The integration of security measures is no longer a secondary consideration within software development projects. As malicious tactics continue to evolve, the implementation of robust cybersecurity measures has become an imperative for both established enterprises and emerging startups.

According to a projection by Statista, cyberattacks such as network intrusion, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, phishing scams, ransomware incidents, and man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks are anticipated to inflict a financial toll exceeding $452 billion upon businesses based in the United States. These attacks not only result in significant periods of operational downtime but also inflict reputational harm upon the affected organizations.

Although awareness about cyber security has increased, the rate of security breaches reached alarming levels in 2023. Here are a couple of notable data breaches, which indicate that no company is immune to hacking attacks.

In November 2023, Samsung’s customer information was breached because of a third-party app vulnerability that affected UK-based users who used the app to make online purchases in 2020. This led to unauthorized access to personal information like names, phone numbers, emails and home addresses.

In October 2023, Walmart’s data breach was reported, with 85,000 individuals being affected by a cyber attack. It exposed protected health information like patient names, dates of birth, and prescription data. Walmart informed its customers of the attack and reported the incident to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights in October, yet all detailed information about the breach remained undisclosed.

However, all is not lost. Development and security teams in software development companies around the world are implementing protection methods for safeguarding sensitive data.

What is Web Application Security: Understanding the Fundamentals from the Ground Up

Web application security safeguards application data and code from cyberattacks and data breaches. It encompasses security measures at each phase of the software application development lifecycle (SDLC), including design, development, and deployment.

It entails the implementation of methods to identify and mitigate security vulnerabilities, reducing the risk of attacks. The most commonly used countermeasures and security controls in software projects include:

• Automated static code analysis
• Security testing of new software releases
• Use of application firewalls to define and enforce  activities
• Encryption and decryption programs
• Biometric authentication systems

Security Risks Your Web Application May Face

Web applications encounter various attack types based on attacker goals, the nature of work performed in your organization, and its security gaps. These include:

1. Zero-day Vulnerabilities: Attackers exploit system vulnerabilities that are known but not yet patched.
2. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS): Injects client-side scripts to access or manipulate user data.
3. SQL Injection (SQLi): Exploits database query vulnerabilities to access or modify data.
4. Denial-of-Service (DoS) and Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS): Overloads servers with attack traffic.
5. Memory Corruption: Unintentional memory modification exploited for malicious behavior.
6. Buffer Overflow: Overwrites adjacent memory locations, enabling code injection.
7. Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF): Triggers unauthorized requests using the victim’s credentials.
8. Credential Stuffing: Uses automated scripts to input stolen credentials from one breach to attempt to gain unauthorized access to another website.
9. Unauthorized Page Scraping: Bots steal webpage content for various malicious purposes.
10. API Abuse: Exploits vulnerabilities in APIs to intercept data or inject code.
11. Undocumented/Unapproved APIs: Undisclosed APIs expose sensitive data without security oversight.
12. Misuse of Third-Party Libraries: Vulnerabilities in third-party tools compromise data processing.
13. Attack Surface Misconfigurations: Unintended vulnerabilities due to oversight or misconfigurations like misconfigured logging, disabled security controls, lack of encryption, improper versioning, and excess privileges.

8 Strategies that Ensure the Security of Your Web Application

By implementing the following fundamental web application security services, you can effectively bolster the defenses of your organization against evolving cyber threats.

1. DDoS Mitigation: Safeguarding against overwhelming malicious traffic by deploying specialized filtration and high-bandwidth capacity solutions.
2. Web Application Firewall (WAF): Filtering out potential threats and exploiting web application vulnerabilities is crucial in rapidly evolving threat environments.
3. API Gateways: Identifying and blocking traffic targeting API vulnerabilities while managing and monitoring API traffic effectively.
4. DNSSEC: Ensuring secure DNS traffic routing to prevent interception by attackers.
5. Encryption Certificate Management: Outsourcing SSL/TLS encryption processes to manage private keys, certificate renewal, and revocation efficiently.
6. Bot Management: Utilizing machine learning to distinguish human users from automated traffic and prevent unauthorized access.
7. Client-Side Security: Monitoring third-party JavaScript dependencies and code changes to detect and prevent malicious activities.
8. Attack Surface Management: Providing centralized tools to map, identify, and mitigate security risks across the attack surface.

Leverage the Benefits of Web Application Security Best Practices Employed by Unified Infotech

Cybersecurity is an actual business enabler! Our team of web application development engineers has the expertise to fortify software applications against unauthorized access, data breaches, and malicious activities.

The software developers adopt the following protective countermeasures against prevalent security risks outlined by the OWASP Top 10 list:

• Validating Inputs: This method involves screening of data inputs. It helps developers prevent injection attacks and malicious code infiltration.
• Utilizing Robust Encryption: Stored user data encryption and HTTPS protocol implementation help safeguard against data theft.
• Enforcing Strong Authentication: Multi-factor authentication and access control integration deter unauthorized access to applications.
• Monitoring API Usage: Vigilance in tracking APIs prevents potential security gaps and mitigates risks associated with shadow APIs.
• Documenting Code Changes: By maintaining thorough documentation, our development team can promptly identify and address security vulnerabilities.

Ensuring Enterprise-Grade Application Security: How do We Use Threat Modeling to Build Security into Software Development Projects

Threat Mode­ling is the process of protecting sensitive­ information, software applications, and business operations. It use­s system diagrams, hypothetical situations, and vulnerability testing. We­ incorporate Threat Modeling into our DevOps proce­ss. This prevents common cybersecurity problems like­ improper error handling, missing data encryption, weak input validation, and poor authentication.

It enhances cybersecurity and fosters trust in critical business systems. Our web application security engineers pinpoint vulnerabilities, conduct risk assessments, and recommend corrective measures. The process involves creating data flow diagrams (DFDs) and visualizing attack paths, while prioritizing assets and risks. This enables our software application development team to grasp network security and architecture comprehensively.

Some common examples of Threat Modeling methods and tools include attack tree, trike, CIA method, VAST, LINDDUN, and STRIDE frameworks.

Web Application Security Testing – The Key to Finding Security Vulnerabilities

Web security testing seeks out security vulnerabilities in Web applications and their setup, primarily focusing on the application layer. This involves sending various inputs to provoke errors and assess unexpected behavior. These software testing methodologies, sometimes considered as negative tests, evaluate whether the system or software application is performing any unintended actions.

Importantly, web application security testing is not solely about testing security features like authentication and authorization. It also involves ensuring other features, such as business logic and input validation, are implemented securely. The objective is to verify that all functions exposed in the web applications are secure.

Types of Web Application Security Solutions and Tools We Employ

• Static Application Security Testing (SAST): Detects code flaws by analyzing source files. This allows for quick detection and collaborative troubleshooting.
• Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST): Proactively simulates security breaches. It helps to identify exploitable flaws and evaluate applications in production for runtime errors.
• Interactive Application Security Testing (IAST): Combines SAST and DAST elements. It enables real-time analysis within the application for accurate results.
• Runtime Application Security Protection (RASP): Continuously monitors applications for security breaches. It alerts our IT team by automatically responding to threats and terminating suspicious sessions.
• Mobile Application Security Testing (MAST): Assesses mobile app security through static and dynamic analysis. This helps to identify issues like malicious networks and data leakage.
• Web Application Firewall (WAF): Filters HTTP traffic to protect against various attacks like XSS and SQLi, functioning as part of a holistic security stack.
• Cloud Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP): Centralizes control of cloud-native application security tools. technologies like CSPM, CWPP, and API discovery for comprehensive security management.

Wrapping Up

Cybersecurity is an essential part of a comprehensive software security program. Unified Infotech collaborates with you to safeguard your business through advanced cybersecurity solutions and web application security services. Our innovative security approach incorporates zero trust principles, empowering you to thrive amidst uncertainty and cyber threats.

We assist you in effectively managing and mitigating risks and vulnerabilities in today’s cloud environments. Our developers integrate solutions to safeguard your digital assets, sensitive data, and digital users against evolving threats.

Leverage the latest cloud-based cybersecurity solutions to bolster your access management, network security, and endpoint security across various devices and infrastructure.

The post Redefining Cybersecurity for Software Projects with Web Application Security Solutions appeared first on Unified Infotech.

What makes Next.js Framework a Game Changer

Next.js, the modern web application development framework, gives you superior user experience combined with improved flexibility and performance.

Ability to Generate Static Websites

The loading speed is incredibly fast because of the static generation of web pages. This is crucial when it comes to enhancing the performance and security of content-heavy websites.

Improved SEO

The Next.js architecture makes it easy to optimize your website for search engines with relevant keywords.

Server-Side Rendering

Using the SSR approach, developers can write server-side logic with React Server Components, reducing page load time and improving the performance of your web application.

Automatic Splitting of Code

This feature facilitates splitting large pieces of code into smaller, manageable chunks, allowing you to load only the code blocks necessary for each of the web pages.

Enhanced Scalability

Ideal for small- and enterprise-grade application development projects, Next.js can easily scale your project potential.

Things to Consider When Choosing Next.js Development Companies in the USA

When looking to hire Next.js development companies for your custom web application project, you can shortlist companies based on the following criteria:

• Rating on Review Platforms – Clutch/GoodFirms/Designrush certifications and ratings give you a sense of how satisfied people are from collaboration with the company of your interest. Therefore, these ratings act as your trustworthy assistant.
• Services Offered – Today’s consumers rely on thorough research before making crucial business decisions. Companies that offer 360° development services are likely to instill a sense of credibility and reliability to clients.
• Years of Experience – Building robust and scalable web applications requires varied technological expertise. Therefore, companies with relevant experience in different tech stacks are more likely to build websites that offer seamless user experience.
• Price per Hour – The cost of developing web applications depends on several factors, including the skill level, experience, and complexity of the project. You should look to hire a company that follows a competitive pricing model and has developers with varied skill sets and extensive experience working on complex projects.
• Employee Strength – You should look to partner with trusted Next.js development companies that have a decent number of skilled resources.
• Industries Served – Make sure that the Next.js development company you choose has exposure to different industries.
• Client Base – The Next.js companies’ diverse client base and global reach is one of the most significant factors for finalizing your technology partner offering front-end or back-end development services.

Best Next.js Development Companies in the USA that you can Hire in 2024 and Beyond

Unified Infotech

In this fast-paced digital world, creating a website for increasing brand awareness is a no brainer. Unified Infotech, a renowned technology consulting and digital solutions company, helps you to not just boost your online presence but also make your website the cornerstone of your marketing strategy.

Established in 2010, Unified Infotech has a team of 150+ skilled and dedicated professionals who excel in building server-side applications and Rest API creation. With the best-quality services and support, they ensure to maintain a 98% client retention rate. Apart from web application development, their other areas of expertise include software development, web design and development, ecommerce development, mobile app development, and IT consulting.

The numerous awards and recognitions, including Top Web Developers 2022 by Clutch and A+ rating by BBB in 2023, serve as a testament to their exceptional service quality.

Clutch Rating– 4.5 stars (55 reviews)

Services– Web application development, Custom software development, Web development, Web design

Price– $50 – $99 / hr

Employee Strength– 50 – 249 

Office Locations– USA, India

Industries– Healthcare, eCommerce, Banking, eLearning, Logistics, Media and Entertainment

Taction Software LLC

Taction Software stands at the forefront of technological innovation, offering cutting-edge digital solutions that empower businesses to achieve remarkable outcomes. With a keen focus on agility and adaptability, they are not just a service provider but a strategic partner that helps businesses navigate complex challenges.

Their expertise in software development and integration services is more than just about technological proficiency. By simplifying business operations, enhancing productivity, and optimizing workflows, they deliver solutions that are not only efficient but also visionary.

Clutch Rating– 4.6 stars (12 reviews)

Services– Mobile app development, Web development, Custom software development

Price– $25 – $49 / hr

Employee Strength– 50 – 249 

Office Locations– USA, India

Industries– Medical, Financial Services, IT, eCommerce, Education, Business Services

Vlux Designs

Based in the bustling heart of Orange County, CA, Vlux Designs has carved out a niche in the world of web design with its professional, conversion-driven websites. Their objective is to empower businesses to establish a formidable online presence.

The team at Vlux Designs is composed of seasoned developers whose collective expertise forms the backbone of the company. Vlux Designs takes great pride in their commitment to supporting local businesses in Orange County, helping them navigate and excel in the digital landscape.

Clutch Rating– 4.9 stars (6 reviews)

Services– Web design, Web development, UX/UI design, IT Managed Services

Price– $50 – $99 / hr

Employee Strength– 2 – 9 

Office Locations– USA

Industries– Medical, Financial Services, Manufacturing, eCommerce, Business Services, Real Estate

Hristov Development

Hristov Development, a full-service IT consultancy, stands at the forefront of technological innovation, offering a comprehensive suite of services in web development and mobile app creation. They specialize in crafting high-quality, custom software development solutions, meticulously tailored to align with specific business requirements.

Their client-centric approach involves an active listening process, thorough data analysis, and a collaborative development methodology. They empower businesses to realize their ideas and achieve their goals rapidly, facilitating early sales, insightful user feedback, and attracting potential funding.

Clutch Rating– 5.0 stars (7 reviews)

Services– Custom software development, Web development, IT Managed Services, IT staff augmentation

Price– $25 – $49 / hr

Employee Strength– 10 – 49 

Office Locations– USA

Industries– Financial Services, Manufacturing, IT, Medical, eCommerce, Business Services, Real Estate

Fraction

Fraction is revolutionizing the way companies access elite software talent. In today’s competitive tech landscape, securing top-tier developers and designers is a challenging feat. Fraction addresses this challenge by tapping into a unique resource: the spare capacity of employees already working at leading tech firms like Apple, AT&T, Google, and Microsoft.

Fraction enables businesses, from startups to established enterprises, to leverage these professionals’ expertise. This arrangement is particularly advantageous for companies aiming to scale up rapidly or needing specialized skills for specific projects.

Clutch Rating– 5.0 stars (4 reviews)

Services– IT staff augmentation, Application management and support, Application development, Custom software development

Price– $50 – $99 / hr

Employee Strength– 50 – 249 

Office Locations– USA

Industries– Financial Services, Hospitality, IT, Medical, eCommerce, Business Services, Consumer Products & Services

IT Monks Agency

IT Monks has carved a unique niche in the realm of custom WordPress solutions, distinguishing themselves with an approach that effortlessly blends artistic design with technical prowess. Their expertise in creative graphic design is matched only by their proficiency in custom web development, ensuring that every project stands out with its own distinct flair.

Over a span of 15 years, IT Monks’ dedication to excellence in website development has led to the completion of over 500 projects, which is a testament to their commitment to delivering quality websites. The impressive track record of IT Monks is further underscored by the loyalty of their clientele – a remarkable 90% of their customers return for additional services.

Clutch Rating– 5.0 stars (18 reviews)

Services– Web design, Web development, eCommerce development

Price– $50 – $99 / hr

Employee Strength– 50 – 249

Office Locations– USA, Poland

Industries– Medical, eCommerce, Business Services, Arts & entertainment, Other industries

Prolific Digital

Prolific Digital, though not an extensive agency, stands out for its unique and vital set of qualities. It does not rely on a padded portfolio. Instead, it prides itself on delivering enriching experiences and meeting deadlines with unwavering dedication.

The mission at Prolific Digital is straightforward yet profound — to craft wonderful, immersive storytelling experiences that not only captivate but also resonate deeply with their audiences. Their focus is not solely on the end product but encompasses the entire journey — from meticulous planning to flawless execution.

Clutch Rating– 4.7 stars (5 reviews)

Services– Web design, Web development, Branding

Price– $100 – $149 / hr

Employee Strength– 10 – 49

Office Locations– USA

Industries– Advertising & Marketing, eCommerce, Consumer products & services

Discover Digital

Discovery Digital is renowned as a premier digital transformation agency, specializing in a range of key digital services that are crucial in the modern business landscape. In UX design, Discovery Digital stands out for its user-centric approach, creating intuitive and engaging user experiences that resonate with target audiences.

This specialization enables them to provide targeted solutions that address the unique challenges and opportunities in these sectors. Embracing the modern work culture, they operate as a fully remote team, which makes them location and timezone-agnostic.

Clutch Rating– 4.0 stars (1 review)

Services– Web development, Custom software development, UX/UI design

Price– $100 – $149 / hr

Employee Strength– 10 – 49

Office Locations– USA

Industries– Medical, eCommerce, Business Services, Arts & entertainment, Other industries

D2 Creative

D2 Creative, an award-winning marketing and advertising firm, stands out in the industry for its collaborative approach. Their client base is both impressive and diverse, featuring names like the Northwest Seaport Alliance, Amtrak, Paccar, EBay, HBO, and Alaskan Seafoods.

D2 Creative excels in developing tailored, impactful strategies that resonate across various communication channels. Whether it is through print, search, social media, digital platforms, or broadcast media, the firm has a proven track record of creating compelling messaging and creative solutions that engage and motivate target audiences.

Clutch Rating– 5.0 stars (1 review)

Services– Web design, Web development, Graphic design, Branding, Marketing strategy

Price– $150 – $199 / hr

Employee Strength– 10 – 49

Office Locations– USA

Industries– Medical, IT, Government, Education, Hospitality & Leisure, Legal

Leanware

Leanware, a prominent software development company based in Latin America, is known for its unwavering commitment to quality, ethical practices, and effective communication. 

Understanding the importance of cost efficiency, especially in a competitive market, Leanware offers top-tier services without compromising on quality, leveraging the cost benefits of their Latin American base.

Moreover, their flexible Engagement Models offer tailored solutions to fit any project requirement.

Clutch Rating– 5.0 stars (16 reviews)

Services– Custom software development, Web development, Mobile app development

Price– $25 – $49 / hr

Employee Strength– 10 – 49

Office Locations– USA, Colombia

Industries– Medical, IT, Business services, eCommerce, Other industries

To wrap things up, Next.js is cutting-edge technology that makes it easier for the developers to build robust server side applications by utilizing the benefits of React. However, choosing a reliable tech partner is the most important factor to successful application development. The list of the best Next.js developers for hire compiled above can turn your project vision into reality. All the companies have been meticulously selected on the basis of quality services they provide.

The post Top 10 Next.js Development Companies and Developers for Hire in the USA appeared first on Unified Infotech.

The global healthcare IT market is expected to reach $974.5 billion by 2027 and this astounding growth is largely attributed to the demand for healthcare solutions that reduce costs, improve patient care, and enhance process efficiency.

Whether you are a professional seeking to streamline healthcare operations or an organization aiming to invest in solutions that digitally transform the healthcare sector, you are in the right place. So, consider this essential guide to delve deep into healthcare software development, showcasing how we approach the process and making predictions about the future of developing medical software.

What is Healthcare Software Development

Healthcare software development, also popularly called medical software development, is a technology-driven process of developing digital solutions and applications that work towards improving access to healthcare, streamlining the processes, and protecting your data from compromise or loss.

What roles do these medical software play in healthcare

Hospitals are expanding their operations each year. They are now transitioning to customized medical software for easy maintenance and operation of costly assets. Moreover, the healthcare facilities can optimize inventory stocking and minimize operational costs through cutting-edge healthcare IT solutions.

As a matter of fact, features like immediate access to treatment records and medical annals are essential to make sure patients are happy. Tools like automated scheduling and integrated communication networks, along with in-app notifications and messaging, make for a fast and efficient process – perfect for customer satisfaction!

Doctors can also remotely monitor their patients using healthcare software. The patients can quickly consult and get themselves diagnosed without attending the doctor’s office.

Types of Healthcare Solutions We Develop

Get an edge over your competitors by making your product an essential element of the healthcare ecosystem through our 365° healthcare software development services. Our healthcare software developers have experience in working with pharmaceutical companies and other healthcare organizations, making custom software development easy. We offer the following types of software to assist you in your unique business needs.

EHR/EMR integration system:

Electronic health records or electronic medical records store medical information of patients digitally. These are used by healthcare facilities and usually integrated with hospital management systems.

Telemedicine software:

It helps doctors and other medical professionals to diagnose or examine patients from a remote setting via file-sharing or video conferencing tools.

Telehealth software:

This type of software is quite similar to telemedicine software except that it can be used for a wider range of medical services, including preventive care, medical staff training, etc.

Medical equipment management software:

It helps in making equipment maintenance easier by automating inventory tracking and proper timetabling of routine maintenance work.

Health tracking software for wearable devices:

These healthcare software applications are suitable for wearable technology and help collect data like body temperature, blood sugar, pulse rate, sleep quality, etc.

Hospital management software:

An HMS delivers management capabilities to the healthcare professionals, patients, and hospital administration. It consists of two panels – one that enhances patient experience and the second one that boosts administration-oriented capabilities.

Medical diagnosis and imaging software:

This kind of software makes appointment scheduling, patient diagnosis, report tracking, and invoicing easier. It is used in radiology departments for enhancing the speed and accuracy of diagnosis.

Healthcare billing software:

It is used by healthcare organizations for automating and streamlining the billing process, which usually include billing to the patient parties and insurance provider.

E-prescribing software:

E-prescriptions aid both doctors and patients, as it simplifies the process of granting, renewing, or changing a prescription.

Pharmacy management software:

The software solution helps optimize controlling and monitoring of drug inventory, improving the pharmaceutical product flow. Moreover, it makes pricing management and customer’s insurance claims processing simpler.

Revenue cycle management software:

The RCM software automates manual tasks, including billing and collection, speeding up and improving the efficiency of the payment process.

Healthcare CRM solution:

The objective of this software type is to maintain better client relationships through improved contact management, care quality, and performance reports.

Who can Benefit from Our Healthcare Software Development Services

Our growing community of satisfied customers that have experienced transformative healthcare solutions include:

• Healthcare providers
• Healthcare software startups
• Healthcare product companies
• Medical device manufacturers
• Pharmaceutical and biotech companies
• Medical research centers

Technology Trends Paving the Way for the Future of Healthcare Software Development in 2024

The future of healthcare development holds immense potential for technological innovations and trends. Several key areas that are expected to craft the landscape of medical software development include

Integration of AI and ML in Healthcare Software

It will facilitate healthcare professionals in making more accurate diagnosis and giving them an upper hand in personalizing treatment plans.

Increasing Popularity of Wearable Technology

The consistent rise in demand for integration of IoT and wearable technology in healthcare solutions will be the driving factor behind remote patient monitoring, which will help medical practitioners to gather real-time data and make informed decisions.

Inclusion of Blockchain Technology

It is expected that blockchain technology will play a major role in safeguarding healthcare data, reducing the risks of unauthorized access and breaches. Specifically, blockchain can help democratize and decentralize healthcare information.

Cross-Platform Compatibility

Interoperability and cross-platform compatibility will seek to break down silos and facilitate exchange of data, protecting individual privacy across the healthcare landscape.

Our Approach to Healthcare Software Development

We follow the Agile methodology of healthcare software development to create robust, user-centric applications that provide unmatched user convenience and satisfaction.

Step-by-Step Process to Develop Custom Software for the Healthcare Sector

1. Project Analysis/Planning

Our team understands the project scope and chalks out an effective plan through IT consulting. The experienced professionals at Unified Infotech perform thorough market research, analyze the potential risks, and create a mitigation plan before starting your project.

2. Design

Our UI/UX experts map out the user journeys to produce an intuitive and attractive user interface, which includes graphic components that will help the end users interact with your software.

3. Development

This stage involves development of the frontend and backend, as well as integration of third-party APIs. We maintain the gold standards in healthcare development practices, keeping all the applicable industry compliances in mind.

4. Testing

Our QA engineers conduct healthcare software testing, which generally includes functional, vulnerability, integration, performance, accessibility, and usability testing. The comprehensive testing and validation process eliminates bugs and ensures seamless software functioning.

5. Software Deployment

Once the testing phase has been completed, our healthcare developers finally release the application to the production environment.

6. Maintenance and Support

A crucial aspect of maintaining the optimal performance of your healthcare software is the regular implementation of security and functional upgrades. We ensure seamless performance of the application, which is pivotal in today’s digitally driven healthcare landscape.

Why Choose Us for Custom Healthcare Software Development

We are a boutique medical software development company with expertise in building custom solutions tailored to your specific business needs. Stay ahead of the curve with our 360° healthcare software development services.

Rapid Software Release

We make sure that MVP deployment and every sprint release are on time and in accordance with CI/CD and DevOps best practices. 

Reliable and Secure Development

At Unified Infotech, we have a software development team with hands-on experience in building secure medical applications, ensuring strict compliance with healthcare regulations.

Flexible Engagement Models

Our flexible engagement models are designed to meet your needs, driving outstanding performance and ensuring optimal results for your software solution.

Seamless Integration with Medical Devices

We ensure that the software we develop is user-centric and easy to integrate with medical devices through WiFi, Bluetooth, 5G, etc.

Agile and Transparent Methodology

Backed by the Agile approach, our software development process is completely lucid and easily understandable. Each developmental stage can be reviewed, and you can give your feedback in real-time.

The post An In-depth Guide on Healthcare Software Development in 2024 appeared first on Unified Infotech.

Best Practices to Enhance Revenue Cycle Management in Healthcare

Before proceeding further, let us gain an insight into the importance of revenue cycle management in healthcare. By definition, it involves all those processes where a financial transaction exists. This transaction may be between the provider and the payer, the insurance company, its numerous suppliers, etc. While most healthcare companies have revenue cycle management (RCM) systems in place, they are not foolproof. To enhance the effectiveness of the implemented RCM, a healthcare provider needs to follow certain best practices like:

Prioritizing Patients and Their Preferences

A transparent payer/provider relationship always results in a long-term relationship. Update them about the likely expenses they will incur at the beginning of their treatment process.  This will make the patients feel more in control over their care strategy. Additionally, reducing the surprise element associated with payments will help healthcare companies realize their payments quickly and efficiently.

Collecting Up-Front Payments

Realizing the applicable payments after the patient has received the required care can lead to a disconnect. Collect payments when scheduling appointments, irrespective of whether the patient or insurance provider makes the payment.

Automating Claim Authorization

This is a popular point of disconnect between the payer and the provider. It results in payment delays and an increase in aging debts. Automating will help simplify this process and make it time efficient.

Improving Claim Filing Timelines

Leverage the role of custom software in healthcare revenue cycle management to reduce claim filing timelines and improve TAT for claim realization.

Managing Denials

An insurance provider does not approve all claims. Some reasons for rejection include missing information, late filing, eligibility issues, incorrect coding, and duplicate claims. Most of these issues are avoidable; this process needs to be streamlined if they get repeated.

Monitoring Account Receivables

Immediate realization of payments will prevent account receivables from piling and aging. Regular and frequent monitoring of the same can help prevent this.

Complying with Statutory Requirements

Ensuring compliance, especially with HIPAA, is mandatory for healthcare providers. They should comply with them on priority.

Using Healthcare Application Development to Address Pain Points

All healthcare providers have two options for implementing the above-mentioned best practices. They can manually oversee the processes or invest in technology. Manual implementations can lead to inaccuracies and delays. But automating the processes will enhance the efficiency of revenue cycle management in healthcare by eliminating its associated pain points:

• Inaccuracy of claim submission and reimbursement
• Miscommunication between involved parties
• Complicacies of patient information documentation 
• Administrative process overlooks
• Fraud, corruption, and wastage
• Added operational costs
• Ever-evolving healthcare regulations
• Untimely Payment collection

What is the Role of Software in Healthcare Billing

Investing in a custom software development company to build an RCM system has benefits beyond addressing pain points. For example, custom RCM software can be leveraged to handle vast volumes of information, manage claims, automate alerts, etc.

Today, customizing software solutions for revenue cycle management in healthcare is a mandatory requirement because:

• Healthcare billing involves many ethical and legal requirements that keep changing frequently. Healthcare providers must stay abreast of these changes to maintain a healthy and hassle-free business. Manually, it is challenging to keep track of the changes, but an automated system makes it easy.
• Healthcare service providers frequently experience seasonal variations in their business volumes. Automating the RCM will enable these providers to address increased business volumes without incurring additional expenses.
• Healthcare providers must also stay aligned with claim filing and other associated procedure changes implemented by insurance providers. Additionally, they must keep track of and incorporate the latest advances in treatment procedures. All this calls for precision in time management. Implementing automated solutions for revenue cycle management in healthcare can help them achieve this effortlessly.
• Investing in technology generates a higher ROI than many other operational investments associated with the healthcare sector. Automating processes makes it both cost and time efficient. Streamlining and fine-tuning revenue processes enhances revenue management and improves ROI on technology investments.
• The healthcare sector generates a lot of data. This can be used to gain deep insights that facilitate accurate decision-making and improve their efficacy. Such decision-making further enhances financial and commercial health and enables healthcare providers to thrive and sustain in a competitive landscape.

However, the choice of a healthcare software development company is crucial. It plays a critical role in the success of the RCM solution. The same should be selected after careful research about the quality of the services offered. Partnering with a good custom software developer will help healthcare providers realize their revenue management goals quickly.

How to Select a Healthcare Custom Software Solutions Provider

When opting for custom healthcare revenue software, healthcare providers have two alternatives. They can opt for off-the-shelf RCM systems. Alternatively, based on their needs, they can get a customized software solution designed by a custom software development company in usa. 

While an off-the-shelf solution is inexpensive, it is rarely flexible enough to accommodate custom healthcare revenue needs. Solutions developed by custom software development companies in the US offer healthcare providers the ability to personalize their RCM software. They can add or delete modules based on their system requirements. This enhances the utility of the software and offsets the additional expenses healthcare providers might incur. 

Healthcare providers can maximize the ROI from the developed RCM software solutions by choosing an appropriate custom software developer. Some points that need to be priorities for the same include:

• Type of Custom Software Solutions they Offer

RCM combines several different but interrelated processes. Developing a comprehensive RCM solution is time-consuming. Debugging it to improve its usability is also a challenging prospect. Hence, select a custom software provider specializing in bespoke solutions for the different RCM modules. This flexibility will help make the process result-oriented and efficient.

• Scalable Technology

Frequent technological advances are a common occurrence. So look for a partner backed by updated technical expertise and experience. Such custom solution providers keep up-to-date with the latest technological advances and implement them to make scalable custom solutions.

• Trust and Transparency

Revenue management software is a critical component of the healthcare industry. Choose a custom software development company that ensures process transparency through clear communications. Such companies are well-equipped to build and justify their healthcare client’s trust.

• Personalized Training and Support

Both are crucial in maximizing the utility of the developed custom healthcare revenue software. Thus, a custom software development company in the US that prioritizes product training and support will be the right choice for healthcare providers.  

Must-Have Features of revenue cycle management in healthcare System

The features to be incorporated in a custom solution for revenue cycle management in healthcare depend on individual healthcare provider requirements. Some popular in-demand features of healthcare management systems are given below.  

• Pre-Registration

Generally, a revenue cycle starts with patient registration. But integrating the option of pre-registration helps healthcare providers gain and retain information about future patients. When such people come to avail of the healthcare facilities, they can do so without going through the registration process. This facility is extremely beneficial in instances of emergency admissions and emergency healthcare administrations.

Keeping records of future patients also helps healthcare providers to enhance patient engagement, thereby increasing patient loyalty. 

• Patient Scheduling

Patient scheduling, either for doctor consultations or for other procedures, is complicated and lengthy.  Implementing custom software solutions makes patient scheduling easy and flawless. Patients can book appointments and procedural tests online instead of going to the healthcare provider. They can also make the required payments online. Since collecting upfront payment is the preferred way of payment collection for healthcare providers, both the payer and the provider benefit from this. Patients will also receive automated alerts regarding confirmations, payments, and scheduling changes, if any.

• Automated Billing 

People come to a healthcare facility to avail themselves of innumerable healthcare processes. It is not possible for their employees to remember all the costs associated with these treatment procedures. Integrate automated billing in the design and implementation of solutions related to revenue cycle management in healthcare to overcome this challenge. Add different payment platforms, gateways, and options to enhance payment flexibility.  

• Claim Management 

Enhance the accuracy of the claims filed by automating the process. Revenue Cycle Management custom software solutions can make this process transparent by informing patients about their insurance eligibility criteria beforehand. Thus, patients will be better prepared and in control of their treatment process.

Each insurance provider has different criteria for filing and approving/rejecting claims. An automated RCM can be developed to file customized claims based on individual insurance provider criteria. This will reduce claim rejection and the time taken to file the claims.  

• Charge Capture Duties Simplified

Charge capture is a complex process performed by healthcare providers and practitioners. It involves recording and documenting all procedures or services rendered to the patients. It starts after patients complete their treatment or test procedures. After compiling the same, it is submitted to the patient/insurance provider for payment realization. But Improper charge capture may lead to unwanted consequences. For example, under-coding charges can result in revenue leakages. On the other hand, over-coding charges are non-compliant and may lead to costly audits. 

Software developer companies enhance the functionality of their custom RCM software by automating charge capture. For healthcare providers having this functionality means they are protected from revenue leakages and audits.

• Back-End Processes Optimized

By automating backend processes and streamlining task management workflows, custom-developed RCM solutions help reduce manual workloads. This increases the efficiency of those processes that are repetitive and time-consuming. Consequently, healthcare providers can maximize staff utilization and enhance their productivity by automating the entire backend process. 

• Security and Encryption

The healthcare industry involves confidential data collection that, if breached, can result in financial and reputational loss. Automating the RCM increases the importance of the healthcare management system by securing data collection from different touchpoints. Healthcare providers can enhance data security by customizing their RCM software with secure data storage mechanisms. 

Most healthcare providers must also prioritize HIPAA compliance and safeguard patient information by maintaining specific privacy standards. An RCM software can be customized to implement HIPAA guidelines and reduce the healthcare organization’s legal and statutory risks. Healthcare providers can concentrate on providing high-quality medical care while ensuring patient confidentiality. 

• Quick Turnaround

Automating processes makes them quick and accurate. Hence, the service outcome efficiency improves, and healthcare providers can provide better services to their customers. Rapid processes result in better patient management and greater patient satisfaction, enhancing revenue outcomes. 

• Data-Driven Decision-Making

Healthcare providers can also customize their custom software solutions with capabilities for data analytics. The deep insights gained from them can be used to improve processes associated with revenue management. They can also plug present lacunae into the workflows, enhancing efficiency and outcomes.

How can Unified Infotech’s Custom Software Solutions Empower revenue cycle management in healthcare

By opting for custom software for revenue cycle management in healthcare from Unified Infotech, healthcare providers can harness the benefits of modern technology to ensure:

• Better patient migration from legacy to automated systems
• Improved processing of patient data
• Automation of insurance data such that healthcare providers can reduce claim rejection and claim resubmission
• Increased accuracy and transparency of medical billing processes that reduce the scope of faulty charge capture
• Interactive and innovative dashboards that offer a quick resolution to patient queries and requirements for better patient relationship management 
• Ensuring compliance with statutory requirements and legislation

At Unified, we believe in building viable healthcare solutions. We concentrate on creating custom solutions that cater to different modules of the RCM. Implementing software solutions for the various modules one at a time helps to simplify business processes. It facilitates better data collection and sharing between the different modules. 

By building customized solutions for different modules, Unified improves the quality of healthcare app development. Debugging becomes easy, and the time-to-market also improves. 

We also provide IT consultation before we start building a custom healthcare solution. Before building a framework with the required service features, our experts hold multiple sessions to understand the healthcare provider’s needs. Conducting extensive market and competitor research, they help guide the client regarding all additional modifications that need implementation.

 We also provide our clients with a Knowledge Transfer demo before deploying the final software. By doing this, we maximize the utilization of the complete software solutions we build for them.

The demand for custom software solutions in the healthcare sector cannot be denied. Numerous software development companies are making custom solutions to capitalize on this trend. But healthcare providers must be extra cautious when selecting a software development company. Some services they should look for and research include the type of customer support offered post the deployment of the software solution. The healthcare industry has to function 24 x 7 on priority. Hence, they should look for a custom software company that can provide intensive customer support.

They should also research the tools and processes they need to implement in the software and align them to their needs.  With Unified Infotech developed custom solutions for revenue cycle management in healthcare, you can be sure of accessible help as and when required. Also, all our solutions are client-specific and will help healthcare providers meet their organizational and societal goals.

The post Optimize Revenue Cycle Management In Healthcare With Custom Software Solutions appeared first on Unified Infotech.

For the uninitiated, HIPAA stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. But why is it critical? What role does it play? Knowing all this is essential because of its associated statutory and legal consequences. Did you know that even a tiny HIPAA offense results in penalties for the healthcare provider? You could be fined between $100 and $50,000 or even jailed for it, resulting in a loss of reputation. With such consequences, it is better to understand what is required for HIPAA compliance and adhere to it from the start.

Understanding the Basics of HIPAA Software Compliance

Formulated in 1996, HIPAA lays down a set of healthcare regulatory requirements. They define how healthcare providers and health insurance companies must protect and safeguard sensitive and confidential patient data. The Health and Human Services (HHS) Department regulates this compliance while the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) enforces its provisions.

HIPAA was primarily designed to curb the flow of confidential information in the healthcare sector. By limiting access to PHI or Protected Health Information, HIPAA seeks to prevent its misuse. The HIPAA Act covers all healthcare providers, clearinghouses, and insurance providers. Entities associated with them also come under the purview of this Act.

Basic Components

HIPAA comprises the following essential components that define its implementation, usage, and non-compliance procedures.

The Privacy Rule

These primarily focus on the security of PHI as required for integration during HIPAA compliant software development. Protected Health Information or PHI includes a patient’s mental and physical health and personal data, including social security numbers etc. It also consists of the type of treatment provided to the patient and how the payment was made.

The HIPAA Privacy Rule seeks to educate patients about their PHI protection rights. It also allows patients to seek their health records and provide data corrections if required. As a special provision, the Privacy Rule also permits the use and disclosure of a patient’s health records. But this can only be used for enabling patient care and other justifiable purposes.

The Security Rule

This rule deals with the methods that need to be implemented to ensure the integrity of ePHI and enable its protection. All involved entities should proactively anticipate ePHI-connected risks and implement ways to eliminate them. Further, these implemented protection methods must be regularly reviewed and modified.

The Breach Notification Rule

There are many healthcare companies that knowingly or unknowingly fail to comply with HIPAA software requirements. What rules should govern these HIPAA breaches? All these are defined in this portion of the security-centered HIPAA Act.

The Omnibus Rule

Appended to the original Act in 2013, this rule makes it mandatory for all healthcare entities and businesses to be HIPAA compliant. Rules governing the formation and execution of Business Associate Agreements or BAAs are also mentioned here. Constructing the BAA is a requirement for sharing and transferring PHI or ePHI. Related fines and penalties to be implemented due to the breach or non-compliance of the Omnibus Rule are also mentioned here.

The Enforcement Rule

This rule deals with the workings of the HHS and OCR. It defines the steps they should take to ensure the implementation of this Act. Procedures for conducting non-compliance investigations and hearings are also mentioned here. It also defines how the related penalties will be calculated.

Common Reasons for Non-Compliance

Often, businesses associated with the healthcare industry fail to implement HIPAA compliant software provisions due to ignorance. They make mistakes that can be easily avoided with a little knowledge and diligence. Some of the errors most healthcare industry members and their associates commonly make include: 

• Incorrect disposal of patent information, irrespective of whether it is in digital or physical form.
• Accidental spread of information.
• Mindlessly trusting business associates and thinking they are HIPAA compliant.
• Handling data storage without making provisions for regular backup.

HIPAA Violation Fines

Failure to comply with HIPAA regulations is enough for penalties to be levied. There is no need for the involvement of an active PHI breach. All intentional or unintentional violations of the HIPAA IT compliance requirements can be divided into four tiers. This division takes into account the severity of the violations and their impact. 

• Tier 1 deals with all unintentional HIPAA violations occurring due to ignorance. The penalty per violation ranges from $100 to $50,000. The maximum annual penalty limit is $1,500,000.
• Tier 2 deals with unintentional violations that the healthcare provider could not correct even after being appraised of the same. The penalty ranges from $1000 to $50,000 with an annual limit of $1,500,000.
• Tier 3 deals with violations resulting from “willful neglect .” The penalty ranges between $10,000 to  $50,000 per violation, subject to an annual limit of $1,500,000. However, this penalty is only valid if the HIPAA non-compliance is corrected within 30 days of its identification.
• Tier 4 deals with “wilful neglects” that are not corrected even after 30 days of identification. The penalty is $50,000 per violation, subject to an annual limit of $1,500,000.

Sometimes HIPAA violations can also result in lawsuits being filed and criminal consequences. The penalties associated with a plausible HIPAA violation are very high. Hence ensuring HIPAA compliance for software development is extremely important.

The Need for HIPAA Software Compliance

Along with healthcare providers, clearinghouses, and insurance providers, even associated software vendors must be HIPAA compliant. They should understand its requirements and implement them in their custom software solutions.

According to HIPAA rules, all software solutions that either process, store, or transmit patent data electronically need HIPAA compliance. HIPAA spells out precise instructions for classifying software as HIPAA-compliant. These include:

• Preventing unauthorized access to healthcare data
• Allowing access to authorized users using role-based controls
• Prohibiting all alterations and deletions to PHI or ePHI without authorization
• Anticipating security risks to control them proactively
• Deploying appropriate protection measures

Following these instructions will help custom software developers guarantee the integrity, confidentiality, and accessibility of PHI; the core requirement of the HIPAA Act.

Organizations that have to Meet HIPAA Software Requirements

Let us now define the entities and businesses that fall under the purview of HIPAA.  The healthcare providers mentioned in HIPAA’s context include:

• Individuals like doctors, nurses, chiropractors, dentists, etc.
• Healthcare facilities like hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, etc.

The classification, Health plan providers primarily include insurance companies and health maintenance organizations. Private and public organizations that pay for the healthcare services rendered to respective insured patients also come under its purview.

By Healthcare clearinghouses, HIPAA refers to those institutions and facilities that process financial transactions related to billing, claim processing, etc.

HIPAA also applies to all business associates of healthcare service providers, health plan providers, and clearinghouses. The only criterion is to render services involving patient health information.

Advantages of HIPAA Software Compliance in Business

Other than being a statutory requirement, HIPAA compliance also benefits healthcare industry businesses by:

• Helping it gain a competitive industry advantage
• Streamlining revenue operations and making them seamless
• Improving data security with HIPAA compliance project management software
• Protecting patient health information
• Avoiding legal penalties and non-compliance fines
• Building trust among patients

All businesses and entities involved in the healthcare industry in any capacity need to follow a hipaa compliance checklist for software development. This will automatically ensure HIPAA adherence, leaving healthcare business owners free to leverage the above benefits and generate commercial profits.

HIPAA consists of specific basic rules that all healthcare companies must adhere to. It requires the implementation of certain technical and administrative or non-technical safeguards for its compliance. With so much to take care of, preparing a HIPAA compliance software checklist helps keep things in perspective. Let us explore some points that this checklist must cover. 

Understanding Rules for HIPAA Privacy and Security

The healthcare industry is increasingly progressing towards digital consultations and online evaluations. But are these processes in sync with the HIPAA Privacy Rules governing the security of the PHI and ePHI? This is something that healthcare professionals have to ensure. 

Privacy of PHI is also closely linked to the security protocols defined in the HIPAA Security Rules. Healthcare providers must study these rules minutely and implement the required measures to avoid HIPAA violations.

The Right Types of Patient Data to Protect

By analyzing the HIPAA Privacy rule, healthcare industry officials can understand patient data types that need protection. It also defines the different degrees of access required to assess PHIs. Gaining the right insights will enable healthcare providers to implement the required security and privacy measures. Some critical patient information that needs protection within the HIPAA compliant software include:

• Patient name and birthdates
• Other dates pertaining to the treatment schedule, medical care timelines, etc
• Contact information, including telephone/mobile numbers, residential addresses, emails, etc
• Social security and medical record numbers
• Photographs, digital images, fingerprints, voice recordings, etc
• Any other unique identifier as provided by the patient

Preventing potential HIPAA violations

We have already discussed the possible HIPAA violations and the fines/penalties associated with them. Let us explore this in-depth here so that healthcare providers and associated entities can mitigate the chances of making these violations.

Healthcare providers need to understand that a data breach is not restricted only to external hacks. HIPAA defines a data breach as any PHI/ePHI access that does not have the required authorizations. So along with cybersecurity practices, strong internal security practices must also be set up to prevent this.

Additionally, recognizing common violations can also help healthcare providers prevent such instances from occurring. Some HIPAA violations that are pretty common include:

• Equipment theft
• Malware/ransomware
• Hacking
• Physical office break-ins
• Sending PHI to unauthorized people
• Discussing PHI in public or on social media platforms etc.

Please note that minor HIPAA breaches must be corrected immediately. But all major breaches must be reported to the relevant HIPAA authorities within 60 days of their occurrence.

Staying Updated on HIPAA Changes

HIPAA regulations are frequently updated based on the data security requirements of the changing times. Consequently, a healthcare software development company must be extremely vigilant about all announced HIPAA updates and implement them in their HIPAA compliant software.

Maintain Documentation/Data Backups

The more healthcare providers document their HIPAA compliance measures, the better the chances of mitigating instances of non-compliance. Data needs to be regularly backed up and stored securely on the platform. Conduct regular audits to check for their integrity and availability.

Active Monitoring

Regularly implement mechanisms to audit user activity and access to PHI. These proactive audits will help detect anomalies related to a possible security breach in their initial stages. Maintain audit logs to record all PHI access user activities.

Best Practices for Building HIPAA Compliant Software

Enhance the effectiveness and functionality of HIPAA compliant custom software by integrating the below-given features.

Data Access Management

Achieve this effectively by implementing auto log-off mechanisms, ensuring compliance with encryption standards, and establishing emergency access protocols.

Performance Verification

Track and record all successful and unsuccessful attempts of data access. Maintain a record of all modifications made to the stored data. Also, limit access to all log files.

Product Integrity

Separating the system infrastructure into data and system layers will enhance the integrity of the developed HIPAA compliant software.

Anti-Tampering Program

Achieve this by implementing security measures like digital signatures, encoding, and blockchain solutions.

Credible User Authentication

Applying multi-factor authentication is a must. Limit user access to authorized personnel only and block all compromised or suspicious accounts.

Protected Data Transfer

Use only encrypted communication protocols. It is also essential to verify the transmitted data’s integrity and block all non-secure communications.

Steps Unified Takes to Ensure HIPAA Software Compliance

Every software development company needs a good understanding of HIPAA to build quality HIPAA compliant software. We ensure HIPAA software compliance at every stage of the development process. Read on to understand how we ensure HIPAA compliance.

Step 1: Solution Design Stage

We collaborate with our healthcare clients and define the project’s core aims. We analyze this to determine all the features to be integrated and define estimated delivery timelines. This comprehensive approach helps us design a solution that closely meets the requirements of our healthcare clients.

Step 2: Discovery Phase

In this phase, we analyze and determine the HIPAA compliances our healthcare clients must adhere to. Then we integrate them into our project plan draft.

Step 3: UI/UX Stage

Here, we take special care to ensure the website design does not violate HIPAA privacy rules. We excel at ensuring the seamlessness of our custom-developed software so it can offer a great user experience.

Step 4: Healthcare Software Development

At this stage, we implement all the above-mentioned best practices for building HIPAA-compliant software. We also test all the HIPAA compliances we have integrated into the software to ensure there is no slack in their execution.

Step 5: Release & Support

When we deploy the software, we ensure it integrates flawlessly with existing healthcare modules without causing disruptions. We also offer intensive post-deployment support because the nature of the healthcare industry demands it. 

We build robust, resilient, and secure HIPAA compliant software by following the earlier steps. Conducting extensive software audits frequently helps check the viability of integrated security measures. We also keep track of all amendments and updates to the HIPAA rules and regulations and implement them into the HIPAA compliant software we build.

The post How does Unified Infotech Ensure HIPAA Compliant Software Development appeared first on Unified Infotech.

Factors like cultural barriers, language differences, and different priorities are the main areas of concern when maintaining a business partnership. This blog covers some effective tips to overcome this problem and illustrates what makes Unified Infotech the ideal software development partner.

How to Build a Successful Partnership with a Software Development Firm?

Assess the Value of a Potential Business Partnership

Analyzing the value of a potential business partnership with an offshore software development firm is important. 

Extensive research is vital in this regard. You must consider industry experience. A software development company with vast industry knowledge may possess a network of contacts and insider information about customers. 

Additionally, review a potential business partner’s history and reputation. If they have a history of instability or unethical practices, it can be a big problem later. Reputational damage can ruin all the hard work you have done till now. 

You must evaluate the advantages while deciding on the prospective collaboration with an offshore software developer. Conducting a SWOT analysis allows you to compare their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to your own. Additionally, a cost-benefit analysis can help estimate potential revenue, expenses, risks, and returns associated with the partnership. 

The purpose is to verify a potential offshore software development firm’s reliability, credibility, and suitability for your business expansion. Ascertain each partner’s value and potential contribution to achieving your objectives. You would want to develop a long-lasting business partnership for a rich and rewarding experience.

Conduct In-depth Market Research

Engage in extensive market research to identify potential software development partners. Look for a developer with full-stack knowledge and also determine the most suitable cooperation and pricing models for your project.

Essential Technical Skills

Hire a custom software developer with full-stack expertise. A proficient full-stack programmer fully understands all facets of a software product, encompassing the front-end, back-end, network, database, and hardware components.  An exceptional software developer should be able to devise solutions for challenges that may arise at any stage of the software development process.

Outsourcing Cooperation Models

Let’s explore the various collaboration models offered by most outsourcing vendors:

Dedicated Team

This model involves a long-term agreement between the client and the service provider. The provider supplies software development professionals who possess the required experience and skill sets. The client can either oversee the team themselves or designate the project manager provided by the service provider to handle communications. This model is ideal when the project scope is not well-defined, and requirements can change during development. The main aim is to assemble a team that compensates for any expertise gaps and collaborates seamlessly as an extension of your own workforce.

Staff Augmentation

Staff augmentation is a form of outsourcing that lets you add exceptionally skilled developers to your team without the lengthy hiring process and additional expenses associated with full-time staff recruitment. By following the staff augmentation approach, you can fill specific gaps within your team or establish an entire dedicated team.

Companies often favor IT staff augmentation as a cost-effective means to develop top-notch software, especially when internal resources are limited. For instance, if there is a need for a single DevOps engineer to establish a CI/CD pipeline. The staff augmentation model is also well-suited for businesses requiring a few specialists to support their projects.

Project-Based Model

This model involves your development partner taking charge of the entire development process, following your specifications. You provide the software development team with the requirements, and they handle the development process, delivering the final product as per your schedule and specifications. The project-based model offers two key advantages: access to skilled resources and enhanced flexibility and scalability.

Outsourcing Pricing Models

Most offshore software development firms operate using either the fixed-price or the Time and Material (T&M) models. Let’s delve into these pricing models:

Fixed-Price Model

The service provider establishes a fixed rate for a specific project in the fixed-price model. This option suits businesses with well-defined and precise requirements and small to medium-sized projects. However, there is a higher risk of budget overruns if the project scope changes significantly.

Time and Material (T&M) Model

This model involves billing the project owner based on hourly labor costs and the price of materials utilized. Hourly rates, equipment costs, subcontractor markups, and material expenses are typically agreed upon in advance. This pricing model offers greater flexibility compared to the fixed-price model.

Offshoring software development has its drawbacks, such as language and cultural barriers and challenges with managing a remote team across different time zones. Fortunately, partnering with a reputed software development company can help mitigate these drawbacks, particularly if they have extensive experience delivering effective business-oriented solutions.

Establish a Mutual Value System

It’s important to understand the organizational culture of the offshore firm to establish a value system that will guide both in-house and offshore teams. Both these teams may have different values. It makes sense to know them all. Clearly convey your organization’s principles and values before hiring a software developer. Conducting workshops for both teams can also be fruitful. There need to be some common values, for instance:

• Purpose

Core values provide a purpose to the team members. A purpose motivates them to deliver better results and is important for their satisfaction. 

• Agility

The teams must quickly adapt to dynamic development processes and evolving requirements. 

• People-Centric

There must be a friendly workplace atmosphere where employees are treated equally and with respect. 

Ensure Open and Transparent Communication

There needs to be an emphasis on open and transparent communication to build a lasting professional relationship with an offshore software development company. 

A good introduction is important. The development team must know about the key stakeholders. Also, everyone should be aware of who’s responsible for what. This can solve many complex issues that business partners tend to face and help decide on the right tone of communication. 

The business partners and their representatives should meet in person before kick starting the project. A long video call would be equally valuable and relevant in this modern age. It would make things easier for both parties as they clear any doubt and start the development work on a positive note.

Foster a Mutual Sense of Compassion

Fostering a mutual sense of compassion is difficult. A lot of businesses fail to understand the connection between compassion and software development. 

Small and medium-level businesses tend to have tighter budgets. They want highly-spirited and passionate development teams that stay fully committed throughout the development process until delivery.  To foster a mutual sense of compassion and high spirit between the two teams, you can take the following steps:

• Align both offshore software development and in-house teams on business goals and future milestones. This may not contribute to designing custom software, but it helps in a different way. It incorporates a sense of inclusiveness and belonging, which is beneficial toward fulfilling the larger goal – business growth. 
• Identify any potential problems early on. Resolving them quickly or at the start of the development process can help in different ways. For instance, one can prevent delays and reduce the overall cost of the software development project. 
• Organize get-togethers to spend time with everyone involved in the project. It helps you understand whether everyone feels motivated and the issues they’re facing. Additionally, you can provide them with incentives as an acknowledgment of their contributions, thereby motivating them to work harder.

Build Trust

A business partnership is only successful if it’s built on trust. Get to know the offshore software development company members at the start. Treating the development team as your partner will help build a relationship of mutual respect. This motivates the offshore team to give their best and help accomplish goals. Thus, their capabilities and experiences make them a major asset to your enterprise. 

You need to follow a couple of things to establish trust. For instance, allow them to work more freely and without excessive supervision from your end. Maintain transparency in financial matters of the software development project and clear doubts through open discussions. Additionally, accept the fact that the partnership may not always go as expected. In that case, iron out the issues together to ensure a fruitful business partnership.

Be Clear about Common Goals and Vision

A business organization and its software development partner make for a collaborative team. They need to understand the common goals to devise effective strategies and attain success together. Think of your offshore software development partner as a collaborator for the common gain.

The focus also needs to be on a shared vision, where the custom software provider and its business partner benefit as a team. Shared visions allow for better cooperation, which in turn results in much more productive performance. Let’s say you emphasize being eco-friendly as an enterprise. If your business partner also cares about being environmentally responsible, the enthusiasm to collaborate will only grow. 

These are some proven ways to build a successful business partnership. But is a long-term partnership with an offshore software development firm really worth it? Let’s find out!

3 Reasons to Invest in Offshore Custom Software Development

As per Accelerance, the global software outsourcing revenue is projected to reach $145 billion by 2027. In fact, the same report states that software development will remain the most outsourced IT function in 2023. 

There are multiple benefits to working with the best custom software design and development companies. This blog has covered some key reasons to team up with an offshore business for custom software engineering.

Access to a Large Talent Pool

Offshoring enables you to work with talented professionals with diverse expertise and experience. You can therefore tap into a global talent pool and get a competent software engineering partner for your unique business requirements. It ensures an output of the highest quality and overall project success. 

On the other hand, traditional in-house hiring can restrict your options to only local candidates who cannot handle complex software development projects.

Flexibility in Scaling

With offshoring, you can seamlessly adapt to your changing business requirements. Rope in custom software development experts as your project expands and end the offshore business partnership after the team delivers the product. 

Modern entrepreneurs love this flexible team-building approach, as they can optimally use the resources throughout the software development lifecycle. 

Consistent Productivity Levels

Maintaining a consistent productivity level with an in-house team can be challenging. You can resolve this by hiring a software application development company. A competent offshore development team precisely understands the client’s requirements and works accordingly. This is one of the biggest benefits of choosing them.  To ensure consistency across the project lifecycle, the developers must:

• Create a certain amount of code
• Adapt a specific code style and technical conventions
• Optimize designs
• Promote code reusability
• Automate repetitive tasks

Unified Infotech has extensive experience as a custom business software development company. We have catered to clients globally and across 15+ industry verticals.

What Makes Unified Infotech Your Ideal Software Development Partner?

We engineer custom software solutions that give your business a competitive edge. Our well-defined development methodology, process transparency, and consistency make us the right fit for your software development project. Read on to learn more about us.

Consulting

Our team will guide you through the process of digitizing operations and streamlining workflows to meet your business objectives. We will help you choose the ideal custom software solutions for accelerated business growth. 

Proactivity

We work towards reducing operational overheads. While most software developers wait for clear instructions from the client, we proactively communicate and engage with the client, working towards monitoring the progress of the software development project and guiding them throughout the process. 

Best Practices

Unified Infotech follows the best engineering process to develop top-notch software products. We emphasize the best industry practices and CMMI Level 3 protocols to create all our products through a highly-established set of protocols. 

Accountability

We hold ourselves accountable for delivering custom software solutions and take every measure to provide them with the best results. For us, a portfolio full of success stories matters more than a list of random projects.

Conclusion

A successful long-term partnership with an agile offshore software development company is a result of a mutual value system, trust, open and transparent communication, and clarity of goals. Choose Unified Infotech as your software development and consulting partner. We deliver the best outcomes and enhance business performance through custom-engineered software solutions.

The post Offshore Software Development: Tips to Building a Successful Long-Term Partnership appeared first on Unified Infotech.

As per Oberlo, there are 2.56 billion online shoppers as of 2022.

Image Source – Statista

This image offers a glimpse of the bright future of the eCommerce industry. Creating a robust website is a way to tap into this lucrative industry and a revenue-driving solution for your business. And for this, you should hire Unified Infotech. We are a leading B2B eCommerce website development company in USA.

6 Ways How Online Marketplace Development Services Help Achieve eCommerce Business Goals

A robust eCommerce website can help you connect with your target audience and boost sales. Read on to learn more about how an online platform will help accomplish your business goals.

Automation

Online businesses have a big advantage over physical stores – the former is more conducive to automation. A virtual marketplace comes with advanced automation opportunities. You can control how you showcase your products, accept orders, manage delivery logistics, and perform data analysis. 

Better Inventory Management

Upon receiving an order, you get the supplier to send the item to your logistics partner, who then delivers it to the buyer. It’s a relatively simple process but can get complicated with the increase in daily orders. With an eCommerce website, you can automate routine tasks and simplify the process. Moreover, you can use inventory and logistics tools to operate more efficiently.

Low Setup Cost

Cost is one of the major factors to consider while starting a business. For a physical store, you need to think about the space required to set up the shop and hire people to manage it. 

These can be avoided by opting for an online store. You just have to pay for the site’s development, maintenance, and promotion. The best thing is you will have control over the exact amount. 

You don’t even have to spend a lump sum on making your products look attractive. Just click beautiful high-resolution images of your products/services and display them on the website. The marginal setup cost is one of the reasons why entrepreneurs choose to take this path. It won’t be a problem if they lack substantial business capital initially.

Extensive Marketing Options

Marketing plays a big role in the success of any business. Compared to online businesses, physical stores have an added advantage. Lesser visibility doesn’t affect them much as customers can still get to know about these shops from their acquaintances or while walking past them.

But an online business requires dedicated marketing efforts to be visible to its target customers. Fortunately, there are thousands of ways to promote a website and make the target audience aware of your products. Some of the widely used methods are SEO, social media marketing, online advertisements, etc. 

Additionally, you can go for email marketing, display marketing, and push notifications to inform the target audience about your brand, its products, and how they can fulfill their requirements. Getting people to buy from your eCommerce website takes effort, but the availability of different marketing methods helps significantly in achieving this goal.

Increase in Sales

With marketplace development services, you can reach more prospective customers as compared to a physical store. Potential buyers can get to know about your online marketplace and try your products, irrespective of their geographical location. 

In eCommerce, you just have to showcase your products in the best light and give the target audience compelling reasons to buy from your store. Reaching out to users and extensively promoting your store increases the chance of more people availing your products. This means greater profit margins.

Scalability

Scaling your online business won’t be a problem if you implement the right strategies and work with the best suppliers. These enable you to manage the surge in customer demands effectively. 

Now that you have got some strong reasons to create a virtual marketplace, it’s time to learn about some of the global giants in this domain.

The Top 5 eCommerce Platforms in 2023

Here is a list of the most prominent online marketplaces in USA.

Amazon

This eCommerce giant needs no introduction. Launched in 1995 by Jeff Bezos, Amazon is currently the biggest online retailer in the world. One can find everything in this virtual marketplace. Amazon also offers its own standalone products, ranging from Kindle to Amazon Prime Video.

Walmart

Walmart was launched in 1962 by Sam Walton. Today, it is a multinational American retailer with 10,000+ stores worldwide. Walmart has been a household name since the ‘60s and has recently entered the digital domain.

Walmart offers a wide range of products and categories, making it one of the most attractive marketplaces for online shoppers.

Target

This retailer offers an array of items, from fashion items to hygiene products. It was originally started in the ‘60s as a discount section of Dayton’s department store. The company saw major growth later on and has continued to expand its operations since then. Today, it is the second-largest departmental store in the US (just behind Walmart). 

Consumers either visit the nearby Target outlets or its online platform to explore and buy products from this big box departmental store chain.

eBay

eBay is another eCommerce pioneer that holds a dominating position in this domain. Founded in 1998, eBay is the first of its kind, staying true to its purpose – being a virtual platform where users can buy and sell anything they like. 

Whether clothes or electronic products, customers can get whatever they want through auctions directly from verified sellers or brands. This online marketplace even offers a free shipping facility on numerous items.

Best Buy

Best Buy started as a consumer electronics retailer in the 1960s. Today, it has outlets nationwide and even in Mexico and Canada. Whether you are looking for baby products or furniture items, you can get everything at Best Buy. 

Despite having different product categories, the American retail giant is still recognized as a consumer electronics company. In fact, they have a great global rank in the electronics and technology niche.

5 Reasons to Choose Our Online Marketplace Development Services

Better Visibility of Your Products

We create eCommerce websites that help businesses showcase their products beautifully, connect with more users, and increase engagement.

Higher Rank

By availing our B2B eCommerce web development solution, you get a search engine-optimized website that ranks high across search engines. A better SERP rank gives you an edge over competitors.

Integration of the Necessary Tools

We integrate your eCommerce website with every vital tool. It includes invoicing software, shipping software, and an inventory management system. Using these 3rd-party tools, you can run your online business more efficiently.

Performance Tracking and Management

With our eCommerce web development services, you can track your site’s performance through credible analytics and reports on navigation analysis, visitor tracking, and traffic segmentation.

Security

We employ security measures in the form of HTTPS, SSL certificates, and two-factor authentication to deliver a safe and secure online marketplace for your customers.

A Look into Our Custom eCommerce Web Development Process

We follow a step-by-step process to build robust and impactful B2B eCommerce websites that convert your visitors into customers.

Discovery Workshop

We establish a detailed idea about the customer’s business objectives, goals, and design and branding preferences. The discovery workshop involves understanding the competitive landscape, target audience, and market and clarifying all queries and doubts.

Planning

Next, we define the project plan and the design and branding guidelines. This phase involves creating the documentation required for executing the project successfully and obtaining approval from the client.

Design

We then work on your corporate branding and design the user interface based on the approved wireframes and design guidelines, thereby making it totally customer-centric. Our focus lies on creating mobile, tablet, and web-specific designs and getting the UI designs approved by the client.

Development

In this stage, our developers create the front-end and back-end parts of your eCommerce website and cater to the requirement for API integration. Our team establishes a 2-3 week frequency for sprints. 

The tech stack used:

• Back-end – Ruby, Laravel, Node.JS, Python, Java
• Front-end – VueJS, CSS, AngularJS, HTML5, ReactJS
• Database – MySQL, MongoDB, Firebase, PostgreSQL
• OpenSource – WordPress, Drupal, Magento

We then proceed to the testing phase.

Testing

Our team tests each sprint manually, reports bugs, and adds them to the product backlog. After fixing the bugs, a quality release is provided, and the sprint’s final demo is sent to the client for approval. We engage in regression testing after every sprint to ensure the proper functioning of the previously approved sprints.

Maintenance and Support

We perform product enhancement, frequent security audits, bi-weekly code back-ups, and constant upgradation of the system based on new versions/software releases. Our eCommerce website development service also includes full system testing to identify bugs, errors, and incompatibilities. 

Additionally, we monitor the traffic and server load and optimize accordingly per business requirements.

Final Thoughts

A unique and scalable online marketplace helps you connect with a large number of potential customers and compel them to buy your products. As a result, you can witness an increase in sales and business growth. Given the bright future of the eCommerce industry, it’s an ideal time to avail our online marketplace development services and enjoy the myriad benefits that come with it.

The post Ride the eCommerce Wave for Maximizing Profit with Our Marketplace Development Service appeared first on Unified Infotech.

• Nearly 90% of all businesses think integrating technology plays a critical role in achieving organizational goals.

• Over two-thirds of active businesses worldwide plan to increase their spending on technology and software in 2023.

• The global software market is predicted to cross $1 billion by 2025.

Clearly, spending on technology is on the rise. Yet an element of frustration and concern always underlines discussions associated with tech investments. Will digital investments deliver high returns in terms of value, cost-effectiveness, and agility? This question as a cause of concern is not unjustified. Tech investments have increased. But there have been few changes in the technology operating model adopted to envision, develop, manage, and maintain technology. Consequently, ROI maximization was curbed, and chances of outcome maximization seemed limited.

Today, technology is widely seen as a means of combating the ongoing global economic and societal instability. But what happens when you grapple with the uncertainties of an ever-changing digital landscape? Disruption is a way of life now. Organizations can only achieve digital success by analyzing and revising their enterprise architecture operating model.

Yet implementing these very operating models is seen as a major challenge in achieving digital transformation. A transformation is more likely to succeed when its operating model design is aligned with its business strategy. So ensure that you have a well-researched and well-formulated business strategy in place.

To understand this better, let us get an in-depth insight into what is operating model technology and how to leverage it.

What is Operating Model Technology–A Brief Definition

Gartner refers to it as an information technology operating model. This model defines how an organization should orchestrate its IT capabilities to align them with its strategic objectives. This ensures enterprise success by implementing high-velocity organizational changes, consistent workflow governance, and a comprehensive but relevant talent strategy.

With the correct technology operating model, you can increase the effectiveness of your decision-making process. You can also redesign and streamline your organizational workflows and ensure your team’s effectiveness through accountability.

Technology should always generate value. Implementing the right technology operating model will help your organization grow, thrive and sustain instead of just surviving.

How Do You Select The Right Enterprise Operating Model?

Even before we delve into the traits that define the success of a target operating model, one point needs mention and deliberation. A change in the mindset of organizations!

A survey by Gartner shows that 69% of organizations struggle to justify their funding for new technology investments.

You have to stop thinking about tech transformations as expensive cost-centers. Start thinking of them as potential value-generating investments.

It might seem like an anomaly as currently most companies are intently focusing on reducing their operational spending. But remember that with the right tech spending, you can alter your company’s narrative and redefine its future. And changing your mindset will give your agile operating model technology implementation, the much-needed thrust toward success.

A well-defined business strategy plays a critical role in the enterprise model design you want to adopt. You should have a definite idea about the business model you wish to employ. This also includes information about target consumer segments, pricing, channels, and delivery models. Both your business strategies and models directly influence your operational model, a tool instrumental in accelerating digital transformation successfully.

Now let us look at 6 essential traits inherent to successful digital era technology operating models.

1. Adopting the product model

Generally, all organizations face this dilemma. Should they concentrate on the process model or the product model? For an effective technology operating model, adopt the product model. There are several advantages to this. For example, it will help you change how you organize, manage, maintain your data. It will also redesign how you resource your data, tech investments, and other activities.

Further, by setting up persistent cross-functional teams, you can enhance focus on product development and its commercial outcomes. This model prioritizes user needs and encourages its integration into their target operating model to increase product adoption. Finally, this product-based technology operating model fosters greater job satisfaction. It empowers product development teams with direct ownership of the developed products and their outcomes.

2. Investing for outcomes

This is a continuation of the above point and involves a change in the area of funding. Any successful technology operating model example shows that the focus area of investments is more on the product area instead of individual projects.

Assign persistent budgets to your product teams. Hold them responsible for their outcomes like conversion of online traffic into sales,  and increasing supply chain visibility. This will also reduce customer care call volumes. Now product owners can decide where they want to spend this money. Based on performance analysis, market acceptability and target realization they can decide which product to concentrate on. This accountability is a major contributor to enhancing the ROI of an implemented technology operating model.

3. Prioritizing tech talents

Employee expectations have changed in an evolving job market. Now they prefer to pick and choose where, how, and the type of work they want to do. The pandemic has spawned a culture of flexible timings and work from home. Hence today company timing flexibility is an essential criterion for job-seekers. This has resulted in a gap between the demand and availability of quality tech talent and is a cause of concern for top company executives.

A product-based approach requires forming small, stable, and permanent teams with diverse skill sets. Thus, adopting a product-based enterprise operating model can eliminate some of this concern by reducing the overall headcount. This is an important trait of a successful technology operating model because it helps optimize your labor spending, thereby evolving your talent strategy.

4. Balancing global scalability with local traction

Organizations have been traditionally plagued with conflicting needs where this is concerned. While some advocate product and strategy localization, others want to centralize systems, processes, and platforms to gain economic scalability and pool product innovations.

Now you can gain both. With Cloud computing, an organization can easily scale up its businesses globally while APIs and a modular architecture support the flexibility of localization.

Effectively this collaborative technologies operational modeling can help you to centralize your product development yet customize it to make it locally relevant.

5. Making technology your business thought partner

A distinct elevation in the status of technology is a sure trait of a successful technology operating model. Promoting tech leaders to the C-suite is an excellent example of this. While 10 years ago this was an almost alien concept, today, many noteworthy companies like Heineken and Walmart have created roles for top tech executives in the highest management levels. This elevation has made it easy for companies to manage, maintain and implement new technology more effectively.

6. Adopting agility as a way of working

You must deliver quickly and deliver quality. This might seem like a challenging proposition, but by implementing good software engineering practices like agility, DevOps, and automated testing, to name a few, you can easily achieve this.

Statistically, by adopting the best practices for software development, you can boost your developer efficiency, increase code stability and deliver quality products faster. As an organization, when you ideate how to create an operating model for technology, you must include agility because it results in a step-change improvement in performance. Agility is the key when the requirement is to maximize the ROI of your enterprise model by making it deliver high returns.

While it might not be possible to succeed with all the 6 traits mentioned above, you can adopt as many as possible and increase the effectiveness of your chosen technology operating model.

Building Gen-Next Digital Era Technology Operating Models To Face Future Uncertainties

Now that you know the generic requirements of a technology operating model design, let us look at some specifics. These will help you define a gen-next operating model for future needs and challenges.

This model is a unique combination of operational capabilities and digital technologies that is integrated in a sequenced manner. It will help you to achieve step-change improvements in cost-effectiveness, revenue generation, and customer experiences.

Let us simplify this model by breaking this operating model design into 2 critical parts.

Launching an integrated customer-centric operational-improvement program:

As an organization, you would have multiple performance improvement initiatives rolled out for the different verticals of your company. While these initiatives will help you improve performance within individual units, they might not show tangible improvement across your organization. The presence of performance lacunae or black holes within the adopted technology operating model is a direct consequence. Consequently, while you may achieve success for individual teams, other vital factors like operational costs or customer satisfaction might not improve.

So instead of working to implement improvement measures in silos, you have to think holistically. For example, since customer satisfaction is a priority, focus on their journey and your internal workflows that support or contribute to it. This will help you cut organizational silos and ensure holistic development.

To transition to the next-gen technology target operating model, start with classifying and mapping critical journeys across the organization. It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking you can realize your operating model transformation simply by improving existing processes and journeys. However, to see tangible results, you should focus on entirely reimagining the processes and workflows. Keep them aligned with your current needs and incorporate the scope of scalability for the future. By doing this, you might unlock hitherto unknown opportunities that might have the potential to add massive value to your business goals.

Changing your approach to achieve a compound effect:

Typically, it is seen organizations use 5 critical processes or capabilities to accomplish the workflow or journey transformations mentioned above. These include:

Digitization:

Automation of manual systems help redesign time-consuming manual and transactional tasks. They speed up workflows. This is of great advantage, especially where multiple systems are involved. Along with transforming journeys, digitization also creates self-service opportunities.

Advanced analytics:

By analyzing data using sophisticated tools, you can generate insights and use this intelligence to improve your business decision-making capabilities. Data analytics is also beneficial when you need to implement non-linear thinking.

Intelligent process automation(IPA):

This is an emergent trend and very useful to ensure the sustainability of your adopted technology operating model. It seeks to combine RPA or Robotic Process Automation, AI or Artificial Intelligence, ML or Machine Language, and Digital Process Automation or DPA and subsequently use them to redesign fundamental processes. IPA has the potential to replace manual labor in workflows that require repetitive and routine data aggregation from multiple touchpoints.

Business process outsourcing(BPO):

This refers to using resources outside your business or organization. Typically, outsourcing is used to complete workflows that require capabilities currently unavailable internally or those with time constraints attached. Here, you improve cost efficiency by using labor arbitrage.

Lean process redesign:

It is a versatile technology used to streamline processes, eliminate redundancy and foster a culture of continuous improvement by minimizing tasks and activities that don’t contribute to this or add value. It can be applied to improve long and short-cycle processes, transactional processes, judgment-based processes, internal and client-based processes.

However, how you implement these capabilities in your technology operating model will influence their output. To maximize the output of these capabilities, first implement them to their maximum capacity. Then execute them in the correct sequence and ensure that they do not work in a silo but aid and augment each other to achieve a multiplier effect.

To Conclude

Selecting the right technology operating model is crucial to catalyze workflow improvements and overcome organizational inertia. The senior leaders and management of your company should play a leading role in this.

Maintaining the efficiency of a technology operating model is an ever-evolving process. It is mainly driven by feedback from your internal and external stakeholders, business process efficiencies, and competitive digital landscapes. It would help if you kept augmenting your capabilities through hyper-focused incentives, best-in-class tools, and simple cross-functional processes that drive execution simplicity, speed, and clarity. However, if your assets, namely people, process, and technology, cease to deliver value, opt for an operational model transformation to regain your competitive edge.

The post How can Enterprises Upgrade their Technology Operating Model and Deliver High ROI appeared first on Unified Infotech.

But we are living in 2019. It seems everything can be solved if you know how to make an app! Ain’t it?

Fortunately for the hopeless romantics, today we have a better chance of finding love, thanks to applications like Tinder. By assessing how to create a dating app, startups are making it easy and simple to find the right match anytime anywhere. To make it easy for your business idea as well, this article focuses on how to make a dating app.

So, How to Create a Dating App?

Let’s talk about the steps now… 

1. Competition Study – Analyze your Rivals

The market is flooded with dating apps and you want your application to be the best of them. Which is why it’s important for you to study your competition well.

With a thorough study of your competition, you’d be able to understand what is the reason for their success or failure. You can use that understanding in your own venture and build an app like Tinder successfully.

Take a close look at their features, and figure out what they are doing differently. They are all more or less the same, with minor differences. And these minor differences are what sets them apart. With this study of their unique features, you’ll make sure that you don’t end up accidentally repeating any on your platform. So how to make an online dating app? First, validate your idea.

2. Validate Your Idea to Create a Dating App – Is It Worth It?

Even when 60% male and 70% female population of the US admit that they have never tried online dating, the rising popularity tells a different tale. In the US alone, the revenue churned out by these apps is near about $1667 million.

Source: Statista

So what is the reason for this amount of popularity? What makes these apps so lovable to the users? Does the market still have takers? There are some solid reasons for that!

a. Desire To Connect Meets Desire To Simplify

As human beings, we are supposed to want to meet and connect with other human beings. 

And that’s how we got dating apps.

b. Internet Popularity

Previously there may have been a stigma about looking for people to date online. People thought only losers signed up on such platforms.

From paying bills to ordering groceries, everything is online now. So it is obvious that even dating is going to become online. 

c. Tailor-Made For Your Preferences

It is not easy to find a ‘tall blonde partner with brown eyes who is an astronomy enthusiast’ and also speaks five languages.

Apps and websites like Jdate, Christian Mingle have made it easy for people to find matches based on their religion. 

d. Less Intimacy, Easy To Find

People don’t have time to sit down and write long romantic love letters, or sit down and chat to find out more about one another. Even if they do, and it doesn’t work out, it’ll be a waste of time and energy. 

3. Know the Matching Algorithm to Make a Dating App

Most of the dating app builder believe that at the end of the day it’s the algorithm voodoo that brings people together. But that’s not the case all the time.

According to the study, 64% of people said that they look for people based on common interest, and 49% of people said they look for people who they find attractive. So at the end of the day, there is not much math involved in here.

Dating app developers today are experimenting with Artificial Intelligence and dating apps. With the application of AI in such apps, things are bound to change in the online matchmaking market scenario in the next twenty years.

So when you are thinking about how to develop a dating app like Tinder consider how you are going to match people with each other. You need to create your application to caters to the user’s preferences. This can easily be done with the help of a simple questionnaire at the beginning of the signup process. 

a. ‘Locating’ The Perfect Person

It’s all in the location. It is always easier for your user to be matched and go on dates with someone close to them. So you can apply a GPS based location system if you want to build a dating app to find potential matches for the user.

This way they can easily find a list of all the people who can be the potential match, and all of these people on the list will be from the same city.

You can add a special monetization feature with this, where the users will pay to expand their search and match radius. This is not only going to increase their chances of romance but generates revenue for you as well.

b. Understand the Math Of Love to Create a Dating App

You can implement a math-based system to match the users with each other. It is based on the questionnaire, which the users need to fill up when they sign up for the service. Once they have filled out the forms, it’s time for math to do its magic. To know how to make a mobile dating app, understand the math of love.

This technique is used to assess the compatibility level of two users based on the answers they have given to the questions. When the compatibility level is higher than a certain number, they are matched with each other.

c. Match According To Behaviour

The sad thing about any kind of online platform is that people tend to lie about many things. Which is why you should go with the behavior-based matching technique. This is basically a Big-Data based approach to match the users on a dating app.

Finding people nearby in dating app by Unified Infotech

It is a bit more complicated than location-based or simple question-answer based solution, but it is more accurate. With this, you are going to analyze the data of the users collected from different sources such as social media accounts, groups they are part of, their profile, etc.

With this approach, there will be less catfishing on your platform.

d. Bonus: Advanced Techniques For Making A Match

Along with our watches and phones, dating apps too are getting smarter.

With advanced techniques like Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, VR and AR are revolutionizing the online match finding scene. This way you can provide more accurate matches for the users. The popular machine learning technology used in Netflix is being used in dating applications today.

There are plenty of matching techniques you can add to your app. Whichever you choose to go with, make sure that the matches made between the users are good. Otherwise, people will use your platform less and less.

4. Keep the Security Top-notch While Making Your Dating App

For all its good uses, online dating also comes with its downsides. Without proper security, such online platforms can easily become the playground for creeps and frauds. So if you want to know how to make a dating app for Android or iOS, you need to make sure that your app is safe for people to use.

You need to follow a thorough app security checklist to ensure the security of your users.  Use a profile verification method to verify the profile of those who are joining the platform. With the help of social media and phone number verification, you can make sure that the people who are joining your app are legit and are not pretending to be someone else. It will also help in improving the user experience of your app as they can trust it easily.

Source: nymag

Dating app Bumble has gone another step ahead and added photo verification to their app. With this, the user needs to upload a selfie in a specific pose, like flashing a peace sign on the app to get verified. And that is how Bumble has stopped catfishing on their app.

5. Important Features To Implement in Your Dating App

To make a dating platform like Tinder, you need to incorporate some features in your application. So what are these basic yet important features?

a. A Thorough Verification System

This one is without a question the most important one. Without a thorough verification system, your platform is going to become a wonderland for creeps and frauds. So adding a good and secure verification system is important to secure the experience of your users.

Source: TechCrunch

Add a social media verification system to make sure the person is who they are saying they are. You can also add a phone number verification system and a photo verification system. In brief, you have to implement a strong and secure verification system for the safety of your users. This will answer your question about how to make a great dating app profile that is secured.

b. Matching With Your Objective

The users should have an option to express their objective o their profile. An online dating app user can have many reasons for using the service. It can be for a long term relationship or a quick and casual affair. Whatever it is, they should have an option to state that on their profile.

Along with that, they should also get matches with similar objectives. It’s no use for someone who is looking for a serious relationship to be matched with those who are looking for a casual hook up.

c. In-app Messaging

There is no point in having a dating app and not having a messaging feature. With this feature, users can connect with each other and talk to each other, planning dates and meetings. This will help them not only in getting closer but also in understanding whether this match is worth investing their time on or not.

d. Giving You The Perfect First Date Idea

This is a fun feature for you to add to your app. Most of the time people are stumbling with the perfect first date idea. They don’t know whether they should go for a formal dinner or a casual coffee.

Profile creating by Unified Infotech

With this feature, you can make sure that they have the perfect first date. By giving them quirky and fun first date ideas that they would remember forever, you will make sure your dating application becomes the apple of their eye.

e. Undoing The Mistaken Swipe Or Like

Many times we have mistakenly swiped right when really, we wanted to swipe left.

Give people a chance to undo their mistake when you are planning on how to create your own dating platform. They might have accidentally tapped on like for someone’s profile when they didn’t want to. Give them a small window of opportunity to undo their choices. This will increase their chances of ending up with someone they actually like.

f. See The Preference – Do They Like The Same Thing As You?

For a lot of people, not liking the same movie or tv series is a deal-breaker.

So it makes sense if they can see the basic preferences for their matches on your application. Let them dedicate a small portion of their profile to their favorite music, shows, and tv series. This is going to help them create that perfect ice-breaking conversation.

g. Push Notification

Got new matches? Show it on your push notification feature! Though it might annoy sometimes, if done right, it can actually increase the app usage and engagement. The trick is to keep the notifications relevant and less frequent. Try out this feature as you go deeper into the development.

6. Ready To Build An Amazing Dating Experience? Wait. What Is The Tech Stack?

Making a dating application comes with its own responsibilities, like knowing the technology stack. The development of dating app by Unified’s specialists includes the following tools and technologies, but of course, it would vary depending on your requirements.

• Programming tools: Kotlin, Swift, and Java
• Database: MongoDB, SQL, Redis
• Framework: Express.Js, React, Node.Js
• Web Server: Nginx, AWS
• Payment Gateway integration: Stripe, CCAvenue, PayPal

In addition, Google Analytics, Twilio and Google Maps will be needed. Again it can depend on your feature list, functionality, and type of dating app you want to build. Talk to our expert mobile app developers to get a detailed estimation.

7. Cost Of Creating A Dating App

The cost of developing an application depends on the features used in it. Just like that, the cost of dating platform also depends on various aspects of the app.

If you want to know how to make a dating app for the iPhone and the cost, you can shoot us an email with your requirements and we will tell you.

For a detailed cost estimation for creating your dating app, you can look here.

What’s Next? Ways to Earn Money From Your App!

There is no rule saying you can’t make money while helping people find love. But how much money do dating applications make? And what will you do with your mobile dating app?

With the right app monetization strategy, you can make millions with your application. Tinder made roughly $400 million in revenue in the year 2017.

These monetization ideas include-

1. In-app Purchases

Basic and simple, this is a straightforward way of making money with your app. Offer people with the chance of making in-app purchases, like keys and coins to get access to premium features or to look at more choices.

2. In-app Ads

In-app ads are the most well-known monetization strategy for your idea. With relevant ads, you can generate revenue.

3. Premium Access

By offering people subscription-based access to the premium features, you can easily monetize your application. Make sure to offer multiple tiers of subscription plans for all kinds of users.

4. Unique Monetization

Besides the above-mentioned monetization techniques, you can also make a partnership with local cafes and restaurants, gift shops to generate revenue. These establishments can not only advertise themselves on your platform, but your application can also promote them as dating sites, and great gift buying shops.

Lastly, Who are Your Competitors? A Look At Popular Dating Apps

The most popular question when it comes to creating a dating platform is- “how to create a dating app like tinder?” to know the answer, you have to know well about Tinder first.

The app stores are swelling with applications that promise to help you find your match. Each of them is promising different things, from finding your eternal match to a quick hook up. 

The Bottomline for How to Create A Dating App

Finding love is not easy. But with dating apps, we are getting closer to a future when finding the one won’t be so hard. So if you are planning on making your dating app but still have not given a thought to what kind of app you are going to make, then talk to a trusted dating app development company. 

And if you have already thought and planned about how to create a dating app, then what are you waiting for? Tell us your idea and we can help you create a dating masterpiece!

Who knows, maybe some lonely soul out there is waiting to meet their perfect match on your app! 

The post How To Create A Dating App – 7 Step Strategy For You appeared first on Unified Infotech.