When a custom application development project starts at Phase 2 in Oklahoma City we have a design team to do the graphics and a team of developers to problem solve and write the underlying code. However, we also assign a very important person to the development project – a project manager.
The need for and importance of customized software and web solutions is growing. Due to this importance, the software development process needs to be carefully managed. The tools and technology used in development are constantly changing, which makes this an even bigger challenge. Also, the web development process requires sound strategy and consultation since there are frequently many ways to achieve the same goal. This makes many things hard to predict and thus leads to failure, or at least to a tough road ahead.
The project manager is the individual responsible for planning, organizing, tracking, and directing the project. He or she has to keep in touch with recent trends to know what is going on to help decide the best technology solution for your organization.
After working with extensively with you to define your needs, the project manager creates a master project plan. The project manager will take what has been learned about the project requirements and break it out into tasks to be completed. The timing and resource types for each task will be determined and a project plan created.
The project manager is also responsible for getting the project on our internal production schedule. He or she must work with the production manager to find the best time to schedule the work as well as the appropriate people for the team. Depending on the skills required for your project, this is can be a lot like choreographing a play.
Next, the project manager communicates critical milestones, costs and timelines to the client. Communication throughout the project is critical. This is huge to make sure everyone knows and understands the time and effort involved in software development. Oftentimes questions like “can it get it done in half the time if you put another developer on it” are asked. Unfortunately you cannot. A great example is “can you bake a cake in half the time if you double the temperature of the oven?”
With the project scheduled and resources assigned the project manager acts as the liaison with the client to have questions answered as well as provide frequent status updates. The project manager also has to make sure the developers have everything they need in order to get the job done. Checking progress is important to make sure the client’s expectations are being met. Oftentimes, the project manager acts as one of the first lines of quality control, testing things as they are pushed out to a staging environment.
The staging environment is the final testing grounds for custom software and applications. If the client already has a site or mobile application, then a copy of the production site or program is duplicated at Phase 2so we can test our changes against an up-to-date version. As the different solutions are moved to the staging area, the project manager ensures everything works as intended. He or she also works with the client to run through real life test scenarios to make sure everything is working as the client envisioned.
Throughout the project, it’s the PM’s responsibility to communicate with the client. Using the project plan that was created, the project manager should be able to see how deadlines are looking based on the progress of the production team. This in turn will show how much of the budget has been used, how much is left, and if everything is on track. When signs of trouble start to show, the project manager determines what can be done to bring the project back on track.
In a nutshell, that is why project management is used and is critical when developing custom web applications as well as mobile programs. The project manager should have a good feel for the status of the project at all times and, more importantly, be communicating regularly with the client so there are no surprises. All in all, the project manager is there to facilitate the process of getting the work done by planning, organizing, tracking, directing, and keeping everyone on the same page throughout the process.
In Phase 2’s 13 years of custom software development we have learned many things. One of the biggest parts in the success of a project is effective project management.
