Good ideas are only the beginning. It takes a team of highly skilled, experienced, and prepared professionals to launch a successful software development project. But even with the best of teams, small mistakes early on can become large problems during development.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the most common mistakes that can kill your project, and how best to avoid them.
The fact that you need a project plan should not be surprising. However, major issues can arise mid-way through or even in the home stretch due to not enough planning beforehand. Good project management is not only necessary at the pre-planning stage, but essential throughout the project to prevent scope creep. The design, approval, and development phases should be meticulously planned and communicated to all stakeholders involved before beginning work; then closely monitored throughout the project lifespan. This will enable you to identify potential pitfalls, and make you better prepared to deal with them if/when they arise.
Many companies make the mistake of incorporating too many features into the initial product launch. Or, worse yet, adding new features midway through the development phase. It is important to remember that more features means higher development costs and longer timelines. So while it may sound appealing to make your product more robust, it remains best practice to decide on the major deliverables in the planning stage, and stick to that feature set. This is because the goal is to package the core features in a marketable product so you can get it in front of your test market as soon as possible, enabling you to gain feedback from actual customers. This will give you better insight into what customers really want and need, and where best to invest your company’s resources moving forward.
It’s easy to get tunnel vision during development. But losing track of the bigger picture, can be a detriment to your end product. Remember, the idea for your product or service came from a need to provide something new to a customer. The customer, or end user, should always be kept top of mind, as they are the ones that will be purchasing and using your product. So take the time to test the market and gain & evaluate feedback so you can provide the best experience for your users.
Every team faces obstacles during software development. By being prepared, sticking to your project plan, and keeping the user experience the number one priority, you will have a better chance at succeeding. But no one can do it alone! That is why it is so important to have a team that is experienced, knowledgeable, and communicative. So turn to the experts! When you are ready to create, the team at BeanMachine is here to ensure your project’s success. Click here to launch your project today!
