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by Biz Dev on January 18, 2018 | software project requirements

Businessman Bob has a business problem that requires a software solution. He reached out to Developer Dan to tell him about his problem and ask how much a solution will cost. Developer Dan explains the complexities of pricing software projects and recommends that they start the process by gathering software project requirements to establish the project scope and create a...

by Biz Dev on January 10, 2018 | software project requirements

Most software projects are destined to fail before the first line of code is written. Why? Bad software project requirements. Failure to follow a proven process for gathering software project requirements is a guaranteed way to waste time, hemorrhage cash, and frustrate many people. The process of gathering requirements for a software project is challenging. It requires asking the right...

by Randy Syring on September 23, 2017 | software development

I recently came across a post by Ned Batchelder in which he describes the frustration associated with software development. Of particular help to me, and I hope others, is the way he points out that both beginners and experts feel the same frustration with the software development process.  He writes: I love the raw emotion on the two boys' faces....

by Biz Dev on July 27, 2017 | technology

According to the Lean manufacturing methodology, waste is the root of all unprofitable activity within an organization.  There are seven categories of waste within Lean: Defects Overproduction Transportation Waiting Inventory Motion Processing Reducing waste is a top priority for most organizations because it has a direct impact on the bottom line, but this is often easier said than done. Identify the...

by Biz Dev on June 21, 2017 | technology

Internet of Things, or IoT, may be the most impactful concept, as well as the least understood, of the next ten years. What is IoT? The simplest—and perhaps the easiest—way to think about the Internet of Things is any machine-to-machine (M2M) communication through the internet. This includes your phone controlling your AC or starting your car, or anything considered “smart.”...

by Biz Dev on June 14, 2017 | software development

Hiring right custom software development firm is a critical decision for most organizations. Choosing the wrong development partner will often cost a lot of time and money, and will result in a loss of significant opportunity. Use the following five questions to help you vet potential software development companies and identify the best fit for your project. Two Questions for...

by Biz Dev on June 7, 2017 | software development

Many organizations leverage the power of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to help them manage all facets of their operations. There are many different options to choose from depending on your industry, needs, and budget. If you are in the market for an ERP system, take a moment to read this article to give you some ideas how about...

by Randy Syring on May 31, 2017 | culture,software development

During the project discovery process, many organizations ask us to sign a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) before sensitive project details are discussed. This may be a reasonable request considering the depth of project discussions and if proprietary information will be discussed. However, the NDAs we are often asked to sign attempt to broadly cover all communication and ideation between Level 12...

by Biz Dev on May 24, 2017 | culture

One of our core values at Level 12 is work-life balance. In keeping with this value, events are hosted throughout the year to bring our team members and their families together outside of work. The Spring Zing '17 family event was a lot of fun for everyone. The event started with a rendezvous at Malibu Jack's. We played miniature golf,...

by Biz Dev on May 17, 2017 | Payment Industry

Randy Syring and Adam Robinson attended Transact 17, the annual conference hosted by the Electronic Transaction Association. The event was held at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. This was the first time members of our team attended this national event for the payments industry. We were encouraged to participate by one of our clients and colleagues in this market. After returning...

by Biz Dev on May 10, 2017 | culture

There are lots of people who call themselves developers or say they can write code. Like any other endeavor, capabilities range from the elite to those who should look for something else to do. Just because a person says they can code doesn’t mean he or she can. According to Peopleware, the best developers are up to 28 times more...

by Biz Dev on May 3, 2017 | software development

For the sake of this article, let's assume you have decided NOT to hire a full-time developer as an employee and need to outsource work on a custom software project. Who should you hire? Freelancer vs Software Development Firm Before we assess each option, it is important to have answers to the following questions: What is the core problem being...

by Biz Dev on April 26, 2017 | technology

The term DevOps is a frequently used in the software development community; however, it means different things to different people. In this article, we are going to explore the origin of the word along with various definitions. DevOps Origin The term DevOps was first mentioned during a presentation by Andrew Shafer and Patrick Debois at the Agile 2008 conference. The...

by Randy Syring on April 25, 2017 | Python

I sometimes struggle in business, as I try to lay out things like vision, mission, strategy, guiding principles, and the like.  But I don't struggle to justify why we so often reach for Python: it's just easy to get things done. You see, the reality with most software development, especially consulting based custom software development like Level 12 focuses on,...

by Biz Dev on April 19, 2017 | software development,technology

What are containers? The use of containers has grown significantly over the past couple of years with Docker leading the charge. The multifaceted deployment scenarios provided by containers are changing IT strategies and tactics. Docker defines a container as, "a lightweight, stand-alone, executable package of a piece of software that includes everything needed to run it." Containers vs. Virtual Machines...

by Biz Dev on April 12, 2017 | software development

An increasing number of businesses are exploring the possibility of leveraging microservices for software development projects. Microservices are not the right fit for every organization. This article is meant to provide non-technical business leaders with an overview of the pros and cons of this development architecture along with conditions when making a move to microservices may make sense. It is...

by Randy Syring on April 7, 2017 | software development

We ask a lot of our developers and they know how to deliver. It's not easy to describe everything that is needed in order to develop high quality software that isn't prohibitively expensive for the typical business. But our development team put their heads together and came up with the following Mission Statement to guide the development team at a...

by Biz Dev on March 29, 2017 | software development

Custom software cost estimation is hard and often inaccurate due to the complex nature of the development process. In fact, a study by McKinsey revealed that 66% of software projects go over budget. "Can you give me a custom software cost estimate for my project?" is usually one of the first questions we are asked when a prospect is inquiring about our...

by Biz Dev on March 14, 2017 | data management

Do you use Excel to manage your data? If you are manually shifting data around, struggling to get the information you or are frustrated by scrolling through large datasets, these Excel hacks are for you. 1. Get Rid of Duplicates Whether you are planning a mailing, trying to segment a list for marketing purposes or simply want to make sure...

by Biz Dev on March 8, 2017 | software development

Regardless of the type of business, you're trying to run or even the industry that you're operating in, software is more important than ever. According to a study conducted by Forrester Research, a total of $542 billion was spent in the United States on software development in 2013 - representing a colossal 25% of the country's total IT spend. Likewise, those numbers...

by Biz Dev on January 5, 2017 | software development

Ask ten developers what the term Agile software development means and you will likely get ten different answers. Fundamentally, Agile software development is a series of 12 core principles outlined in the Agile Manifesto. These principles frame an iterative approach that delivers value-driven software to an organization. Over time different systems of Agile software development have been created including lean software development,...

by Elliot Cameron on April 13, 2016 | Python,software development,Tools

The technological landscape is vast and varied. Hundreds of programming languages each with thousands of tools, libraries, and services all compete for recognition. Most tech tools offer at least some legitimate benefit, so gazing at the metropolis of possibilities is often bewildering. As a tech company, how do we sort through the maelstrom and land on a good technology stack? The answer can...

by Biz Dev on April 8, 2016 | software development,Testing

Level 12's Chief Executive Developer (CED), Randy Syring, was invited to present on automated software testing at the Code PaLOUsa developer conference (Louisville, KY), March 29/30, 2016. Session Overview Session 1:  Automated Testing Overview and Best Practices Session summary: We'll cover testing best practices, ways to make team testing more effective, test-centric vs. test-driven development, and how to get started testing when there are no tests and the...

by Biz Dev on April 6, 2016 | software development,Tools

Excel is an easy program to love.  The software is excellent when it comes to displaying data, charts, and clearly organizing information on a worksheet.  However, Excel is not a good database option. Many Excel users make a habit of pushing Excel beyond its helpful boundaries.  This may have the unintended consequences of putting business-critical information at risk or adding time-sucking...