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INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Software for Business
Enterprise software development
must be underpinned by trust
and transparency
/////////////////////////////
Like any long-term
relationship, Ross McLaren,
COO of redPanda Software,
says communication and
honesty is key to enterprise
software development.
S
outh Africa is on par with the rest of
the world when it comes to enterprise
software development. The business
demands are similar to the rest of the world
and software development companies have
the ability to compete with anyone abroad.
Over the past 20 years, enterprise software
development has evolved, understandably,
from centralised computing power.
Here we talk about the old, big iron world
of the mainframe – to the distributed client
server model and then to where we are now.
Computing power is in the cloud and driven
by the demand for mobility.
South African enterprises face the
same challenges as their international
counterparts, albeit in a different set of local
economic and political conditions.
They need to develop solutions to business
problems fast and push to new markets as
soon as possible making use of the latest
and most up-to-date technology in order to
gain a competitive advantage.
Budgeting and planning are two important
challenges. From a budgeting point of view,
there needs to be a very detailed and concise
scope of work. This requires the developer
having an in-depth understanding of the
client’s business – how the processes work,
the problem that needs a solution and the
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domain where they operate. This is vital
because in order to win board approval,
the developer and enterprise need to be
100% aligned. This requires very careful
and methodical planning with the right
people involved from the earliest stages of
engagement.
How is this achieved? Through transparency
and long-term engagements. These two
pillars are vital in a highly competitive world.
Once-off interventions are futile. The world
of IT is dynamic and fluid, and so long-
term business, relationships between the
enterprise and the developer are crucial.
This means that besides the obvious
benefits of clear and regular feedback
resulting in better solution development,
the business has the confidence that the
developer partner is utilising the best-
possible technology solutions for its business
problems in innovative and effective ways
– because it understands the domain and
business exceptionally well.
That’s why redPanda Software believes
in long-term engagements that become
increasingly mutually beneficial over time.
The longer we are involved, the more we
increase our domain knowledge and that
leads to more effective solutions.
We strive to create real value for our clients
by getting to know their business as well
as our own. This gives us the opportunity
– and confidence – to approach them with
new technology and new concepts that
are relevant.
The software development model is built
on the two pillars of transparency and
trust – because then we create an agile and
dynamic partnership for the long haul.
Where South Africa does have a challenge
is the size of its skill pool. For this reason,
redPanda strongly advocates business
incubators and intern models – we have to
continue to build our talent pool.
Because of the limited skills available,
an enterprise outsourcing to a software
development partner unlocks immense value
because a company such as ours works very
hard to build a culture of continual upskilling
and learning, which is very attractive to the
best developers who may not necessarily feel
at home in an enterprise environment.
The positive flip side of the smaller enterprise
development community in South Africa is a
willingness, driven by necessity, to dive into
new and exciting technologies, underpinned
by collaboration and communication.
Being innovative and agile, underpinned
by trust and transparency, over the long
term is the surest way to future-proof a
business against digital disruption and keep
it competitive and innovative.
After all, the end-user or consumer is
increasingly digitally savvy and doesn’t just
demand this, but rather expects this. n
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