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At the present day, technology is the backbone of virtually every­thing we do. From simple personal tasks to complex indus­trial processes, we are relying on software to get fast, accurate and reliable results. In this digital era appli­ca­tions are helping us manage business, socialize, commu­nicate, automate business processes, increase produc­tivity, enhance security and much more, and this makes technology an integral part of our lives. With the advancement of technology, the software development process has evolved as well. The world is demanding for appli­ca­tions that are efficient, fast, reliable and easy to use; this means that devel­opers must focus more on strategic planning in software development so as to achieve the best results possible. Planning is a crucial phase in the development process, as it deter­mines the level of success and relia­bility of an application.

Strategic planning in software development involves setting objec­tives, focusing on the archi­tecture and design, deciding on the development timeline and concen­trating resources and efforts. A strategic plan helps devel­opers layout a framework that enables them to work toward achieving the goals in the most effective and efficient way. Below are some of the roles and values of strategic planning in software development.

A Well Thought Architecture

An appli­cation and its efficiency is only as good as its archi­tecture. Devel­oping fast, efficient and reliable appli­ca­tions starts with the software archi­tecture; it is what deter­mines its perfor­mance when in use. Strategic planning helps the developer focus on the various software archi­tec­tural elements that make an app more reliable; these include security, speed, efficient memory footprint, and stability. Devel­oping an app without a solid plan means the app might have security issues, frequent crashes and be slow during operation, whereas strategic planning helps eliminate this issues.

Improved Quality

Focus on strategic planning in app development helps the developer build excellent quality. An accurate plan helps the developer start the development with the end in mind and this way the objec­tives are accom­plished. Every appli­cation is developed to solve a particular problem. App development with a strategic plan will solve the problem in the most efficient way, and the users will be satisfied with the results. The quality will determine its success in the market.

Timely App Development (Time Management)

Statistics show that most appli­ca­tions are not completed in time and this leads to incon­ve­niences or at times renders the software useless. An app that was meant for a specific event like national elections has to be complete for testing and imple­men­tation before the elections begin. Unless the software is complete before the event, the development process will be a waste of time and resources. Planning helps the developer layout a development schedule. The schedule outlines the tasks to be completed in each phase, and by following this program, it is possible to develop and complete the project in time.

Cost Reduction

Software development is a costly process that requires both resources and time. A strategic plan helps the developer come up with a plan that describes the guide­lines and speci­fi­ca­tions of how the app will be developed. With a good design and archi­tecture, it is possible to develop the software with the allocated resources. Without a good plan devel­opers may work for weeks or months just to realize they are heading in the wrong direction, and this leads to waste of resources, while a good plan can help reduce these costs.