Custom software and IT systems development

For a project with Yelido to be a real success, your involvement alongside our project managers and developers keeps your business needs and our software aligned at all times. Together, through co-design, we will shape a custom digital tool fully suited to your day-to-day work.

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How does custom software or IT systems development work with Yelido?

 

Step 1: Understand your business, your digital needs and phase the development project

Before your custom software or IT system development project even starts, we carry out a full assessment of your organisation and your existing tools (Excel, ERP, CRM, etc.).

During this phase, we:

  • Map your business processes to identify bottlenecks and quick wins.
  • Gather the needs of each role (manager, sales, accountant, quality manager…) to capture every nuance of your activity.
  • Define the scope together: choice of billing model (capped time and materials or fixed price), prioritisation of features and milestones for a realistic, evolving roadmap for the development of your system.

At the end of this phase, we write a clear specification together, which serves as the basis for your custom software or IT system development project. You then know the cost (fixed price or capped time and materials), the schedule and the planned deliverables before development begins.

Step 2: Prioritise the systems to develop and build prototypes

At the start of the project, the first thing to do is identify the key features of your future system. To this end, meetings and workshops are organised between you and our software development agency.

How does it work?

  • Prioritisation workshop: together, we detail the key screens or features to prototype.
  • Prototype delivery: our team designs the mock-ups or the mini module, then gives you a demonstration by video call.
  • Feedback session: you test the prototype, note your observations and we adjust the scope before starting iterative development in sprints.

This step has two goals:

  • Validate your ideas quickly: You see very early what your application will look like and how it meets your business needs. Rather than waiting for the end of your software or IT system development project to discover the interface, you test it from the design phase and can give immediate feedback.
  • Prioritise features: By working on a limited scope, you clearly identify what is essential to get started (the “must-haves”) and what can be postponed to a later version (the “nice-to-haves”). This avoids launching the whole development in one block and risking spending time (and money) on features that matter less in the first version of the software.

With this Proof of Concept, we all move forward with a clear and achievable goal, and you can be sure that the final custom software or system will match what you really need.

Step 3: Custom software / IT system development and step-by-step validation

Once the functional scope is approved, the project enters a two-part cycle: development of the custom software or IT system by our agency in build periods (called “sprints”) and acceptance testing phases (testing and validation) on your side.

  • Development in 2 to 3 week sprints: Each sprint focuses on delivering a clearly defined set of features (for example: the login module, order management or the reporting interface). At the start of the sprint, you receive a precise schedule of objectives, and at the end, we give you a concrete demonstration of what has been developed by video call (or on site).
  • Acceptance testing and adjustments with your internal key users/testers: Right after each demonstration, your key users (accountants, operations managers, etc.) test the new version in a pre-production environment. Through these acceptance testing workshops (tests and validation), usually a few hours long, we collect their feedback: usability adjustments, workflow corrections, refinement of business rules.

This back and forth between sprints and acceptance tests makes it possible:

  • To involve your teams from the first lines of code, to make sure the custom software fits their day-to-day work perfectly.
  • To quickly correct any flaw before it becomes costly to fix.
  • To adjust the scope or the long-term vision (version 2 or 3 of the software or IT system) if new needs emerge, without risking disruption to the overall schedule.

This organisation in short sprints and acceptance testing workshops gives you visibility on each set of features: you see concretely what has been developed, you check that it fits your daily work and you send us your feedback immediately. Your custom software or IT system thus evolves step by step, always aligned with your needs.

Step 4: Deployment of your custom software and training your teams on the new IT system

Once the initial version (V1) has your approval, we organise together the go-live of your new IT system and the upskilling of your teams.

Before officially launching your custom software, we take care of hosting it in a reliable environment suited to your digital tool. You have nothing to configure; we make sure your data is always protected (automatic backups, encryption) and accessible without interruption.

For every custom software or IT system development delivered, Yelido always includes dedicated training, fully adapted to your company’s context:

  • Getting started with the interface (web or mobile),
  • Working through realistic business use scenarios with complete training material (documentation, tutorials and live sessions).

Training sessions last four hours on average, can be delivered remotely or on site and are tailored to the participants’ profile (end users, administrators, business key users).

Time is set aside for questions and answers during these sessions, and you benefit from post-training support with our teams to strengthen the autonomy of yours.

What next? What happens to my custom software or IT system?

Once the first version of your custom software or IT system is in production, our collaboration does not stop there. Thanks to our iterative cycles, each new version (V2, V3…) builds on your feedback and on changes in your business needs, until it reaches the ideal solution that supports you every day.

A change in legislation? No problem, the tool will always evolve with you

To ensure the durability and performance of your tool, Yelido offers evolutive maintenance contracts: quick fixes, security updates, new features.

Ready to build your custom software and IT systems development project with a small, experienced team? Contact the Yelido experts today to discuss it.

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