App-Scoop

​If you are going to invest in a mobile application project, there are going to be a few hiccups that you will face during the development phase. It depends on the project, the kind of risks that you may encounter while developing the app. There are five types of development risks that you could face: 

1. The risk of overshooting the budget that was planned during the initial stages of development. This could delay or at times even be the reason that application never makes it to the market.
2. The risk of losing or absence of human resources. If the team that is assigned is not punctual or take too many leaves, it results with the app being delayed which in return leaves a cascading effect on other factors such as time, budget and productivity.
3. The risk of limited knowledge exchange and miscommunication within the team. When certain app technicians do not want to share knowledge or the codes that they are working on, they create a knowledge vacuum which will affect the development of the app.
4. The risk of low productivity can be predicted in long term projects. When there are no deadline crunches, there is no urgency of work – this leads to the resources working on the app to not put in as much effort or work time as required.
5. The risk of overshooting deadlines due to lack of time management. This is ideally the result of poor planning, unrealistic timelines or inability of catching up with the changing product requirements. 

 
The agile methodology touches upon various risks. That said, there are a lot of instances where agile environments are not able to overcome these risk factors, mainly due to, mistakes made by team members, errors made in the planning stage and unexpected changes if the product evolves.
Let’s take a look at each software development risk and how it can be managed to mitigate delays, mistakes and other barriers to releasing a successful application.

Risk: Overshooting the Budget

Solution: Rolling Wave Plan

During the production of the app, you cannot be firm on the assumptions that you’ve made. This means that as the app development progresses, the objectives or the goals of the app may change or the product may need to pivot as per the market demands.
Rolling wave planning is the solution to this issue. Ideally, during the planning stage, the team makes basic product decisions at that particular time rather than making very detailed plans at the beginning of the project. Hence, the project can evolve at its own pace keeping into account the feedback received from various sources. This means that as per the new knowledge received, the product can be developed – saving time and resources required for re-planning.
The rolling wave planning hence, keeps the budget in check. Although, you must remember that it is absolutely essential to make a budgeting plan for the entire scope of the project. It is important to have a clear understanding of what the app is going to offer and the entire cost involved in supporting that functionality.

Risk: Losing or Absence of Human Resources and Limited Knowledge Exchange

Solution: Squad-based Development

A squad is a group of 10-12 people who are co-located teams that are involved in planning the app, sharing knowledge, completing code reviews and working together. This squad sticks together from the beginning of the project till the app is released in the market.
Squad based development eliminates the risk of knowledge silos as there is an open flow of knowledge. So even if a resource is absent or leaves the project, the other team member can take on the task, thus, avoiding the vacuum that gets created otherwise.

Risk: Low Productivity

Solution: Sprint Based Development

Scrum, as we know, is a specialised agile method that uses the term Sprint for its iterations. Basically, one development cycle in scrum is called a sprint. So, sprints are iterative development phases that are created to produce a demo version of the product within a particular timeframe, i.e. mostly two-three weeks.
This means that if there is a long term project, this method can avoid low productivity by giving the team members of the app a short term goal. This adds a sense of urgency, thereby, maintaining velocity by diving work into smaller and manageable tasks.

Risk: Overshooting Deadlines (Time)

Solution: Process

The risk of overshooting deadlines generally occurs if the team is constantly looking for “perfection”, gaps in the project management plan or a rigid development process. Keeping the process flexible is best way of dealing with time risk.
It is important that the team is flexible so that they can adapt to the changing needs of the product, complete each stage faster with a frequent delivery schedule and planning resources efficiently to ensure that the project does not surpass the deadline.

Conclusion

As the agile methodology is being widely used by most companies, its stance on risk management remains questionable in some companies/organisations. But in today’s time the agile methodology has come up with solutions for the risks in an app development project. These challenges are being found and integrated into agile methodologies and project practices.
If you need more information on how to handle development risks in an agile environment, you can contact the App-Scoop app developers. App-Scoop app development team can help you by managing risks that your app might encounter during the development process and help you curb them with appropriate solutions.
Contact app-scoop app developers- https://app-scoop.com/contact-us.html
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Recently, there has been an economic downturn in the mining industry, companies are looking to be as efficient as possible. This means there is a need for innovation to increase efficiency and lower operating costs. Companies are looking into various technologies that could help them improve their processes. 

Augmented Reality (AR) was identified as a technology, along with Virtual Reality to help solve this issue. Companies are looking to merge the real and virtual word, in a space called Mixed Reality (MR). All aspects of the real and virtual environments are encompassed in this MR, as pictured on the right.
 
While companies researched into Augmented Reality, they thought of conceptual applications of this technology in the mining environment. There was a great focus on applications that would optimize the mining process by reducing costs, improving efficiencies, increasing productivity, and enhancing safety. Another factor was how easily these technologies could be incorporated into current working environments such that there were minimal amount of human resistance and implementation costs. 

Augmented Reality in Drilling

​The accuracy and efficiency of drilling can be significantly increased through visual guidance assistance through AR. This visual technology can further be improved by displaying real-time location and orientation of the drill below the surface or the rock the machine is currently drilling.
Technologies such as low-frequency electro-magnetic location transmitting systems used in the oil and gas industry would allow for the exact location of the drill bit to be displayed. This would allow for a faster reaction and adjustment time by drill operators, allowing them to improve accuracy.
 
When AR is paired with other technologies such as directional drilling, which allows for control over the drill head during the drilling process, the drill can be steered in real-time to follow the exact path laid out in the plan. This improved accuracy leads to reduced wastage in resources and also reduces the potential damage of equipment as unknown hazardous objects can be avoided.

Navigation Aid and Operator Assistance

Mining on the surface with poor weather conditions like rain, dust, or sand, could significantly slow down the rate at which work is completed. AR can help by developing an application that allows miners to see hazardous objects and scenarios. The use of virtual information on top of the miner’s real-world view can help identify key points of data such as:

• Road Boundaries
• Approaching Vehicles
• Distance from Vehicles
• Distance to reverse to a particular site
• Video feeds of blind spots of a vehicle

​Other useful virtual overlays could include information on remaining fuel capacity, current load, estimated duration until next refueling, vehicle speed, GPS guidance system, or real time location of key locations on a map.

Real-time information sharing between different operators and vehicles will improve feel efficiency, help with feel management, and improve communication and response times. All of these uses will help reduce costs, prevent accidents, and improve worker productivity.
 
 Maintenance and Repair
 
General repair and maintenance of machines can be done more efficiently through the use of AR. Essential information about the machine being repaired could be displayed when the appropriate part breaks down. This can also include a step by step interactive process that allows operators to see how to fix the particular part. Key points of data to assist with the repair such as how much pressure to apply when adding a part, or how much torque to use when fastening a piece of equipment, can also be shown to minimize errors. 

​With the power of networks, a live virtual chat can be engaged with the manufacturer of the device in case further assistance is required. All key points of data about the machine will automatically be sent to the manufacturer, and they can virtually point out what particular steps to take or which parts of the machine to operate on.

AR will help reduce repair time greatly and will also ensure the repairs and maintenance are done properly, so that the machine can operate longer before having to come back for servicing.

Augmented Reality in Industrial Manufacturing
 
Similar to mining, AR can help improve efficiencies in the manufacturing industry as well. The more common device that will be used here is AR headsets, which are expected to reach sales of approximately 20 million by 2021. Some of the core areas to improve, such as safety, improved logistics, and maintenance are quite similar to the mining industry, however, the way the technology is applied differs in both industries.
 
Hands-On Training 

​In the manufacturing industry, there are high training costs as new workers need to learn how to use specialized and complex machinery, where the cost of making is mistake is quite high. The use of this machines is often complicated and can lead to safety issues. Through the use of AR, workers can know exactly which steps to follow in any situation, which will allow them to perform virtual steps in front of their eyes instead of recalling them from memory.
 
This also reduces the barriers to entry to the industry, as lesser technical experience is required to operate the machines. This will help improve labor quality and satisfaction as workers will now have on-demand access to assistance without fear of breaking or damaging machinery or harming themselves.
 
Streamlined Logistics
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In order fulfillment and warehouse locations, there are high amounts of moving parts in the factory. Workers must be able to multi-task and be aware of the status of multiple deliveries or orders to be able to work efficiently. Workers also have to be in constant communication with each other to relay information about orders. This can lead to a day being extremely hectic and tedious for workers.
AR can allow these workers to pull information from a database and view what they need instantly without having to move to another location or communicate with another employee. They can check on order statutes, invoice numbers, time of departure of the next shipping truck, and other key points of data from where they are working. This can allow them to work significantly more efficiently as they no longer need to find the right person to get information they need and can do so independently and instantly. 

Product Design and Communication
 
Typical product design procedures require large amounts of drawing and communication between different parties. This can often be a lengthy and resource-intensive process.
 
AR can reduce the time spent during this process by allowing multiple people to view a real time projection of drawings and designs in front of them.  This way, meetings can be held virtually, and communication can be done significant faster versus emailing designs and consolidating feedback from multiple replies. 

Furthermore, 3D models od designs can be made, allowing people to see another perspective of these designs right in front of their eyes. This will help them think of unique ideas or identify issues they would not have been able to if the drawings were done on paper or digitally in two dimensions.
 
Conclusion
There are multiple advantages of augmented reality in both the mining and industrial manufacturing industries. Since both of these industries involve the use of highly complex machinery to preform specific tasks some of the common areas of improvements include higher efficiency when using machinery through AR navigation and guidance, improved maintenance through virtual instructions, and better communication and modelling through virtual conferences and sharing of information.
 
Sources
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/314838396_Potential_Augmented_Reality_Applications_in_the_Mining_Industry
https://blog.thomasnet.com/augmented-reality-manufacturing?utm_content=76098134&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin

​Blockchain technology has taken over the world with its unique features of safety and a shared public ledger that doesn’t involve the third party. There have been more than a million transactions on the Blockchain platform from all over the world. Corporations are now looking at adopting the Blockchain in one of the biggest industries, i.e. the supply chain. But you might think why would a well established supply chain look to adopt a new technology like Blockchain? Well the answer to that is for better coordination among various organisations. 

Let’s take a look at how Blockchain can be incorporated into the supply chain and make a difference to this mammoth industry.

What is a Supply Chain?
Before diving into the crux of the matter, first let’s understand the meaning of supply chain. When human and industrial resources come together to deliver the product from the supplier to the consumers, it is called a supply chain. The supply chain amalgamates natural resources, raw materials and components into finished products that are delivered to the end customer. There are a lot of steps and processes that are conducted between getting the raw material and shipping the final good.
The major drawback in the supply chain is weak communication between different organisations involved in the process. Ideally, these supply chains need to work on trust but in a huge organisation where there are several people working, it gets difficult to factor trust. This is exactly where Blockchain can help.

Example of Integration of Blockchain in the Supply Chain
With the help of Blockchain the supply chain can record each and every step of the process. Let’s understand this with the help of an example. Consider the supply chain of an exhibition. There are so many stages and processes involved from the time of deciding an event to execute it. It is a complicated process where different teams are assigned different responsibilities. But what happens when there are delays in the project output? The company loses a lot of money. Here is where the deployment of Blockchain would help.
The Blockchain platform can help coordinate delays in one process or another and adjust future processing in real time. Corporations estimate saving billions of rupees if there are able to install and use this technology.
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The Function of a Blockchain in a Supply Chain
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So how does a Blockchain exactly function and keep records in the supply chain? Every transaction done in the supply chain is recorded on a block. This block is converted across multiple copies in the ledger, which are distributed over many nodes (computers). All the supply chain processes recorded in the Blockchain would be transparent and highly secure since every block links to the one before it and after it.
There is no central authority over the Blockchain, it’s extremely efficient and scalable. Chain of command is essential for many things, and blockchain has the chain of command built in. Since, all entities on the chain have the same version of the ledger there is no dispute. Everyone on the Blockchain can see the chain of ownership for an asset on the platform. The records on Blockchain cannot be erased and hence, is reliable and important for a transparent supply chain.

How Blockchain Can Help the Supply Chain?
Using the same example (planning an exhibition) we used earlier; let’s illustrate how Blockchain could better the supply chain. One way to ensure that the supply chain process is smooth is to know every step as it is being carried out in real time. For instance, ‘Has the material for the exhibition stall arrived?’, ‘Has the material been shipped from a foreign country?’ etc. Additionally, companies can examine sources, investigate industry certifications, track restricted or dangerous components, and discover storage condition anomalies. This allows for planning for untimely delays in the process.
For example, the delay in an outdoor exhibition during pre-production due to bad weather, issues between the labour force and the client, etc. can be factored into the final product. If a company knows that a particular task is incomplete or is likely to get delayed, they can immediately look for ways to remedy the situation. They can look for alternate sources or pass the information further down the chain as they find necessary.
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Since every transaction is recorded on a block and across multiple copies of the ledger that are distributed over many nodes (computers), it is highly transparent. It’s also highly secure since every block links to the one before it and after it. There is not one central authority over the blockchain, and it’s extremely efficient and scalable. Ultimately, blockchain can increase the efficiency and transparency of supply chains and positively impact everything from warehousing to delivery to payment. Chain of command is essential for many things, and blockchain has the chain of command built in.
Blockchain provides consensus—there is no dispute in the chain regarding transactions because all entities on the chain have the same version of the ledger. Everyone on the blockchain can see the chain of ownership for an asset on the blockchain. Records on the blockchain cannot be erased which is important for a transparent supply chain.

Curbing Fraud with Blockchain

In today’s times a lot of companies are tampering with product quality or fake products to earn a little cash on the side. The supply chain doesn’t have any way to guarantee the authenticity of the product from start to finish. The fraud could occur at any stage and by any team, and the end consumer would have to bear the brunt for the same. This is specially seen in the food industry.
From switching high quality raw materials to cheap substitutes or switching the end product with a duplicate one is a classic example of fraud that could occur. Blockchains can help curb fraudulent behaviour by providing authentic records for every batch of raw material. Blockchain can store all the relevant information such as factory conditions, batch numbers, expiration dates, storage and shipping data for every batch of food items supplied by the company. Hence, when the final product is shipped to the end customer, it would have its entire origination history in the Blockchain system.

Making a Difference in the Supply Chain with Blockchain
With the advent of Blockchain, third parties that consolidate and resell goods will become redundant. Their exclusion from the whole supply chain process would make a lot of processes easier, curd fraud and become more transparent. Involving third parties that are situated around the globe can complicate the process, thereby making you lose track in the supply chain process.
Also, instead of using track changes and contracts (checked by different parties), the Blockchain platform provides all the changes made at different stages. All the important information or notes can be stored in the system and be viewed at any time by different parties.
In recent times, Accenture (a global consultancy) developed a Blockchain solution for an international shipping supply chain. The platform could save the entire process, thereby, saving the freight and logistics sector billions of dollars.

If you wish to create a Blockchain technology that could fill the gaps in your supply chain, you can contact the App Scoop development team – https://app-scoop.com/contact-us.html
 

​Over the past few years, there has been a significant amount of development in the Internet of Things (IoT), which is essentially a group of interconnected devices functioning together. While there has been a lot of growth in the consumer facing side, which is IoT, there has also been a significant amount of growth in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), which is more manufacturing focused.

IIoT had a worldwide value of $295 million in 2015, an this expected to grow to a value of $1.6 billion by 2021 with a CAGR of 33%. Furthermore, IIoT is expected to have an economic impact of approximately $6 trillion by 2025, out of which $1.3 trillion will be for the electricity industry1.
 
While there is a large potential for this technology, it will take time for IIoT to be a standard as there are high costs to implement the system and make older manufacturing models compatible with IIoT.
 
What is IIoT

​The Industrial Internet of Things is similar to the Internet of Things, in the sense that multiple devices and sensors work together on the same network to collect and analyze data. The main difference is that IIoT uses these sensors to collect large amounts of data and analyze it to improve and even automate current processes, making the manufacturing experience more efficient. IIoT is already growing in demand as large companies are in the process of rolling out IIoT solutions such as IBM’s Watson. GE’s Predix, and Honeywell’s Sentience. 

Current Demand for IIoT

​A survey by PwC revealed the current interest for IIoT and digital factories. Approximately 90% of respondents and investing in digital factories, but only 6% consider their manufacturing processes to be completely digitized. Almost majority of respondents chose to invest in digital factories to better server customer preferences and improve the manufacturing process efficiency. The expected ROI for an investment in a digital factory is at around 50%, making it an attractive investment. Furthermore, companies are expected to see an improvement in efficiency by more than 10% over the next five years as they roll out IIoT implementations in their factories.

Almost 50% of respondents expect IIoT to increase employee productivity, improve asset optimization, and reduce costs However, some potential barriers include poor communication of infrastructure requirements and high capital costs. Furthermore, 40% of companies said lack of government support makes it more difficult to implement IIoT in their factories and around 20% said there is insufficient technical knowledge in the workforce to truly benefit from IIoT being implemented.

Trends in IIoT

Data Analytics
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There are multiple companies that are brining data analytics to manufacturing. Companies are expecting to invest in digital literacy rather than infrastructure as IIoT becomes more popular1. There is no more of a focus on how to collect data and use it in a valuable way to improve processes. This is where IIoT plays a large role, as multiple sensors can ready key inputs from multiple machines and analyze this data to make meaningful conclusions about how a factory process is running. Factories are now looking at hiring non-traditional roles such as data scientists and engineers to leverage this data to make smart predictions. Companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, and Google are already looking into how to allow such analytics to be used at scale with low costs. 

Application Development
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While there will be a large focus on using the data, there will also be increase in application development that will use this data to provide a user experience where factory managers can read the data in meaningful ways such as visual reports. Factory asset management can also be done through these apps as sensors can provide key points of data such as what level of efficiency a machine is running at, when the last maintenance was done, and real time location of machines and vehicles on the factory floor1. The application can also have functionality for factory managers to perform actions remotely such as powering machines, requesting maintenance, and other functions. 

Energy Harvesting
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As costs of fuels increase, companies are looking into more energy efficient technology that are cheaper such as solar, thermal, and wind energy. Capturing this energy efficiently and monitoring how much energy is captured so that it can efficiency be distributed based on factors like the current workload. A machine that currently requires larger amounts of electricity as it is performing a heavier task can have power rerouted from idle machines that do not need it at the moment. This will help energy be utilized better, reducing wastage and costs.

Predictive Maintenance

The factory machine maintenance industry has nearly 20 million field technicians that maintain a variety of difference machinery1. Maintaining these machines is extremely expensive, and not efficient now. Machines that need maintenance are being used without factories aware, which leads to more expensive breakdowns and down time. On the other hand, machines that are functioning better than expected are receiving maintenance. Through the use of IIoT sensors, data can be collected on machine usage and uploaded to the cloud. This data can be analyzed to determine what input factors, like machine hours used, type of equipment worked on, or others impact a machine the most by plotting this data to find correlations using regression. Furthermore, based on usage, a general point of maintenance can be determined that is significantly more accurate than time-based maintenance. For instance, a machine can be maintained once every 10,000 hours of usage versus once every year1. This allows factors that actually impact the machine to be used to determine when a machine is maintained, allowing machines that need the maintenance to be repaired first.

Security

Like in IoT, security will be a key factor in IIoT as well. Devices will now have longer usage cycles, and its important to keep the software up to date and secure throughout this entire process. Nearly 96% of security professionals in organizations are expecting an increase in cyber-attacks on IIoT infrastructure3. Many factories currently do not feel prepared for such attacks as they can cripple an entire factories ability to produce items. It is extremely important to take the appropriate security measures to ensure data is transmitted securely and machines have the proper authentication in place.

Automation
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As IIoT becomes more popular, there will be an increase in autonomous capabilities. As more data gets collected, machines can start to make key decisions autonomously, such as when to request a repair if a particular part is not running efficiently1. Furthermore, through the use of more sensors, the manufacturing process can have more machines involved to streamline production.

Data Centers

While not limited to just IIoT, Data Centers will transform to become more autonomous. IoT and AI will enable data centers to self diagnose issues to find their root cause and diagnose the problem immediately. There will also be preventive measures taken if a data center predicts an issue will arise. This is extremely important as data is at the heart of IIoT, and if a data center is down, it will have a large impact on operations. There will also be reduced costs as data center administrators will not be needed as often to fix these issues. Further technologies will allow data center administrators to manage data servers remotely and monitor status and progresses, allowing an administrator to work on an issue upon a company’s request regardless of where they are.

Leveraging AR and VR

One of the most important aspects of manufacturing is ensuring workers are using the machinery as intended. Improper usage can lead to worker injuries or damage the machine. In the case of managing large or expensive to use equipment, training can become quite expensive as new employees learn how to use the machine2. In this sort of scenario, both Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) have a large potential to improve current processes. Employees can use VR to try using the machine without fear of hurting themselves or breaking the equipment. Once they have mastered the machine virtually, they can use useful tools with AR to receive visual instructions that overlay on top of the equipment, so they know exactly what to do. AR can also help experienced employees as real time data can be displayed in front of the employee and they can make decisions based on that.

Simulation Testing

As new equipment gets produced, manufactures will have to test them out in production before deploying them full scale. Here, a digital replicate of the machine can be created and using sensors a predictive analysis can be done to understand how the machine performs. This helps prevent expensive implementations of machines that may not be required. It also helps prevent downtime for new machines as the factory knows exactly how to use it when they deploy it.

​Robotics impact on Labor

According to the International Federation of Robotics, 2.6 million robots are expected to be deployed by 2019, and China will account for 40% of the sale of industrial robots. The robotics market is expected to grow by 13% annually until 20193. The growth in demand for robotics clearly indicates the importance of automation in key markets like China. There is some fear that robotics result in large amounts of lost jobs, however, there is research that says that the impact will not be as large as some predict. The use of robots in factories will lead to large amounts of cost savings, which can allow for the increase of labor demand to offset the loss of jobs. This is an important issue as the use of robots and automation becomes more popular.  

Conclusion
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The IIoT is a large and growing sector. There is large demand for smart machines and sensors that allow manufacturers to leverage data and make trends. This will help them produce more efficiently by saving costs in areas like energy, maintenance, and training. However, with the growing trend of automation and use of robotics, there are potential ethical issues that arise as these technologies start to replace manual labor.
 
 
Sources

1. https://www.cmswire.com/internet-of-things/industrial-iot-what-it-is-and-the-trends-driving-it-in-2018/
2. https://shoplogix.com/blog/industrial-iot-statistics-trends/
3. https://hackernoon.com/iiot-trends-to-watch-out-for-in-2017-96c498d39017

If an old song is remixed into a dance number by adding a few extra beats, would you call it new? Think about it. This is the exact difference between a white label application and a custom-built app. Let’s take a look at some of the risks that come with white label application and the reasons that you should go for a custom-built app.

​What Are White Label Applications?
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The term ‘white label’ came about when vinyl records were given out to DJs before the songs were released to the public. White label applications are basically applications that are originally developed by and for a company and that are licensed to other companies for use. To put it more simply, the backend system of an old application is used to customize a new application, i.e. the branding, colours, logo and the content is tweaked.
There are two ways to build a white label application: one is to change the frontend app and the other is to create a multi tenant application where the app is the same but each tenant has a slightly different set of features. 

White label applications do have their benefits but they also have flaws that might limit your brand from growing.

Reasons for Customization of Apps

Go Straight To Market

One of the biggest reasons white label applications are in demand is because they can go straight to market. Customizing an already built-in app is much faster than making one from scratch. The bug fixing and testing is already done by the old app. Also, if one is using the same backend features, it becomes easy to gauge the user’s reactions.

Why Customize Your App?

On the other hand, the new app that already has the old features need to compete in the market with similar apps. Hence, it has direct competition with the original, as well as the other apps that have licensed the backend functionality.
For example, if Uber licensed its backend functionality to another company offering the same services, it might go to market right away but will the app have potential users. Unless, the new app offers better deals than the old one, there will be minimum downloads by user. This also becomes a classic example of solving a problem that is already solved with no striking difference in functionality.

Monetary Investment

A lot of companies prefer to invest in a white label application because it is much cheaper than producing one right from the start. It also saves the company man power – they would just need to hire a business analyst to understand the set of core features for your app and who understands your product positioning.

Why Customize Your App?

On one hand white labels save you the initial monetary investment but on the other hand, it limits customization, gives you no control over the code quality and creates a ‘vendor-locked’ situation.

• Even though customization is possible with white label apps, it is very limited. White label apps provide a basic set of features that is used for the functionality of the app. Hence, it is impossible to customize the app if your business needs are more complex.

 

• When you hire a white label app, there is absolutely no way that you get control over the backend technology and the codes. There is no way to evaluate the code quality which means that you need to comply rely on the white label app provider’s backend system.

 

• White label apps are basically taken up on a subscription basis. This means that these apps need to transfer the data on cloud and give away the user’s data. This creates a situation where the vendor is locked and needs to put in all the trust on the backend server of the original app. The user’s data could also get comprised in this process which doesn’t make the app look very secure.

Post Release Maintenance

Companies that provide Software as a Service (SaaS) or the functionality of the white label apps provide maintenance and support post their release. Here, the advantage is that the maintenance is taken care of by professionals rather than employing an entire development operations team.

Why Customize Your App?

On the other hand, once the app is released, there will be a huge hindrance in the scalability of the app. For instance, if there is a sudden load of users using the app, the white label app providers should have the capability of providing service and keeping the servers updated.  
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Filling the Void by Customizing the Apps
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Most companies that want to develop revolutionary apps keep in mind the main aspect that is solve a problem for the user. If an app already exists that does that, it is almost futile to build another one with a same backend system and the same features.

Making an app from scratch does take a look more effort in terms of manpower and monetarily but the end product is worth the investment if done right. Customizing an app allows the developer to build unique features, regularly update the app and update the software as required and building their own unique user base. Custom based apps are also built on the robust cloud to offer high scalability as per the business requirements of the company.
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Hence, even though white label solutions seem like they solve an issue or make it simpler for the developer to roll out an app in the market, the right way is customizing and building a unique app.
If you have an idea and wish to build a customized app that is a success in the market contact the App-Scoop team. App-Scoop app developers helps companies create their own apps from scratch and offer support to clients at every stage. They also ensure support post the release of the app and offer maintenance of the same.
Contact app-scoop team – https://app-scoop.com/contact-us.html
 

Technology is evolving at a much faster rate than we could have imagined in the past. With the advent of new software applications, we want all services delivered to us at the click of a button. Another change that has been noticed is that people are no longer working on desktops and browser based applications but switching to web applications on the mobile.
So what is a significant change that is taking place on websites? The one significant change seen on websites is that they look more and more like applications with various interaction possibilities rather than static pages. In today’s times, the user wants more and more information available at a single browse rather than clicking various tabs to view it. On the other hand, the website owners want to provide a better interface to the user.
If you are planning to create an application of your choice then you will be presented with two options: multi-page application (traditional way) and single-page application (modern way) 

Multiple Page Application (MPA)

A multi-page application consists of many pages with static information such as text, images, etc. They also have links on the page that connects with other pages. For example, if you click on a button ‘Know more…’, the rest of the content will appear on the page but it reload the entire content of the page, including the header and the footer of that page. This will mean that the user will have to wait every time he/she clicks a link.
The technology used for a multi page application is HTML and CSS.

Pros of Multi Page Applications
This type of application allows the user to see the visual map and let them decide what they wish to read on the website. Designing the menu application in detail is one of the most important aspects of MPA.
MPAs can be handled fantastically well with proper SEO management. Different key words can be ranked in order and optimised for one keyword per page.

Cons of Multi Page Applications
The development of MPA is tedious because the frontend and backend development needs to be tightly coupled. Further, it takes longer to develop because the developer has to use frameworks for either the client’s or the server’s side.

Best Approach for Multi Page Applications
Sometimes MPAs can become very complex – at this point of time you can start creating your own framework to maintain the UI on a back end. You need to divide your back end and front end with REST API and they will communicate in a specific language of queries. Now at this stage, one will require front-end solutions. Because of these issues, many companies have realised that they need to keep a source of their project open. Here, they provide a community with the platform and the community accelerates the evolution of the solution. It basically turns into a win-win situation.     
Another code base that can be used is the Node Package Manager (NPM), where one finds solutions for almost all the problems. Hence, with the help of the community and its ecosystem, you can create an MPA that is dynamic, easy to fix and which can be integrated into MPA websites.
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Single Page Application (SPA)

A single page application consists only of one page where the content is dynamic and keeps changing. Only a chunk of the information that you perform an action on changes, and the rest of the interface remains the same. Due to this reason, the website is much faster than a multi page application.
Generally, when you build a SPA, you need to use a solid mature ecosystem. It is the other way around in a MPA, where you integrate interactive elements in the app. Unlike an MPA, single page applications the front-end and back-end are separated and they don’t interfere with one another.
Some of the examples of SPAs are: Google, Gmail, Facebook, GitLab.   

Pros of Single Page Applications

Speed and Responsiveness: With SPAs, a server doesn’t need to reload the content with every interaction. Only the new data is downloaded from the server so they have a lighter server payload. Hence, applications run faster since the data processing is removed from the server to the browser.

Adaptability: The backend code of the SPA can be used from a web based app and be directly integrated in the mobile. This saves a lot of time and effort.

Flexible UI: The front-end of a SPA can be rewritten with no influence to the server except for a few static resource files.

Offline Support and Caching: SPAs can cache local storage – it sends a request to the server and stores all the data it receives. The SPA can operate offline as it can use this data, unlike an MPA where you can’t see the data if you are not connected.

Separation of Data and UI: SPAs can distinguish between data and the UI. This helps to streamline the app – only the data that needs to be added or edited is touched and the rest of the functionalities of the UI would remain the same.

Debugging in Chrome: It is easy to debug SPA in Chrome as it can monitor network operations, investigate page elements and the data associated with it.

Cons of Single Page Applications

Issues with SEO: In SPAs, you can only put one keyword per page which affects the SEO rates.

Memory Leaks: The loss of computer memory happens due to event listeners. Sometimes events can be organized incorrectly. For instance, an HTML element can be bound to an event. The event handler stays in the memory if you modify the HTML content. Hence, you can no longer execute it.

Security: It is easy to attack and exploit a web page with XSS. The attackers can use their own client-side code which delivers a malicious script to a victim’s browser.

Limiting Scalability: It becomes difficult to keep adding new content on a single page application because it takes a longer time to download the page. Sometimes the entire website needs to be redesigned if more content needs to be added to it.

Sharking a Link: When it is a SPA, one cannot share only a part of the information through a link. The user will have to download the entire contents of the page.

Back and Forward Browser Buttons: If the user wishes to use the back and forward browser, the same is not possible. The user will be taken to the previous page that the browser loaded but not to the prior state in the application.

Best Approach for Single Page Applications

You can leverage rich internal anchor text links, tags and meta-descriptions by using SPA. You can turn around the SEO issues by identifying the right word, since search engines give higher scores to domains devoted to one theme.
With MPAs you need to secure separate pages, but in the case of a SPA, you just need to secure your data end points. You can divide the downloadable JavaScript into several parts, so that the client doesn’t get access to all of the codes.
You can also solve the back and forward button with an HTML5 History API. Many modern SPA frameworks are fitted with this API.

SPA or MPA?
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There are a few factors that you need to be sure before you choose between SPA and MPA:

• What the website will entail
• Information that it will post and what type of information will be posted
• Designing of the website and its main elements
• Benefits of the content you offer to the user

​For instance, if you have a website like eBay with multiple products, the most rational decision is to make a multiple page application. On the other hand, a website like Facebook, where the user just wants to see updates, a single page application is the way to go.
Developers have gone into battles of words comparing SPAs with the traditional multiple-page approach. Since both, SPAs and MPAs have their pros and cons, the best way to decide the right kind of application is to look at the type and content of the website and choose accordingly.
App-Scoop mobile app developers can help you identify your need and help you guide and build a Multiple Page Application or Single Page Application based on your type of website.
Contact app-scoop team – https://app-scoop.com/contact-us.html

​Business operations are now not only carried out in a cabin or in the office. You could reply to your email sitting in a coffee house, while watching a movie or even when you are vacationing in Bali. This is possible with the advent of mobile apps. But with the convenience of a mobile app also comes the threat of your information getting targeted by hackers. Cybercrime includes costs that include damages due to loss of sensitive data, theft of intellectual property, fraud and interruption in business operations. 

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Apps Targeted by Hackers
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So what kinds of apps are targeted by hackers? Apps that are mostly targeted are the ones that have sensitive information and which can be used against other businesses. The most likely apps to be hacked are the ones that deal with economic transactions – ecommerce applications that are connected to banking software. Hackers assimilate data or disrupt services by disabling security, modifying and unlocking key features and stealing data. 

Along with enterprise and ecommerce apps – chatting apps are also vulnerable to hacking. Some of the most sensitive information is shared on chats – for example, the CEO of a company carrying out a huge assignment or carrying cash for transaction giving details of his whereabouts to his family or colleagues. If the hackers know his location and his whereabouts at a particular time, they could easily dupe and steal the information that they require.
So, how do you secure chat apps? Let’s find out.
 
Ensuring the Security of Messaging Apps

Messaging apps has two broad categories – enterprising messaging apps and consumer based messaging apps. Security risks for these apps include a secured integration with a payment statement, proper usage of a platform and ensuring legal regulations for healthcare or banking.
Now, let’s take a look at a few common ways of ensuring secured messaging apps.

Security of Data Storage and Data Transfer

Logically, the less data stored on the client’s side, the more secure the app. But there are instances where the app user would want to save their data. In that case, there are technical solutions that would keep that data secure. This can be done by use Realm Core. It uses OpenSSL when one supplies a 4-bit encryption key. Realm Core can be transparently encrypted and decrypted with AES-256 and can be verified with       SHA-2 HMAC hash.
For iOS two frameworks can be adopted – Realm iOS and CoreData for data protection. CoreData’s most popular local storage type is SQLite – it is an open source third-party library that provides 256-bit AES encryption. It is important to know that AES takes up a little bit of extra storage space, thereby decreasing the speed of the app.

Secure Communication Between the Client and the Server

It is important that all communication done between the client and the server is secure. Apps need to adhere to the standards set by the industry and regulatory requirements depending on the state and the industry.
For instance, a healthcare app needs to adhere to medical industry standards and should be compliant with HIPAA. The healthcare software application following HIPAA standards might have a few limitations that need to be addressed – such as disclosing certain medical information.
As we know all the information shared between a client and the server runs a risk of breach. The app developers need to make sure that they are properly set up with TLS/SSL. The app needs to have a trusted CA certificate with configured chains and attach or pin those to SSL.
Tip: Encrypt the sensitive data before pinning it to SSL to get an extra layer of security.

End-to-End Encryption and Reinforcing Encryption

​Encrypting the data would mean that even if it is hacked, the hacker will not be able to read it. Encryption of data is done by using special algorithms to scramble data. All messaging apps have some form of encryption data. One of the biggest reasons why messaging apps make themselves vulnerable to hackers is that they use some information to target users with advertisements.
The most secure apps with chat functionality use end-to-end encryption that lets only the sender and the receiver read a message. If the company does make an app with end-to-end encryption, they can archive the data and store all the messages on the server. These messages can be decrypted and read if necessary.
To increase security, the app developers can reinforce existing encryption mechanisms. What is reinforcing encryption? – It requires applying cryptographic standards by getting acquainted with cyber security guidelines. 
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Bottom Line
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To conclude, some typical features that need to be used for a secure mobile chat:

• A unique key should be generated for each session. This is called Session Level Security or SLS. By adopting SLS, all messages exchanged within the app can be only read by the sender and the recipient.

 

• Every message sent has its own key.

 

• The data stored by the user is encrypted by a separate key which is derived by the PIN entered by the user.

 

• Offline messaging support should be supported by the app. This means that if the user is on offline mode, the messages are stored at the backend. On switching on their network, the messages are delivered to the recipient.

​Enhancing security for apps is very important in today’s day and age. Privacy is an important aspect and the users need apps that do not disclose their personal information. Users are drifting towards apps that store very little personal information and use it sparingly for advertisements or their personal benefits.
App-Scoop app developers can help you build an app that has end-to-end encryption for maximum security of data and develop a secure chat for your mobile app.
Contact app-scoop team – https://app-scoop.com/contact-us.html
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A number of apps have stormed into the app store since the past decade. Most of them have tough competition in their own genre. The trick to make your app outstanding is to make it different! 

In today’s competitive age, 35% of the users engage on an app less than a minute. If they find an issue in the functionality, the app gets immediately uninstalled. Hence, it is very important to keep your best functionality forth, so that it keeps the user engaged.
Source: https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/one-third-of-mobile-app-engagements-last-less-than-one-minute-2014-07-17

So, the question most developers think about is, “How do you make your app successful?” To get an answer to this question, you need to answer questions such as, “How do I make my app appeal to the users?”; “What problem is the app solving for the users?”; “Is the app easy-to-use?”

Let’s take a look at 5 reasons that an app might fail and how to avoid them:
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Researching the Market and the Audience Correctly:
You might have an amazing idea in your head about an app but that doesn’t mean that it will work. There are a lot of criteria that you need to keep in mind before taking the leap and starting work on it. If a developer makes an app solely on their needs, they are most likely to end up with a failed product. 

​The first and the most important thing is to affirm that the idea that you have in mind is something that market or the audience need. Does this app solve a certain pain point? Is it unique? Does the functionality satisfy the user’s needs? – To answer these questions, you need to do a thorough market research.
It is important that you build an app that exceeds the customer’s expectations and is far more superior to your competitor’s product. Most times a prototype is recommended to check the reaction of a group of people but it has its limitations.
The user doesn’t get the whole essence of the app by just looking at the UI or a couple of test screens. The best way to validate the app is to build a minimum viable product with a strong base functionality. The app can then be upgraded with more functionalities as per the user’s and the market’s feedback.

Making it Compatible on iOS and Android Platforms:
Mobile users are mostly divided between iOS and Android platforms (although there are more platforms in the market, these ones rule the chart). Catering to only one platform cuts your market in half, which in turn affects the number of app users.
Android and iOS both have very intuitive interface guidelines. They operate in different ways – they use different gestures and have prompts in different areas. For instance, Android has a back button that is built in the hardware, whereas, an iOS doesn’t have it. Hence, it is important that the UI is built in a fashion that doesn’t affect the user using either platform.
Ensure that the apps are tested on both, Android and iOS devices – you don’t want to leave the user frustrated while he/she tries to use the apps on different platforms or devices.

Creating a 360 degrees User Experience
A great user experience in based on a lot of factors that are involved in building an app that is easy-to-use and most importantly, is intuitive. If your app has weak core functionality, the usability of the app isn’t going to be appealing for the users. Some examples of poor usability includes, slow app performance issues, slow loading, tedious registration process and a user interface and features that are difficult to access.
Keep in mind that the user experience differs on each platform, for instance Android has different swipe gestures and tap-able controls than that of iOS.

Methodical Testing and Quality Assessment
After building the app, it is necessary that the product goes through a round of methodical testing and quality assessment. The app should be tested on different devices and platforms.
You might think that testing is an obvious step before the release of the product but statistics say that 44 percent of defects are found by the user, 24 percent from direct feedback, and another 20 percent from public user reviews in app stores.
Source: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20140722005485/en/Perfecto-Mobile-Launches-2014-Benchmark-Survey-Finds
One of the most important glitch to check while testing your app is that it shouldn’t crash. This is one of the most frequent complaints in the feedback section. Crashing dissuades the users to download the app and persuades the current users to uninstall the app. Ensure that before releasing your app, it is market ready and free of bugs to give your user the best experience.

​Marketing and Mobile App Launch
Once the app is tested, the next step is to focus on the launch. The most essential part of the launch is creating a market plan with each step being executed in a timely fashion. The aim is to have a high download and user retention rate so that you gain loyal users right from the start of your launch. Remember, that word of mouth can gain you more users than a marketing strategy. This stage is critical for optimizing the on-boarding process. 

Conclusion
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Updating an application is an on-going process – you can never release a perfect app. Tending to user feedback is another key element that can make or break your app. Mobile apps need to be re-launched and updated at timely intervals to gain more users and keep their existing customer user base.
You can benchmark your mobile app success by viewing quantity of users and the revenue gained. The quantity of users would include aspects such as the number of downloads, target users, statistics and other quantitative metrics. In the revenue aspect, you need to look at getting monetary traction by either paid downloads, in-app purchases or displaying advertises.

App-Scoop helps companies to develop their digital products and can help you and your team build a successful app and help you avoid the mistakes that are generally made by other unsuccessful apps.
Contact app-scoop team – https://app-scoop.com/contact-us.html
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​Technology is all about making life simple – assign chores to the digital robot so that you can achieve more productivity in your work or get more free time for yourself. Voice-first access is one such feature in technology that is slowly caving its way to become the customer’s favourite. Many companies are trying to come up with products that have their own branded voice like Alexa.
It would be like having a genie, “Your voice will be Alexa’s command!” Customers get attracted to technology that has a voice access control. It is convenient and also easy to multi-task with a voice-first access gadget. These products definitely have a greater edge than the existing brands that require more attention.

So, how would you like to plan an Amazon Alexa skill? Let’s get introduced to Alexa and learn Alexa skill development tricks.   ​

Introduction to Alexa

Before delving into planning an Alexa skill, we must understand the skill itself. What is an Alexa skill? It is a voice-first app running on the Alexa platform. There are three types of skills that can be applied to Alexa; custom skills, smart home skills and flash briefing skills. You must focus on custom skills as the other two, smart home skills and flash briefing skills have minimum user control.
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There are a few key details and terms that you must understand if you wish to plan Alexa skills.

Intent:
One of the specific action skills you need is intent – it is how Alexa will understand what a phrase or a sentence is supposed to mean. Once the smart device understands its meaning, it will give you the results that you are looking for.

Utterance
Utterance is used to plan and develop flexible responses to a similar phrase (with more than a hundred possibilities) uttered by the customer.
Alexa has an in built feature that asks you to record 25 different phrases to understand the meaning in context (through voice tone and pitch). Hence, when you speak, it can recognised the tone and pitch of the voice to produce the exact result.
For example, if you lisp with the words “sch” in a word like “schezwan”, it will record it in its memory and the next time you say the word it will display your desired results instead of other options.

Slots
Slots convert these specific words into typed data such as date, activity or time, i.e. the output that is required. Alexa has a big library but the customer can customise it for certain phrases or words.
For example, if you have a habit of saying the word ‘err’ while speaking, you can program Alexa to ignore it while typing out a sentence.

Alexa Skills
Alexa skills are offered by both, Amazon and third party companies to expand its features and enhance the assistant’s appeal. There is no limit to the number of skills the user can add but the challenge is to remember them.
But with the Alexa companion app (available on Apple’s App store, the Google Play store and the Amazon App store), it is now a piece of cake – it remembers all the skills that you’ve downloaded so that you can refer to them. There are about 3000 skills available in the app store right now – some of which include sports, entertainment, social media, home control skills, etc.
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Tips to Plan Your Alexa Skill

​Firstly, you need to create an end-to-end planning approach on how you wish to use Alexa and the skills that you want to update. Since Alexa’s skills are not screen based, it is necessary that best practices such as creating a voice UX and tracking usage patterns from the first contact should be adopted. This is necessary so that sensitive information is not misused in any manner. 

Adding a Dash of Personality
Since Alexa is going to be a part of your family, it is nice that you give her a dash of personality. This will make you feel more comfortable sharing personal information. Add specific verbiage or innovate the way that the options are presented. For example, you can program Alexa to call you by your last name “Mr Dawson” or by your pet name “Jackie Boy”.

Follow up Mode
Alexa has a follow up feature wherein, you do not need to say “Alexa…” before starting each conversation or request. It has a dialog interface that collects multi-factor problem diagnosis and has the capability to maintain several conversation threads that allows you to switch between topics.
For example, if you say the sentence, “It is so hot today. By the way what time is it?” – Alexa will store the first part of the information and reply to the question asked.

Cards
There are also certain cards that you can purchase to manipulate Alexa’s skill settings. You can use these cards to set images, videos, lists and enhance the card’s skill. There are a limited number of cards available in the market, so your options will be limited (especially if you are picky about the look and feel of the card).

Set Time Zone
Setting the time zone in Alexa is important when it comes to remembering important dates, appointments, setting reminders and giving commands.
For instance, you’ve travelled to Germany for work purposes and you haven’t set Alexa on the local Munich time (it is still set on US time), you are going to be late/early for all your appointments and meetings.
Be Updated
Alexa offers you an in built feature that helps you stay on top of the news by sending push notifications. When these notifications arrive a flash of a different light colour or an audible message will be seen on Alexa.
You can then ask Alexa, “Alexa, what’s new?” and catch up on the information that has been waiting for you in the inbox.

Make a smart home
Alexa can be paired with different apps to make your home a smart home. You can connect it to home services such as, WeMo, Google’s Nest and the Philips Hue.
With these products, you can control the lights, AC speed, fan speed from the comfort of your sofa by simply asking Alexa to “make the temperature 24 degrees” or “dim the living room lights”, etc.

How to Integrate with Alexa?
Alexa Voice Service (AVS) can be directly integrated into a product. You just need to choose the hardware and design your experience. To start, create a product profile and prototype with AVS Device SDK sample app.

The six-step process to update a skill in Alexa:
1. Create a free account as an Amazon Developer and name your skill.
2. Build your interaction model (a visual diagram of how you want Alexa commands to work and Alexa to respond).
3. Upload your code into AWS Lambda to set up your Alexa skill.
4. Configure and test your code.
5. If building an Alexa Fact Skill, add custom facts into the code.
6. Publish your skill.
As mentioned earlier, you can use cards to enhance the operations, link Alexa with Alexa’s companion app and download more than 3000 skills available in the app store of your smart device.
Alexa lives in the cloud and is always getting smarter. With regular feature updates and product requirements, it will keep getting updated by itself.

Future of Alexa and Voice Technology
It is said that one in every six Americans now own at least one form of voice AI technology. In a study by NPR and Edison Research, it was revealed that 16% of the population of the U.S.A. are now owners of a smart speaker, a 128% increase on last year’s figures.
In total, 7% of Americans of purchased one of the smart speakers available between Black Friday at the end of November and 31st of December 2017.
https://digit.fyi/voice-ai-growing/
Alexa is the next generation of digital assistants. There are a lot of competitors for Alexa. Apple has Siri and Google is trying to promote Google Assistant. But three quarters of the share in voice technology products is hogged by Amazon’s Alexa. With the rate of growth and the upgrades done my Alexa, it could be the brand to beat in voice technology.
McCool said that, “Better natural language processing, biometrics, and secure authentication and payments are some of the key developments we’re expecting in 2018 which will make smart speakers like the Echo become must-have sales and service channels for dozens of industries by the end of the year.”

Further, voice technology is an authentic method for online transactions since it can partner with the telephone to deliver extremely accurate remote authentication. The integration of voice recognition systems in cars is gaining worldwide popularity as more countries initiate the “hands-free” regulations governing the use of mobile phones while driving vehicles.
Some of the key industry participants of the voice recognition market include Apple, Inc., Amazon, Inc., Baidu, Inc., Facebook, Inc., Google, Inc., IBM Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, and Nuance Communications.
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Some of these major companies in the industry are focusing on increasing the recognition accuracy to outwit the competition. Industry participants have entered into strategic partnership and mergers and acquisition to strengthen their product portfolio and geographical presence.

App-Scoop app developers can help you build your first Alexa integrated app solution.
Contact app-scoop team – https://app-scoop.com/contact-us.html

​The one question that all product managers have is how to prioritise a product’s roadmap and lead it to a successful destination. Firstly, we need to align the product features in their order of importance. There are two approaches that we can use:

• Take a consensus of the team and stakeholders on which features do they think will work out.
• Sort the features that the user will have the highest engagement with – and then see the biggest drop offs i.e. where the users are getting stuck. The user’s feedback is of utmost importance. 

Although most product managers tend to gravitate towards the first approach rather than a data informed, educated hypothesis. Here is a word of caution; companies that do not follow statistics, numbers and keep the users in the forefront most likely do not succeed 

So, how exactly do you build a step-by-step framework to prioritize a beneficial roadmap?

​Step 1: Collate data
As we discussed, it is very important to base decisions on the basis of data. So how do we get this data?

• Analysing the product to see where most users are getting stuck and quitting.

 

• Recording what the users are doing with their mouse – this helps you understand if your product is easy to use.

 

• Sending or putting up surveys which are short, precise and easy to understand for the user – a source of direct user feedback.

 

• Reading through the user’s customer support transcripts to see where they are facing the issue.

 

• Creating live testing rooms to record and see how the users are using your product.

When you analyse these results, you will have an exact understanding on which aspects of the product need to be improved and in which order you need to execute them.

Step 2: Identify Quantitative and Qualitative Data
It is necessary to correlate and compare every initiative that you take for the user or the company based on effort, time, money and other factors.
For example, if you need to redesign a current feature to fix the issues, it will take less time and money rather than re-designing a new feature that doesn’t really match the user’s need.
Here, you need to decide which features to adopt and work on and which features to put on a backburner for a later update.

Step 3: Scoring Initiatives
Once you’ve decided which features to adopt, it is time to prioritise the shortlisted ones. How do you do that? It’s simple.
List the points on a spreadsheet and score them on a scale of 1-5; 1 being the most important and 5 being the least. To score these features, you need to take into consideration the competition, the market and the customers.

Step 4: Initiate a Stakeholder Buy-In on your Roadmap
Before you pitch the plan to the stakeholder, it is necessary that you proactively address their concerns. Walk them through the entire process, along with the data, on how you came up with the prioritised roadmap. Logical data rather than assumed data will definitely score some points with the stakeholders as they are investing their money in your product.
Use metrics from an analytics tool, pie diagrams, charts, professional data collection, etc. to create your presentation. Instead of endlessly talking about the features, show them the effect on the KPIs.
Address the concerns of your stakeholders to make them believe in your product and that it is going to be high-yielding product that is monetarily beneficial.

Techniques to Prioritise Your Product Roadmap

Value v/s Cost:
As we’ve discussed always prioritise features that have bigger value and lower cost. It is best to build a graph to get a 360 degree perspective on it.

Kano Model Analysis:
Noriaki Kano created a model where he classified the items of a product based in two dimensions – need of an item and the excitement of the user. It was classified into three types: basic, satisfiers and delighters.
For example, if you are building a car, the absolute basic necessity are the wheels whereas, it would be delightful to have a sunroof.

Feature Sequencer:
Paulo Caroli created Feature Sequencer which plans a product based on deliverables and features. It helps you organize and visualize the features and its relation to deliverables, i.e. it organizes and plans product releases. Each feature is represented by an index card and the post-its on the right hand side represent the deliverables.

Product Tree:
This strategy is similar to the Kano analysis – create a diagram of a tree. The roots represent the basic elements required whereas, the flowers and fruits determine the delighters.

UserVoice:
This is a suggestion system where the users can give feedback on the product. With the help of UserVoice, the customers can vote for suggestions. It makes the user choose and prioritize features.

RICE:
The importance of each feature can be further calculated using the RICE methodology.
RICE Score = R x I x C / E
R= Reach (how many people will this reach?)
I = Impact (how will it impact people?)
C = Confidence (how confident are you in your estimates)
E = Effort (how many “person months” will this take to build?)

Conclusion
Even though there is no exact science to create a roadmap – it is imperative to use a few suggestions that are given above to get it close to the success of a product that you envision.
Although, there are several methods to be used but the best method is to use common sense and pick one method that best serves your product. The product managers need to choose a method that prioritises options taking into account the company goals and the users’ needs.