Top 9 Powerful Tips to Manage Software Development Project
Is developing software right for your business? Find out if it is and how to manage a software development project successfully.
It is easy to come up with ideas. But to be successful in a venture, you need to have the right team in place to make it happen.
When it comes to software development, there are many factors that you need to consider. Not to mention the challenges that you need to overcome.
In this post, we will walk you through some tips on creating a great software development project:
1. Gather the right team
Hiring the right people for your software development team is a critical first step. That’s because you need to ensure that both their skills and experience are aligned with your needs.
According to one episode of Project Management Podcast, building your team ensures that your software development project adds value to your company.
Here’s the thing: Not all projects should get approved, especially when it comes to software development — they have to make sense for your budget and your business.
2. Write Business Requirement Documentation
In a nutshell, a business requirements document will outline a business solution for a project.
This includes the user’s needs and expectations, the purpose of the software, and other high-level constraints. That’s because these factors can affect the successful deployment of your product.
Additionally, it serves as a guideline for stakeholders when it comes to making decisions about project priorities, design, and structure. This ensures that the project remains aligned with the overall goal of your business.
Apart from that, a BRD is very similar to scoping a web design process, by acting as a primary contract between the customer and the vendor. The documentation outlines specific deliverables and expectations for a particular project.
Meaning, your BRD sets a standard when a project is completed successfully.
3. Identify and understand the project
You should be able to lay out a strong foundation right from the beginning.
Identify specific clients and stakeholders in the business, and know what they want to see in a project.
The next thing that you should be able to come up with is to develop a solid plan where specific roles and job responsibilities are defined clearly.
Define your project’s goals and objectives for better clarity and understanding. To make the planning process much more effective, come up with measurable and trackable success criteria. Doing so lets you see whether your project is on the right track or not.
It is essential to know specific project requirements because these are crucial factors that can make or break your project.
Once you come up with a plan, the next thing that you need to do is to look for a team who can complete this project.
You should be able to define their roles and delegate the right set of tasks to them, taking in their strengths, personalities, and expertise.
4. Identify the risk
One of the things that you need to go over your planning process are the things that could go wrong, and during what stage it can happen.
Assessing the risks lets you determine how a possible risk can occur. It also allows you to come up with a back-up plan in case it happens.
When defining a risk, you should be able to place it in three different categories:
- Low risk
- Medium risk
- High risk
With increased awareness of the different problems that could crop up as you work on a particular project, you can save more time and money. More so, if you re able to assess these risks early on.
After knowing the importance of risk management, many companies and organizations are now putting more focus on it. That way, it does not get in the way with the project’s success.
5. Test out deliverables
To ensure project management success, you should test specific deliverables. This will depend on every project milestones.
Doing so provides you with a clear idea of whether the project will turn out the way you expected it. Testing out deliverables is crucial because it will determine whether it is meeting your expectations.
If any problems or issues are encountered, corrective measures can be done immediately to help bring the project back on track.
6. Make every meeting matter
Each time you schedule meetings, make sure it works out for everyone who will be there.
There might be some teams, for instance, who usually get their work done later in the afternoon, and you do not want to interrupt them during that time.
For every meeting that you set, write an agenda, and then share it to those who will attend the meeting. Always keep meetings in time, and end early if you can.
7. Communicate with your team with frequency
Communication with your development team should be either in the form of meetings and informal check-ins as well.
Scheduled meetings are there to give a more structured way of providing information. Meanwhile, informal check-ins let project managers ask questions, listen proactively to team members, and build their rapport with them.
Regular communication makes every member feel that they are valuable members of the organization.
Although most of them may work independently, it is the project manager’s job to make them feel that they are not working in isolation.
8. Use a useful project management tool
A project management tool of software serves as the massive storehouse of all the vital project information.
From sharing files to giving valuable feedback, a project management software creates a more centralized platform for everyone in the team.
But with a lot of tools available in the market today, you need to pick something that fits the bill. This allows your team to collaborate with ease. As a result, they can deliver fantastic results.
9. Appoint a project manager
If you are not an experienced project manager, you should hire a professional who knows how to handle project and development teams. Work with someone whom you think can manage your group best.
Hopefully, you have learned a lot from these tips to manage your software development project effectively and efficiently.
Do you have additional tips on how to manage a software development project? Let us know in the comments!
