When you are trying to create something unique, do not underestimate research and development as many leaders do. The importance of this process is more than high. It is a whole system that precedes the production. Any good idea will not turn into something great and successful without proper research.
Research and development (R&D) may last throughout the entire project and add to the development process.
Since R&D and software development (SD) are often confused, let’s make a list of specific characteristics to find out distinctions between two:
· R&D is looking for product technology while SD deals with prescribed features for a specific product;
· R&D is always in search for a new remedy of a current social problem. The result, in this case, may be hardly predicted. SD is in charge of a certain customer’s problem. The final result must bring a powerful solution;
· The brightest distinction between R&D and SD lies in the end result. Research result is the final end of R&D. A working product is the end result that SD brings;
· R&D is open for all-sized companies. SD can work only with companies with a specific size;
· Research and development don’t have fixed deadlines while SD is limited in time.
R&D can be applied to many applications. Many companies invest in the improvement of their existing products and R&D plays a significant role here. Despite this fact, many people still consider SD products to be more tangible.
Like any other system or field, R&D has weak and strong sides. The black sides of R&D are following:
1. Financial losses and crucial damage to a company can be the end of an unpredictable result of research;
2. Long-term research doesn’t look tempting for companies that are not ready to wait years for a possibly successful end;
3. The final product can get copied;
4. A product may lose its relevance and effectiveness within constant changes on the market.
To the pros of using research and development services belong such points:
1. The uniqueness of a product brings not only social appraisal but promises huge financial perspectives;
2. The innovativeness of researched solution guarantees a company’s longevity within harsh market conditions;
3. The durability of a product reduces the risk of collateral waste and boosts a stable long-term income;
4. All the work that concerns research is always cost-effective and accelerating;
5. An improved position on the market together with upgraded reputation is another positive side of the R&D process.
While speaking about research and development companies, we can’t forget to mention that it is a usual thing for such companies to split up research-related services. It happens for particular reasons: separate services are less pricey; they do not demand involving of all kinds of staff; big R&D companies used to have dedicated workers for every activity; services are divided according to the target audience, kinds of operation and other aspects.
There is a wide range of research areas. The nature of such services depends on the availability of people who take into consideration market demands for each service. To the most common offers belong:
· Marketing and loyalty management service;
· Simulation services;
· Information and communication services;
· Data operation services.
This list is not full of course. For someone to count all research and development services would be a difficult task. They embrace the system, product, and industrial design; social science research; electronic and automotive developments.
To be R&D specialist looks like something incredible. Well, this position requires deep knowledge and the talent to foresee a result. Constant training and skills upgrade is a necessary condition for an employee. R&D is an area where the technical staff is engaged in professional advancement all the time.
