Challenges and Solutions in the Web System Development Process

To boost productivity and grow their business, many companies apply IT to system building. But building a user-friendly web system is no easy task, and many challenges still remain in the process.

So what are these challenges, and how can they be solved?

In this article, offshore developer Miichisoft explains the challenges in the web system development process and how to solve them.

Before the main topic, let's first understand what web system development is.

Web system development means building services and systems usable over the internet. It targets users of browser-equipped devices such as PCs, smartphones, and tablets, aiming to build a system that runs in a web environment. For more on web systems, see this link.

Now, let's look at three main challenges in the web system development process.

1. The web system development process is not standardized

One common problem in system development is a lack of process standardization.
Product quality varies with each engineer's experience and skill. Since engineers often juggle multiple tasks, a non-standardized process makes it hard to streamline workflows and ensure quality.

2. The purpose of web system development is not shared with the whole team.

The second problem is that engineers don't understand the purpose of the system. System development means gathering client requirements and pain points through discovery, planning features, then designing and building.
If the purpose isn't shared from the initial phase onward, even actively incorporating client requests will eventually create budget and requirement gaps, leaving the original problem unsolved.

3. Web system requirements cannot be changed

Another commonly cited problem is that, once development is underway, requirement changes are often not accepted. A mid-project requirement change can trigger significant rework, causing schedule delays and cost overruns. Since requirement changes happen often, teams must be prepared to handle them.

How can companies facing these challenges solve them? We'd like to propose three countermeasures.

1. Make use of a common framework

First, we recommend adopting a common framework.

A common framework clearly standardizes each process, from idea-shaping through development, operation, and decommissioning, preventing misunderstandings between client and contractor.

With a common framework, engineers can focus on development while sharing the same understanding.

This helps solve the problem of the process's purpose and standards not being shared.

2. Facilitate smooth communication

The second countermeasure is smoother communication between client and developer.

Good communication makes it easier to absorb the client's goals and requests, helping prevent cost increases and other issues.

3. Centrally manage design documents and other materials

The third countermeasure is to gather documents, such as basic and detailed design docs, in one place for efficient use.

It's best to keep requirement changes to a minimum, but when a change is unavoidable, centrally managing documents so the change history stays clear is key.

That covers, from Miichisoft's experience, common problems and solutions in web system development. That said, many other cases involve far more complex issues.

If you face similar challenges, feel free to contact Miichisoft.