When a business approaches a software development company for help, they hope that the engineers on the project know exactly what is best for their needs.
It’s true that software engineers aren’t required to have a detailed knowledge of what it takes to run a business. However, the most successful software engineers create software solutions that effectively solve the customer’s pain points.
By having a strong understanding of business models and operations, software engineers can create solutions that streamline processes, increase productivity, and contribute to growth.
How Businesses Can Benefit From Software Engineers
If you don’t understand the problem, how can you hope to create a solution?
This mindset is something that all members of a software development project team need to remember, especially the engineers and developers.
Understanding how a business runs its operations gives engineers an advantage when creating software. They can minimize business struggles by making amendments and simplifying complicated processes.
The best software solutions are the ones that help a business streamline its operations. To be successful, engineers must know what aspects of the business aren’t running as well as they could be.
From there, engineers must identify how the solution can be improved to better support the customer’s goals and trajectory.
Creating Spaces for Software Project Success
Open and honest communication is a major factor in helping engineers feel well-equipped for a new project.
From day one, the entire team needs to communicate with the customer and each other. Everyone must know what is needed to help the new software succeed.
It’s important that engineers and developers start every project with the goal of answering each of these questions:
- What are the pain points or inefficiencies of the business?
- What are the business’s high-level goals or objectives?
- What solutions will fit best with the budget?
Keeping these questions in mind will help the software solutions be successful and align with the customer’s needs.
Software engineers who understand how a business operates often have the biggest impact on productivity gains and process improvement.
Influential Software Engineers
There have been many inspiring business technology advancements over the years, all because of forward-thinking software engineers.
Software engineers usually start out creating a product for one specific issue. Other businesses may find they can use it if it becomes successful enough.
Successful software engineers truly understand how businesses function and are passionate about making people’s jobs easier.
Here are some influential engineers who proved that it takes just one creative mind to change the world.
Dan Bricklin
Dan Bricklin is known as “The Father of the Spreadsheet” because he created the blueprint for spreadsheet software. His program, VisiCalc, was released with the Apple II computer in 1979. While his creation didn’t last very long after other software was created, he launched the concept of spreadsheets. Without Bricklin, businesses wouldn’t have been able to make the transition from paper to computer filing.
Dennis Ritchie
The creation of the C programming language is a testament to the talents of Dennis Ritchie. He is also responsible for co-creating the UNIX operating system. Both of these creations are used in development to this day. Many software programs have utilized the C programming language or a language that borrows from it. UNIX-based operating systems are especially prevalent in Mac OS X and have a major influence on the computer world.
Tim Berners-Lee
Businesses worldwide have been positively affected by the work of Tim Berners-Lee. Berners-Lee was the creator of the World Wide Web, which was initially called W3C (World Wide Web Consortium). He created the first successful communication between an HTTP client and a server via the internet in 1989. The work of Berners-Lee allows businesses to spread the word about their services to a wider audience.
Linus Torvalds
Torvalds is the developer of the Linux kernel, which powers the Linux operating system. The Linux operating system was created as open-source software, meaning its source code is available and the software can be freely utilized by anyone in any way. The Linux kernel continues to have a prominent impact on technology to this day, from powering part of the Web to operating systems on devices like routers and video game consoles. Google’s popular Android operating system—found on mobile devices worldwide—is based on the Linux kernel.
Dave Hyatt & Blake Ross
Hyatt and Ross are the co-creators of the Mozilla Firefox browser, which is currently the third-most-popular web browser. While this browser has been significantly losing market share in the past several years, it was the first to challenge Microsoft’s Internet Explorer as the main web browser. There is a belief that it paved the way for Google’s Chrome web browser and strongly impacted current technology.
Edgar Codd
Do you know what a relational database is? In today’s business world, relational databases make everything from CRM and ERP systems to social networks and blogs work. Edgar Codd created the first relational database, which continues to have a major impact on business today. Though many may not recognize Codd’s name, his concept had a major impact on the business model.
Larry Page & Sergey Brin
Everyone knows the name Google, but not everyone knows the people who created it. Enter Larry Page & Sergey Brin, two Stanford University Ph.D. students who were working on a simple research project. This project eventually became the technology giant that is Google as we now know it. Google can be used by businesses to find information quickly, advertise their business, and deliver their individual content to a wider audience.
These individuals probably never thought their creations would change today’s world.
It’s more likely that they were trying to solve a particular pain point.
By knowing what a business needed to be more efficient, these great people created changes that paved the way for other solutions to continue impacting the face of business.
Support Your Business with Software Engineers
For software engineers, assessing customer operations and solving pain points efficiently is essential when creating successful solutions.
Software engineers can give businesses peace of mind and enhance their current business model through their efforts. They can help improve business operations in the short and long term by creating exactly what the customer needs.
Engineers are the silent heroes of business technology everywhere. Consider how working with a software engineer can improve processes and operations for your business.
Learn more about our software team and how we can help your organization.
