Feasibility in Software Engineering: Technical Factors and Analysis
In 2019, Google announced a much-anticipated gaming platform, Stadia, designed to allow users to play high-quality video games on any device with an internet connection. However, the forum faced criticism for a limited game library and technical issues such as lag and stuttering during gameplay. Google later shut down its internal game development studios as the cloud-based streaming service ultimately proved unsuccessful.
There are several potential causes for a product launch failure. The most common is the need for an excessive amount of resources, which not only prohibits those resources from being used for other tasks but may also result in high costs and low returns.
Before launching a product, you must ensure its success by conducting a technical feasibility analysis in software development.
A technical feasibility study in software engineering provides vital information about the project and helps to refine its specifications, preventing costly errors during implementation.
Below is a list of some other goals that can be attained by doing a technical feasibility study in software engineering:
- Assessing how well the program fits the needs of the business.
- To ascertain whether the program can be built with the available resources (time, money, and infrastructure).
What is Feasibility in Software Engineering?
Assessing the realistic potential of a software project is what we call “feasibility” in the software development industry. An essential aspect of any software engineering planning process is a thorough feasibility study demonstrating the potential future advantages of software to the business and the organization’s capability of developing such software efficiently with its current resources. Several distinct kinds of technical feasibility analyses are performed during software development.
What is Technical Feasibility?
No matter how small, every company opens up to risk (like product scalability, performance deployment, etc.) regarding the software it builds or purchases. But, these risks can be avoided initially by verifying the viability of a software project and ensuring its long-term success in today’s competitive environment.
Technical Feasibility (TF) analysis in software development can be carried out to verify this hypothesis and learn more about the potential outcomes of the proposed project. This applies across all sectors, providing a brighter future for software development.
Technical feasibility involves evaluating the technical expertise of the development team, the feasibility of selected technologies, and their ability to meet market needs. The analysis encompasses various technical, organizational, financial, and other factors to determine the project’s technical and economic feasibility.
The technical feasibility study in software engineering is conducted in various ways depending on the company. Some people may do it in a precise and organized method, while others may do it as needed. However, you must have the following resources -
- Hardware
- Software
- Technology
- Skills and knowledge
- Time and budget for development
- Specialists
- Software development tools
Finding the right technology suitable for your project can be challenging, which could negatively affect your schedule, finances, and other goals. It’s crucial to prioritize selecting the most appropriate technology and developers for the success of your project.
Feasibility Analysis: Why You Need It
Feasibility analysis aids in determining the potential success or failure of a plan, venture, or product. The technical feasibility in software engineering looks at the concept’s profitability and whether or not it can be implemented with the available resources. Furthermore, it will show the returns earned for the risk of investing in the concept.
Types of Feasibility
Feasibility can be categorized into five different types called the TELOS framework, focusing on five key areas of feasibility.
1. Technical Feasibility
The technical feasibility analysis in software development determines if the program can be developed given the resources and talent pool.
2. Economic Feasibility
The economic viability of a project considers both the costs and potential returns. Therefore, making a ROM (Rough Order of Magnitude) estimate is normal practice to ascertain financial viability.
3. Legal Feasibility
Considering the product’s legal viability ensures it won’t get you in trouble. For instance, HIPAA compliance is required for any medical software that handles PHI (Protected Health Information). In addition, you must investigate the potential legal threats to your project and how best to mitigate them.
4. Operational Feasibility
Implementing a project within the current business environment might impact daily operations. Operational feasibility involves analyzing the practicality of implementing the project within the current business environment and determining how it will affect day-to-day operations.
5. Scheduling Feasibility
Deadlines and maintaining momentum toward those targets. One must understand the financials, technologies, and regulations for a comprehensive feasibility analysis. It’s easy to see why companies use third-party researchers to conduct their experiments.
Read the Full Article: Technical Feasibility in Software: Types, Benefits, and Conducting Methods
