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Needs analysis and technical evaluation — two keys to a successful software project

At Meta Bytes, we recognize the importance of flexibility when working on software projects, with a strong focus on continuous feedback. This means that throughout the project – and throughout the entire software lifecycle – we remain open to new insights. Developing software with our clients is a journey where we together learn more with every step we take, which can also lead to reprioritizations during the journey to reflect our understanding of the project and its goals.

To create a solid foundation to work from, we often conduct a pre-study before the development work begins. It is this study, which primarily consists of a needs analysis and a technical evaluation, that largely creates the conditions for a successful software project.

Needs analysis – the cornerstone of the project

When conducting a needs analysis, our focus is on defining your business needs as well as understanding what the end users’ needs look like. To do this, we first need to gain an understanding of your business.

Understanding the organization

To create the perfect software solution for you, we need to have a really good look inside your organization. What processes are critical, what challenges do you face, and what are your overarching goals? Understanding your daily work is essential for us to tailor a solution that effectively supports and improves your business.

Business needs

Having a clear business goal, such as increased efficiency, cost savings, or improved customer service is important, not least to evaluate the result. Consider why you need the solution and why the project is important for achieving the overall goals of your business.

User needs

Understanding user needs can be the most important part of a needs analysis, as this is where we identify and analyze what the users want, need, require and expect from the solution. The focus lies on understanding which problems or challenges need to be solved, which goals are to be achieved, and what features or characteristics are important. As we also want to create an extraordinary user experience, we focus on UX/UI, where we discuss the solution together based on visual prototypes. This way, we open up for new insights and continuous improvements.

After a needs analysis has been conducted, we don’t just have a clearer picture of the requirements, but also a vision for the project, enabling us to design the solution more effectively.

Technical evaluation – paving the way forward

Another important part for the project's success is to, from the very start, look into how technically feasible the project is and what technical requirements exist. We go through your existing infrastructure, integration possibilities with existing systems, security requirements, scalability, and other technical factors that may affect the project and its outcome.

We look at what technical resources and competencies are needed to meet the requirements we identified. The outcome of this helps us primarily to decide whether the project is technically feasible and is used as a basis for decision-making on how to proceed.

Conducting a technical evaluation helps ensure that the requirements can be met, prevents ambiguity between the development team and stakeholders, and facilitates planning and resource allocation.

When assessing feasibility, a risk analysis is also conducted to identify potential risks that may impact the project and its outcome. The risks are assessed based on the degree to which they may affect the project, and we develop a strategy for managing them.

If the technical feasibility is not carefully examined, there is a risk of surprises arising during the project, which can impact both the budget and timeline.

A needs analysis and a technical evaluation lay the foundation for a successful project

Thanks to the needs analysis, we gain insight into user needs and requirements, while the technical evaluation identifies any challenges and helps us choose technical solutions suitable for your specific business. Together with the risk analysis, they create a robust foundation that paves the way for a successful project. Even though Meta Bytes works agilely, and our development process is flexible throughout the project, it’s important to gain a good understanding of your business and what the solution aims to achieve before the work begins.

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