Software development projects are notorious for false starts. Many projects fail before they even launch, and sadly, this is largely (and avoidably) due to poor planning. A loose project scope with vague objectives is the start of the end for these projects, leaving developers floundering over frilly code. The solution to this challenge is blindingly simple: better project management.
For software development, project management means planning each phase as it happens—adapting to the unexpected nature of development projects to ensure they stay on track. At Zelifcam, we provide a white-glove software project management service that prioritizes risk assessment and mitigation to conquer obstacles before they cause delays.
The Difference Good Project Management Makes
Why do you need project management in software development? The primary reason is to draw structure from complexity. A software project manager is a leader who sets team goals and ensures everyone works harmoniously. They are custodians of time that provide project scheduling for clients, developers, and quality assurance teams.
Reduced project
costs
PMs handle resource allocation and management for the team, ensuring the project runs according to a predefined budget.
Increased collaboration and productivity
PMs set weekly goals for the team and help break up everyone’s work into manageable tasks with deadlines. This increases accountability and enhances time management across the board.
Improved stakeholder communication
PMs also facilitate meetings between clients and developers, becoming a single point of contact for all project requests and feedback.
Project Management and the Software Development Life Cycle
The software development life cycle (SDLC) outlines the steps to launch new software. It is a guide that correlates with the stages of software project management. There are several variations of the SDLC, but most models include the stages below.
Planning
Most software project management duties happen in the planning phase. This is where PMs set timelines for the project, develop Gantt charts, define project objectives, create a risk assessment and mitigation plan, fill in a software requirement specification, and allocate resources to different developers.
Design
Software designers take over from here, generating concepts for different software architectures and working through each option until they find the most workable solution. The project manager will communicate with the design team and relay their progress to the client.
Build
This is where the meat of the development happens. Programmers spend time coding the software and testing its functionality as they go. Project scheduling is crucial in this phase to ensure the team works towards their deadlines without overshooting their allocated hours. In scrum methodology, the development tasks are broken down into sprints.
Testing
The testing phase involves checking the software for bugs and fixing any issues with the code. The quality assurance team handles much of the work here, and the project manager must facilitate communication between the different groups.
Deployment
Once the software has been checked and tested, it’s ready for launch. The project manager oversees this process, ensuring a smooth transition for end-users and clients. Should the software deployment happen in chunks over time, the project manager must coordinate them.
Maintenance
Problems are bound to arise once the customers begin using the software. Project managers collect feedback during this phase and provide troubleshooting for clients or schedule updates and bug fixes for developers. Software maintenance is an ongoing process that helps extend the lifespan of the application.
The Agile Project Management Approach
Agile project management styles dominate software development for two reasons. One, it allows for rapid direction changes based on real-time feedback; two, it allocates less time to planning and more time to action. Zelifcam leverages agile project management and scrum methodology to get software projects off the ground faster.
Greater Adaptability
Agile methodologies welcome late design changes and robust feedback loops.
Shorter Timelines
Diving into the work earlier helps us deliver faster and at regular intervals.
Developer Satisfaction
No micromanagement empowers the developer team to work their own way.
Continuous Quality Control
Scrum reflections provide regular internal feedback that helps us build collaboratively.
Our Project Management Code
Every software project we run is unique and we adapt our project management approach accordingly. However, there are a few constants we like to follow to give our working team more structure. Here are the project management best practices that drive successful software development at Zelifcam.
Whether it’s stakeholder communication or talk within the team, feedback is crucial for our workflow at Zelifcam. We are customer-centric, and as such, we take our clients’ input very seriously. We believe consistent feedback makes our team more aligned.
Dividing complex projects into small-chunk deliverables is easiest with visualization tools. We rely on visual task lists for project scheduling to help our developers see their goals crystal clear. This method keeps us all on the same page and prevents miscommunication.
Agile methodology is all about collaboration; we like to work face-to-face whenever possible. Daily stand-up calls keep us accountable and help us manage our time as a unit, delivering better results with faster turnaround times for you.
Zelifcam offers white-glove project management for custom software development in the US and beyond. Please contact us for more information about our project management process or software development services.