This memo serves to outline the pressing needs of LinkedIn in terms of effective software development. At present, despite the prominent status of the company, it retains considerable points of improvement at both internal and external levels. The recent public discussions surrounding user data security are related to the second domain, an important overarching objective of the organization (Tunggal, 2021).
Nevertheless, the internal level is equally essential for the sustained growth and development of LinkedIn. In this regard, the optimization of the accounting procedures is required to enable the efficient distribution of the company’s budget. Meeting the internal goals regarding accounting-related software will translate into a more available resource to combat the cybersecurity threats indicated by UpGuard (2021). Therefore, the organization’s present needs demonstrate the complex interrelatedness of its structure and operations.
The reorganization of the internal accounting procedures implies a variety of approaches to developing and implementing the new software indicated in Table 1. First, the observed availability of advanced technology and the current level of progress promote the widespread of the open-source framework. In this case, the software is developed through the input of talented and experienced members of the community who use their combined expertise to benefit humanity. Such projects require considerably fewer resources, economizing the budget, but they virtually expose the source code of the platform (Al-Zewairi et al., 2017).
The corresponding data security concerns are too important to disregard for an organization with LinkedIn’s background. The second option is to outsource the development of the software through specialized commercial organizations. This way, the development will be handled by professionals with clear licensing policies and improved data security. However, external organizations may lack the details of LinkedIn’s vision and needs in regard to the software.
Option three implies that the software development process is to be held within the company. Thus, it is to be done internally, using the available resources and expertise of LinkedIn. In this scenario, the cost-efficiency and data protection are weighed against the limits of internal knowledge, which may not suffice to attain the desired quality and usability of the software. The advantages and benefits of each approach are presented in Table 1 for your convenience.
Considering these points, it appears viable to opt for a hybrid model that will combine the benefits of the second and the third options. From the technological perspective, LinkedIn is a highly advanced organization that possesses a considerable level of expertise that will allow it to handle most of the processes internally. Moreover, this model will ensure that the internal needs of the company are met. However, the profound features of the accounting software may extend beyond the normal array of LinkedIn’s operations. Thus, the most complicated solutions may be partially outsourced to a specialized team of developers. In this case, an emphasis is to be laid on the integrability of the solutions.
Table 1. Available Approaches to Software Development
In order to ensure that the organization’s internal needs are met within this complex paradigm, it is vital to outline each step of the process. This way, all employees and the leadership will be aware of the plan and its relation to practice. It is proposed to rely on the framework of the software development lifecycle that addresses all phases of the process (Kumar & Rashid, 2018). For better understanding, Table 2 introduces these phases in relation to the practical dimension of the task.
Table 2. Software Development Life Cycle Plan.
The envisaged process is expected to result in the development and implementation of the advanced accounting software leading to the automation of an array of key processes. This approach appears beneficial as compared to the standard procedures, including the reliance on spreadsheets and email platforms. More specifically, it will eliminate the necessity of multiple manual operations that impede the efficiency of the accounting process and increase the possibility of human-conditioned errors (Marushchak et al., 2021). This way, the procedures are likely to become less time-consuming and more optimal in terms of resource distribution. As a result, LinkedIn will be able to allocate more time and funds to external data security resolution.
Evidently, the proposed plan implies certain risks that need to be considered at all stages. First of all, the use of outsourced teams appears indispensable at the current stage. From one perspective, it will provide the company with better insight into the specifics of accounting software solutions and introduce the industry’s best practices with profound experience. On the other hand, this framework raises reasonable concerns over the integrability of the software (Gill et al., 2016). In other words, the members of the outsourced teams have limited knowledge of LinkedIn’s internal operations and needs. Thus, communication is to be as clear and constant as possible.
However, data security protocols limit the company’s ability to disclose much information to third parties. Cost-wise, the project risks becoming considerably expensive. The primary expenditures are related to the contractor activities, meaning that LinkedIn is to provide a budget for the outsourced developers and testers. Internally, most of the process can be executed within the standard payroll, as the core of it will be completed with LinkedIn’s own forces. However, considering the magnitude of the task, all workers involved may require additional financial incentives, contributing to the overall cost of the project.
In this regard, the necessity of constant communication is to be fixed in the formal agreement between LinkedIn and its contractors. The meeting and update schedules are to be strictly fixed, comprising all participants and agendas for the daily, weekly, and monthly briefings. Furthermore, a comprehensive non-disclosure agreement is to be attached to the contract, specifying the impossibility of the use and further distribution of any information obtained from LinkedIn beyond the scope of the agreement. In addition, the contract language will serve to ensure that all deadlines of the software development and distribution are met.
The final draft is to comprise a penalty clause in case the contractors fail to provide their part of the project in time. Overall, all the departments involved and the leadership are to work in sync in order to attain the desired results.
References
Al-Zewairi, M., Biltawi, M., Etaiwi, W., & Shaout, A. (2017). Agile software development methodologies: Survey of surveys. Journal of Computer and Communications, 05(05), 74-97. Web.
Gill, A. Q., Henderson-Sellers, B., & Niazi, M. (2016). Scaling for agility: A reference model for hybrid traditional-Agile software development methodologies. Information Systems Frontiers, 20(2), 315-341. Web.
Kumar, M., & Rashid, E. (2018). An efficient software development life cycle model for developing software project. Education and Management Engineering, 6, 59–68.
Marushchak, L., Pavlykivska, O., Liakhovych, G., Vakun, O., & Shveda, N. (2021). Accounting software in modern business. Advances in Science, Technology and Engineering Systems Journal, 6(1), 862-870. Web.
Rehman, F. U., Maqbool, B., Riaz, M. Q., Qamar, U., & Abbas, M. (2018). Scrum software maintenance model: Efficient software maintenance in Agile methodology. 2018 21st Saudi Computer Society National Computer Conference (NCC). Web.
Tunggal, A. T. (2021). The 57 biggest data breaches. UpGuard. Web.
UpGuard. (2021). LinkedIN. Web.