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In the digital climate, we find ourselves today, government agencies must provide software solutions that help increase staff members’ efficiency and improve the public experience. It’s not the only key to an evolving government, but it’s necessary for public approval.
Government agencies are well-aware of the benefits of software, but they’re also well-aware of the dangers that come with it. Especially when working with an incompetent software developer.
At CodeBright, we understand the magnitude of these projects and are well-prepared to take them on with success. We have a dedicated team of professionals ready to give you and your citizens the best experience possible when developing software.
Much like any business that’s preparing for new software, software development for government will result in a wide range of questions before getting the process started. That’s why we’re going to answer some of those questions below.
How can government-run software help staff members?
When government agencies develop software for employee and staff member use, they immediately invest in the future. Not only does software put your agency in a position to succeed, but it increases your day-to-day efficiency behind closed doors.
Governments use software for everything from accounting, budgeting, operations, reports, communications, and new-hire procedures. They help keep governments unified and keep everyone on the same page across all departments.
Better yet, you introduce an opportunity to integrate this software with the rest of your agency to provide a seamless operation. It’s what your staff members need, it’s what leadership needs, and it’s what the public wants to see in their government.
How can government-run software help the public?
If you’re not looking to build software for internal use, you’re interested in providing external use software. This is a smart move for any government agency that wants to maintain a well-balanced and healthy relationship with the public.
The truth is that citizens use the software every day when interacting with local, state, and federal government agencies. In today’s digital world, software programs are just as essential to public engagement as mobile and web apps are.
The software can help manage different government programs, share data and information with the public, provide a communications portal between government and public, and handle specific government and public processes.
What should government agencies look for in a developer?
A government agency that invests in quality software shows that they care about how their agency operates, and how others perceive their agency. It’s what’s going to provide the level of innovation needed in today’s digital world.
Since government-run software is a high-magnitude project for any developer, it’s crucial you pair yourself with the right team. When navigating through the wide range of professionals who focus on software development for government, here are some of the questions you should consider asking before hiring them:
- Can we see any samples or examples of recent work you’ve completed?
- Have you worked with any government agencies before?
- Can we have a list of your past clients, and do we have permission to reach out to them?
- How many developers will be working on our project, and will they have other projects at the same time?
- Do you understand what we need out of this software?
- How can your team of developers make our software better?
- How secure will our software be?
- Are you okay with signing a non-disclosure agreement (NDA)?
- What’s your software development for government agency process like?
- Will we receive consistent updates on the progress of our software?
- Does your team offer testing and quality assurance?
- Is your team able to maintain the software over time?
If you can get a clear answer to all of those questions, you’ll have a good idea of whether or not that software developer is right for your project. You must cover all bases before jumping into a project of this size with a random developer.
What is the software development for government agency process like?
At CodeBright, one of the most common questions we get asked before starting a project with an organization is, “What’s the process like?” It’s one of the things everyone wants to know – and for a good reason. That’s why we like to make sure our clients understand what they’re getting themselves into.
The good news is your duties are limited. As a government agency, your primary responsibility boils down to communicating your software idea to your software developer. If you can do this clearly and you’re confident you have the best software developer on your side, then you’ll be fine.
As far as the developer, they’ll have a lot of work to do. It’s in your best interest to keep a tab on your developer’s progress, but any quality developer will keep you in the loop because you shouldn’t have to keep a tab on them.
Still, you’ll want to know the different stages of software development for government agency so you’re not completely clueless. To ensure that you are ready, here’s a quick look at the different stages of software development for government agency:
Software development stages:
- Analysis – before the software developer can get started on anything, they need to understand the project’s full scope in detail. This is where they’ll need you to be as descriptive as possible so they can deliver software that meets your needs.
- Design – the design stage is where you start to visually see what your software will look like. The developers will use wireframes, mockups, and workflow diagrams to keep everything organized.
- Development – this stage is where you get to see your software brought to life by the developer. You’ll be involved the entire way in case you’ll want to make any changes.
- Testing – before you feel confident releasing software to the public or staff members, you need to know it’s safe, secure, functional, and free of errors or bugs. Any quality developer won’t hesitate to offer the best testing services available.
- Release – once the government agency and developers are satisfied with the end product, it’s time to implement the release strategy so people can start making use of it.
- Maintenance – you never truly know when you’ll want or need to update a software program. Having a developer that’s available for maintenance when you need it is essential to the development process.
If you’re ready to start working alongside a team of developers that take every stage of the development process seriously and with the utmost passion, then contact CodeBright today.
We have the experience necessary to bring government-run software to life and can’t wait to help you with your project. Our team of professionals will stand by you every step of the way to ensure a smooth and easy process.
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