When a business reaches a certain size, the operations become too complex and time-consuming to be managed manually. So, successful enterprises leverage emerging technologies to improve their efficiency and automate their business processes. Market leaders such as Coca-Cola, BlaBlacar, Orbus Software, and many others invest in enterprise software development to achieve a competitive advantage.
However, enterprise software development is a multi-disciplinary domain that requires robust tech expertise. It often includes CRM, Business Intelligence, operations and order fulfillment, online payment processing, accounting, and many others. So, businesses often choose to outsource this task to an enterprise software development company.
But how to find one that will meet your specific business needs and develop a custom solution? Discover in this article.
Why you should partner with an enterprise software development company
You can hardly come by two identical enterprises. Each has its unique processes that have been running for quite some time.
Enterprise application software (EAS) is aimed at solving the needs of big organizations. Such tools have several defining characteristics that distinguish them from your typical app:
- High performance: an enterprise application should be able to handle a large load every day, as many employees will access it on a daily basis;
- Highly customized: such software is typically created specifically to match your business processes;
- High scalability and extensibility: the system grows together with your business;
- A large number of integrations: multiple systems work together to perform a variety of tasks;
- Data portability: you can extract the data stored in the system for other purposes. For instance, you can use the insights from the HR operations to plan the salary budget;
- High security and robustness: enterprise systems are typically equipped with several layers of security (e.g., two-factor authentication, multiple user roles, and encryption).
As a result of these differences, you shouldn't entrust your enterprise software development to a vendor with no specific expertise. Meanwhile, with a trusted partner by your side, you will be able to benefit from the effective adoption of technologies that allow further business improvement.
Partnering with an enterprise software development company, you can:
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Audit business processes
First, internal company processes and workflows are examined in detail. They are observed and analyzed, and potential improvements are filtered out. Existing errors are uncovered. The benefits of process optimization only take effect if the company’s internal processes are coherent.
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Boost visibility in your business
Enterprise systems let you see how the whole business is running in real-time. Enterprise software is usually built to serve the entire organization. Therefore, it can provide Business Intelligence and actionable insights based on data from various sources: marketing, sales, manufacturing, HR, etc.
- Achieve higher scalability
You get scalable software if you partner with a trusted enterprise development company. No matter the size of the business now or in the future, it will work and allow you to scale it to new departments or business processes. Your software can then grow along with your organization.
- Boost competitive advantage
The ability to access your current situation and forecast where you’re heading, streamline and standardize your process, and give you the tools to deliver the best customer service – these are just a few deliverables that can be achieved with enterprise software development.
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Minimize errors and increase efficiency
The administrative and organizational effort is kept low through the general standardization of the organization and processes. This allows you to save time. In addition, the error rate is minimized because all data is stored in a single database.
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Improve overall business management
We will take a look at business management from the perspectives of resource and provided services management. Here is how your business can benefit from enterprise software in these areas.
- Managing resources:
As the enterprise scales, allocating the increased resources according to the development strategy is essential. Naturally, more lucrative directions are prioritized, while other projects are taken care of as the opportunity arises. Properly developed enterprise software will give you the insights needed to allocate resources smartly.
- Managing services:
Successful enterprises strive to increase the number or quality of services they provide. Efficient enterprise software can help you manage already established services and explore new opportunities simultaneously.
These are just some of the benefits you get from enterprise software. Thus partnering with an enterprise software development company is a viable business decision. So, more and more companies are adopting such software. Let’s now look at the market development in recent years.
Enterprise software development companies: Market overview
According to Statista, the 2022 global spending on enterprise software is expected to amount to $675B worldwide, witnessing a growth of 11% from the previous year.
The market growth trends mean that more and more businesses are going to need a trusted enterprise development company to partner with.
Clutch lists over 2,5K of enterprise software development companies worldwide. Most of these vendors are based in established outsourcing destinations (e.g., Eastern Europe, Asia, and South America). Cooperation with enterprise software development companies will help you optimize your business processes, keep up with the increasing competition, upgrade the quality of services, and more. However, you need a reliable provider of such services. We have put together a checklist that will help you do that. Let’s dive in.
How to find the best enterprise software development company
This section breaks down the key aspects that make a trusted enterprise development company.
1. Define your business needs
To begin with, you need to match the needs of your business to the overall goals and vision of the future. This is vital to ensure the success of your cooperation with a software development provider. With the help of a trusted vendor, you can, for instance:
- Digitally transform your business;
- Improve visibility of your processes;
- Introduce a new service or solution;
- Migrate to a new platform;
- Optimize the performance of your business processes;
- Tackle a complex business challenge;
- Conquer a new vertical with a new service.
Whichever is your aim, make sure to choose the vendor that can help you bring these business objectives to life.
2. Establish the selection criteria
To find a trusted vendor, you have to know exactly what you are looking for. So, you need to set the vendor selection criteria. These criteria are based on your specific business requirements and the expertise you seek in the vendor-to-be. These can be:
- Understanding of the industry;
- Proven track record of working with similar businesses;
- References, reviews, and testimonials from clients;
- Business-specific requirements.
3. Make a long list of potential partners
When compiling a long list of enterprise development companies, here’s what you need to consider:
- Outsourcing destination: Look for a location with a decent number of vendors, sufficient tech talent pool, and a good reputation;
- A number of employees: Focus on vendors with 500+ specialists. Smaller enterprise development companies might not be able to staff or scale up quickly enough;
- Market experience: Include companies with 7+ years of market presence. Such vendors typically have more experience in developing complex solutions for their clients;
- Client reviews: Use directories like Clutch to make up the list of your potential partners and check their reviews. Such websites verify the reviews, conduct interviews, and publish only genuine reviews, so this information is objective.
4. Shortlist the chosen enterprise software development companies
Once you have a long list of companies, it’s time to look at them and narrow down the list. This brings us to your business needs. When searching for an enterprise software development company, it's vital to look for a vendor with a portfolio of projects in your domain and the technical expertise needed to carry them out. This aspect brings us to the next step of choosing a trusted vendor.
5. Analyze their portfolio and case studies
As we have already mentioned, the enterprise software development market is growing in different directions. So, we cannot cover all business verticals in a single article. But here are some examples of the expertise you can look for in your enterprise development company:
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Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software
The ERP system is the heart and brain of a modern enterprise. It creates a unified database that lowers the number of errors. The data is entered once and can be used by all departments. The system typically consists of multiple modules, each responsible for digitizing a different area of your business:
- Accounting;
- Inventory management;
- Customer service;
- Business process management;
- Order management;
- Human resources;
- E-commerce;
- Shipping, etc.
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Customer relationships management (CRM) software
A CRM system ensures your team is aware of every client. It’s a contacts list that provides a detailed overview of your relationships with each customer.
It allows you to track how and when you’ve interacted with a client (in person, via phone, email, social media, etc.) and ensures that not a single lead will disappear. It is critical, as, according to Nucleus Research, every dollar you invest in CRM software can return as much as $8.71 in increased sales.
Most CRM systems allow you to track leads, manage orders, communicate with your clients, track their statuses, plan advertising campaigns, and gauge their effectiveness.
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Business Intelligence
BI software helps companies gain actionable insights based on data that comes from various sources: marketing, sales, manufacturing, HR, etc.
It uses data mining, benchmarking, and advanced statistical algorithms to reveal patterns and make accurate forecasts. To help managers detect trends and patterns in complex data, BI systems use various graphs, charts, and tables, everything you need to make better decisions without a background in statistics.
6. Look for clients’ feedback and testimonials
Out of more than 20K vendors listed on Clutch, only 6K have reviews. The lack of reviews from clients anywhere is a disturbing sign.
Check the company’s website. Look for long text reviews, video testimonials, and details of the collaboration. It is also a good idea to google the company and check reviews online. This might clarify what a typical project for this firm looks like, how they tackle challenges, and if they can deliver the negotiated results.
7. Check certifications, partnerships, memberships, and awards
If you plan to find a trusted enterprise software development company, make sure you deal with the one with all the needed qualifications. For example, every reliable company should have at least basic ISO certifications (9001 and 27001). In case your company is dealing with payment processing, you might need PCI DSS compliance. If you need cloud specialists, the vendor should have partnership status with at least one primary Cloud provider (AWS, Azure, or GCP).
If you can find the company in the international ratings, such as Global Outsourcing 100 (it recognizes the best outsourcing companies) – it is also a good sign.
Wrap up
While looking for the best enterprise software development company, opt for a vendor with strong technical expertise, end-to-end development services, and an in-depth understanding of the domain. This will help you find the tech partner for successful cooperation and, as a result, will help you accelerate your custom enterprise solution.
Why choose N-iX as your enterprise development company?
- We have 2,200+ experts on board that are ready to consult and support you at each stage of your enterprise software development process;
- N-iX complies with international security regulations, including ISO 27001:2013, PCI DSS, ISO 9001:2015, and GDPR, to ensure a high data security level;
- N-iX professionals have a proven track record working with business intelligence, CRM and payment processing solutions, and many others. Today the USA is the biggest market for N-iX as we partner with a lot of established American businesses;
- Our tech portfolio includes successful partnerships with global enterprises, including Orbus Software, Fluke Corporation, and Lebara;
- N-iX experts have profound experience developing solutions for a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, fintech, healthcare, automotive, telecom, and more.
