Role of Developers in Digital Transformation
Developers are an essential component of digital transformation. They design modular systems to overcome legacy and develop applications and solutions that enable businesses to deliver products and services in new and innovative ways. However, many organizations overlook their developer talent when making business decisions.
Developers come from a wide range of backgrounds, but it’s safe to say that the majority have studied computer science, engineering, or mathematics in some capacity. Coming from these disciplines implies that they are natural problem solvers, so giving them a seat at the table when discussing business goals is, of course, advantageous.
Organizations should consider the four points below to ensure that developers’ business insights can be unlocked:
Encourage Personal Growth
More and more developers are actively working to improve their communication and leadership skills, realizing that these are important tools for career advancement.
Soft skills, for example, are essential for establishing internal relationships as well as communicating with external parties. Stakeholders may want to understand the workings of product teams at any time, or a customer may require more attention when implementing a solution. In the first case, developers must become advocates for the company and the way they work; in the second, they must ensure that they are sympathetic to end-users.
Whether it’s learning new programming languages, mastering new technologies, or honing soft skills, developers thrive on the opportunity to advance. Organizations that provide internal learning and development programs are more likely to attract developers who are both capable and eager to get involved in other areas of the business.
Maintain Flexibility
Scrum meetings provide an opportunity for developers and other members of product teams to develop soft skills when working within an Agile framework. During a scrum meeting, each team member is given the opportunity to openly discuss their challenges and devise solutions for other issues. This not only ensures internal transparency but also allows business analysts to provide clients with an accurate picture of progress.
Those with a natural proclivity for leadership can establish themselves as effective communicators by sharing insights and troubleshooting in an open forum. The small size of Agile teams also keeps things personal enough that each team member’s feedback is heard and taken into account by their colleagues.
Be Certain of Your Requirements
Attracting the best and brightest developer talent is great, but in order to get the most out of them, firms must be transparent about what is expected on a daily basis. It’s also important to be able to dynamically incorporate client feedback into the development process, especially if you’re working with continuous delivery and continuous integration pipelines.
An interest in emerging technologies, as well as a desire to innovate new solutions using them, is desirable, but so is the ability to leverage rather than re-invent solutions. This helps to keep costs low while maximizing the return on investment in existing solutions.
Keep an Ear to the Ground for the Future
The ease with which organizations can respond to technological advances is increasingly determining their long-term success. It is therefore in their best interests to ensure that developers have the freedom to learn new skills and experiment with new tools that may improve efficiency or open up new opportunities.
IoT, connected devices, augmented and virtual reality, AI and machine learning, blockchain, and 5G networks are just a few of the technologies that are posing new challenges to businesses and developers alike.