than small-scale software. If the software provides critical solutions to help the business run smoothly, complete most of the day to day tasks, and be successful then its an enterprise software. Some of the main components that make up enterprise software are that it can work across all business locations and through all departments. It usually interacts with other third-party software, is highly scalable and robust, and involves various tools and applications. In other words, it’s quite complex. What is the first step to successful enterprise programming? Let’s start this off by saying that developing anything on an enterprise level is very complex and challenging compared to other types of programming. There is a laundry list of tasks that need to happen in order to ensure the software is programmed correctly. The enterprise programmers must understand the architecture before the coding starts. There are a million lines of code which makes things very difficult if the development team doesn’t know what your current architecture is. Fully discuss your business goals so that the entire team can lay out a detailed plan to follow. Constant testing of every line of code is key to ensuring this is successful. Testing can take up a lot of time so instead, the team should focus on little tests instead of everything at once. This saves quite a bit of time in the long run. Also, get rid of old tests you don’t need anymore. Remember, enterprise programming is incredibly massive so things tend to get jumbled around. It’s like a spider web and everything must work together seamlessly otherwise your company won’t be able to rely on it. Communication with software developers is a must in order to ensure the best product. What are the best enterprise programming languages? Every day the hottest programming trends change so it can be difficult to stay on top of it. However, software development companies must do this to ensure every customer receives the highest quality product. Over the years new programming languages have surfaced. Even with the addition of new languages, the older ones can still be valid because it depends on what your needs are. Here are some of the main languages used today: 1. Java 2. Ruby 3. C 4. Python 5. PHP 6. Perl 7. C++ 8. MATLAB 9. SQL The last couple of years Java has been on top. However, this doesn’t mean it’s best for your enterprise software. The best thing to do is to have a brief understanding of these languages then discuss your goals with the team as they will be able to provide the best programming language to use. Should I hire dedicated programmers or build a team in-house? This is a common question for any size business. There is a lot to consider before you decide on building in-house or outsourcing. If you decide to create a department within the company you do have more control over everything and you can go right to them at a moments notice. It also provides a team that knows your business inside and out which helps make fixing issues and adding new functions simpler. However, the cost of this tends to be much higher, not just in payroll, but also in time. A lot of time and effort has to go into creating and managing the team. Just the hiring process alone can be tiresome. A task that many decide isn’t worth it. Hiring a team of dedicated enterprise programmers through a software development company does save a lot of money on overhead costs and reduces the amount of time and effort you need to put in. On average you can save anywhere from 50 to 70% going this route. Development companies already have the processes in place to complete the project and they have their own project managers to ensure every person is completing their tasks correctly. These companies also have security and maintenance systems, a QA team, availability, and expertise in place to build what you’re looking for. Although hiring a team through a development company has a lot of benefits, it doesn’t mean there is no work on your end. This is your companies project and you should be involved quite a bit. Your company should have long detailed conversations and documents about what you are looking for and ensure the team understands. It would be similar to what you would do if you hired in-house but without all the extra tasks and costs. How do I hire the right enterprise programmer? Hiring a programming company is similar to how you would hire an app development or web development team. The first conversation you have with the company will help you determine if you should hire them or not. • Are they providing a meaningful discussion of your business goals? They should be able to provide you with ideas and thoughts on what technology can be used to help solve problems. You don’t want to just hear “yes we can do that”. If that is all you hear, terminate the conversation and move on to the next company. • Ask to see samples of their work so you can get an idea of their skill set. • Do they understand the importance of UI/UX with regards to any type of development project? • Can they provide a detailed specifications document? Review that document outlining the project and their step by step process of completing the project. • Do they offer a lasting relationship? They should provide constant maintenance and ideas for incorporating new technology as they come out. • If they pass all of the above, give them a test project to see how they do. This should be something you actually need. However, depending on what it is don’t expect it for free. This task is going to help you decide if that company is the right fit for you. Do keep in mind the person that picks up the phone may not be the technical person. If they can’t answer your questions they should know to bring on one of their technical leaders on the call to discuss the project with you as well. What do I need to discuss with the programming team? • You should define your requirements. Ensure you have a project document that describes everything you are looking for. Then as mentioned the enterprise programmers will detail out the technical specifications. This should include items like the technology stack that you wish to have and delivery deadlines. • Define the ongoing work approach and methods that will be used such as Scrum or Kanban • Determine a time table based on your availability. It’s best to have a set schedule (such as 2 pm every Thursday) to meet and go over the progress. • The enterprise programmers should have collaboration and communication tools to use which will help keep everyone in the loop on daily progress. You can provide a tool that you prefer using as well. • Control over your IP. There should be complete transparency at all times when it comes to your codes. • here should be an option to do month to month and not just a whole project contract. Can my small business get enterprise-quality programming? You may be a small or mid-sized business and wondering if you can get the same level of programming that enterprises do. The answer is yes. It’s all about communication, budget, and needs. As a smaller business, you may just need 1 programmer to hire in-house or a mid-size company may want 3 dedicated programmers from an external development company. Either way, it’s all about hiring the right people who get what you want and do things the right way. No matter what size business you are its crucial to find quality enterprise programmers who are accountable for every step of the process. Companies like SDI offer substantial services with experienced programmers to get the job done. To learn more contact Sakshi Sharma at 408.621.8481 or sakshi@sdi.la.