Running a business can be a daunting task as you will have to handle many aspects, such as marketing, sales, and other paperwork. And like a business, knowing how to project manage app development is a complicated process. You have to build a good app while adhering to the set deadlines and budget. App development involves many step by step stages, and customers will want to know the entire process before you start this project. Well, below is all you need to know about managing your app development company.

Steps by Step Process of the App Development Project

Rough Estimate

This is the first stage of app development, and you will need to compute the app's requirements. You should know the needs, features, and objectives of the project. For instance, to know all the essentials of your app, you need to determine the platform you want to build your app on, i.e., iOS, Android, or Windows.

It’s also essential to understand the scope of these features, functionalities and supported third-party services, customer’s preferences, and design considerations. Once you compute all the project's needs, compute the approximate time to be taken in the app development project, which will help you know the money you can use for the overall development.

Planning Stage

The planning stage is important as it enables you to prepare wireframes and specifications. If you don’t have these essentials, you will find it challenging to prepare a good and detailed estimate and other requirements before starting the app development. You may have to hold many meetings with the customer to discuss any possible nuisances that can occur during the app development phase. Additionally, identify any possible troubles that may occur along the way.  

Specifications

This entails the project's details, such as the platform to be used, functionality, tech stack, coding, and more. It will also detail the uniqueness of the interface user, and at times, you may add a user story that details what happens when you click buttons or handle some actions. This will help you and the customers to understand the entire project completely.

Contract Signing

Once you agree with the customer on the project's payments and components, you will sign the paperwork. If you are working with a team, you will be coaching them, and once in a while, you may hold meetings and resolve any misunderstandings that may occur during the planning and app development.

The contract will include all the important details such as expenses, deadlines, cooperation terms, dispute settlement, and legal issues. You will also have to sign a Non-disclosure Agreement (NDA) with the client if you intend to prevent the idea's theft or copying.    

Development Process

The development process is where the real action takes place in the app development. Once you handle the relevant paperwork, and you sign the contract with the client, you can now begin to work on the app. But first, you will need a platform such as Agile and choose a development team if you need one.

Choosing software during the development process like Agile is important as you can work on the project in shifts. Once you complete a phase, the client will verify and approve it adheres to their requirements.

Release

This is the process in which you release the software to the market. Before you release the app, you should have stable versions in the store and ensure all the app’ servers are operational. If you are creating the Android app, you will submit it to the Google Play Store, but if for iPhones, you will submit it to IOS, where users can access it. Additionally, you can include a web version of the app to enable any user to access it regardless of the platforms they are using.

Post-Release Support

Once you release the app, the client will often need an upgrade or stabilization of the app. This service is important, but it's only for clients who have already functioning apps. During this stage, you are more of a business partner and not an app developer to the client. This is because you will be tasked with ensuring the app remains stable and optimally working.

App development is a complex process that involves many steps to ensure you realize your goals. Having a Project management degree is one of the safest bets to ensure that you manage the entire process. You will have to plan the project and organize it to satisfy the client’s needs for a stable, secure, and high-performance app.