
Here are some of the common business features and technical requirements/constraints for both consumer-facing apps and corporate internal apps that could show up in the product backlog:
- Responsive UX Design (screen size, orientation, device features, etc.) – for this you will need to identify a limited set of target device configurations for acceptance
- Required corporate branding/corporate style guides
- Choosing between a native app style UI that is device specific vs. a common style cross-platform UI
- Stringent speed/performance targets for initial app loading, screen navigation, response to user actions
- Connected vs. Disconnected Operations requirements – you need to clearly define what features work when there is no connection
- Data security and Personally Identifiable Information (PII) protection
- Support for multiple OS and multiple versions of an OS
- Support for multiple types of mobile browsers
- Integration with companion apps on the device
- Cloud/web service integration to access corporate systems of record
- App Store submission requirements (i.e. Google Play, Apple App Store and the Windows Store). Each store has its own unique sets of UX requirements, minimum performance, storage management, legal/copyright, privacy notification requirements, content age appropriateness designation, etc.
- App version management
- Code-sharing across device and OS platforms
- Graceful degradation of the app functions in case of failures
- Process improvement support, especially for corporate vs. consumer apps that are targeted for mobile workers
- Security and device management for corporate apps
The items in the list above may all need to be considered when you first start working with the product owner to both build the product backlog for the mobile app and help define the overall scope and timeline for the project. For consumer apps deployed through app stores in particular, the timeline for publishing to the stores — and factoring in the review and acceptance process — needs to be considered up front. Read More…