Software Development Updates

Software development and maintenance are of equal importance. It makes it possible for services to adapt to meet growing business and technical needs. Software maintenance services have been consistently recommended by software development companies to their clients to ensure stable and enhanced system performance.

It is noted by the author of “Facts and Fallacies of Software Engineering” saying “Maintenance is probably the most important life cycle phase of software.” He also claims that maintenance accounts for over 60% of total software expenses.

When preparing a software development budget, your company should include the expense of continuing support and software maintenance. This article will go over what software maintenance is, why is it important and how can you follow the best practices to achieve positive outcomes.

1. What is Software Maintenance?

Software maintenance is a process that involves fixing software bugs, adding new features, removing unused ones, and optimizing the software in a continuous manner. The software development life cycle includes software maintenance as an essential component. It starts after the software is released and is done to make sure the software is updated often to meet the expectations of the market as it changes.

Software maintenance involves essentially taking care of and improving software to address issues, make it run better, add new features, and optimize it so that users get the best experience possible.

It is common for technology providers to provide software maintenance services in a yearly contract, after product delivery and deployment. In most cases, a predetermined percentage of the initial investment in software development is used to determine the cost of software maintenance.

There are a lot of reasons why businesses invest significantly in software maintenance. Below, we will examine the different types of software maintenance.

2. Types of Software Maintenance

Software maintenance is essential for any software product throughout its lifecycle, as it varies for different purposes and requirements. Four unique types of software maintenance should be performed at various stages. It is necessary to do maintenance on software whenever it is in use since software is dynamic and subject to ongoing change.

Your company has to be aware of the following four types of software maintenance:

2.1 Corrective Software Maintenance

When most people think of maintenance, the first thing that comes to mind is corrective software maintenance. Corrective software maintenance addresses mistakes and issues that affect many aspects of your system, such as its logic, code, and design. Corrective software maintenance can help you find bugs before the users do, which can promote your brand’s reliability. These corrections usually originate from bug reports that users or customers generate.

2.2 Adaptive Software Maintenance

If the software’s environment is subject to change, adaptive software maintenance will be essential. This includes updates to the operating system, hardware, software dependencies, cloud storage, or even OS with automatic updates. Adaptive software maintenance can also reflect the regulations and policies of an organization at times. As a result, factors such as service updates, vendor changes, or alterations to payment processors can also trigger the requirement for adaptive software maintenance.

2.3 Perfective Software Maintenance

Improving the existing features and functioning of a software product is the focus of perfective software maintenance. Application “perfection” is achieved by continuous improvement, feature addition, or unnecessary feature reduction. Enhancing the software’s quality is the sole objective of perfective maintenance.

2.4 Preventative Software Maintenance

Finding and fixing software problems before they occur is the goal of preventative software maintenance. This proactive approach is common practice to plan and implement regularly to address potential problems. To head off any operational issues, this type of preventative maintenance seeks out and fixes hidden bugs in the code.

The terms “preventative” and “corrective maintenance” seem interchangeable, despite they are not similar in pronunciation. Preventative maintenance aims to identify and fix problems before they become operational errors, whereas corrective maintenance deals with operational errors after they have already occurred. To make your application more effective and scalable, as well as to ensure its longevity, it is recommended that you do preventative software maintenance.

3. Importance of Software Maintenance

Any application’s functionality and robustness depend on regular software maintenance. A software product would fail to function if not properly maintained. Why is software maintenance so important? Let’s look at the reasons.

3.1 Free of Bugs

You can always protect your systems against software issues and defects using vendor-provided maintenance packages. If you are associated with a maintenance program, and your software is still under warranty, you can save money. An active warranty will assist in guaranteeing that the correct software system is implemented, which is a long-term investment.

3.2 Performance is Enhanced with Consistent Improvements

An upgrade component is a standard feature of most maintenance packages. Regular upgrades are often essential for maximizing the value of your software, especially when you consider the total cost of upgrades over time. Always double-check that any customized work done during your first implementation and purchase will likewise be updated, and not charged extra.

3.3 Environment-Adaptive Software Maintenance

Checking that your software is up-to-date and meeting your company’s needs is increasingly important. Maintaining up-to-date software and installing updates regularly can help you stay ahead of software development trends and provide your company with the best chance of success.

3.4 Predictive Cash Flow

You can combine all of your IT costs into a single maintenance price if you safeguard against software defects and get updates regularly. This prevents unexpected expenditures in the future. Typically, maintenance packages for on-premises systems cost between 15%-22% of the entire cost of licenses. For cloud-hosted systems, you can include the cost of maintenance in the monthly licensing charge. 

4. Software Maintenance Process

There are several steps in the software development life cycle that comprise the maintenance phase, sometimes known as the software maintenance life cycle (SMLC). Let’s discuss it in detail.

Step 1: Identification

The changes are “identified” and assessed at this stage of software maintenance, as the name suggests. Prior to executing the requested alterations, the modifications are examined and categorized based on the level of attention or maintenance they require. Either automation or human involvement is possible during this stage.

Step 2: Problem Analysis Phase

The scope and usefulness of each approved change request are defined during the problem analysis phase. During this stage, developers strategize about potential software improvements by utilizing input properties such as project documentation, repository details, verified change requests, and an initial resource estimate.

Step 3: Design

The results from the analysis define the new software structure. Software for surveys or tests is also created with security considerations.

Software maintenance during the design process encompasses a range of tasks, like:

• Editing the documentation for software modules.
• Revising the list of changes.
• Making new design test scenarios.
• Performing regression analyses.

Step 4: Implementation Phase

Developers update the software as a whole, add specifications, include new features, and modify the code throughout the implementation process. The inputs for this phase include outputs from the design phase, the source code, the updated system, and the project documentation.

Step 5: System Testing

In this testing phase, experts check how well the codes and guidelines are implemented. In the process, they check to see whether the new software model needs any additional components or adjustments.

Step 6: Acceptance Testing

This step is carried out by individuals outside of the company. As stated in the request for change, they conduct a mock software test, sometimes called a dry run test, to ensure that the implemented specifications are functioning correctly.

Step 7: Delivery Phase

The team releases the upgraded software to the end users once acceptance testing is complete. In addition, they provide detailed documentation, including manuals and assistance files, detailing how the program works and what system requirements are necessary. 

5. Software Maintenance Cost

Depending on the model you select, the expected costs of software maintenance differ. Let’s discuss the factors.

• Time and Material (T&M): According to this factor, the time and resources invested by developers in maintenance activities determine the total cost of maintenance. This model provides flexibility, but it may result in variable costs depending on the complexity and speed of the task.
  Software maintenance takes a bit portion of the developer’s time.
  To build an application and keep it live in production for at least 5 years, you should plan five times more effort (and cost) than initially planned for development.

• Fixed Price: The maintenance expenses are predetermined using the fixed-price model. Although it offers predictability, it could not be flexible enough to handle unexpected modifications or maintenance problems.
• Value-based Pricing: This model decides the overall pricing of maintenance services based on the perceived value to the client. Delivering actual value and return on investment (ROI) through maintenance operations is its key focus.

Maximizing the lifetime value of your application requires selecting the correct approach and following key approaches.

6. Keys Software Maintenance Strategies to Implement

When planning effective software maintenance, there are several important factors to consider. Here, we are going to discuss some key software maintenance strategies to implement for a better outcome.

6.1 Analyze Your Documentation

The procedure involves maintaining comprehensive records of your code functionality. Further, it addresses issues that could arise in the future and simplifies the process of upgrades.

6.2 Software Maintenance Process Automation

Development is just the beginning of the process of creating a successful software product. Some problems or risks may emerge at a later point that you have not initially considered. As a result, you must ensure that your software is future-proof in order to handle any potential threats.

Your company can benefit from automating software maintenance as it will save time and money. Automating code reviews and production monitoring can increase productivity and profitability. Additionally, it prepares your products for the market without hiring additional staff.

6.3 Switching to the Cloud

The key benefit of using this software maintenance technique is the reduction in ongoing maintenance expenses. Strong data management, scalability, dependability, and security are some of the advantages of moving software to the cloud.

6.4 Build Up New Infrastructure

Without a clear strategy, your software product’s infrastructure might sometimes expand in an unplanned way. Well, by assessing and improving your current infrastructure, you can effectively address these software maintenance issues.

You may effortlessly swap out some application components with generic SaaS solutions while still preserving your bespoke software product. This strategy can help you cut costs over time.

6.5 Invest in Quality Analysis

Multiple software testing processes must be completed before software can be made live. Errors, defects, and run-time difficulties are eliminated through the QA process. This process can be integrated during either the launch or the planning phase to ensure the software will be employed error-free. Additionally, you can gain insight into the modifications that must be performed.

Proactively modifying the general applications and fixing bugs before they ever happen will be a huge aid. The key to a successful software project delivery is following these strategies. 

It is important to describe the various models involved in software maintenance, its cost, and the software maintenance activities in software engineering to reduce it. 

7. Software Maintenance Models

Your company’s objectives, your field, the knowledge of your technical staff, and the market’s expected developments will all play a role in determining the best model for software maintenance. Your team can select the appropriate model from the following possibilities based on it.

7.1 Quick-Fix Model

When it comes to software maintenance, the quick-fix model is all about getting bugs fixed quickly rather than implementing a long-term solution.

For urgent situations or emergencies, this method usually involves carrying out small, targeted changes. The tech teams keep track of changes in the maintenance history, annotate them with comments and IDs, and then use those IDs to combine numerous code points effectively.

7.2 Iterative Enhancement Model

Scheduled maintenance and small-scale app modernization are perfect fits for the iterative strategy. But it carries certain risks, as the software development team often works in isolation and the business case is frequently ignored. Based on current system analysis, it modifies the application target as if it were predefined. This approach works well for small targets where there would be little interference from other apps or businesses.

7.3 Reuse-Oriented Model

Finding reusable parts in current systems is the first step in this approach, which also includes making parts for other applications. It emphasizes two core principles including reusing components, and introducing well-defined objects and functions.

With application system reuse, new components can be added to the system without modifying the existing one. In software development, component reuse is making use of already-existing components like code libraries or frameworks instead of building new ones from scratch.

7.4 Boehm’s Model

There are several levels in Boehm’s 1978 model that assess software quality. At the top level, it considers characteristics like maintainability, portability, and utility. The intermediate level includes reliability, efficiency, testability, understandability, and usability. At the functional level are features like device independence, accessibility, and accuracy. This method involves non-technical stakeholders, and it focuses on the most important factors that determine the overall quality and usability of software.

8. Best Practices for Effective Software Maintenance

There are a number of different approaches and procedures involved in the management of software maintenance. Application software maintenance runs smoothly and efficiently when these strategies are used in the right proportions.

This section will explore the best software maintenance practices and dig into their important components. The key to effective software maintenance management is a solid foundation, so let’s have a look at them.

8.1 Regular Security Fixes and Upgrades

Regularly updating and patching software on a regular basis is crucial for keeping software secure and functional. Organizations should think about these things to have a strong update cycle.

• Established timetable for updates– Enhancements to features, corrections to bugs, and updates to improve security are all part of it. This keeps the program secure from new threats by keeping it up-to-date. Roughly 1.5 new samples emerge every minute, or 2,252 new instances of malware are released into the digital world daily, according to the BlackBerry team.
• Systems for automated updates– Implement systems that allow consumers to easily receive and install updates. This makes sure that consumers always get access to the most recent version without any effort on their part.
• Regression testing– After updates and fixes have been applied, this sort of testing is carried out. It ensures that the modifications are implemented correctly.
• Effective communication– Make use of suitable channels to notify users when software updates are available, what they include, and how to upgrade their systems. Transparency is promoted and users are encouraged to maintain their software up-to-date through clear and timely information.
• Processes for receiving and providing feedback– Ask users for their feedback on updates and upgrades. The effect of updates and the existence of problems can be better understood with the use of user input. 

8.2 Proactive Monitoring and Testing

Essential components of efficient software maintenance include keeping tabs on software performance and doing proactive testing. Operating system activity may be better understood with the use of automated monitoring technologies, which can detect problems before they affect users. Having a strong testing strategy minimizes the efforts, which include regression testing, load testing, and security testing. This helps find and fix issues early in the software lifecycle.

Include these steps:

• Code optimization– Dive into the codebase to find and fix inefficiencies, improving performance and removing bottlenecks through code optimization.
• Database tuning– Make sure your databases are well-organized and indexed so that you can get data easily. You can improve queries and response times with this enhancement.
• Performance monitoring– Constantly track app performance metrics. Put in place monitoring tools to observe how you can use resources, pinpoint areas of poor performance, and optimize based on data.
• Effective use of available resources– Check that the software is making efficient use of the system’s resources. Optimize memory consumption, reduce unnecessary computations, and adjust parameters for optimal performance.
• Minimizing response times– Identify slow response times and implement changes to make them faster. Improving algorithmic efficiency or streamlining network queries can dramatically boost the user experience. 

8.3 Documentation and Version Control

Efficient software maintenance relies on thorough documentation and effective version control. To facilitate debugging and data transfer, it is crucial to document changes, known issues, and troubleshooting techniques. Maintaining transparency and accountability is easier using version control systems, which allow teams to keep track of changes, roll back to earlier versions, and facilitate team collaboration.

8.4 Collaboration and Communication

Successful software maintenance involves collaboration and communication among developers, testers, support staff, and end-users. It is more likely to be successful when establishing open communication channels and promoting cooperation. To keep everyone informed and engaged in the software’s continuous progress, regular meetings, ticketing systems, and communication tools allow for smooth coordination.

9. Conclusion

Software maintenance is essential, not optional. Applications that aren’t well-maintained are prone to frequent failures. On top of that, neglecting maintenance of your app will be more costly than the expense of doing so on a regular basis. Also, there will be less room for optimal company growth if software maintenance is not properly considered in your business plan.

Software development services can be a lifesaver when it comes to keeping your software up-to-date and meeting the demands of your customers and company. Need a consultant? Contact TatvaSoft today! 

FAQs

What is software maintenance?

Software maintenance is a continuous process that involves fixing bugs, adding new features, removing unused ones, and optimizing the software overall. 

What are the 4 types of software maintenance?

There are four types of software maintenance including:

• Adaptive software maintenance
• Corrective software maintenance
• Perfective software maintenance
• Preventive software maintenance

What does software maintenance include?

Performing optimization, fixing errors, removing unused functionality, and improving current functions are all included as part of software maintenance.

What is software maintenance cost?

Depending on the model, requirements, criteria, and speed, the expected costs of software maintenance may differ.