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Green tech: what it is about and why you should keep an eye on its development in 2022

Greentech: what it is about and why you should keep an eye on its development in 2022

Despite its relative youth, the green technology market has attracted a considerable amount of interest. Some of the reasons for this are the growing consciousness about climate change and the depletion of natural resources. Going green and being eco-friendly is becoming more and more popular: not only when it comes to consumers but also organizations.

Many people think being green simply means recycling and turning off the lights but there is more to the topic. Especially when it comes to new technologies, where green tech has taken the lead. Green technology, cleantech, green software, environmental technology – if you have ever come across those terms and wondered what they were all about, this article is for you.

Table of contents:

What is green tech? Definition and its purpose

The term “green technology” refers to the use of technology and science to create environmentally friendly products and services. By combining environmental science with many innovative solutions, green tech helps prevent climate damage in the future and mitigate the damage already done by reducing or eliminating the sources of it.

Green tech, which can also be addressed as an environmental technology, concentrates on sustainable innovation which factors in short-term and long-term environmental effects. Over the years, green technology has also grown into a booming industry that has attracted huge amounts of capital.

How is green tech different from cleantech

Green tech entitles the utilization of technology in processes of sustainable forms of energy production, whereas cleantech specifically refers to the products and services that in their core reduce energy consumption, waste, cost and environmental impact.

The main goals of green tech

Essentially, green technology aims to protect and restore the environment, conserve natural resources, and restore the damage inflicted on it in the past. The main goal of green tech is to minimize the negative impact of new technologies on the planet by using clean energy (alternative fuel sources and technologies that do less harm than fossil fuels). However, it has additional goals that consist of:

  • Finding new ways to fulfill our needs while reducing our negative impact on the environment.
  • Using resources more efficiently, reducing waste, and reducing pollution.
  • Replacing existing technologies with new eco-friendly ones.
  • Introducing new green technologies and creating jobs to support them.

How are these green tech goals accomplished?

The goals mentioned above can be accomplished thanks to the activity of green tech companies that utilize science-based technologies and methodologies. The business models of such companies often incorporate financial, social, and environmental sustainability. Moreover, by making profit, green tech companies are able to sustain and scale their businesses as well as increase the positive impact they make on the planet while reducing their carbon footprint as much as possible. The reduction of corporate carbon emissions has become an important part of business strategies. As a result, a growing number of corporations took a pledge to become carbon neutral. Apple is an example of a company which has made a commitment to achieve 100 percent carbon neutrality by 2030 for its supply chain and products.

History of green tech

While green tech has gained popularity in the modern age, elements of these business practices date back to the Industrial Revolution. Scientists began to note the ecological impacts of coal-burning industrial plants in the early 19th century. Since then, manufacturers have tried to minimize the environmental damage by altering production processes to produce less soot. During the Second World War, one of the biggest milestones was observed in the United States. As part of the war effort, more than 400,000 volunteers collected metals, paper, rubber, and other materials. After the war, scientists and doctors all over the world began warning about dangers that came with chemical pesticides and nuclear radiation. For many, that era is believed to be the genesis of the ecological movement that we can continue to see today. As time went by, more and more government bodies recognized the importance of protecting environmental resources. During this time, awareness-raising programs on household waste became increasingly popular. Another breakthrough occurred in 1970, when the Environmental Protection Agency was established. Its main accomplishments included establishing requirements for pollution and waste and mandating coal scrubbers as well as other clean technologies.

The most important areas of green tech

Some of the most important areas of green technology include:

Environmentally preferred purchasing

The policy of environmentally preferred purchasing entails purchasing goods that were made with energy-efficient methods.

Green building

Green building focuses on sustainability in the construction processes. It involves the use of environmentally friendly building materials, sustainable construction methods, as well as locating constructions in the most appropriate locations.

Green chemistry

In green chemistry, the goal is to design new chemicals that can replace those that have a negative impact on the environment.

Green nanotechnology

The primary aim of green nanotechnology is to produce new nanomaterials that minimize the negative impact we have on the planet.

Green energy production

One of the most well-known areas of green tech is green energy production. Using renewable energy sources, it is focused on developing new ways of generating electricity and fuel.

Green software

In the context of software, green tech means using solutions that have minimal impact on the environment. Green software makes it possible to implement needed changes in a quicker and more efficient manner. Microsoft created Principles of Sustainable Software Engineering which help establish if the software is really green. This document consists of a set of competencies for designing, building, and running sustainable software applications.

When does green tech actually come into play? Examples of green tech products in everyday use

Although we might not realize it, we are surrounded by green technology in almost every aspect of our lives. A few typical applications for green tech solutions include recycling wastewater, producing electricity through solar panels, and use of wind turbines. Electric vehicles, which reduce the very negative impact of gas vehicles, and cloud storage, which replaces hard drives that require a large amount of electricity, are other examples of cleantech solutions that are getting increasingly popular.

Nevertheless, we can also see that cleantech is very present in our immediate surroundings. LED lighting is a good example. LED bulbs consume less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs and are commonly used in many households. This also applies to programmable thermostats, which are currently gaining traction. These low-cost green tech products make it possible to automate and schedule temperature adjustments, thus saving both energy and money.

Green tech: what it is about and why you should keep an eye on its development in 2022

The importance of environmental technology

Many studies have examined the negative impact humans have on the environment. Deforestation, pollution, overpopulation, and burning fossil fuels are some of the ways in which humans impact the physical environment. Such actions have dire consequences: climate change, soil erosion, poor air quality, and undrinkable water. Today, when so much technology surrounds us, it becomes more critical than ever that those environmental issues are taken seriously. Thanks to green tech, the environmental situation can be improved. Ultimately, the more environmentally friendly innovations we invent and use every day, the less polluted our planet will become. Using green technology, the problem of global warming can be solved, while creating clean energy and making the world a more sustainable place.

Benefits of green technology

Green tech has a lot of benefits. Below we share a list of the most important ones:

  • Green tech solutions don’t emit any harmful substances to the environment.
  • As the technology market grows and consumers become more environmentally conscious, cleantech products give them the opportunity to reduce their carbon footprint and resource use.
  • It requires less cost for maintenance. As a result, the operating cost and hence overall cost in the long run can be decreased.
  • Green tech uses renewable natural resources which won’t ever run out.
  • The usage of green technology slows down the effects of global warming due to reduction in CO2 emissions.
  • The emergence of new green tech companies stimulates the economy by creating new jobs.

Disadvantages of green tech

Despite its long list of advantages, green technology is not without downsides. They consist of:

  • A very high initial investment or implementation cost.
  • The technology is still new to most people, so it will take some time for it to become commonly used.
  • Green technology is still advancing and many of the products are in the R&D stage.
  • The installation and implementation of green technology based systems and products are difficult due to the shortage of skilled human resources.
  • In most countries, green technology-based policies have not been finalized yet.

Software development in green technology: an example

As a software development company, we have worked on many green tech-related projects over the years. One of them was in cooperation with a Finnish company Ensto where our team delivered expertise in the latest trends and technology. Ensto produces charging stations for electric vehicles and was in need of updated software for an existing hardware system. Our designer created the interactive admin panel in Invision and handed it over to front end and back end developers to build the code base.

The update in the panel was especially important for Ensto’s end-clients who buy EV charging devices and want to track electricity usage. We built a modern and visually appealing front end for them. We mainly worked on the software for the electric vehicle charging stations. Each station collects vital usage data and compiles it in an intuitive display dashboard. You can find more details about this project here.

The state of green tech in 2022 and its future

The industry of green technology is constantly growing. As shared in the “Green Technology and Sustainability Market by Technology: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021–2030” report, in 2020, the global green technology and sustainability market size was valued at $10.32 billion and is projected to reach $74.64 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 21.9% from 2021 to 2030. Environmental awareness and the growing concern of organizations and individuals about global warming will only continue to enhance the growth of the green technology market. Furthermore, governments all over the world are starting to invest in green technology businesses to decarbonise the economy and make their countries more energy efficient. An example of such an initiative is the funding announced by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) in the United Kingdom. In addition to carbon capture projects, the funding will be used to strengthen energy efficiency in UK homes and businesses by finding cleaner, greener ways to heat and power them. We predict that more and more funds like this will be established in the near future.

Sources

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/green_tech.asp
https://www.greentech.earth/what-is-greentech
https://cleartax.in/g/terms/green-tech
https://www.electropages.com/blog/2019/09/what-is-green-technology
https://www.future-processing.com/blog/what-is-greentech-a-guide-to-green-technology/
https://www.epa.gov/history/milestones-epa-and-environmental-history
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2020/07/apple-commits-to-be-100-percent-carbon-neutral-for-its-supply-chain-and-products-by-2030/
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/sustainable-software-engineering-overview/
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/topics/resource-library-human-impacts-environment/?q=&page=1&per_page=25 
https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/green-technology-and-sustainability-market-102221
https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/green-technology-and-sustainability-market-A06033#:~:text=The%20global%20green%20technology%20and,21.9%25%20from%202021%20to%202030
https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252510572/Government-makes-116m-pledge-to-help-UKs-green-tech-firms-innovate-to-fight-climate-change

Categories
Software Technology

Non-technical books for IT people

Non-technical books for IT people

The IT sector is growing very fast and more and more people are interested in new technologies that affect our lives. The industry is always faced with new challenges and problems as it develops. If you want to know more about the IT industry, about coders, artificial intelligence, mathematics that surrounds us everywhere, you should certainly take a look at books mentioned in this article.

“Coders. The Making of a New Tribe and the Remaking of the World” by Clive Thompson

Have you ever heard a question “What do you really do as a software developer” at the family table? Has your friend ever asked you to repair her or his computer? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, you should certainly let them read the book “Coders” – reportage written by Canadian freelance journalist Clive Thompson.

This story is a complex introduction to a world of new technologies and software developers; it answers questions about the programmers – why they are the way they are, why they are sometimes so frustrated and closed to other people. Thompson shows how powerful and intelligent they are, how they think and work. But this is not only the laurel for the developers. The author isn’t afraid of writing about the tough and bad sides of the IT industry. He shows that it is not only a place of nice hipsters smoking weed but there are many social problems like sexual harassment, racism, and nationalism. Thompson proves that the IT industry and career as a software developer is for everyone, for people of all genders, all nations and skin colors. The best summary of this theory is: “if a given tool is created by a team that is essentially homogeneous in terms of culture, it will have significant weaknesses – resulting from the failure to perceive certain aspects of representatives of this one culture.”

Link to english version: https://www.amazon.com/Coders-Making-Tribe-Remaking-World/dp/0735220565

Link to polish version: https://www.znak.com.pl/ksiazka/koderzy-opowiesc-o-ludziach-ktorzy-zmienili-nasz-clive-thompson-147344

“Ada’s Algorithm. How Lord Byron’s Daughter Ada Lovelace Launched the Digital Age through the Poetry of Numbers” by James Essinger

Ada Lovelace was a daughter of Lord Byron, the famous poet, but she didn’t follow in her father’s footsteps. She became well-known as a brilliant English mathematician. She wrote a publication about Charles Babbage’s mechanical general-purpose computer. Ada started to be known as the first computer programmer after she published the algorithm.

James Essinger in his book called “Ada’s Algorithm. How Lord Byron’s Daughter Ada Lovelace Launched the Digital Age through the Poetry of Numbers” tells the fantastic story about Ada, her stubbornness in pursuing the goal and her analytical thinking. The book also tells the story of the very beginnings of computers, programming, and algorithms. It is even hard to believe that all of that happened in the early XIX century, almost 200 hundred years ago. This is a story about an amazing woman who not only proves her outstanding intelligence but also does it in a world dominated by men.

Link to english version: https://www.amazon.com/Adas-Algorithm-Daughter-Lovelace-Launched/dp/1612194575

Link to polish version: https://www.znak.com.pl/ksiazka/algorytm-ady-james-essinger-163789

“Infinite Powers. How Calculus Reveals the Secrets of the Universe” by Steven Strogatz

When I was participating in my Mathematics course at the university, we had an exam about ​​integrals and differentials. It was one of the most difficult exams in the first year of our studies. Some of us passed the exam on the first try, some of us passed the exam in the next attempts. I noticed that none of us, the ones who passed and didn’t pass the exam, didn’t really understand the integrals and differentials. We just knew how to solve exercises and remember the mathematical formulas. It changed when I read the book “Infinite Powers. How Calculus reveals the Secrets of the University” by Steven Strogatz.

The author explains the power of mathematics in a very simple way. He uses a lot of stories that help to understand what integral and differentials really are and how they affect everyday life. Without differential and integral calculus, there wouldn’t be mobile phones, television, we wouldn’t be able to disintegrate the atom or land on the Moon. If you want to understand mathematics and how it affects almost everything around us, you should definitely spend a weekend with Steven Strogatzs book.

Link to english version: https://www.amazon.com/Infinite-Powers-Calculus-Reveals-Universe/dp/0358299284/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=infinite+powers&qid=1649844765&s=books&sprefix=Infinite+Powers%2Cstripbooks-intl-ship%2C159&sr=1-1

Link to polish version: https://www.ccpress.pl/potega-nieskonczonosci-jak-rachunek-rozniczkowy-i-cakowy-odkrywa-tajemnice-wszechswiata

“Hello world. How to be Human in the Age of the Machine” by Hannah Fry

We live in a technologically advanced age. It develops in a very fast way, the fastest way in the world’s history. About 30 years ago, mobile phones started to be popular, but the internet wasn’t as popular as it is now. We are witnesses of a great era, at least in context of fast evolution. But is everything going in the right direction?

Hannah Fry, the British mathematician, in her book “Hello World. How to be Human in the Age of the Machine” in a very good way describes technological progress in the last few years and also predicts what we should expect in the near future. Should we be afraid of the development of smart homes? Should we be afraid of autonomous cars? Should we be afraid of data leaks? In this book, you will find answers to these and many other questions. Hannah Fry wrote that this book is about who we are, where we are heading, what is important for us, and how everything changes thanks to the new technology. It is a book about our relations with algorithms, the ones which already exist and work with us everyday.

Link to english version: https://www.amazon.com/Hello-World-Being-Human-Algorithms/dp/039363499X/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1649844818&sr=1-1

Link to polish version: https://www.wydawnictwoliterackie.pl/produkt/3514/hello-world

“American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road” by Nick Bilton

Last but not least, I wanted to write about “American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road” written by Nick Bilton. The book tells the story of a man who started an online illegal drugs and guns shop on the Darknet. Ross Ulbricht wasn’t even a software developer, he was a radical libertarian who believed that online drug stores would decrease criminality. In his opinion, people who buy drugs on the streets would have an opportunity to order them online which might result in less gang shootings on the streets. Ulbricht didn’t have coding skills, he started the whole thing by reading tutorials on the web and creating his first store which was full of bugs and errors in security. The shop occured to be a good business and Ross Ulbricht became a millionaire in a very short time. The book written by Nick Bilton is a reportage but you can read it as an interesting crime story. It shows the study of insanity that pushes the boundaries further and further. To be honest, this is one of the best books I have recently had the opportunity to read.

English version: https://www.amazon.com/American-Kingpin-Criminal-Mastermind-Behind/dp/1591848148/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1649844890&sr=1-1

Polish version: https://czarne.com.pl/katalog/ksiazki/krol-darknetu?gclid=CjwKCAjw6dmSBhBkEiwA_W-EoNi61HjY4MHRNKuN2DGP_xW2KeljhWS2KnQbUsCm0jSvuBg8EFQgcxoCL6YQAvD_BwE

Summary

All five books mentioned above are very good ones, written by leading journalists and scientists. You don’t need to have any technological knowledge in order to enjoy them. Especially if you are a software developer, project manager, ux designer or you just want to know more about the present and future world, you won’t be disappointed with these books.

Are you an IT Specialist looking for new career opportunities? Make sure to check out our job offers and join the team of software development experts!

Categories
Entrepreneurship Software

Software development outsourcing: 9 benefits that will make you want to outsource your next digital project

Software development outsourcing: 9 benefits that will make you want to outsource your next digital project

Software development is a compound process involving a range of services, from building applications to integrating software and analyzing data. The complexity of all stages makes outsourcing software a great alternative to building an in-house team. In the following article, we examine the most important benefits of outsourcing software development.

Jump to the software outsourcing benefit of your interest:

Save time and focus on what your company does best

A full in-house product development cycle can consume a lot of time – from a couple of months up to a few years. Meanwhile, a reliable software development outsourcing vendor can deliver a minimum viable product (MVP) in as little as three months by following an agile approach. As a result, collaborating with an external company enables you to conduct the project much faster and efficiently. In addition, the time which you spend on finding an appropriate IT company to outsource your work is shorter than the recruitment process. With all the saved time, your team can focus on developing other areas of your business, along with the strategy of your new digital product.

Tackle the developers shortage problem: recruit faster and more efficiently

An average of 44 days passes between submitting a job application and the start of the first day on the job for software developers, according to a new study from LinkedIn. On top of that, the onboarding process is not included in that period of time. Meanwhile, a fully functioning team can be set up within two weeks if it is outsourced. Let’s consider the situation in the Nordics. There, an effective IT recruitment of a Senior Developer may take up to 9 months. For fast-moving companies and startups, this means not only additional costs but also delays in their time-to-market. With outsourcing, a team of experienced developers can start working on your project in as little as two weeks.

Align your spend with the desired business outcome

According to research done by Joe Hadzima, a senior lecturer from MIT, the true cost of an in-house developer could be 2.7x times the base salary. In comparison, outsourcing a simple MVP to an IT outsourcing company can start from $40,000. That includes everything from technology to team management and IT support. On the contrary, in Poland, the cost of the same performed labor may differ by up to 80% compared to West Europe or North America.

Save on technology and infrastructure

With software outsourcing, any expansion of the IT infrastructure in the event of scaling the development up is minimized to an extent. It is the offshore software development company that carries the costs of the complete IT architecture and infrastructure.

Free resource: what are the best questions to ask your potential software provider before starting a cooperation

Access to a bigger pool of IT experts

Highly skilled experts are difficult to find, especially when you are looking for experts with an experience in niche technologies. Outsourcing software development gives you access to specialists with unmatched skills and expertise. You can find specialists that will handle your project without needing to worry about additional training or guidance for in-house employees.

Increased efficiency and faster Time-to-Market

Outsourcing the development of your project can decrease the software delivery time by e.g. 80%. This is possible thanks to a team that is totally focused on coding and not distracted by other in-house requirements.

Reduced risk & staffing flexibility

More flexibility is another considerable advantage of outsourcing development. Hiring new employees for short-term projects is inefficient and generates additional costs, especially in the downtime phase. By outsourcing software development, you can increase or decrease the size of your team as necessary. According to one of our long-term clients, Education Alliance Finland, the flexibility to scale up or down is one of the reasons they decided to outsource their software development.

“When we outsource, the work is more flexible – naturally we have different development needs at different points and times. We can scale up and scale down our business whenever needed.”

Olli Vallo, the CEO of Education Alliance Finland

Access to the latest tools and tech

Inefficient technology may be one of the reasons to outsource your development. By working with a software provider that uses advanced technology, your product can gain a competitive edge on the market and hence have higher chances of succeeding. What is more, cooperating with an outsourced software development provider can modernize the current technology of your business, speed up the deployment of the new stuff and help your employees gain valuable insights from the outsourced team.

Strategic partner for transformation

Working with external partners provides your company with practical experience, new knowledge, and meaningful feedback. Therefore, you gain valuable insights that can lead to the improvement of your project as well as your company in general. To sum up, outsourcing your software development might be a strategically-wise decision. If you are still unsure and would like to learn more about the software outsourcing process, feel free to reach out to us using the contact form below. One of our colleagues will get back to you to discuss more.

Would you like to discuss how outsourcing software development of your project can benefit your company in particular? Send us a message and we’ll come back to you shortly.

Categories
Software Technology

The future of software consulting by Dominik Zyskowski, Software Consulting Director

The future of software consulting by Dominik Zyskowski, Software Consulting Director

There are many faces to software development consulting. This is why the demand for companies that will be able to address all of them will only increase in the next few years. In the following piece, I dive into the topic of software consulting and possible scenarios for its future. Continue reading to learn more about:

How it all started: a journey from an academic post to consulting international market leaders in terms of software development

My background is strictly scientific. When I first started my career, I worked at a university on R&D projects, mostly focused on developing IT solutions from scratch. I had to come up with the desired solution and then plan all the steps that were necessary in order to develop it. I enjoyed the possibility that I could work on something from the beginning, plan all the business assumptions, and then document the process of achieving them. Since all the projects were focused on addressing unique business challenges, I’ve gained a lot of valuable insights into the best ways of approaching different problems and business needs in terms of software development. Especially in situations where there are no already-built software solutions that address those problems and needs. During my doctorate, I got offered a job in PayU, where I soon started as a Product Owner. It was the time when agile was only being introduced in companies and I was on the front line when the new approach was implemented. Before that, the main methodology used to deliver projects was traditional SDLC and was based on the combined rules of Prince2 and agile.

The future of software consulting by Dominik Zyskowski, Software Consulting Director

During my time at PayU, I have become specialized in business analysis – as a Product Owner, I was working closely with the team but at the same time I was the decision maker and domain expert driving the direction of the projects. Later, when I started working at Espeo Software, I firstly continued my path as a Product Owner. Back then, we primarily worked on projects with public clients and my role was to directly translate the client’s specification into what our teams had to custom develop. After the company’s pivot to the international market, I took over the responsibility of managing the primary contact with the clients. As part of this role, I had the chance to put my past experience to good use. The ability to listen well and inspire trust, as well as the knowledge of how to integrate clients’ needs with software development and business premises helped me succeed as a Consulting Director. Therefore, clients are assured that they are discussing their software needs with a person who can guide them through all the steps required in order to help them achieve their business objectives. As the company grew, I slowly moved away from being involved in projects and focused solely on software consulting. After all these years, I feel like all my previous experiences led me to my current position. I enjoy my work especially thanks to a challenging and fast-paced environment where I am exposed to different business problems that I can help solve.

“Custom development can address many business needs but sometimes SaaS is the better option. During the consultations with clients, I am always driven by the optimal solution and if a ready-made product can help the client more, I don’t refrain from recommending it.”

What is software consulting? My thoughts on the matter

Software consulting is a process which provides the opportunity to make informed and cost-efficient investment decisions which can later lead to much larger IT investments and therefore, costs. It is an excellent way for businesses looking to invest in a certain solution to gain an understanding of the markets’ implementability. It is utterly important to consult a business idea with an expert who has considerable industry experience and knows what alternatives to that business idea already exist. One of the reasons for this is that an external software consulting expert can advise on the optimal technology that should be used in a particular project. From experience, I can also add that software consultants care for their clients’ success and are determined to help them achieve it. What is more, software consulting enables efficient cooperation.

When it comes to custom solutions, there are many different ways to achieve one desired result. As a Consulting Director, I know how to make sure that both client and the development team are on the same page. Providing software consulting services brings a great deal of satisfaction – oftentimes clients simply don’t know how to overcome their business obstacles. I can advise them on the optimal solution as a software consultant with experience from a variety of industries – in most of the cases we as a company have already solved a similar case and additionally to sharing valuable insights, we can do the same for them. This is possible thanks to the large number of projects that we have delivered over the years. There are particular project similarities that can be discovered and reused, despite the industry the client operates in. As a result, I can use the previously gained insights and advise companies despite their primary field.

My take on the advantages of software consulting from the client perspective

First of all, investing in digital solutions that were previously consulted has a much higher probability of success. This is because in the phase of consulting, the potential risks and opportunities are identified and discussed thoroughly. Moreover, consulting workshops create a thread of understanding between the client and the software development provider – after the workshop, there are little to no uncertainties. Both parties are aware of the previously mentioned opportunities and risks, technologies that have to be used as well as the order of particular project stages. What is more, software consulting workshops offer an additional benefit – the flexibility of choosing the vendor who will be in charge of developing the final software. This is possible due to detailed deliverables that are produced during the consultancy process. It is important to mention that the client is not obliged to develop the software with the vendor who worked on the consulting.

“Software consulting should be objective and detached from the particular company. The results of the software consulting workshops should be easily applicable by a different software development vendor.”

A good consultant is aware of his or her weak points. This is why during the software consultancy process, the consultant draws on his or her knowledge from many various sources and sometimes cooperates with other experts. At Espeo, if we happen to work on a case where we lack the proper experience of, we work with experienced external consultants who excel in needed areas. This particular net of external experts creates additional value for the client as the project is managed by people with very specialized expertise (usually by the lead consultant and subject matter expert).

The current state of software consulting

One thing is for sure. Businesses looking for ways to stay competitive by investing in digital solutions put a particular focus on convenience. They intend to purchase a 360-degree service that includes not only consulting, but also audit, design, implementation, and maintenance. Nowadays, there is a growing number of companies that address that need. For instance, vendors developing mobile apps offer additional services consisting of various actions that help position the end-solution on the market (e.g. through search engine optimization, online and offline marketing among others).

In the light of the above, one of the most prominent trends in the consulting and development industry is the increasing specialization of such companies. They are primarily interested in increasing their customer contact and product offerings. Second trend I want to discuss is the fact that big, well-established consulting companies are changing their structures and extending their offerings to be more like software houses. They no longer offer only strategic consulting but also get into the role of the final provider by implementing the solutions they have previously consulted. This is a big shift considering that in the past, companies like these would give their recommendations which were later implemented by other companies. Now, they are slowly entering the software development market. On the other hand, more and more software development companies do the contrary by adding consulting services to their offerings.

Additionally, one undeniable trend is the increasing popularity of building digital solutions with low-code no-code platforms. In response to the demand, companies that are specialized in choosing the optimal ready-made solutions for particular business challenges are becoming growingly relevant. Furthermore, many companies tailor their systems to meet the needs of a variety of business types. An example of such a company is Jira which offers a lot of different plug-ins, e.g. for recruiting, project management etc. When it comes to the consulting trends in terms of technology, AI, blockchain technology, IOT as well as virtual reality, are constantly in the limelight. Clients who want to invest in projects that are developed using these technologies become increasingly interested in software consulting as it helps them make informed, data-driven decisions about the investments and their possible business outcomes.

The future of software consulting: my predictions

Expertise and proven experience will always be of value. As the world becomes increasingly digital, so must the companies all over the world. However, in order to digitalize in an efficient way, the business owners will have to base their decisions on data-driven premises which can be discovered with the help of software consulting. This is why, in my opinion, the popularity of software consulting in managing various projects will continue to grow. In terms of technologies, there will always be a new solution which will grab the attention of businesses. In my career, I saw this happening quite often – businesses wanted to develop a certain project in a particular technology solely because it was popular at the time. However, it is important to consider if that technology is the optimal one in order to arrive at a desired result. Here, again, software consulting can help as it discovers all the pros and cons of a particular approach and will continue to do so. To sum up, as the complexity of the IT industry increases, the demand for proven experience and consulting will rise.

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