It appears that development within the team has come to a halt and progress has slowed significantly. Could this be as a result of an internal issue or has something external caused this? Is it simply a lack of personnel or is there something more fundamental that needs to be addressed within the team or company?
The success or failure of development teams is highly dependent on their organisation and management. It is essential to establish these teams from the outset with clear objectives, values and approaches, so that they have the best chance of achieving the desired results for the business. Without such structures in place, progress may be hindered.
When creating or restructuring a development team, there are a number of factors that CEOs should consider. We have compiled a list of 10 such factors to ensure the team’s effectiveness.
Come with me as I explore several ways you may improve the odds of success for the development teams you employ and/or oversee.
Comprehension of Contemporary Business Concepts
The aim of your development teams is to produce work that meets the needs of your company. Every decision, task and line of code should be written with the company’s overall objectives in mind. As a manager, it is your responsibility to ensure that everyone understands the particular challenges of the industry. Avoid leaving your employees guessing, and instead ensure that these issues remain a priority so they can reach their long-term goals.
Expertise in a Specific Field
Having domain knowledge means that an individual has a specialised understanding of a certain subject. It is imperative that the development teams have an in-depth knowledge of their domain and how it links to the rest of the project, even if this specialist knowledge may result in stakeholders working in a disconnected manner. Ensuring that the developers understand what is expected of them, why they were recruited and how to complete their assigned tasks is essential for the success of the project.
Abilities in Technology
Our development teams require both specialist knowledge and excellent technical skills. It is not sufficient to simply find programmers who are proficient in Java; we need individuals who are experienced in the usage of associated frameworks, in front- and back-end development, in database integration, and in the efficient use of Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) for software development.
So, it’s not enough that your engineers can create good code; they also need to know how to use other technologies to boost efficiency.
Scalability
It is not enough for your team to be able to develop scalable applications; they must also be able to work effectively as a unit. As your business grows, you will likely need to add additional developers to your staff to ensure that workloads can be managed and flexibility is maintained. In such circumstances, your team’s capacity to welcome new members into their established routine will be tested.
You can’t expect your development teams to keep up with demand and keep your firm afloat if they can’t grow.
Engagement
The engineering groups must be invested in the work. It is essential that they demonstrate a commitment to the project and be fully dedicated to its successful completion, regardless of whether or not they are actively promoting it. If any developers on the team are not putting in their full effort, it will have an adverse effect on the whole team, management and clients.
It is essential to measure developer participation at regular intervals to ensure that issues are identified and addressed at an early stage when developers begin not taking an active interest in the project.
Inquiries and Replies
The development team should continually ask questions. Engineers should feel able to consult with designers, managers, other developers, COOs, CIOs, and CEOs at any stage of the process. It is essential, however, that the people being questioned are adequately informed about the subject. If the development team are repeatedly met with responses of “I don’t know”, they may become discouraged and stop asking questions. This could have a detrimental impact on the project.
Teamwork
The success and productivity of your development team depends not only on how well they work together, but also on their willingness to collaborate with other departments such as operations, IT, PR, marketing and HR. It is essential that these teams cooperate in order to achieve the desired results.
Communication
The ability of your development teams to communicate effectively amongst themselves and with external parties is key to successful collaboration. In addition to using tools such as Slack, Asana, ProofHub, Trello, email and texting, it is essential that all engineers feel comfortable presenting to a group and expressing their ideas, plans and progress. Without the capability to effectively communicate with other departments or external organisations, the capacity of your development teams to work together will be significantly hindered.
Automation
It is essential that your development teams utilise automation in order to remain competitive in the market and fulfil customer demands. By utilising automation in the software development lifecycle, numerous mundane and time-consuming tasks can be automated, resulting in greater consistency, accuracy and efficiency. Without automation, it will be difficult for your teams to keep up with the continuous demand for larger, better and faster deployments.
Documentation
Having good documentation is essential for the success of any development team, yet it is often overlooked in favour of more immediate tasks such as bug fixing. This lack of documentation can become a problem when members of the team leave or are replaced, as new personnel will struggle to understand applications and processes without this information.
If development teams are able to keep comprehensive records (both external and internal to the code), any developer should be able to take up the project from where it was left off as if they had been involved from the beginning.
Conclusion
Creating, retaining and leading a productive development team does not have to be challenging. By taking into consideration the following factors from the outset, your teams can be successful and efficient. It is important to bear in mind that every team and organisation will differ so this list should not be used as a definitive guide. If these points are adapted to the specific requirements of your organisation, you should have no problem in keeping your teams functioning optimally.
