Programming can sometimes pose quite a difficult task even for experienced programmers. All four classifications of the language which consist of procedural, functional, scripting, logic, and object-oriented programming language, often come with their challenges. Sometimes it just takes that one tiny mistake to mess up the entire program.
Thanks to current technological advancements, the need for expert managerial skills in programming can no longer be overemphasized. An experienced project manager can make the smooth transition into the programming industry, or a software developer can adopt the role of a programming manager, with basic online courses and applications.
Contrary to popular belief, managerial processes are just as important as engineering processes. Based on a survey by Indeed, the predicted growth rate for software project managers is eleven percent, a much higher rate in comparison to 7% of other managerial positions.
Tips for Managing the Development of a Complex Software
In this article, we will present the soft skills required for managing complex software projects. Below is a carefully selected list of some of these skills.
Gather the right team
As a software project manager, a major part of your role is in hiring a team for your company’s software development. This should be carefully carried out to ensure that the goals of these prospective employees are in line with that of the company. If a team is already available before joining the company, it is your job to accurately access them and work on fostering healthy relationships between team members.
Develop a project scope statement
This is more like a vision and mission statement, but a bit more detailed. A project scope statement outlines the purpose of the software, the processes involved in the development, the features, target, limits, and all other necessary information regarding the software. Defining this statement will help the team have a basic understanding of the requirements and decrease the possibility of a kitchen sink syndrome.
Define deadlines
Clearly defining deadlines will give your team the motivation they need to complete the development of the software. When defining deadlines it is important to assign responsibilities to team members individually and with personal deadlines, this way everyone can be held accountable for the failure or success of various stages in the development process. As a software project manager, having understood your team and its weaknesses, you could move the deadline up to a few days, to avoid procrastination.
Set realistic objectives as individuals or as a team
These objectives could either be short-term or long-term, but still closely linked to the general objective of the company. In order to motivate and encourage developers, a manager can help team members set individual goals, such as learning a new skill or leading the development team. Frequent personal meetings should be organized to evaluate the success of these personal goals.
Control risks and resolve issues immediately
For a team of professionals in the same or similar fields, coming together to work on a project means that conflicts of opinions would certainly arise. The proper management of these issues relies solely on the software project manager. Technical risks and errors should be predicted, and calculated measures put in place to either prevent those from happening or control them when/if they happen.
Define key performance indicators
These indicators function to measure the success of your software development. The KPIs include revenue per growth, revenue per client, profit margin, client retention rate, and customer satisfaction.
Conclusion
On average, a software project manager earns about hundred and twenty-six thousand dollars annually. Through systems’ integration, review, workflow, reporting, design, modeling, testing, certification, and linked data, complex software programming can be developed and managed with ease. Learn more about it on this page.
