Why small, focused mobile apps are best for your business

We all know and (usually don’t) love the large, bloated applications like Microsoft Word which give everyone features only a small subset of users need. There’s a parallel when developing in-house and enterprise solutions – my view is that targeted solutions are better than large ones.

If the great Gartner thinks the same way (and it does), I might not be too wrong.

One thing we have seen over the years at Microsec is the disproportionate benefits of a small, well-targeted application which meets a specific need, rather than a feature-rich large application which tries to do too much and is complex to develop, deliver and use.

Targeted mobile enterprise apps

With the increasing importance of mobile applications, this is even more relevant when considering corporate or enterprise mobile. Instead of creating an all-encompassing app which satisfies the whole workforce, it is far more practical to address the needs of particular groups of users with bespoke software that targets their needs. This has several advantages:

• Each user group gets an app which meets their needs without features that complicate and bloat the application.
• Each app is smaller, easier to develop, and deliverable in a shorter timeframe, but it’s not quite that simple – as always, there are practical considerations.
• Avoiding app proliferation. Do you create an app for everyone who asks for one?
• What to do with users whose roles cross over several requirements. Do they have several apps, or is a separate app created (contributing to app proliferation)?
• The cost of change – a change in business practice or system back-end may require re-work of multiple apps (although this could be easier to manage than reworking the traditional ‘do it all’ application).

There no hard conclusion from this discussion – I’m putting it out there and I’m sure others will come up with pros and cons, which I am eager to hear.

Interesting in developing an app?

As a bespoke application development company with more than 30 years' experience, we at Microsec are more than capable of creating any custom software you need. Give a call on 023 9251 8250 and we'll talk through your requirements - big or small!