Transform-Property-Management-raznameh-group

How ERP Could Transform Property Management

by Digital TransformationERPSoftware development

1. Introduction

Property management is a dynamic and fast-evolving industry that requires not only efficient day-to-day operations but also strategic oversight to stay competitive. Traditional approaches to managing properties, handling tenant relationships, and conducting financial transactions often prove cumbersome and susceptible to errors. This is where Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems step in—an advanced category of integrated software solutions meticulously engineered to streamline operations, elevate data accuracy, and significantly amplify overall efficiency. This article embarks on an exploration of how ERP systems have the potential to revolutionise and reshape the landscape of property management. It delves into actionable insights and offers pragmatic strategies for seamless ERP implementation, ensuring that businesses can harness these technologies to their fullest potential.

2. The Need for ERP in Property Management

Property management is an intricate field involving the administration and operation of residential, commercial, and industrial properties. It encompasses various responsibilities such as tenant communication, rent collection, maintenance, and financial management. To manage these tasks effectively, property management companies must adopt a suite of technological tools and systems. Key systems essential for efficient property management include CRM, sales systems, email marketing, property management systems, inventory systems, expenses management systems, and accounting systems.

3. Key Benefits of ERP for Property Management

CRM to Manage Clients, Leads, and Opportunities

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems are crucial in managing interactions with clients, leads, and opportunities. A CRM system helps property managers track detailed client information, preferences, and communications. According to Grand View Research, the global CRM market size was valued at USD 52.64 billion in 2020 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.6% from 2021 to 2028. This growth underscores the increasing reliance on CRM systems across various industries, including property management, to enhance client relationships and improve service delivery.

Sales System for Quotes, Invoices, and Payments

A robust sales system is necessary for managing quotes, invoices, and payments with clients. This system ensures that all financial transactions are recorded accurately and payments are processed efficiently. According to a study by McKinsey & Company, organisations that digitise their sales processes can increase revenue by up to 10% and reduce sales-related costs by up to 20%. Implementing a sales system can streamline the financial aspects of property management, reducing administrative workload and enhancing client satisfaction.

Email Marketing to Attract More Customers

Email marketing is a powerful tool for property management firms to reach potential customers. By sending targeted email campaigns, companies can promote their services, offer special deals, and keep clients informed about new properties or services. The Data & Marketing Association reports that email marketing has an average ROI of $42 for every dollar spent. Furthermore, HubSpot indicates that segmented email campaigns can result in a 760% increase in revenue, highlighting the effectiveness of personalised email marketing strategies in attracting new clients.

Property Management System for Rent Collection and Alerts

An integrated property management system is essential for managing various aspects of property administration, including rent collection and alerts. This system can automate rent reminders, track payment statuses, and generate reports, ensuring timely and accurate rent collection. According to the National Multifamily Housing Council, 79% of property managers who implemented property management software reported improved efficiency in their operations. The automation of routine tasks through these systems can lead to significant time savings and reduced human error.

Inventory System for Property Management

Managing the inventory of properties is crucial for property managers, especially those handling multiple properties. An inventory system helps keep track of all assets, including appliances, furniture, and other property features. A study by Deloitte found that companies using automated inventory management systems can reduce inventory costs by 10-30% and improve inventory accuracy by 25-40%. This system ensures that property managers can efficiently monitor and maintain property conditions, ultimately leading to better property upkeep and tenant satisfaction.

Expenses Management System

An expenses management system is vital for tracking and controlling costs associated with property maintenance and management. This system helps managers budget effectively, monitor spending, and identify areas for cost-saving. According to a report by Business Wire, businesses that implemented expense management software experienced a 50% reduction in processing costs and a 15-20% improvement in compliance. Proper expense management is key to maximising profitability and ensuring the financial health of a property management business.

Accounting System

An accounting system integrates all financial aspects of property management, from rent collection to expense tracking. This system ensures compliance with financial regulations, facilitates tax preparation, and provides comprehensive financial reporting. According to the American Institute of CPAs, companies that use automated accounting software can reduce financial close times by up to 50% and improve accuracy by 75%. Accurate accounting is essential for the financial health of property management businesses, enabling them to make informed decisions and maintain financial stability.

4. Practical Strategies for Implementing ERP in Property Management

Assess Your Needs

Identify the specific needs of your property management business. Consider factors such as the size of your portfolio, the complexity of your operations, and your budget. This will help you choose an ERP system that best fits your requirements. Conduct a thorough needs assessment by involving key stakeholders, analysing current pain points, and defining clear objectives for the ERP implementation.

Choose the Right ERP System

There are various ERP systems available, each with its own set of features. Evaluate different options based on their functionality, scalability, and user-friendliness. Consider conducting product demonstrations, seeking feedback from current users, and consulting industry experts to make an informed decision.

Plan for Data Migration

Migrating data from existing systems to a new ERP system can be challenging. Develop a detailed data migration plan to ensure a smooth transition. This includes data cleansing, mapping, and validation processes. Prioritise data integrity by ensuring that data is accurate, complete, and consistent before migration. Establish a timeline for the migration process, conduct thorough testing, and prepare a contingency plan for potential issues.

Train Your Team

Proper training is crucial for the successful adoption of an ERP system. Provide comprehensive training to your team members to ensure they are comfortable using the new system and can leverage its full capabilities. Develop a training program that includes hands-on sessions, user manuals, and ongoing support. Encourage a culture of continuous learning by providing access to additional resources and updates.

Self-Hosted Solutions and Customization Based on Your Needs

When considering the implementation of an ERP system, it’s important to evaluate the benefits of self-hosted solutions and the customization they offer to meet specific business requirements.

Self-Hosted ERP Solutions: Self-hosted ERP solutions provide organisations with the autonomy to control their ERP system and data. Unlike cloud-based solutions that rely on third-party providers, self-hosted systems are installed on the company’s own servers or data centres. This setup offers several advantages:

  • Data Control and Security: With self-hosted solutions, businesses have complete control over their data, ensuring higher security levels and compliance with internal data protection policies.
  • Customization: Self-hosted ERP systems can be tailored to meet the unique needs of a business. Organisations can modify the software to incorporate specific workflows, features, and integrations that align with their operational requirements.
  • Integration Flexibility: These systems can be seamlessly integrated with existing internal systems, such as custom property management tools, accounting software, and CRM systems, ensuring a unified and cohesive operational environment.
  • Cost Efficiency: Although the initial setup cost for self-hosted solutions can be higher, they can be more cost-effective in the long run by eliminating recurring subscription fees associated with cloud-based services.

Customization Based on Business Needs: Customising an ERP system is crucial for maximising its effectiveness and ensuring it addresses the specific challenges faced by property management businesses. Key areas for customization include:

  • Workflow Automation: Tailoring the system to automate specific workflows, such as tenant onboarding, lease renewals, property inspections, and maintenance scheduling, to enhance efficiency and reduce manual intervention.
  • Reporting and Analytics: Developing custom reports and dashboards that provide real-time insights into key performance indicators (KPIs), financial metrics, occupancy rates, and maintenance status, enabling data-driven decision-making.
  • User Roles and Permissions: Configuring user roles and access permissions to ensure that employees have the appropriate level of access to information and tools required for their specific job functions, thereby enhancing security and operational control.
  • Scalability: Customising the ERP system to scale with business growth, accommodating an increasing number of properties, tenants, transactions, and users without compromising performance.

By opting for a self-hosted ERP solution and customising it based on specific business needs, property management companies can achieve a highly efficient, secure, and tailored operational environment. This strategic approach ensures that the ERP system not only supports current operations but also adapts to future growth and evolving business demands.

Monitor and Optimise

After implementation, continuously monitor the system’s performance and gather feedback from users. Use this information to make necessary adjustments and optimizations to improve efficiency and achieve desired outcomes. Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of the ERP implementation and identify areas for improvement. Regularly review system performance, update processes as needed, and stay informed about new features and updates from the ERP provider.

5. Conclusion

Revolutionise your property management operations with the transformative capabilities of ERP systems. In an industry where operational efficiency, accuracy in financial management, and tenant satisfaction are critical, ERP solutions offer unparalleled advantages. Imagine leveraging automated processes to streamline rent collection, optimise financial reporting, and ensure compliance with regulatory standards seamlessly.

ERP systems provide a centralised platform that consolidates all aspects of property management, including tenant relationships, maintenance schedules, and financial transactions. From tracking leases and managing tenant interactions to prioritising maintenance tasks and optimising inventory management, ERP empowers you to enhance productivity and reduce operational costs. Picture the benefits of proactive maintenance scheduling, which extends the lifespan of property assets while minimising downtime and associated expenses.

Implementing ERP is a strategic endeavour that begins with a comprehensive assessment of your business needs. Selecting the right ERP system tailored to your specific requirements ensures seamless integration and maximum ROI. Our proven implementation strategies guide you through data migration, team training, and ongoing optimization to achieve sustained success.

Effective property management relies on a combination of systems that streamline operations, enhance client relationships, and ensure financial stability. By implementing CRM systems, sales systems, email marketing, property management systems, inventory systems, expenses management systems, and accounting systems, property managers can improve efficiency and profitability. These technological tools not only simplify the complex tasks involved in property management but also contribute to better service delivery and client satisfaction.

Embrace the future of property management with ERP systems that not only streamline operations but also foster growth and innovation. Experience the competitive edge of enhanced decision-making capabilities, improved tenant satisfaction rates, and significant cost savings. Don’t just manage your properties—transform your approach with ERP and elevate your business to new heights of efficiency and profitability.

Olga Abdurashitova

Sales and marketing specialist

Raznameh Group
online-booking

How Online Booking Systems are Transforming Travel Agency Operations

by Digital TransformationSoftware development

In a world where technology continually reshapes our daily routines, the travel industry stands as a prime example of this digital transformation. Gone are the days of flipping through dusty brochures or making countless phone calls to plan a vacation. 

Today, the click of a button or the swipe of a screen opens up a world of possibilities for travelers. With statistics revealing that over 80% of globetrotters now opt for the convenience of online booking, it’s clear that this trend isn’t just a passing fad—it’s become the heartbeat of modern travel. But what does this mean for the traditional travel agency? 

In an era where adaptability is key, online booking systems have become the lifeblood for agencies seeking to thrive in a competitive landscape. They offer not just convenience, but a vital lifeline connecting agencies to their clientele in a digital age where efficiency and accessibility reign supreme.

Understanding Online Booking Systems in Travel

Online booking systems have revolutionized the way travelers plan their journeys and how travel agencies operate. These systems, essentially digital platforms, streamline the entire booking process, offering users convenience, choice, and efficiency. At their core, online booking systems act as virtual storefronts, aggregating vast arrays of travel services and presenting them in a user-friendly interface. 

Users can browse through flights, accommodations, tours, and activities, filtering options based on preferences such as price, location, or amenities. Once selections are made, secure payment gateways ensure transactions are smooth and protected. Behind the scenes, these systems leverage complex algorithms to access real-time availability and pricing data, providing instant confirmations. Whether booking a spontaneous weekend getaway or a meticulously planned vacation, online booking systems offer unparalleled flexibility and accessibility, empowering both travelers and travel agencies alike.

Key Features of Online Booking Systems

  • User-Friendly Interfaces and Intuitive Design: Picture this – a sleek interface that feels like a breeze to navigate, where booking your dream getaway is as simple as a few clicks. Online booking systems prioritize user experience, ensuring that even the least tech-savvy traveler can effortlessly find and reserve their ideal accommodations and activities.
  • Integration with Multiple Travel Services: Imagine having all your travel needs met in one convenient platform. Online booking systems seamlessly integrate flights, accommodations, and activities, offering travelers a one-stop-shop for planning their entire trip. Whether you’re jet-setting across the globe or planning a cozy weekend retreat, these systems have got you covered.
  • Secure Payment Gateways and Data Protection Measures: Safety first, always. Online booking systems prioritize the security of your personal and financial information, implementing robust payment gateways and data protection measures to safeguard your sensitive data. So go ahead, book with peace of mind knowing that your information is in good hands.
  • Real-Time Availability and Instant Confirmation: No more waiting on hold or refreshing endlessly for updates. With real-time availability and instant confirmation, online booking systems provide travelers with immediate feedback on their reservations, ensuring that they can lock in their plans without delay. It’s the convenience of booking at your fingertips, whenever and wherever you are.

Advantages of Online Booking Systems

Convenience for Customers

Gone are the days of endless phone calls and cumbersome paperwork. With just a few clicks, travelers can seamlessly plan their adventures, from flights to accommodations, tailored to their preferences and schedules.

Increased Efficiency for Travel Agencies

Say goodbye to manual processes and hello to streamlined operations. Online booking systems empower agencies to automate tasks, freeing up valuable time to focus on delivering exceptional service and crafting unforgettable experiences.

Improved Data Tracking and Analysis

Every click, every booking, leaves a digital footprint. Online systems offer agencies invaluable insights into customer behavior and preferences, enabling targeted marketing strategies and personalized recommendations.

Cost Savings for Both Agencies and Customers

Efficiency breeds savings. By reducing overhead costs associated with traditional booking methods, agencies can pass on the benefits to customers through competitive pricing and special deals.

Security

In an age of digital transactions, security is paramount. Online booking systems employ robust encryption measures and stringent data protection protocols, ensuring peace of mind for both agencies and customers alike.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the advent of online booking systems has revolutionized how travel agencies operate, streamlining processes and enhancing customer experiences. As evidenced by the widespread preference for digital booking platforms, travelers now expect seamless, convenient services that cater to their specific needs. This necessitates a shift in mindset for traditional travel agencies, urging them to embrace technology and integrate online booking systems into their operations. By doing so, agencies can remain competitive in an evolving market landscape and better serve the demands of modern travelers.

Looking ahead, the future of the travel industry holds promising opportunities for innovation and adaptation. With advancements in artificial intelligence, mobile technology, and sustainability practices, there is immense potential for further enhancing the online booking experience and expanding the range of services offered. By staying attuned to emerging trends and embracing technological advancements, travel agencies can position themselves at the forefront of industry innovation, ensuring continued growth and success in the years to come.

Raznameh Group stands ready to assist travel agencies in this transformative journey. With our expertise in digital solutions, including advanced online booking systems, we can help digitalize your travel agency, ensuring you stay ahead in the dynamic travel industry. Embrace the future with Raznameh Group and unlock new possibilities for your agency’s growth and success.

Farah Masyitah binti Abd Kharis

Sales and marketing specialist

Raznameh Group

How we could work on your projects?

by with No Comment About RaznamehSoftware development

Fixed price projects

It is called “money for the result, a model defining the service to be provided very accurately, and then sets a single price for the project, regardless of how much time and expense the supplier’s company incurs.

When is the model used?

Exact requirements, detailed specifications, strict deadlines for delivery. The customer knows what he will get at the end of the development period. It is ideal for projects with fixed requirements, budgets, and strict deadlines.

Customer advantages

  • cThe fixed delivery time. The project plan is known.
  • Warrpanty
  • Minimum risks

Сustomer requirements

Exact specification. All changes to the specification are estimated and planned separately.

Supplier requirements

Exact estimation and Project Plan. Meeting the deadlines. Adequate Quality of Service.

How the work scope is defined?

The scope is set in the specification and is implemented in the project plan.

How the work costs are defined?

The price of the project is based on estimation and is a part of the commercial offer. Fees are based on the estimation model, personal rates, and risks.

Warranty and post-delivery support

The warranty period is for three months. During this period, all bugs should be fixed by the supplier for free. The specification is used as a baseline for identifying bugs. Post-delivery support should be carried according to a separate contract and is to be paid separately.

Time and material

They are also called “money for spent time & resources. The supplier provides specialists of a specific professional level, and the customer pays only for the time and resources spent on the project. In the case of partial workload, the minimum quota per month is set up, and terms of specialists’ availability influence on rates.

When the model is used?

No complete vision of the final product and no exact terms of delivery. Possibility for the creation of a work team with a specified workload. Paid min. Quota (for example, 50% of the usual month workload).

Ideal for Agile development methodologies. Suitable for projects developing MVPs, prototypes, or for teams that are part of remote customer teams.

Customer advantages

  • Possibility to start with partially defined requirements
  • Medium hourly rate
  • Flexibility in work volumes

Сustomer requirements

Partial requirements. The adequate workload for the team(according to the minimum quota).

Supplier requirements

Rough estimation for planning. Adequate Quality of Service.

How the work scope is defined?

Upon agreement. Usually, work is set in the form of short user stories that might be made more precise during implementation. An approximate Project Plan and estimation can be provided as an orientation.

How the work costs are defined?

Daily rates for different specialists are agreed on upfront. At the end of each month, the supplier provides the customer with the invoice based on the amount of time and resources expended. Weekly reports on spent time are sent to the customer.

Warranty and post-delivery support?

No warranty is provided. The same resources provide Post-delivery support within the bounds of the T&M model.

Dedicated team

The supplier will build a team of resources according to customer project requirements. Payment is made according to allocated team time. The customer is responsible for providing an adequate workload to keep the dedicated team busy. The supplier offers estimates for planned work, but these estimates are used for planning, not price estimation, or invoicing.

When the model is used

No complete vision of the final product and no exact terms of delivery. Need for long-term expertise to focus on a fixed team. Assumed 100% of the workload, paid downtime.

Ideal for regular product development & support. Ideal for Agile development methodologies. Suitable for projects developing MVPs, prototypes, or for teams that are part of remote customer teams.

Customer advantages

  • Fixed teams with a focus on one customer
  • The lowest hourly rate among all models
  • Full control & full availability of the team
  • Collected expertise

Сustomer requirements

Preparing an adequate workload for the team.

Supplier requirements

Rough estimation for planning. Adequate Quality of Service.

How the work scope is defined?

Upon agreement. It can be set in an approximate Project Plan.

How the work costs are defined?

Monthly rates for different specialists are agreed on upfront. Payment is made upfront for the whole month of the team allocation. Weekly reports on spent time are sent to the customer.

Warranty and post-delivery support

No warranty is provided. The same resources provide Post-delivery support within the bounds of the dedicated team.

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Why we need a project discovery

by with No Comment About RaznamehSoftware development

What is the project discovery?

Project discovery is a process of gathering information about a project to help people understand its vision, goals, and scope.

It helps identify the client, users, and stakeholders’ needs and defines the system’s strong and weak points or app.

Why the project discovery is needed

17% of IT projects turn out so bad. They cause the collapse of the company. While only 7% of the projects are delivered late, 45% exceed the estimated budget. Careful analysis and planning could prevent many failures.
Also, I suggest having a project discovery :

  • if you have no complete idea of the final product.
  • If your project has several stakeholders
  • If your projects are too complicated.
  • And if you plan for long-term projects.

What happens when you refuse the project discovery stage?

  • You may be faced with a project that doesn’t meet your needs.
  • Your project implementation may extend the expected boundary.
  • You may run out of money because of the extended boundary.
  • The deadlines of the milestone may be missed.

What will be the steps of the project discovery?

  • In the first step, we will analyze the company requirements by interviewing stakeholders.
  • In the second step, we will have some market research about the requirements besides analyzing similar studies.
  • In the third step, we will work on the strategy about actions targeted at bringing the idea to life. What’s more, the task should be performed with financial and time benefits in mind.
  • In the fourth step, we will prepare the functional design that contains everything related to the application or site’s operation and functionality.
  • In the fifth step, we will transform the functional design into a visual prototype that will bring the idea to reality.
  • In the sixth step, we will work on the technical side of the application and prepare a technical design.
  • In the last step, we will prepare a rough estimate of the project implementation cost. The purpose is to give an understanding of what costs the project may require.

Please call us to talk more about how we could convert your idea to reality or help you in your organization’s digital transformation.

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Different types of software testing can be executed into your product

by with No Comment SecuritySoftware development

Unit Testing: 

Unit Testing is done to check whether the individual modules of the source code are working properly. i.e. testing each and every unit of the application separately by the developer in the developer’s environment. 

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User interface testing

User interface testing is a process used to test if the application is functioning correctly. UI testing can be performed manually by a human tester, or it can be performed automatically with the use of a software program.

Integration Testing: 

Integration Testing is the process of testing the connectivity or data transfer between a couple of unit-tested modules.

System Testing (End to End Testing):

It’s black box testing. Testing the fully integrated application is also called as an end to end scenario testing. To ensure that the software works in all intended target systems. Verify thorough testing of every input in the application to check for desired outputs. Testing of the user’s experiences with the application.

Acceptance Testing: 

To obtain customer sign-off so that software can be delivered and payments received. Types of Acceptance Testing are Alpha, Beta & Gamma Testing.

Performance Testing

Performance testing is one of the most neglected testings in companies due to its time and cost as well. Moreover, in many requirements document the quality performance requirements are not well defined to ensure system scalability. It examines responsiveness, stability, scalability, reliability, speed, and resource usage of the software and its infrastructure

Performance testing can be done by applying:

  • Load testing: checks how systems function under a heavy number of concurrent virtual users performing transactions over a certain period of time.
  • Stress testing: Stress limits of the system (maximum # of users, peak demands, concurrency)
  • Timing testing: Evaluate the time to perform a function and the response times to return the results.
  • Environmental testing: It is about the tolerances for heat, humidity, motion, portability
  • Recovery testing: It tests the operation of the system in case of data loss or hardware crash.

Regression Testing

At most software projects, there are changes in requirements, and new features are added as well. It is important to perform the new features’ test cases, but It is more important to ensure that it does not affect other tested features and functions.

Regression testing is performed to determine if the software still meets all of its requirements in light of changes and modifications to the software. Regression testing involves selectively repeating existing validation tests, not developing new tests. The most common approach to regression testing is to simply repeat the system tests. Therefore, the best to do that by using automated testing tools and techniques

Usability Testing

it is a technique used in user-centered interaction design to evaluate a product by testing it on users. This is in context, the usability inspection methods where experts use different methods to evaluate a user interface without involving users and ensure that it is usable in terms of design colors, fields and information places, A/B test, how it takes to understand the system and use it.

Security Testing

Security became a very hot topic recently especially after cloud adoption, The goal of security testing is to identify the threats to the system and measure its potential vulnerabilities. It also helps in detecting all possible security risks in the system and helps to fix these problems earlier before going to production. I wrote a lot of articles on security testing.

Software testing is defined as an activity to check whether the actual results match the expected results and to ensure that the software system is Defect free.

What is the software testing

by with No Comment SecuritySoftware development

Software testing is a process, to evaluate the functionality of a software application with an intent to find whether the developed software met the specified requirements or not and to identify the defects to ensure that the product is defect-free in order to produce a quality product.

Software Testing is not important only for the software company, it is also important for the customer. Many of the customers nowadays are concerned about how the software companies are ensuring their software quality, what is the process to do that and so on.

why Software Testing is important:

  • The testing is verifying that the required functionality is working correctly and validating that every function meets the requirements and we delivered it to the customer as per the specifications. (Doing it right and deliver the right Things)
  • It is important to make sure that the system does not do anything that it is not supposed to do.
  • Effective testing will dramatically decrease the cost of the software.
  • Continuous learning for the team, the team will learn from defects, when the team discovers a defect in function or requirements even, they learn how to avoid that in the future. This will increase team maturity as well.
  • It can decrease the system failures, there are known disasters that have been reported due to insufficient testing.
  • Quality products and software will ensure a sustainable company reputation or it can turn it into an untrustworthy company.

Here are the benefits of using software testing:

  • Cost-Effective: It is one of the important advantages of software testing. Testing any IT project on time helps you to save your money for the long term. In case if the bugs caught in the earlier stage of software testing, it costs less to fix.
  • Security: It is the most vulnerable and sensitive benefit of software testing. People are looking for trusted products. It helps in removing risks and problems earlier.
  • Product quality: It is an essential requirement of any software product. Testing ensures a quality product is delivered to customers.
  • Customer Satisfaction: The main aim of any product is to give satisfaction to its customers. UI/UX Testing ensures the best user experience.

Any software should have its testing cycle mapped to the main development lifecycle activities. every testing cycle has some common activities, which are:

  • Requirements testing: mainly how to ensure that each requirement is testable.
  • Test planning: It is about how to plan the testing activities, estimate the effort, the required team, ..etc.
  • Writing Test Cases: In this activity, the testers start to write the testing scenarios and scripts, these scenarios should include unit, integration, system testing, ..etc.
  • Test execution: It is mainly about preparing the testing environment and starting testing execution
  • Testing feedback: after the execution, the testing results and defects report should be reported to the development team to start fixing them.
  • Defect Retesting: when the developer report that the defect has been fixed, it should be tested again by the testing team.
  • User Acceptance Test: this should be the validation activity with the end-users who will use the system to ensure that they are working correctly from the business perspective. This can be iterative as well after the customer reports some defects as well.
  • Testing Closure: It is important to know when we should stop testing, explore the testing findings, and learn from the cycle for the new testing cycles.

There are three types of software testing approaches.

White Box Testing:

It is also called Glass Box, Clear Box, Structural Testing. White Box Testing is based on the application’s internal code structure. In white-box testing, an internal perspective of the system, as well as programming skills, are used to design test cases. This testing is usually done at the unit level.

Black Box Testing:

It is also called Behavioral/Specification-Based/Input-Output Testing. Black Box Testing is a software testing method in which testers evaluate the functionality of the software under test without looking at the internal code structure.

Grey Box Testing:

The grey box is the combination of both White Box and Black Box Testing. The tester who works on this type of testing needs to have access to design documents. This helps to create better test cases in this process.

The following types of testing can be executed from Blackbox and Whitebox approaches:

  • Unit Testing: 
  • User interface testing
  • Integration Testing: 
  • System Testing (End to End Testing):
  • Acceptance Testing: 
  • Performance Testing
  • Regression Testing
  • Usability Testing
  • Security Testing

In the current digital age and the competitive software industry, it became essential to deliver not only the intended functionalities of the system but to ensure its scalability, agility, and modifiability. In order to reach this competitiveness in the market and to have qualified products, you need an efficient quality process of the software.

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Why Scrum works and has visible effects on software projects?

by with No Comment About RaznamehSoftware development

While up to half of software projects are unsuccessful, statistics show that Scrum raises the effectiveness of project management, and as many as 62% of projects run this way will succeed.

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Scrum is a project management tool for a working life cycle. It is an Agile framework to properly manage the development cycle. As you’ve probably noticed, Scrum is very popular – especially in software projects. This is completely understandable. Scrum is valued for its high efficiency and its well-designed project management system.

Have a look at another statistic. Various sources show that up to 90% of teams working with Scrum say they have improved the quality of their work because of it. Scrum is also very popular for another reason: it is aligned with the Agile approach, which sets the highest standards for project management.

Let talk about the advantages of the scrum:

# 1 Scrum is efficient

When working with Scrum, your team has the chance to achieve the highest levels of efficiency. This is possible due to the ‘sprints’ scheduled within a specific time frame. During this time frame or sprint, the team focuses on selected tasks. The sprint is carefully planned by the Scrum Master, who is responsible for time management.

# 2 Scrum ensures high-quality results

For good reason, Scrum is one of the most frequently used methodologies in software projects. One of its key features is ensuring quality. During a sprint, the team focuses on pre-set tasks. This avoids the usual distractions from adding unplanned tasks. The exchange of knowledge and support among sprint members also ensures high-quality results.

# 3 Scrum allows you to see effects quickly

The work of the team is noticeable quickly. The work takes place over strictly defined functionalities that are ready and tested when the sprint is finished. Because the product is developed in stages, you can see the effects of development.

# 4 Scrum saves you money

Due to the effective time and tasks management, focused on eliminating bugs in the sprint, Scrum speeds up how you build your product. You will notice very quickly that your budget is being used effectively. You do not waste time dealing with unnecessary amendments. After finishing the sprint, the team goes to work on the next functionalities in the next sprint.

# 5 Scrum is transparent

This is an important feature, especially for customers who want to monitor the progress of work on their product. Thanks to the sprints, they know exactly which functionalities the team is currently working on. They can also see the effects of this work relatively quickly. The aim of the development work is clear for both the team and the client.

# 6 Scrum provides support for all team members

If someone in a sprint has a problem with the task, then they can consult with the whole team for support. Other members in the sprint will provide help or, if necessary, complete the task. Knowledge exchange and mutual support help keep the sprint stable and avoid delays.

# 7 Scrum is user-friendly for sprint members

Scrum allows sprint members to choose the tasks they want to complete. This way, they can work on what they really like or are good at. The tasks are assigned by the Scrum Master, whose goal is to select the best tasks for the skills of each sprint member.

# 8 There are tools to support work in Scrum

Due to the huge popularity of Scrum, there are many tools available that support this project management methodology and allow you to control all processes and stages.

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How we manage the projects?

by with No Comment About RaznamehSoftware development

What is Scrum?

Scrum is a framework that helps teams work together. Much like a rugby team (where it gets its name) training for the big game, scrum encourages teams to learn through experiences, self-organize while working on a problem, and reflect on their wins and losses to continuously improve.

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While the scrum I’m talking about is most frequently used by software development teams, its principles and lessons can be applied to all kinds of teamwork. This is one of the reasons scrum is so popular. Often thought of as an agile project management framework, scrum describes a set of meetings, tools, and roles that work in concert to help teams structure and manage their work.

How does scrum project management work?

The scrum approach to project management enables software development organizations to prioritize the work that matters most and break it down into manageable chunks. Scrum is about collaborating and communicating both with the people who are doing the work and the people who need the work done. It’s about delivering often and responding to feedback, increasing business value by ensuring that customers get what they actually want.

Shifting from traditional project management approaches to scrum project management requires an adjustment in terms of the activities that are carried out, the artifacts that are created, and the roles within the project team:

Activities in scrum project management

The main activity in scrum project management is the sprint, a time-boxed iteration that usually lasts between 1-4 weeks, with the most common sprint length being two weeks.

Sprint planning meeting: at the start of each sprint, a planning meeting is held to discuss the work that is to be done. The product owner and the team meet to discuss the highest-priority items on the product backlog. Team members figure out how many items they can commit to and then create a sprint backlog, which is a list of the tasks to complete during the sprint.

Daily scrum or daily standup: each day during the sprint team members share what they worked on the prior day, will work on today, and identify any impediments. Daily scrums serve to synchronize the work of team members as they discuss the work of the sprint. These meetings are time-boxed to no more than 15 minutes.

Sprint review: at the end of a sprint, the team demonstrates the functionality added during the sprint. The goal of this meeting is to get feedback from the product owner and any users or other stakeholders who have been invited to the review.

Sprint retrospective: at the end of each sprint, the team participates in a retrospective meeting to reflect on the sprint that is ending and identify opportunities to improve in the new sprint.

Sprint Demo: at the end of each sprint, the team will have a demo to the clients to show what exactly to do during the sprint and they will show the output product to the clients.

Then with the scrum team and clients have all the control over the project and the changes could implement fast and clients will be completely aware of the work progress.

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What is Microservices?

by with No Comment Software development

Microservices are both architecture and an approach to writing software. With microservices, applications are broken down into their smallest components, independent from each other. Instead of a traditional, monolithic, approach to apps, where everything is built into a single piece, microservices are all separated and work together to accomplish the same tasks. Each of these components, or processes, is a microservice. This approach to software development values granularity, being lightweight, and the ability to share similar processes across multiple apps.

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Microservice architectures enable faster feature delivery and scaling for large applications

The core idea of microservices is to split the large system into loosely coupled services that can be deployed independently. That’s it.

What are the benefits of a microservices architecture?

Microservices give your teams and routines a boost through distributed development. You can also develop multiple microservices concurrently. This means more developers working on the same app, at the same time, which results in less time spent in development.

Ready for market faster

Since development cycles are shortened, a microservices architecture supports more agile deployment and updates.

Highly scalable

As demand for certain services grows, you can deploy across multiple servers, and infrastructures, to meet your needs.

Resilient

These independent services, when constructed properly, do not impact one another. This means that if one piece fails, the whole app doesn’t go down, unlike the monolithic app model.

Easy to deploy

Because your microservice-based apps are more modular and smaller than traditional, monolithic apps, the worries that came with those deployments are negated. This requires more coordination, which a service mesh layer can help with, but the payoffs can be huge.

When change is required in a certain part of the application, only the related service can be modified and redeployed—no need to modify and redeploy the entire application

Accessible

Because the larger app is broken down into smaller pieces, developers can more easily understand, update, and enhance those pieces, resulting in faster development cycles, especially when combined with agile development methodologies.

More open

Due to the use of polyglot APIs, developers have the freedom to choose the best language and technology for the necessary function.

Also easy to understand and modify for developers, thus can help a new team member become productive quickly

Better fault isolation: 

if one microservice fails, the other will continue to work

What are the Microservice architecture challenges?

complexity and efficiency are two major challenges of a microservice-based architecture.

  1. Building: You have to spend time identifying dependencies between your services. Be aware that completing one build might trigger several other builds, due to those dependencies. You also need to consider the effects that microservices have on your data.
  2. Testing: Integration testing, as well as end-to-end testing, can become more difficult, and more important than ever. Know that a failure in one part of the architecture could cause something a few hops away to fail, depending on how you’ve architected your services to support one another.
  3. Versioning: When you update to new versions, keep in mind that you might break backward compatibility. You can build in conditional logic to handle this, but that gets unwieldy and nasty, fast. Alternatively, you could stand up multiple live versions for different clients, but that can be more complex in maintenance and management.
  4. Deployment: Yes, this is also a challenge, at least in the initial setup. To make deployment easier, you must first invest in quite a lot of automation as the complexity of microservices becomes overwhelming for human deployment. 
  5. Logging: With distributed systems, you need centralized logs to bring everything together. Otherwise, the scale is impossible to manage.
  6. Monitoring: It’s critical to have a centralized view of the system to pinpoint sources of problems.
  7. Debugging: Remote debugging through your local integrated development environment isn’t an option and it won’t work across dozens or hundreds of services. Unfortunately, there’s no single answer to how to debug at this time.
  8. Connectivity: Consider service discovery, whether centralized or integrated.

When to Use Microservices

As a good starting point, these would be some of the ideal situations you can prefer microservices over their monolithic counterparts.

  • When you want your monolithic application to accommodate scalability, agility, manageability and delivery speed
  • When you have to rewrite legacy applications in today’s programming languages or tech stacks to keep up with modern-day business requirements and solutions
  • When you have standalone business applications or modules that have to be reused across diverse channels—some good examples would be login services, search options, authentication facilities and more
  • If you’re building a highly agile application (product or service) that demands swift speed of delivery, innovation and more

When Not to Use Microservices

As a starting point, here are some factors.

  • Microservices are solutions to complex concerns and if your business doesn’t have complex issues, understand that you don’t have a system in place to handle the complexities of microservices.
  • Using microservices can prove to offer contrary consequences if you don’t have a team size that cannot handle the tasks involved. This will only result in the delay of delivery.
  • Implementing microservices for the sake of it can be hampered as well. If your application does not require to be broken down into microservices, you don’t need this. There is no absolute necessity that all applications should be broken down into microservices. There are those that are simple by their nature and functionality.
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How do we stay GDPR-friendly for our clients in an outsourcing environment?

by with No Comment About RaznamehGDPRSoftware development

Under the GDPR, data management is carried out by the “controller” and the “processor.” How the personal data of an individual is used is determined by the controller. The role of the processor is to process the personal data on the part of the controller. 

providers play the role of the data processors and the companies that outsource are the data controllers.

Outsourcing firms that want to work with EU-based companies require strengthening their data security and privacy policies in order to align themselves with the standards laid down by the GDPR

In the case of a data breach, both the company and the outsourcing provider can be held liable and penalized heavily. Therefore, both the data controller (company) and the data processor (outsourcing services provider) should strictly adhere to the guidelines laid down by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The following steps can help us in becoming fully compliant with GDPR:

  1. We Know What Is GDPR: 

We know about the GDPR and its effects on our business. First of all, we identify which of our business processes require changes in order to attain full compliance with the GDPR. We make all of our employees aware of the GDPR by providing training to them so that each and every department in our organization knows how to safely handle the users’ data.

  1. We Have A Review Of our Technologies And Business Processes each 3 month 

We review our business processes and look for where they are lacking in following the GDPR standards. Adopt new procedures and, if required, hire specialists so that we are able to meet the standards. Examine the technologies that are actively being deployed in your firm. Check if these technologies are adequately meeting the technical requirements for ensuring data security and privacy as required by the GDPR.

We could implement all the necessities in your product to be GDPR friendy.

  1. We could Set Up A Data Register for your business: 

As part of the GDPR, data protection associations have been set up by the European countries. They have been set up for the purpose of enforcing the GDPR and monitoring compliance. You should create a data register, which is a record of data processing activities. If for any reason, a data breach takes place, you will be required to show the data register to the data protection association.

  1. We will Build A Data Security Roadmap for your product : 

We will prepare a data security road map at the beginning of the projects. It helps us in prioritizing where the greatest security risks are present and in setting up goals and milestones. Data security techniques like encrypting, pseudonymization, etc. can help us meet our security goals.

  1. We could carry Out Periodic Assessments: 

Once we have set up and put into practice the technologies and processes required for becoming fully compliant with the GDPR, our next step is to carry out periodic assessments for ensuring everything is working as expected. Keeping data management and security in order will help you in preventing any sort of data breach, and will, therefore, save you from heavy penalties for GDPR non-compliance.