NewGenApps Blog posts

Was your last project a MESS?

Written by Anurag | Mar 31, 2016 6:30:00 PM

Your last project was a not a smooth ride and you are in a dilemma how to proceed with the new project you have. Let’s explore what you might have missed in your last project.


  1. The Team you chose was inexperienced: 

The team you hired left you midway with loads of bugs and a broken project. Inefficient team is certainly the biggest reason why projects fail. Here is a quick checklist for you while you decide your next development team



 

  • Do a good research on the Team’s competence
  • Ensure that the service provider has the right resources to invest in the project
  • Make sure that the team capable of managing the size of the project and have delivered similar projects in the past
  • Make sure the Team you choose is reliable with a good track record
  • Check whether the Team is compatible to your work style or not
  1. Unclear Project requirements

Indeed, a very obvious reason. If you are not clear with with your requirements or how you want the project to work, it can lead to issues later on.

A well planned project pays off well. Also, it is essential to communicate the requirements and your expectations to the development team. Clearly communicated project requirements narrow down the chances of project failure.


  1. Lack of (Regular) Communication/Meetings

Communication is very important for running a project successfully, especially when working with a remote team. But overdoing it can be frustrating for both the developers and you. Best way to achieve this is by fixing weekly or bi-weekly sprint meetings scheduled in advance. This helps keep everyone in team on the same page and keeps the project flowing

  1. Not being specific enough with the Scope

Frequent changes in the scope of the project is a slippery slope and can be difficult to recover from. The results would be a bloated budget and timeline. This makes requirement gathering and estimating is an important part of any project development cycle. Its essential to define the scope initially and stick to it. Make sure to track change requests separately from the original project scope, and get estimates on how it will affect the schedule.

  1. Over promised/ Under delivered

You chose a team because they offered you a significantly lower cost than other developers and promised to deliver the project within the time you wanted. There is a possibility that the estimates that team gave you were actually ‘Guesstimates’ with the sole intention of bagging the project. Sometimes things too good to be true are just that! Wrong estimates lead to a poorly managed projects and the biggest sufferer here is you as a customer. That is where experience comes in. Make sure you choose a team that understands your requirements clearly since the inception of the project and can provide you valid and workable estimates.

  1. Not having a system in place for approving and tracking project progress

There are many project management tools available these days - Trello, Redmine, Zoho, Asana, Pivotal Tracker, Basecamp, Google Docs etc. And a lot of them are free to use. Go ahead, search for a tool that works best for your requirements.

  1. Micromanaging Projects

Once bitten, twice shy. You might be micromanaging a project to ensure the attention to detail you want. But getting too much into details negatively affects the confidence and performance of the team and leaves them feeling frustrated. Give the team their space and a trusting environment to perform. You can still be aware of everything going on without getting into unnecessary details.

  1. Was the solution using an obsolete technology?

Did your project fail because your solution is only compatible with a previous OS version and has no scope for updations? Many projects suffer because the development team was not future focussed and didn’t bother to consider the technology roadmap. For instance, with the release of iPhone 6, 6S (6+ and 6S+) and the iPad Pro, it became inevitable for iOS developers to use autolayout and make sure their apps work on all screen resolutions. If your app doesn’t do that, it can end up being rejected by Apple.

When working with technology, it is always essential to keep the system flexible enough to accommodate future trends. When choosing your next team, ensure the team is technically aware.

How can we help you?

  • We are always updated with latest technology trends - We regularly attend various technology conferences like Apple’s WWDC, AWS ReInvent, Microsoft Summits, Google I/O events etc. so that we are always aware about all that's going on in the tech world.
  • We have a talented lot -  Our architects are experts in their domain and are aware of the benefits and challenges of the technology. That means no Guesstimates for your project. Also, our developers are top writers on sites like Quora and StackOverflow (top 1% overall).
  • We manage our projects well - All our projects are managed by a team of dedicated Project Managers who ensure a well defined scope, quality, and timeliness of projects.
  • We pride ourselves on our ethical standards and integrity - We always believe in operating ethically. We don’t believe in working just to meet the needs of client. We work with our clients as partners and always suggest them the best practices.

Our clients would be happy to vouch for how we took a failing project and turned it around for them. In a dilemma how to get your stalled or delayed project finished? Get in touch for a free consultation call today.