How software prototyping can save your time and money
To be competitive in today's market, companies launch their digital products, redesign the existing ones, introduce new features, and so on. This allows them to increase customer satisfaction and expand their reach.
More and more often software prototyping is used as an important step of the process. See how it can save time and money and provide better results.
What is software prototyping?
Software prototyping is the process of creating an initial version of the product. This version shows the basics of the future product’s look and behavior. It does not necessarily reflect the exact details of the production-ready software.
New software, new functionality, or new design can all be subject to prototyping. The form of a prototype and the selected key moments to demonstrate may differ according to particular cases.
The main thing is that a prototype should serve its primary goal, which is a good assessment and understanding. A prototype is created, reviewed, and then refined based on feedback.
Benefits of software prototyping
Software meets the business expectations
When the software is just a prototype, the customer can realize how it meets their business goals and what needs to be improved in it. They can see what features should be added, removed, or changed so the product does what it is meant to do.
Sense of involvement for the customer
The customer has a greater sense of involvement into the product creation process. This always makes the results more reliable and appreciated.
Considerable time and money savings
And, of course, there is the benefit that is the focus of this article. Despite the fact that all software prototyping benefits promote the time and money savings in one way or another, let’s list a few that do it directly.
Ways in which software prototyping saves time & money
The estimation accuracy
Prototyping helps the development teams to estimate the costs, timescale, and resource requirements better. In his book “Prototyping: A practitioner’s guide,” the famous UX experts Todd Zaki Warfel wrote that the accuracy of the time and cost estimation for his projects increased by 50% thanks to prototyping.
The implementation accuracy
Prototyping helps avoid ambiguities and misunderstandings and so raises the accuracy in creating the desired product functionality.
Considerable savings on fixes
Any corrections and feature changes at the stage of a prototype are the best way to save money. If you decide to do them later, their costs will multiply many times. This applies to the development stages, not to mention the production.
Saving time on discussions
Software prototyping can replace tons of extra discussions and meetings between the customer and the development team, and still explain more about the product.
Fewer requests for clarifications
Also according to Todd Zaki Warfel’s calculations, prototyping allowed them to reduce the requests for clarifications from the development team by 80%.
The chance to involve an investment
When you want to get a software product developed for you, its prototype is something tangible to show to potential investors or other decision makers. Prototypes show the product’s idea more convincingly than verbal explanations. This increases the chances of getting funds.
The chance for early user testing
Although a prototype is not a fully functional software, there always are ways to involve user groups into sharing their feedback about it. This can considerably correct the project requirements as early as possible.
Full-cycle web agency: from prototypes to the final product!
Feel the benefits of software prototyping done right! Our web agency experts are here for you whatever your needs may be:
- if you want us to help you create a prototype for your idea
- or to develop the whole digital product for you (from a prototype to the production)
We are ready to carefully study your requirements and make sure the result meets them!