Hello Freshworks Community!
I’m Nithin Raj from the Freshworks Professional Services Team. In this write-up, I’ll be sharing how AI is reshaping custom app development in the enterprise space—drawing from my years of consulting experience and the insights I’ve gained through working closely with customers.
I recently wrapped up a project that offered some powerful takeaways, and I thought it might be helpful to share those learnings with you all.
Custom app/solution development in the enterprise world has long been associated with extended timelines, lengthy feedback cycles, and a never-ending loop of revisions. But AI is changing the game.
Today, AI tools are helping development teams work more closely with business teams right from the start. By creating interactive prototypes early on, everyone gets a clear picture of how the app will work—long before testing begins. This means fewer surprises during UAT and a smoother, faster path to delivery.
Why Custom App Development Hasn’t Been Easy?
Enterprise development teams know this cycle too well:
- A scope is defined → UI is designed → app logic/backend is built → UAT begins → business says, “This isn’t quite what we expected.”
- Weeks of back-and-forth follow.
Deadlines shift. Teams get stretched.
Sounds familiar?
The disconnect often stems from a lack of shared clarity during the initial phases. Stakeholders can’t visualize the final output, and developers aren’t always looped in early enough to ask the right questions.
AI to the Rescue: Prototypes That Talk
This is where AI is making a powerful impact.
Using AI, we now generate interactive prototypes during the POC phase—prototypes that not only show layout but also simulate user interactions and real workflows. Business users can click through the actual flow of the app before development starts. Isn't it great? What does this mean?
✅ Early feedback
✅ Fewer change requests
✅ Stakeholders and developers are aligned from kick off
What’s Changed in Our Development Workflow
Here's how our process has evolved with AI:
| Step | Before AI | After AI |
| UI Design | Created manually, took days | AI-assisted layouts in hours |
| Business Sign-off | Delayed, iterative | Faster thanks to clickable mockups |
| UAT | Issues used to surface missing flows | Used mainly for final adjustments |
| Developer Effort | Heavy Rework | Focused and validated early |
Key results from recent projects -
In multiple recent projects, this AI-first approach helped us:
- Cut build time by 40%–50%
- Shorten UAT timelines by up to 2 weeks
- Deliver on-time with better alignment and fewer iterations
Stakeholders were able to experience the app before it was built—and that clarity made all the difference.
Getting Started With AI in Your Dev Cycle -
You don’t need a full AI overhaul to benefit. Here’s how to start small:
- Use AI tools to generate interactive UI mockups
- Share prototypes early with business teams for validation
- Parallelize backend integration while refining frontend flows
- Incorporate AI suggestions for data mapping, validations, and layout
Even a few steps like these can bring significant improvements in speed and stakeholder satisfaction.
AI isn’t replacing developers—it’s helping us build smarter, align faster, and deliver better outcomes. By transforming how we gather feedback, visualize solutions, and collaborate across teams, AI is quietly solving one of the biggest enterprise developer challenges: misalignment.
Less guesswork. More clarity.
Less rework. More progress.
Let’s build the future, one AI-powered app at a time. 💡
