Installing a robust Dev Culture in the Micro-App Environment

AI and ML receive a lot of attention as the next big thing in technology. While there’s no doubt that developing intelligent tech is the next frontier, there’s another trend that is currently in motion, one which in my opinion is dangerously under-recognized.

International Data Corporation (IDC) published a report that shows the current number of apps in use. It is increasing exponentially. While consumer-facing apps have increased, a bigger increase is taking place within enterprises, with so-called “micro-apps” that are used to create customized solutions.

Future businesses can become digitally-ready with custom apps and micro-apps. The idea is that a company could exist as a series interconnected apps using APIs. It does not need to be physically present. These days, enterprise developers create micro-apps that help employees with daily tasks. They also use third-party services to enhance their native app experience.

Companies need to rethink their developer experience and culture in order to meet the demands of the microapp boom. Continuous release environments force developers to work in a monotonous environment, which leaves little time for creative microapp projects that can improve productivity and create better products. Your primary product roadmap is a checklist of features you need to develop. This is one of the biggest pitfalls in business. leaves teams feeling disempowered.

Here are some ways companies can create a shift in the culture of developers that includes micro-app development within an Agile context.

Developers empowered with the right building blocks

Software developers these days are primary drivers of product security and quality. Many companies provide tools to dev teams that make it difficult to get the job done. These tools are surrounded in layers of bureaucracy which hamstring developers who work in a pressure-packed continuous development environment.

Developers need access to not only the best tools for development, but also planning and collaboration tools that will help them do their jobs more effectively. It is a great way to allow them to create micro-apps and to increase productivity within the company.

An app that does this well is a good example. Interactive tables allow you to tabulate data published to a web link, such as the one created by DreamFactory and Tabulator. Although it’s simple, it saves users a lot of time. The key step in project planning and testing is to evaluate data quality.

This interactive table allows teams to quickly assess data quality and integrity. This process can improve test results and developers can concentrate on building great products by avoiding false conclusions. Managers will be able to see the business benefits of such apps, but they may not be willing to give developers the time and resources to create them.

Investing on low-code or non-code platforms is a great way for upper, non-technical management to join your team. Business users You can even create apps yourself using these platforms and gain insight into the developer experience. These platforms offer the greatest cultural advantage: they embed a technical mindset in your organization. 

Business and technical employees tend to get disconnected from one another, and often, business users don’t understand the underlying data behind the applications they rely on. It will help them understand the importance modeling solutions before they fire off requirements that are technically impossible.

These platforms also make it easier for developers to access information faster. Developers are often required to provide backend data to business users. Queries can take time. Low-code platforms allow business users to handle their queries themselves and leave your developers more time to work on technical projects. The result is a collaborative environment which increases productivity within the company and allows for creative products to be brought to market.

With this framework in place, upper management will have fewer objections about productivity-enhancing micro-app development being put in motion. The best organizations offer their developers a variety of tools. Although it is impossible to choose tools on an individual basis, giving developers a wide range of options is a great way to increase developer morale and improve the developer experience. 

The result is creative solutions that are beneficial to the entire organization and make it an attractive place to work.

Creating Comprehensive Product Management Roles

Product management is often lost in the bureaucracy that plagues enterprises. A solid product management framework will ensure a great product-to-market fit. It is essential to align every aspect of an organization that goes into making the product.

It is crucial to include developers and other members in product management functions. Developers are at risk of becoming too comfortable in their own world and losing sight of the need for great CX. CX is a vital product management function, even if it’s an internal app.

Enterprises use third-party software to track their shipments, and to run analytics on logistics data. However, it is cumbersome for business users and can lead to friction by requiring them to switch between an inner app and a third party app to collect data. Developers can connect both apps via APIs to embed analytics into native apps. This reduces resistance and makes use of existing resources to increase productivity and transparency.

Many third-party solutions providers are aware of the trend towards micro-apps, and the need to provide great CX for internal apps. The Finnish startup is an excellent example. Logmore, which offers its clients a free open REST API so that stakeholders can track shipment data collected via IoT tag in real-time in whatever context makes most sense for their work. 

Organizations that fail to take advantage of these opportunities and mobilize their developers may be left behind.

Intelligent product management functions balance CX, technical skills and leadership ability to deliver a robust user experience. Many organizations place too much emphasis on technical skills and create an imbalance in all other areas. It is a positive thing to involve developers and other agile team members within product management functions.

If you want to align all that goes into building great products, it is essential to prioritize balance in product administration as a matter for company culture. Your developers must understand the market forces. However, your business users must also understand technical limitations. A collaborative product management culture with the right tools is the best way to get everyone on the same page.

Balance is possible by examining your current product-management functions. Many companies place them with people who are in the middle of the technical and business side. This sounds great on paper, but the result is a middle of the road team that doesn’t fully understand either party’s perspective. To overcome this issue, select representatives from existing technical andbusiness teams. You can have your product leader from the business, or a technical person, as long as they understand the need to balance.

Future products will need to gather data from as many sources possible. With consumers becoming more willing to cooperate with others, share dataIt is crucial to develop micro-apps that take advantage of this fact. These apps will be required by your organization to allow products to talk to each other to create seamless experiences across all product lines. 

This is how companies become digital natives without needing to be physically present to attract customers’ attention.

The way forward is to empower developers to make the most of technology. To gain executive buy-in, integrate the development of these apps into your CD cycle.

Rethinking the Developer Team Experience

Many companies have a vision of how their developers should look. They envision a small team of rockstar developers, led by a similar rockstar. These small teams are able to find solutions to problems and solve them quickly. This vision is great except for talent retention planning.

Large organizations have trouble attracting highly skilled developers. They also have difficulty retaining them. Developers have more freedom to create their own products and branch out from traditional corporate roles thanks to SaaS and interconnected apps.

How can companies encourage talented developers to join their organization and keep them there? First, you need to clearly define your career path and make them clear. There are many career paths available these days. The traditional IT career path developers were forced into is no longer relevant.

Developers want to know more about business functions. This is natural as developers recognize that software is the real driver of profits. You can create career paths that allow developers to get into the business side of things, and give them the chance to obtain the necessary qualifications. Large organizations offer developers the opportunity to earn skill badges and gain more training opportunities.

Pay attention to the mood of your dev team. It is important to take the pulse of your teams after each sprint. Unfortunately, this is not something that is done enough. Teams often jump from one sprint into the next without giving thought to product relevance or customer experience. If the company’s product addresses a problem within their customers’ cost centers, this problem can be worsened.

For example, expense management software is not very expensive. These solutions are expected to lower costs, not increase profits. Companies should realize that AP and finance teams are a cost centre. It can be difficult for them to see their solutions in an inspirational light. This is the market.

Most expense management systems lack mobile presence or international backend capabilities. These solutions require users installing native apps that are stripped down versions of their desktop counterparts. The result is a complicated user experience. Companies such as Chrome River (by Emburse) have chosen to develop web apps that deliver the full suite of features to their clients.

Although it might not seem like a significant difference, it is crucial for your product’s CX. These solutions can be identified by empowered developers. Your job is to allow them to express themselves freely. Most developers in large organizations tend to keep their opinions to themselves and get on with whatever the business tells them to do because company messaging doesn’t give them the freedom to drive product decisions.

Companies that allow their teams to experiment, fail and learn are more likely to develop truly innovative products. Google’s early days are an example. Google was known for releasing many products that did not succeed. 

Many people don’t remember Google Wave, Knol and Answers, Google Plus Notebook, Google Plus, Google Plus, or Dodgeball. However, there’s no doubt that the culture at Google allowed developers to experiment and They had the freedom to fail. It’s no surprise that Google has managed to remain innovative and maintains a monopoly on web search. While you don’t need to create products at a similar clip, give your developers the space to create their own unique solutions.

Empowered dev teams can make a significant impact on your company’s bottom line, regardless of whether it’s through the use micro-apps that accelerate Agile processes or a product feature.

Preparing to be a Micro-App Boom

Although micro-apps may not be as popular as AI adoption and the proliferation of IIoT devices, they are certainly worth a look. Both of these technologies require the collection of data, which can be used to develop better products. Without a strong developer culture, it is impossible to achieve this.

Micro-app development allows your organization to rethink the developer experience, and to improve your processes. It’s a great way to reap the benefits of micro-app development that will last a lifetime.