SAM RoadMap 2

8/13/2019 SAM RoadMap 2

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The Roadmap For Soware Development Outsourcing Success

The Roadmap For Soware

Development Outsourcing Success
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Contents

1. How to ensure your soware development iniave is successful .................................. 03

2. How long should a soware development project take.................................................... 05

3. Three soware development methodologies................................................................... 07

4. Main Technology Plaorms You Need to Know for Soware Development..................... 09

5. First Step in a Soware Development Project................................................................... 11

6. The Engagement Model is Key for a Soware Development Project ................................ 13

7. Five Challenges to Watch Out for During a Soware Development Project..................... 15

8. Four Success Factors for a Soware Development Project................................................ 17


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Ensuring Success of a Soware Development Iniave

Soware development projects need not be projects of dread; dominated by schedule slippage

resource misallocaon and missed requirements. Adhering to a few simple guidelines will reduce

stress, improve schedule and ensure that the nal product meets the intended requirements.

CommunicaonSuperior communicaon is central to the success of any soware development iniave; withou

it even the most talented teams will fail. Begin by idenfying possible obstacles including: culturaor language challenges, me zone dierences and technical acuity. Arrange for translators and/

or transcribers before project kick-o so that all members can be briefed on the available tools

and start using them right away.

Establish communicaon norms at the start of the project. Ensure that all of the team members

understand what the rules are and how to abide by them. Perhaps the best method fo

communicang schedule changes is via email while all team members agree that a meeng is

necessary when new requirements are developed. Will there be a set meeng schedule (enre

team meets every other Monday) or are meengs scheduled on an as-needed basis?Discussionforums provide great virtual meeng places for team members to post quesons, answers and

share ideas that can be accessed in the future and viewed by all team members. Decide, in

advance, how key team members will meet to resolve unforeseen issues that require immediate

aenon. Once communicaon channels and rules are established, use each consistently to

ensure all team members stay informed.

Clearly dene the project expectaons: schedule, resource allocaon and project milestones/

goals. The most vital denion will come in the form of requirements denion. Developers

must work with clients to clearly understand the true funconality of the product and assist ineshing out requirements. Clients must be as open and clear with developers as possible. While

it is not necessary to be an IT expert, clearly communicated requirements aid in developing

project scope and ensuring early success.


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FlexibilityPlan to be exible by assembling a team that can quickly respond to schedule and technica

changes. Technical exibility allows developers to quickly address requirement changes and

assess the impact on the total scope of the project. Look for team members that possess a

working knowledge of a variety of skills; this will make for a well-rounded team and minimize

the probability that addional members will need to be added to respond to new requirements

If possible, assemble a team of players that have successfully completed projects in the past

Established teams have beer team dynamics and will quickly move into the innovaon phase

and develop the best soluons.

Schedule exibility allows developers to incorporate addional and revised requirements with

minimal impact on schedule. Requirement changes may result from client-driven changes o

the discovery of features during the development process. Either way, the ability to quickly

incorporate changes will result in the best product within the established schedule.

CommitmentSoware development is a collaborave and iterave process. Such a process requires the

commitment of execuve teams, technical teams and the client. The execuve team must

be supporve of the teams needs by removing obstacles and generang enthusiasm. The

development team must be dedicated to achieving success; which means understanding the

needs of the client and diligently working to meet those needs. This builds the clients condenc

in the team and establishes a framework of trust. The development and execuve teams

must speak from a posion of experse and ensure that the client understands the soware

development process and is prepared to oer feedback and work collaboravely.

The keys to a successful soware development iniave are interrelated. Build a team that has the

exibility to respond to changing schedule and technical needs and is varied enough to develo

the best possible soluon. Superior communicaon leads to clear requirements denion and

clear requirements denion leads to a successful project.


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How Long Should a Soware DevelopmentProject Take?

There are some quesons for which there is no simple, clear-cut answer; How long should

a soware development project take is one of those quesons. So many factors play into a

project that the schedule could range from a few days to years. Each project must be evaluated

on an individual basis. Similar projects from the recent past can provide a great starng poin

but what if this is the rst project of its kind? Understanding and dening a few aspects of the

project will provide the basis for creang a realisc schedule esmate.

Clear Project DenionIt is not necessary to dene every feature and menu before beginning the project. However

there should be a clear picture of capabilies, funcons and scope. Work with an experienced

developer to help determine which aspects of the project may be missing. It is likely that each

team member will spend at least some me on administrave tasks, tesng, research and

mentoring. A common piall is to assume that resources will spend 90% of their me wrin

code; while this may be true toward the end of the project, there are many other tasks to be

accomplished throughout the project lifecycle. Aending meengs; answering emails; providin

status updates; collaborang with peers, clients and experts and working with support sta todevelop documentaon are all part of the project and should be accounted for in the schedule

Work with a highly-skilled technical expert to develop realisc schedule esmates. Developin

project esmates requires a signicantly higher skill level than that which will be require

perform the actual task.

Implement a Project Management PhilosophyProject management philosophies provide a framework on which the tasks associated wit

compleng the project will be accomplished. Value measures are established and the true

cost of schedule delays can be determined. Project management philosophies tackle resource

allocaon issues, dependent tasks and milestones. Adhering to the chosen method throughou

the project will reduce risks, cut costs and improve success rates.


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Establish a method for tracking progress towards the most immediate goal, phase or deliverable

This informaon should be visible to the enre team throughout the project. Maintaining a clea

focus will reduce schedule slippage as the enre team blazes toward the goal.

Be sure to take the me to educate the team on the chosen project management method. It i

likely that most, if not all, members of the project team will be familiar with project managemen

and at least have a high-level understanding of several philosophies. But, project managemen

methods come in a variety of forms and each company is like to tailor specic aspects of the

methodology to meet specic needs.

Clear Milestones

Select milestones that signify readiness to enter a new phase of development. Start milestone

should have a successor and nish milestones should have a predecessor; this ensures that eac

is ed to a related schedule acvity. Milestones should be placed at correct intervals within th

project. When spaced too far apart, they will fail to provide movang momentum to the team

when placed too close together they will lose meaning. Ideally, project milestones should be

separated by two weeks in a project that is several months in duraon.

Clearly dened milestones aid in idenfying acvies that can be performed in parallel to reduc

schedule. It will also help idenfy dependent tasks which will make it easier to recognize the

impact of delayed deliverables.

The schedule associated with a soware development project is dependent on several factors

Invesng me in clearly dening the project, implemenng a project management philosoph

and developing clear milestones will provide the informaon necessary to develop a realis

schedule esmate.


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Three Soware Development MethodologiesSoware development methodologies abound. Each major philosophy has many derivaves a

project management experts seek to nd the perfect t. Selecon of a method should occur a

part of a cross-funconal team eort. Each member of the team and the players in the periphery

have an impact on the success of the project, ensuring that all resources understand the chosen

method and have bought-in will ease schedule and milestone management and aid in the succes

of the project.

AgileThe Agile methodology is based on the Agile Manifesto, which was developed by a group o

soware developers and released in 2001.

Agiles core tenets are exibility, speed and responsiveness. It is based on iterave and incrementa

development during which requirements and soluons evolve through collaboraon. Working

soware is delivered frequently throughout the development cycle.

In an Agile environment, work begins based on a broadly dened objecve. The full list orequirements and features is revealed as the project progresses in stages (sprints). During each

sprint the team works within the specic scope of that phase. Deliverables are dened based on

the phase and are completed as quickly and eciently as possible. In this framework, mulple

teams can work in parallel on diering components of the project. It is the quick start and paralle

acvies that contribute to the speed of this methodology.

Beginning with loosely dened project requirements allows the development cycle to be

exible and respond to requirements that are uncovered as the project progresses. Changes

to requirements are welcomed at all phases of development. The risk associated with this

development method is that unforeseen requirements (discovered during the developmen

process) could translate into schedule delays.


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WaterfallOriginally developed in the manufacturing and construcon industries, the Waterfall model wa

adapted to soware development out of necessity, as no other formal soware development

methodologies existed at the me.

Soware development projects that ulize the Waterfall methodology begin with fully dened

project requirements; each task and deliverable is documented to the granular level in a top

down approach. The phases of Concepon, Iniaon, Analysis, Design, Construcon, Tesng

Producon/Implementaon and Maintenance are completed in sequenal order; work in one

phase does not begin unl all work in the previous phase is complete. The compleon of each

phase is marked by documentaon and a formal review. Product freezes occur when all team

members and management sta have completed the review and are in agreement about the

successful compleon of the phase.

The risk associated with this philosophy is that changes are dicult to implement and generally

require an addional review and approval process prior to implementaon. Addionally, there

is a signicant delay of the start of the development phase as the minute details are established

IncrementalThe Incremental model is an evoluon of the Waterfall model. The requirements are clearlydened at the beginning of the project and separated into phases; similar to the Waterfal

approach. However, each requirement is implemented as a series of small projects and phases

are completed in overlapping secons. At the compleon of the rst phase, a working, core

product is delivered to the client. The remaining phases of the project are developed based on

customer feedback. The risk associated with this philosophy is that the most dicult problem

may be pushed to the end of the cycle in an eort to demonstrate early schedule success

Addionally, problems in the system architecture may be revealed as addional requirement

are implemented.

Soware development methodologies are connuously adapng as workforces and technology

evolves. Each method shares the core purpose of providing a framework for structuring, planning

and controlling soware development.


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Main Technology Plaorms You Need To Know forSoware Development

Soware developers write using a variety of languages although; each individual programme

is generally well-versed in two to ve specic programming languages. At its most basic level

programming languages are methods of communicang specic instrucons to machines. Mos

operate as imperaves, providing a sequence of operaons to be performed. The remaining

ulize declarave specicaon; lisng the desired results but not the steps for achievement

Programming language is devised of two components, the syntax (form) and the semancs

(meaning). Some languages are dened by a specicaon document while others have adominant implementaon that is used as a reference.

JavaJava is an extremely popular language ulized by over 9 million programmers globally

Trademarked by Oracle, Java is prized for its portability. Programs can be wrien in one

plaorm and the deployed to many. Java is most commonly used to write programs that

run within a browser. Java was originally developed by Sun Microsystems and released

in 1995. The ve primary goals in the creaon of Java were that the language should

Be simple, object-oriented and familiar

Be robust and secure

Be architecture neutral and portable

Execute with high performance

Be interpreted, threaded and dynamic

Java aains its portability by compiling the Java language code to an intermediate representave

(Java bytecode) instead of directly to a plaorm specic machine code. Java bytecode instrucon

are intended to be interpreted by a virtual machine. End-users commonly use Java RunmeEnvironment for standalone Java applicaons or a web browser for Java applets.

In addion to its portability, Java is prized for its dependability and library.


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Microso .NETMicroso .NET is the framework for all Microso products. It is based on a comprehensive mode

that includes a large library and provides language inoperability across several programming

languages. Programs wrien for .NET Framework execute in Common Language Runme (CLR)

The Base Class Library is made up of user interfaces, data access and database connecvity

among others. The class library and the CLR constute the .NET Framework. Programmers

produce soware by combining unique source code with the .NET Framework.

C++C++ is a widely used programming language implemented in both hardware and operang systemplaorms. It is a free-form, stacally typed language for general purposes. First developed in

1979 at Bell Labs, C++ began as an improvement to C by introducing object-orientated classes.

Programming languages are connuously evolving. New languages are introduced and exisng

languages are improved. Soware developers understand the importance of selecng a language

that compliments both the desired funconality and the proposed operang environment of the

completed project.


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First Step in a Soware Development ProjectSoware development projects are oen completed by a cross-funconal team of business

technology and project management experts. Assembling this team is commonly the result o

out-sourcing eorts, in-house resource allocaon and business case validaons.

Idenfying NeedsA vital step at the beginning of a soware development iniave is to idenfy the core purpose o

the soluon;determine what the soware needs to provide in order to be a success. Businesses

that do not commonly operate in the technology world may nd it dicult to uncover specicfeatures that must be included in the nished product. Instead, they have a high-level vision o

what services the soluon should provide but have not idened specic funcons.

In these instances, it is best to work with an experienced rm that will provide the insight and

technical acuity to idenfy specic needs. This is commonly accomplished through a series of

discovery calls during which the developer interviews the client to determine expectaons and

needs. Technical experts have the experience and knowledge necessary to make suggesons

and expand on basic requirements.

Discovery calls are a forum for the free expression of ideas; a me to invesgate all possible

funconalies and discuss the goals of the development project. In the beginning these calls

may include the full team but as the process reaches a level of granularity, it may be necessary

to only involve those that will be working closest to the project.

The same process is ulized within companies that have robust in-house IT departments

Soware development experts work with the requestor to understand needs and determine

crucial aspects of the completed soluon. The ulmate goal of the project is broken down in

smaller phases. It is not necessary to fully dene every feature to be developed; instead startwith the basics and allow the specic features to be uncovered as the development process

progresses.


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Strategic ApproachA strategic approach is developed to determine the best method for ensuring that requirement

are met and that the proposed soluon meets the requirements of the business case. Each of the

proposed requirements is analyzed for feasibility and the idened business needs are mapped

to proposed technical requirements to ensure complete alignment of the project soluon with

business needs.

Resource allocaon requirements will begin to come together as the project needs are dened

Development teams that have worked together in the past provide a quick start to the project

eliminang much of the me spent associated with establishing team dynamics, work load

expectaons and areas of technical experse.

Subject Maer Experts (SME)Subject Maer Experts (SME) are called upon frequently during the early stages of the developmen

project. SME are equipped to aid in requirements denion and assist in determining the overa

scope of the project.SME from both a soware perspecve and the end-user perspecve are

called upon to provide guidance and ensure that crucial elements are not overlooked.

Soware development is an iterave and collaborave eort. Technical teams must work with

the requestor to develop expectaons, requirements and project scope.


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The Engagement Model is Key for a SowareDevelopment Project

Engagement models dene the relaonship between a developer and the client. Developers

that allow clients to change engagement models based on the changing needs of the business

or project are working in the best interest of both their employees and the client. The best

engagement models provide exibility to both the client and the developer.

Hourly ModelsIn an hourly model, project work is paid based on an agreed upon hourly rate. The rate include

all resources and each hour is billed idencally. The benet of this approach is that is provides

a clear link between specic project tasks and the associated labor rate. Businesses can clearly

idenfy tasks that may be causing the project to run over budget. When working with a new

developer, clients nd a level of comfort in the hourly model. Payment is made only as work

is completed; this provides an opportunity for the business to gauge the eecveness of the

development rm and determine if a long term relaonship will be established. Hourly model

are inherently exible; work can begin and end as needed to reect the budgetary and schedule

needs of the client. Resources are generally pulled from a pool of available personnel within a

dened set of skills.

Month-to-MonthClients pay a set monthly fee each month for access to an agreed upon set of services. Month-

to-month models x costs while ensuring that resources are available when needed. This mode

is oen ulized in long-term relaonships as it provides the opportunity for businesses to rely

on the technical resources of another rm when needs arise without having to establish new

contracts or receive funding approval. Like the hourly model, resources are pulled from a poo

of available personnel with specic skill sets. There is no guarantee of a specic individua

however;the best development rms will endeavor to match clients with resources that have

served them well in the past.

During periods of heavy development, clients may elect to engage on a monthly basis, ensuring

that resources are always available. As schedules thin and less work is to be accomplished

between milestones, clients may elect to switch to an hourly engagement.


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DedicatedDedicated engagement models most closely resemble true employment. A dedicated resource is

pulled from the pool of available personnel and works solely on projects for the specied client

The benet here is that the resource draws on their familiarity with the project, the clients

team, operaons and structure to develop innovave soluons and idenfy benecial feature

changes.

The consistency provided by this model is most valued when developing large projects with

greater exposure.

Work with a development rm that allows clients the exibility to switch between engagement

models as business and project needs change. Then, select a model that best suites current

needs. The goal is to create a win-win situaon for both the client and the developer. Thi

scenario leads to a sustainable relaonshipand the long term growth of both rms.


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Five Challenges to Watch Out for During a SowareDevelopment Project

Soware development projects are just as vulnerable to pialls as any other project. Knowing

what to look for and addressing common areas of shoralls early in the project can ward o

budgetary, schedule and technical misses.

Dening StrategyA common challenge associated with any soware development project is the basic nuts and

bolts of the technical soluon. Finding the best technology stack, programming language an

database based on the perspecve needs of the completed soluon is necessary to begi

development. The key to making the right choices is to have a clear understanding of the projec

objecves. How many end-users are expected? What are the integraons needs? What type o

technical support is desired? There are an innite number of technologies that can be ulize

on any given project; knowing which soluons will provide the best t comes from experience

Knowing what will work and what wont work based on past endeavors.

Adequate TesngOen, in a rush to release, tesng is abbreviated or strategies are condensed to save scheduland reduce manpower requirements. Tesng comes at the end of the project developmen

lifecycle when schedules are limited and budgets are dwindling so it is easy to start cung

However, inadequate tesng prevents bugs and errors from being idened. The release of

low-quality soluon leads to poor acceptance and ulmately to redesigns.

Tesng strategies should be developed early within the lifecycle; as features are being developed

the corresponding test should be wrien. At the compleon of the development phase, th

soluon must be tested exhausvely to ensure proper funconing.


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Selecng the Right PlayersMuch like dening the technical strategy, determining the right resources plays heavily on the

success of any project. Vendors, support sta and technical teams must be fully engaged and

available to meet the demands of the project as they arise. Work with established vendors that

have the experience and knowledge to contribute to the success of the project.

Schedule and EsmatesUnrealisc melines and inadequate resource allocaons reduce innovaon and create an

environment that is prone to errors. Oen, in an eort to compensate for schedule shoralls

me is cut from valuable phases of the project. Both the developer and the client are placedunder greater levels of stress as the need to deliver a high-quality soluon collides with the need

to close the project. To eliminate this risk, spend adequate me at the beginning of the projec

engaging experienced experts to develop realisc melines and idenfy resourcing needs.

Resource PoolProject teams that lack the necessary skillsets to complete the project are less likely to develop

innovave soluons or to idenfy areas that can be improved. In this situaon, the team is

less likely to be ready to respond to expanded scope requests. This leads to delayed project

compleon and overstresses project teams.

Idenfying areas of risk early in the project will reduce the likelihood that risks will develop into

shoralls or anomalies. Adequately address each of these areas to ensure the health of the

project.


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Four Success Factors for a Soware DevelopmentProject

Soware development projects are intense. They require the engagement of several, cross-

funconal resources all working toward a common goal. Relying on a few well-seasoned strategies

for ensuring success will ease the project development lifecycle and keep the most important

aspects in perspecve.

Dened ProcessThere are many soware development methodologies currently in the main stream. The bes

models are the result of a cross-funconal team eort to select the rules and guidelines that

will govern the project. Select a model that ts the objecves of the project and is conducive to

iterave design and requirements denion. Ensure that the chosen model is well-communicated

to all members of the team and the each member is prepared to follow the tenets it establishes

Eecve project management philosophies provide momentum to the team in mes o

uncertainty.

ExperienceThere is no match for the advice and input of an experienced subject maer expert. Solici

the advice of individuals who understand the environment and can oer the benet of pas

experiences. Individuals in this arena are poised to oer suggesons on feature inclusion and

provide the basis from which innovave soluons can be developed.

Resource AvailabilityTechnical exibility allows developers to quickly address requirement changes and assess the

impact on the total scope of the project. Look for team members that possess a working knowledge

of a variety of skills; this will make for a well-rounded team and minimize the probability thataddional members will need to be added to respond to new requirements.Form a pool o

resources that can be drawn upon in mes of increased demand. Demand could be in the form

of schedule constraints or increased requirements. The best development


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FlexibilityThe most important aspect of any soware development project is exibility. The iterave and

collaborave nature of soware development means that requirements and features may not be

realized unl late in the project. It is crucial that the development team is poised to handle such

requests and respond in a way that matches the momentum and vigor of previous phases of the

project. The management team must be prepared to revise the requirements of the project as

needed to produce the best possible soluon.

Work with a development rm that promotes exibility by allowing changes to the engagement

model to meet the project needs. This will allow for the addion of resources during crucia

moments. Schedule exibility allows developers to incorporate addional and revised

requirements with minimal impact on schedule.

Implementaon of a dened process ensures that the team will keep producing even when

presented with challenges and indecision. Engagement with experienced experts will streamline

schedules and quickly bring the best soluons to the forefront. The establishment of a superio

resource pool ensures adequate availability to meet deadlines and respond to developing

technical requirements. The exibility to simultaneously manage and respond to the uid

atmosphere of soware development contributes to team fulllmentand project success.

Documents

SAM RoadMap 2