How much time does cross-platform application development take?

What are cross-platform apps?

First of all, what are cross-platform applications? If you’re not familiar with the world of app development, take a look at this simplified definition:

Cross-platform apps are applications developed with one single code that can be read by any mobile device, regardless of whether it’s for Android or iOS.

Basically, there is no better or worse technology for developing cross-platform apps. The different technologies make it possible to achieve similar results so the type of project to be developed determines which is more or less suitable.

 

 

How long does the development process take?

Although the development time of cross-platform applications depends on several factors, we could say that it would take between 3 and 6 months on average.

However, this is an estimate that will depend on many factors such as the complexity of the development or how well-defined the functionalities are.

It’s common to spend a month on the conceptualisation of the app and the definition of all the tasks. After that, it takes at least a couple of months to build the application.

Nevertheless, as we mentioned before, there are several problems that can occur during the development process of cross-platform apps. Let’s have a look at how to avoid them to keep up the speed of your project!

 

The development time of cross-platform apps takes between 3 and 6 months on average

 

Problems to avoid in the development process

There are some problems that often arise in the development of cross-platform applications that can end up affecting the delivery time.

The most important thing in these cases is to be able to detect them in an early stage. Only this way you can act fast and avoid possible delays. Let’s start with the first one!

 

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Bad communication

Poor communication is the cause of many problems that ultimately lead to project delays. On the one hand, it can be difficult to communicate with the development team if it’s not always available when required.

But on the other hand, it often happens that the concept of the application is not properly transmitted which can cause misunderstandings and therefore delays.

 

 

That’s why we always recommend devoting enough time to the conceptualisation phase of your app to ensure that the project is well defined before starting.

At Yeeply, we always require our teams to communicate continuously and directly with the client. This is the only way to ensure that the project is completed under the best possible conditions.

 

It’s common that the concept of the project hasn’t been properly transmitted to the development team

 

Bad planning

Poor planning is behind many of the delays in cross-platform app development. Sometimes it happens that the planning isn’t realistic because the necessary resources haven’t been well-estimated.

This because there is, for example, an urgency in the delivery of the project or because the requirements have been changed without adjusting the schedule.

For this reason, it’s recommended to define the tasks or milestones correctly, in a way that they can be continuously validated. This way, it is easier to make reports on the follow-up of the project in order to guarantee that the planning is being fulfilled.

 

Learn how to guarantee that your app development project will succeed

 

 

It’s also useful to define the roles and responsibilities of each person on the team. If not, there may be tasks left unfulfilled because no one was clearly assigned to them.

The minutes that are written down during meetings that take place between the development team and the client are also very useful. This way, the decisions taken are written down and the new tasks that may have resulted from the meeting won’t be forgotten.

 

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Lack of commitment from the client’s side

It’s important to emphasise that in the development phase not everything depends on the development team. The client also plays a fundamental role that cannot be overlooked.

 

 

The client shouldn’t underestimate their participation and involvement in the app development process

 

 

Some examples are the delay in validating completed tasks or providing material that’s necessary to move forward with the development. In case this starts occurring more often, the development team might lose some trust in his relationship with the client.

 

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Lack of commitment from the development team’s side

As we said, there is a shared responsibility on behalf of both the client and the development team. That means it’s possible that the development team causes delays.

A likely reason for this is that the team might be working on more than one project at once. If one of the other projects suddenly requires more time to get finished, they may not be able to meet the established milestones.

At Yeeply we select the teams that are available when you need them, to ensure full commitment to your cross-platform app development project.

 

Discover how to find the best application developers

 

 

How to speed up your development process with Yeeply

At Yeeply we select the most suitable team for your project. Besides, all our professionals have gone through a certification process before they can start working on a project. This to guarantee their services are topnotch. 

Despite this, some of the problems mentioned before could arise. At Yeeply we are sure that the best way to avoid them is for both the client and the developer to work with agile methodologies.

We recommend having a meeting every two weeks (sprint). Here you can discuss what has been achieved in the past two weeks and what the tasks are for the next two weeks.

If you are already used to working with agile methodologies at your company, we might have teams who are also working with them. When submitting your project to us, you can mention these methodologies so we can take them into account.

Last but not least, at Yeeply we are working on a tool to work on projects based on an hourly rate to be able to better monitor the development of cross-platform applications.

 

Do you want to know more? Tell us about your project and we’ll help you find the right team!