For PMs working in IT application development projects, which resource is the most important (other than people, of course)? For many it is a Technical Quality Assurance model that supports highly repeatable test cycles.
The best way to plan a project is to deconstruct it. One PM has been using a handy model to clearly outline the types of work that need to be done by both IT and the business in order to activate most SaaS packages. Key an eye on these six subtleties when deploying packaged vendor solutions.
Organizations that over-emphasize expediency can set themselves up for long-term losses. This article addresses strategies for taking a balanced approach--specifically, maintaining development capacity, maintaining code asset value and flexible tool selection.
Trends on the horizon point to a renewed focus on the alignment of IT operations and strategic business goals. In addition, competition in all markets will continue to place pressure on both optimization and innovation. Savvy professionals can stay ahead of the curve by keeping the following project management trend predictions in mind.
Custom software development is notoriously difficult to estimate. We start with vague ideas of what we want, expecting to fill in the details later. We’re usually doing something a little different than what we’ve done before, or completely different. How can we act more productively?
Requirements cannot stand alone. So why do we so often fail to acknowledge that connection to other project elements...and what is the consequence of that failure?
A successful collaboration between project teams and stakeholders on requirements management will help prevent the projects from becoming another failure statistic.
The waterfall methodology for projects is aptly named, because it is equally painful to try to go back to prior phases of a project once the effort has advanced to the next phase. This article will outline two reasons to avoid waterfall, and three ways to approach software projects that are more useful.
Some studies have indicated that the real benefits of offshore outsourcing can be diminished by issues in communication, skill sets and accountability. But if managed properly, offshore IT projects can reap substantial rewards.