A successful software development project relies on a lot of things going right. There are always a lot of plates spinning, and it can be hard to manage all of them simultaneously. 

Some of the biggest challenges faced in software development are miscommunication, poorly defined goals, and lackluster planning. Any of these things can sink a project before it’s even finished, and often all three are happening to some degree. 

Below, we’re going to talk about some of the fundamental principles that can help overcome the many challenges faced throughout the lifecycle of a software development project. 

Assemble Your Team Wisely 

Before anything else, it’s important to assemble a team that has the right skills for the job. Make sure your specialists are experienced in the relevant areas for your project. 

For instance, if your project will involve animation, then hire an artist that is capable of animating in your chosen format. Hire developers that are fluent in the relevant programming languages and a project manager with experience in agile management and software development projects. 

Building your team with people who aren’t the right fit for your specific project could lead to a lot of costs and delays down the road. 

Define the Meaning of “Finished”

It’s vital to plan out the end result of your project as thoroughly as possible. What will it look like? How will it function? What does it provide to the user? The more completely you can answer these questions before development begins, the better your chances of having a complete project. 

Often times, a development project is “finished,” but there is missing functionality, copy, graphics, or a lack of responsive design. This is because, while everybody may have finished their assigned tasks on the project, the tasks weren’t designed properly to meet the desired finished product. 

Another pitfall of not having a clearly defined end result is longer development times or feature creep, where things continue to be added on at the last minute. This is a surefire way to miss your deliverable dates. 

Establish Lanes of Communication

In software development, it’s far too easy for teams to become siloed and isolated from each other. This can lead to a lot of disparate components that don’t fit together well at the end, creating a sort of Frankenstein’s monster. 

It’s important to establish channels for communication at the beginning of the project. Schedule regular check-in meetings with everybody involved, as well as 1-on-1s with team leads.

Everybody should have open access to everybody else for questions and clarification as often as the need arises. 

Use a Version Control System

Version control systems are vital to any software development project. They track every change to the software and make it easy to find what happened when. 

At the beginning of your project, make sure the entire project team is on board with your chosen version control system and educated in how to use it. Staying on top of changes is a must to avoid an inevitable tangled mess if people aren’t tracking their work. 

Build Documentation 

It’s often easy to overlook the importance of documentation, and in often cases developers will overlook it until the end stages of the project. 

Maintaining documentation as the project progresses keeps it easy and accurate, whether it’s user documentation, troubleshooting instructions, or project specifications. 

Also, it’s usually a good idea to have a technical writer on staff to create and maintain the documentation. While the engineers and programmers may be the subject matter experts, that doesn’t mean they’re capable writers and having them maintain the documents can take away from their focus on their primary tasks. 

Asahi Technologies is a company built around maintaining the fundamental keys to success in software development projects. We have the expertise, the experience, and the skills to tackle any project with the utmost confidence in our ability to deliver successfully. If you’re looking for custom software development or if your business needs to hire a web application developer, please contact us today for a free consultation.

Stay ahead of the game with our helpful resources

4 digital solutions to address common application performance issues

High network latency, memory leaks, slow page loads, heavy CPU usage, and unresponsive servers are all typical performance issues we’ve experienced at some point when using or accessing digital applications. With how easy they occur in projects across verticals, you might be wondering whether the development teams behind these programs have done enough due diligence prior to the release. But human errors and oversight aren’t always the culprit. The reality is that while developers can strive to develop a fully functioning program with virtually no apparent faults upon delivery, no software is truly error-free. Even the most rigorously tested applications

6 useful tips for creating more robust application lifecycle management

As digital technology becomes the norm, software acquisition is now key to gaining a competitive edge in today’s market. Be it as a value offering tailored to consumers or a productivity tool to run complex processes, custom software undeniably helps companies drive growth and deliver value more efficiently. Just as necessary as having a proprietary application is prescribing a standard procedure to govern and maintain its utility. This is to ensure that your business can develop or adopt the right type of software—one that can fully cater to your business needs while keeping disruption to a minimum across critical milestones.

5 major roadblocks businesses must overcome when transitioning into a new software environment

As the business landscape becomes increasingly saturated, staying ahead of the curve often means embracing disruptive technologies to meet the fickle market demands. In most cases, this entails knowing when to pivot your current strategy to an entirely new solution. But recognizing the importance of digital shift is one thing; implementing the necessary IT upgrade is another. A global survey by Deloitte has found that although 87% of companies manage to identify the impact of digital trends on their industries, only 44% have adequately prepared for the coming disruptions. This vast disconnect between organizational expectations and conditions in the field

Is cloud computing the answer to better software development?

Cloud computing is perhaps not a term often heard in daily conversations, but it is one with a far-reaching impact on our technological needs. From expansive options of online data storage to numerous suites of web-based productivity tools like Google Workspace, nearly everyone has used a cloud-enabled technology. Over the last decade, this high degree of versatility also underpins the rapid cloud uptake among businesses. In fact, one survey has found that 94% of companies have already shifted their computing workloads on cloud platforms to varying extents. Unsurprisingly, the market size for cloud technology continues to grow exponentially. With a

Please enter a valid email address
Vinod

Vinod

Founder & Chief Strategist

Vinod is a deeply devoted digital health enthusiast who believes technology is a great enabler that provides the key to unlocking a better world. He is driven by a singular goal: to help healthcare organizations leverage technology to deliver better digital services for patients, providers, payers, and other community health stakeholders. His expansive computer science domain expertise, humanity, and commitment to community are major assets for healthcare, medical, pharmaceutical, and life science enterprises.