Creating a sustainable and high-quality software requires careful monitoring of both technical and process-related elements, including the need for a particular function and its underlying behaviour. Here are 8 key components of a successful and high-quality software project:
1. Technical architecture
A strong technical architecture tailored to the business objectives is the foundation of good software. You should choose an architecture that suits the needs of the domain, whether they are financial registries, e-commerce platforms, companies like Bolt and Wolt, government agencies, or IoT services.
2. Documentation
Write down all the system goals and decisions, and keep them updated as they change. By having clear documentation, it is easier to track progress and ensure that the software is aligned with the expected business objectives.
3. Clean code
Code has to follow “clean code” principles – it should be readable, testable, and functional. A good code can be read from left to right and top to bottom. It allows for quick changes, facilitates seamless onboarding of new developers into the project, and can help prevent entire bug classes.
4. Automated testability
Software should be able to determine if it is working according to business requirements. In addition to saving resources, automation helps detect potential issues and deficiencies in the early stages of development, ensuring the expected functionality over long periods of time and in different environments.
5. Security
Security of software development includes both technical security measures to prevent vulnerabilities and unauthorised access and the protection of sensitive data added to the system, which dictates the level of security we need. For example, data with varying levels of sensitivity should be isolated to prevent unauthorised access. Government platforms, for example, are structured in this way.
6. Maintenance and updates
The broken windows theory, not necessarily criticising Windows, says that regardless of the environment, all windows remain intact until someone breaks the first window. As a result, other windows begin to break as well. Neglecting a software project for a period of time will result in rapid deterioration. Eventually, if this continues for long enough, new tools won’t be able to assist with such an old project. Broken projects that can only be developed using outdated tools are no longer attractive to either developers nor collaborators. Therefore, it is essential that development processes and maintenance are carried out throughout the various phases of a project, from the beginning of the project to its post-launch period.
7. Risk management
Building a system involves both technological and human risks. Technological components used must be widely adopted and continuously supported. In regard to human risk, the entire process should be conducted in all phases and technically in such a manner that when project members change over time, it does not incur additional costs, and changes are introduced in a linear manner.
8. Processes
Try to determine what functionalities are needed in the software and establish development processes accordingly. The processes agreed upon and negotiated with the team, as well as the CI/CD rules that support them, are crucial to ensure that the points mentioned above are fulfilled and implemented, and that there is actually any use of them.
Raimo Seero, CTO at Uptime:
“Good software is technically sound, with clean code, a solid technical architecture, and components that are continuously updated over time. And most importantly, processes must be in place. Technically, software can look flawless from the surface, however if you don’t know how it should align with the business, these processes help determine whether everything is in order.”
Uptime and Äripäev have collaboratively organised a two-day practical workshop, where three experienced developers/architects will share their knowledge of why the aforementioned points are critical and how to ensure that they benefit us. What: workshop on "How to write high-quality software" When: 20-21.02.2024 Where: Äripäeva koolitused
This workshop will take place in Estonian. Click here to read more and register.
