When things are not going according to our plan, we think it is the end of the world! Every tech team has been there, endless delays, things not working out, late-stage bugs and more. It feels that nothing is going to work out but what if it is the start of something new? Something innovative, something big! Here in this blog, we will guide you on how to turn software crises into success!
What are software crises?
Software crises means when the project you are working on has its own midlife crises.it was working completely fine at one point but now it is causing chaos. This software crisis can be caused because of cost over runs, missed deadlines etc. The root cause of it could be poor planning, an unrealistic timeline and poor communication among team workers.
Key issues during software crisis
Some key issues that might cause software crises are:
- Over-budgeting means the project costs more than expected.
- Poor time management.
- Low quality means the software has bugs and cannot function properly.
- Lack of technical skills of team
- Lack of adequate training of the team members
How to handle a project during software crisis?
Handling projects during a software crisis requires a strategic approach to bring the project back to success. Imagine yourself as a captain of a ship in a storm, instead the storm is made of bugs and ship is your project sinking in deadlines and failure. You need a strategic approach to save your ship and bring back to smooth sailing.
- Assess the situation and identify the problem.
- Call the team.
- Prioritize the issues.
- Adjust the plan.
- Leverage expertise and resources.
- Test, stabilize and monitor.
- Communication.
- Learn from the crisis.
Assessing the situation and identifying the problem
The first step to solving any software crisis is not to panic and be calm. Assess the situation and identify the problem. See where the problem is and what is causing it. Is it related to technical problems, team management, budget cuts or lack of resources? Once you identify the problem, make an action plan to prioritize and solve that problem.
Call the Team
Depending on the problem develop a team that has both hard and soft skills to solve the problem that is creating the issue. Talk to the team about the problem and ask for potential solutions. Assign specific roles and duties to the team members and make sure everyone knows what they must focus on to resolve the issue. And don’t forget to keep the team motivated!
Prioritize the Issue
To solve the issue and bring back the project on track, focus on the important aspects that will contribute to project success. Some of the posterization techniques that you can use are MoSCoW Method and critical path analysis.
MoSCoW Method (Must have, Should have, Could have, won’t have)
Must have: Tasks and features important for the project, and without it, the project won’t survive.
Should have: Important but not critical tasks and can be used later when needed.
Could have: Nice to have it but won’t affect the project but will only enhance the user’s experience. Not having it will not create a problem.
Won’t have: Not important and can be removed to save time and resources.
Critical path analysis: Identifying the sequence of tasks that must be completed to avoid delays and focus on the tasks that will ensure the project’s success.
Adjust the Plan
Once you have assessed the situation, identified the problem and set the priorities the next step is to adjust the plan accordingly. Plan in such a way that will ensure the project’s success and functionality. Major things to consider while adjusting the plan are:
- Set realistic timelines.
- Redefine project goals without sacrificing the quality.
- Clarify stake holder expectations with communication.
Leverage Expertise and Resources
One of the strategies during software crises is leveraging expertise and resources. This means reassigning team members and reallocating resources. Bring the experts who have the expertise in resolving the issues. Also increasing resources, funding or tools to help tackle the situation is another way to solve the crisis.
Test, Stabilize and Monitor
Once you tackle the issues the next step is to test and see if the project is stable and ready to use. In order to make sure of that do the following:
- Conduct rigorous testing.
- Stabilize the project.
- Monitor progress.
Communication with Stakeholders
Make sure to communicate with the stake holders and keep them updated. Give them information about what was causing the issues and what steps were take n to resolve it. Keep them updated and set realistic expectations.
Learn from the Crisis
“Turn setbacks into steppingstones.” Analyze the mistakes to avoid in future practice. Transform the challenges into valuable lessons to avoid the problems in future.
Conclusion
We all know that life is a roller coaster, and each dip is just a lesson to fuel our rise. In this blog we have discussed what software crisis is and what strategies to use to bring the project to life and success. From assessing the situation to planning and monitoring, everything is required for successful projects!