One aspect of software project management is making sure that everyone is aware of the goal of the project and the steps that must be taken to achieve it. Often you may see this method of project management working with software development services for startup because it provides transparency and adaptability for all parties involved in the development process.
Phases of Software Project Management
Initiation
The project officially begins with this phase. Its main goal is to provide a high-level definition of the project.
Phase 1 often starts with a business case. Making sure the project is viable and should be carried out is the goal here. If a business does feasibility testing, right now is the best moment to do it.
All significant project stakeholders will assess the business case at this phase and decide whether to move forward with the project or not. The project charter, also known as the project initiation document (PID), must be made if everyone agrees to start the project.
Elaboration Phase
The second stage of the software development lifecycle is called "elaboration," and it is when the particular requirements of the project are decided. This is the stage where the project plan is finished and validated.
During this phase, the software development team will also take the opportunity to identify any possible risks and determine how they should be addressed.
After the software development team and the customer, stakeholder, or other relevant parties have reached an understanding regarding the requirements that must be satisfied, the second phase begins.
Execution
The work involved in developing the program itself is done during this stage of the project. Here, there are still more procedures in progress, such as design, testing, and quality control.
The primary responsibilities of the project manager are to oversee the software development team and the project's progress. This entails monitoring the project's progress in relation to the period allotted and locating any roadblocks that could prevent the team from moving further.
Evaluation
Software teams should get together to mutually evaluate the project during the last stage of the project cycle. Team members should evaluate what contributed to the project's success vs its shortcomings. It's a good idea to make a note of any lessons discovered that might be useful to keep in mind while making plans for the following endeavor.
Project managers should prepare to compare the project's actual cost to its anticipated cost during this phase. Long-term team productivity and efficiency gains can be made using this knowledge.
Advantages of Software Development Project Management
Here are five strong arguments for why project management for software development is essential for navigating the challenging environment.
- Effective Resource Allocation. Your time, staff, and financial resources will all be wisely used thanks to project management. By avoiding either overallocation or underutilization, production is maximized.
- Clear objectives and milestones. Setting attainable milestones and objectives helps to keep the project on schedule. The team is motivated and given direction by concrete goals.
- Successful risk management. The tech industry is prone to shocks. By seeing possible difficulties, project management enables teams to plan and reduce risks before they balloon.
- Communication Improvement. The foundation is open communication. Project management encourages continuous communication, making sure everyone is on the same page and so minimizing misunderstandings.
- Superior Time Management. Project managers are aware that time equals money. Timely product releases are aided by the creation of timetables, the scheduling of work, and the reduction of delays.
Project Documentation
Well-prepared documentation is a mandatory element of every larger project. It helps both the client and the contractor manage budget, resources and time; it is also extremely useful in keeping projects moving at a fast pace.
It makes communication much easier, marginalizes the chances of understatements or ill-considered solutions, and thus saves a lot of money. Most importantly, however, the project documentation is a legally binding document that may prove to be invaluable help in the event of any problems during the acceptance of the project.
Why Document Your Project?
- Documentation defines the scope of the project. Therefore, it constitutes the basis for settlement with the client. A well-defined scope increases the chance of a customer satisfied with the project.
- Documentation speeds up work and limits changes. We don't have to ask about everything, the most important things are agreed upon before we start the project.
- It's cheaper to make changes "on paper". Making changes to the documentation costs much less than changing the finished product and is possible much earlier.
Outputting Project Document in PDF Format
The situation is no different when commissioning the development of an application or internet platform. Without carefully determining the components and desired functions, you will not be able to estimate the time needed, nor the materials needed, and, as a result, the costs themselves.
Although the style and form of creating documentation differs depending on the company, project or people responsible for it, when it comes to an IT project, project brief document should contain a list of all attachments that are included in the documentation and/or are necessary for its full understanding.
And in this case, It is worth choosing one of the popular documentation practices - making a PDF for adding changes at any point: continuous integration or adding changes manually, using additional resources (e.g. graphics, files, documents).
Project Document Template in PDF
It is a good practice to use a dedicated PDF tool such as SwifDoo PDF that supports the creation of PDF document, and also allows you to easily and quickly inspect and edit project documentation in PDFs.
In practice, a project document should include certain elements to help end users understand what the solution is, how to use it, and how to respond to the actions the software performs. In the case of a project addressed to an external client, documentation is an integral part of the final product.
Ready-to-use project documentation templates in PDFs are an added value that will be appreciated by the project manager. Receiving a ready-made solution with additional documentation will ensure that the order is completed comprehensively, and the customer who is satisfied with the effect will want to come back to us in the future.
It's great if you decided to create a more interesting project brief than a standard one, but that doesn't mean you have to start the whole process from scratch.
Organize Files by Category
Whether you are working for a software development team, law firm, construction company, or other client-facing company, the documentation you work with is typically stored in folders. When a company is focused on efficiency, cost minimization and speed to market, creating a lot of documentation may seem counterproductive.
Thanks to the proper folder structure and correct file names, you will quickly find what documents you are looking for a specific project.
In the case of organizing your project documents in PDF into categories based on the content, creating separate folders for project-specific materials will certainly helps you quickly locate and select the relevant files.
It is worth investing in organizing files by category. If you haven't done so yet, start doing so today.
Conclusion
For a large, small, or mid-sized business team building cutting-edge software solutions, project management and documentation are more crucial than ever.
If you simplify your software development process using a project management timetable and documentation implementation practice, your business will complete and deliver final products in a timely and organized way.