The AndPlus Software Development Blog

Think about the products or services you use most. You tend to go to the same hairstylists, restaurants, clothing stores, construction contractors, cleaning services, and automobile dealerships over and over again.

Why do you return to them? Sometimes it’s simply a matter of habit. Sometimes it’s good customer service.

There are two basic ways to think about new software versions:

• “Yay!”
• “Oh no, not again…”

Which one you adopt depends mainly on your attitude towards the software to begin with, and how much effort is required to implement it. The first reaction is reserved for software that you like using and for which you look forward to new features and benefits. Software with easy update paths (for example, those that don’t require uninstalling the previous version, don’t break existing files, and don’t require reboots) also fall in this category. The second reaction is pretty much for all other software.

Think, for a moment, about the dashboard in the vehicle you drive. Whether your vehicle is a 1973 AMC Gremlin, a yacht, or a Boeing 747, the characteristics are the same. They all provide:

• Instant, visual indications of the most important operational parameters of the vehicle.
• Visual and/or audible indications of abnormal conditions.
• Controls for certain important functions.
• Indications that are arranged to be seen all at once.

Companies are progressively realizing that IT and software have a critical role in their business strategies, and this makes it essential to align a custom software program with business goals across the organization. Before engaging in a development project, it’s important to have a clear idea of how the new software will support their strategic objectives in the long term. This enables us to understand the larger, operational context of the project, and helps at project level to spot potential roadblocks. JD Roger, project manager, explains how AndPlus works with prospective clients to ensure that we do just that.

The term quant means a few different things; short for “self-quantifier,” or Quantitative, More commonly the latter. It is a relatively new buzzword that you will be hearing a lot of soon, if you haven’t already. Quants are people who measure all kinds of metrics about their given industry, from health to business trends. The quant movement has gained momentum recently, enabled by technological advances in smartphones and sensor devices such as exercise monitors, heart-rate monitors, sleep monitors, and other gadgets.