The software development trends for 2023 – align your response to future-proof your organisation

Change is required ... but how?

The #1 question for any organisation right now should be: what should we adjust to keep up with an increasingly dynamic world? The answer can be found by analysing the most important software development trends in 2023.

Generally speaking, organisations should protect themselves from vendor lock-in and prioritise flexibility when selecting new software. In doing so, focusing on adopting cloud services and applications will help you on your way. We believe that every Chief Digital Officer should be aware of and respond to these following trends:

• User-driven development
• Composable architecture (API; headless; cloud-native; micro services)
• DevSecOps
• Security by design
• Scaling agile delivery
• Safeguarding digital skills and knowledge

Software development trends in 2023: aim for agility and scalability

One common thread between the software development trends for 2023, is that they help your organisation move away from large, sluggish legacy systems that don’t adapt well. But there is another shared characteristic: they inform change in virtually all of its aspects. This makes it possible to respond coherently to multiple trends.

The time for replatforming has come. Worldwide, we see organisations adopting migration strategies to move from legacy environments to a modern, cloud-native platform. And every step of the way, they feel less like an unwieldy oil tanker that struggles to turn a corner, and more like a fast speedboat that easily responds to new developments.

This allows your organisation to test new ideas and products, move towards a single source of truth, scale up or down as needed and enlist support from your preferred supplier on demand. By putting users at the heart of digital product design and development, you take control of how they experience their customer journey.

From follower to forefront

Keeping track of advancements and continuous development are vital. The world is evolving and your organisation has to keep up. But hanging at the back and desperately following, is not where you want your business to be. Therefore, it is wiser to grab a position at the forefront. When you embrace one or more of these trends – for example: by working with hybrid teams or adopting composable architecture – you can become more efficient than your competition.

And that can make all the difference for your customers and chain partners. A smart user experience design and DevSecOps sets you apart, while laying the groundwork for more revenue and better customer reviews. By embracing the trends and, for example, investing in composable technology – check out the text box for more information about MACH architecture – you increase the agility of your organisation while building a more sustainable IT stack.

Key IT challenges for organisations

OK, so you need to be at the forefront, with the right agility and a more sustainable IT environment. But how hard is it to get there? Well, that depends on a number of things, but with the right mindset and management support, this is doable for any organisation.

Luckily, some of the digital transformation challenges organisations are struggling with, can be expressed in numbers:

• Currently, only 42% of all IT managers believe that they can adopt cloud technology without major legacy challenges.
• 50% of all IT managers have difficulties keeping up with all upgrades for their legacy technology.
• No less than 59% of all IT managers admit that it can take weeks or even months to adjust an automated work process.

Another complication is the speed at which your organisation is able to realise the set objectives (let’s say, adoption of a new service) and the app development path.

Finally, many organisations are facing the consequences of choices made in the past. The preference for legacy and sluggish, single-vendor platforms has led to less agility and complex system landscapes.

And how about trust?

But 2023's key software development trends are not all about IT. One remarkable aspect for 2023 is trust. Employee trust, with your staff members having faith in the (IT) leadership and, reversely, leadership trusting employees.

Two trends ensure this emphasis on mutual trust. While the troubling shortage of skilled employees continues to plague employers in 2023, we also see how employees are changing.

With Gen Z joining the workforce, it has become more important than ever to offer your talent meaningful work, which goes hand in hand with trusting your employees and giving them responsibility. This helps to create an ecosystem where people want to work and stay with you. When you nurture such a work environment, your talent will help you respond faster and better to change – by adopting smart, new IT tools or in any other way.

Why not conduct a technical audit of your IT stack

That aspect of trust is not only crucial in the relationship with your employees, it has a central role in the partnership with your suppliers as well. Here at Worth, our teams have extensive experience with supporting customers with their transformation. This starts with identifying factors that inhibit agility or growth.

A technical audit of your IT stack usually provides a clear picture of where you are on your transformation journey. It will also tell you which projects and solutions will prepare you to make the most of the opportunities on this turbulent market.

What is MACH architecture?

MACH architecture offers a smart way to create agile digital solutions that help drive the transformation of your company. It is also a methodology that unites the current trends of user-centredness, continued automation, security by design and development, hybrid teams and future-proof technology.

Each letter stands for an important characteristic:

• Micro services-based: Individual components of business functionality that have been independently designed, deployed and managed in micro services.
• API-first: All functionality is exposed through an API.
• Cloud-native SaaS: Software-as-a-service that leverages the full capabilities of the cloud and goes beyond storage and hosting, including smooth scaling and automatic updates.
• Headless: The front-end is disconnected from the back-end logic and framework-independent.

Would you like to have a tech audit carried out and could you use some help with that? Contact me on LinkedIn or send us a message.