Let’s see.

The terms “Proof of Concept” and “Prototype” describe the same thing. During the development of a new product, it passes through both stages on its way to its production.

However, they are not one and the same. There are very marked differences between their definitions and functions.

This article breaks down what the differences are between these stages. Readers will be able to choose which development model they will need, if not both.

POC – Proof of Concept

Overview

Proof of Concept (POC) is a development model used to test the feasibility of a concept. The POC happens long before application development.

The aim is to test assumptions in this stage. It’s the best way to validate conceptions about target users and the app construct itself.

Of course, if the concept is already available in the market, it’s possible to skip this step.

Developing a POC is a test of a theory or idea. Before starting a development project, find out if the product can actually be built.

Once a project passes a POC, it’s like a green light for the next phase of development. This ensures that there are fewer business risks and more project savings.

If an app or product development project fails the POC, the project will most likely be scrapped. Or the scope will significantly change before moving ahead.

The POC is an internal evaluation and never needs to be publicly available.

Usability

It is essential to manage the scope of a POC. If it’s too broad it will be difficult to make a clear determination.

A POC will only verify the functionality of one concept or a set of concepts. It’s not to determine the product usage viability or product application.

Usability and integration of the product are a whole other process. It is also a very time-intensive process.

Be very clear about what the purpose of the POC is before going into it. It identifies the product features before development and viability checks begin.

Here are a few reasons to initiate a Proof of Concept project:

• To stay competitive. It’s a cost-effective way to develop a unique product that can help you stay ahead of the competition.
• ID the correct path. Executing more than one POC using different technologies can reduce significant risks.
• Fund the project. The data acquired from a POC can help attract investors. People want proof before they invest funds.
• To save time and money. A brief POC project will reveal whether to move ahead with a project or not.

Why Build a Proof of Concept?

Funding the project may be at the top of the list for initiating a POC. With positive POC data, a project can quickly move ahead with little existing capital.

The concept development stage is an effective point at which to draw in stakeholders and investors. Startups, innovators, and entrepreneurs use the POC to validate ideas and propositions.

Indeed, a POC should be the first step in the development of any product or application. A POC is necessary for the following situations:

• To verify a product’s industrial utility in order to secure a preliminary investment.
• To substantiate the concept’s feasibility before beginning product development.
• If creating a new product with an untried and untested idea.
• If not implementing the previously applied technology in your industry.
• To share the product and concept with team members.

Prototype

Overview

Twitter’s prototype app: twttr

The Prototype stage comes after a product or application has passed the POC stage. It is a form of research that validates the design direction you will take with the product.

The prototype is a preliminary conceptualization of the working product. This stage helps flesh out the product’s look and feel.

It also tests how customers use and react to their user experience (UX).

Here is where people get confused because the prototype shares a similar purpose to the POC. It helps teams make decisions about product development and reduces the chance of error.

The POC scope is very tight, focusing on just one aspect of the product. Whereas a prototype is a working model of multiple aspects of a product.

A team will often build a prototype to test the product’s design, functionality, and usability. The prototype also helps them to discover any errors.

So, the prototype is much broader in scope than the POC.

Usability

The prototype stage is quite exciting. It’s when an actual working model gets developed.

Of course, this stage is also full of firsts. It’s the first model, first user attempt, and the inevitable first error.

Finding errors is not a bad thing. It is the purpose of building the prototype.

The benefits of designing a prototype are many, but here are a few of the best:

Gaining customer opinion

With a physical prototype, it is possible to get direct feedback from people. This input is vital to identify flaws, fix them, and continue with development.

Savings

Finding potential design flaws before product development helps prevent the need for reworks. Teams also avoid the costs that go with them.

Product testing.

To achieve the desired design functionality, developers can run multiple tests on the prototype.

Investment funds.

An attractive, professional prototype can help to nail down investor interest.

Why Build a Prototype?

The primary purpose of a prototype is to be able to test the product for errors and usability. It provides an opportunity to make needed changes before the product hits the market.

If necessary, it also makes it possible to release a new version or create a new prototype that does better.

Prototypes are also valuable real-world investigation tools. They help developers see how users interface with their products.

Do they understand the features? Can they navigate around the technology? Is it the best it can be?

For those with limited time and money to showcase product design and UX flow, building a prototype can help attract investors.

Ending thoughts on proof of concept vs prototype

Many startups fail due to a lack of forethought, research, and planning.

A Proof of Concept is a focused test on a specific design idea. It proves functionality and verifies concepts and theories.

These are then tested further in other stages. It determines if a project is feasible.

A working prototype allows a developer to test their concepts, theories, and product. They can see what the design will look like and how the navigation functions.

A prototype determines how to develop a project.

Choosing the correct development model helps save time and money. It enables developers to make their product a success.

If you enjoyed reading this article on proof of concept vs prototype, you should check out this one about the risk management process.

We also wrote about a few related subjects like how to pick an outstaffing company, nearshoring, startup consultants, startup press kit examples, types of investors, share options, London startups, gifting shares, best startup books, and MVP tests,

The post Proof of Concept Vs Prototype: The One You Actually Need Now appeared first on TMS.

Likewise today, businesses and app developers strive to make durable and appealing products. It is a challenge to create a quality product. It is also challenging to keep customers happy when releasing product improvements.

At any given time, an app will need several improvements. Teammates and customers will have various opinions about a product’s improvement. But product improvement will not make every customer happy. So a developer needs to pick his battles wisely. A collection of data can help to make an informed decision on product improvements.

The focus of any product improvement should be the needs of the users. The main priority is to create a better customer experience. And as with the Ford Model T, a product improvement may be a simple change to the design of the app. This keeps customers interested and engaged.

In this article created by TMS, we’re discussing some points which will help with product improvement for apps:

What is Product Improvement?

Product improvement is the process of making changes to enhance a product already on the market and increase its value. These changes result in new customers, better customer retention, and more satisfied customers.

Market research, product testing, customer feedback, and competition guide product improvement changes. There are two main ways to make product improvements. They are to add new product features or improve existing features.

Adding New Product Features

Adding new features expands the ability of the existing product and creates new use cases. A new marketing campaign may be undertaken along with the issuing of press releases. Often the publicity attracts new customers. Non-customers may hear of a product for the first time due to the new product features.

Adding new features, however, is risky. Developers need to be confident that customers will value the new feature. When building a new feature several factors should be taken into consideration. Consider:

• What people say they want
• What people really want
• What people are willing to pay

Improving Existing Features

There are several reasons to improve an existing feature. Perhaps users do not understand how to use the feature. Or some may not even know that the feature exists. But changing an existing feature can be tricky. Three ways to do so include deliberate improvements, frequency improvements, and adoption improvements.

Deliberate improvements are changes that make the feature better. Knowing why customers use the feature can prompt developers to make deliberate improvements. It’s also important to understand what customers appreciate about the feature.

Frequency improvements are changes that encourage consumers to use certain features more often. A feature that is infrequently activated requires a frequency improvement. This type of improvement transforms a feature into something that is used every day.

Adoption improvements target customers that do not use a feature at all. This type of improvement aims to get every user to employ the feature. For example, if only half of the customers use a calendar feature, adoption improvements strive to motivate everyone to use it. When it is evident that a change or integration will encourage everyone to use a feature then apply an adoption improvement.

How to Tell if a Product Needs an Improvement

When should an app be upgraded? The most obvious case is when bugs or performance issues arise. Successful apps update not only when something goes wrong, but at other times too. How does one tell when a product improvement is in order? Here is a complete list to help plan when to upgrade a product:

Performance Issues

The most important thing, after launching an app, is assessing how it performs. Many metrics need to be analyzed to determine overall performance. Look at bounce rates, average usage, and engagement levels. This will assist in discovering any performance issues.

Bug Fixes

Receiving bug reports is a developer’s nightmare. After testing and finally uploading the app to the market, it is frustrating to hear that it is not working. But every app has errors and real-life situations will bring those errors to light.

New App Design

If an app has been on the market for a long time it may be time to give it an upgrade. Redesigning or improving the experience the app provides keeps customers interested.

It creates excitement and encourages them to continue using the app. Some businesses make the mistake of focusing on improving only the aesthetics of a product. Consider both the aesthetics and customer experience to create an effective product improvement.

New App Features

Another reason to upgrade an app is to add new features. Trends come and go at a fast pace and businesses need to capitalize on them before it is too late. Adding new features to keep up with trends will encourage customers to keep using the app. It will also provide a thrill for customers. They can enjoy using the improved features before they knew they needed them.

Expanding to Other Platforms and Devices

Since there are so many different mobile devices and platforms, businesses have to launch apps that are compatible with all of them. Each platform and device works differently, so apps need to be tailored to work correctly. With constant advancements in technology, new devices are released at a rapid rate. This creates an ongoing product improvement battle to stay compatible with all devices.

User Feedback

In this world of social media, user feedback is abundant. Often customers leave reviews in the app store, on social media channels, and on business webpages. User feedback provides insights into how an app is performing in real-life situations. It also indicates what customers want. It is important to read these reviews and act on them by improving the product.

Ageing App Codebase

Many say that the mobile codebase ages fast. Technology is improving at rapid rates and new trends appear all the time. Businesses must plan frequent upgrades to keep pace with these new technologies and trends. In general, that means upgrading an app once every two years.

Latest Technological/Design Trends

New design trends are springing up at a rapid rate. Apps with new designs excite customers. Businesses strive hard to create a new look to attract more customers. When apps do not keep up with new trends customers leave. So, apps need to be upgraded to compete with these new designs.

Security

Security is another very important aspect of apps. Hackers are a constant danger and customers will leave if they feel like their information is unsafe. Offering the latest security measures will keep customers safe and instill confidence.

Stability

Last but not least, stability is another factor involved in making a product improvement. Customers will not stick around if an app crashes time and time again. App stability is an essential metric that determines the success of an app.

A Guide to Product Improvement

Product development and product improvement include some of the same processes. After developing a product it goes through the process of being tested and tweaked. Both product development and product improvement have the same goal of appealing to customers. Both processes strive to deliver a product that customers want. And in both processes, a developer needs to understand customer desires and how to fill them.

The following includes product improvement processes:

Track User Feedback

User feedback provides valuable insight into the desires of customers. It also provides a window into their behavior and expectations. So an important step in the product improvement process is to pay attention to user feedback and reviews.

Find the issues or patterns most often mentioned in user reviews. Then use that information to prioritize upgrades.

Businesses can take the additional step of conducting UX research. UX research is a more in-depth method of discovering what customers want. Combining the data from user feedback and UX research provides valuable information. It forms the foundation for creating a product focused on the needs and wants of customers.

Testing

Product testing is the process of evaluating the performance of a product. Designers do their best but it is hard to examine how a product will fare in real-world conditions.

Product testing employs real users to assess if a product performs well under realistic conditions.

It is impossible to create a perfectly functioning app the first time around. This is why testing and tweaking are so important. Continuous improvement will ensure the app meets the needs of users.

What are the benefits of product testing?

Testing a product will help one to:

1. Better understand the needs and preferences of customers
2. Identify the well functioning aspects of the product
3. Identify points of the product that need improvement
4. Assess if the product fulfills the needs of customers
5. Assess if customers understand how to use the product
6. Choose the best version of a solution in the case of 2 or more conflicting solutions
7. Test the reaction of the target audience

How to conduct successful product testing:

1. Benchmark existing core metrics
   • Depending on the app, metrics can range from active users and customer lifetime value to acquisition costs, conversion rates, churn, and retention rates.
2. Identify areas of improvement
3. Set clear goals
4. Test repeatedly
5. Keep a log of learnings
6. Apply those learnings to product optimization decisions
7. Readjust the product roadmap

Chart the Usage of the Product’s Features

Not every feature creates a wow factor. There will be some features that users barely notice. Tracking the usage of each feature provides data about how users flow through the app.

Map out the sequence of features that users should move through from beginning to end. This will identify any drop-offs or unsuccessful transactions. Several tools are available to help collect the data. This data shows the flow of the app, helping identify if and what product improvements are necessary.

Mapping the paths customers take within a product provides insight into how the app performs. Most likely there will be multiple paths within a product. Users will not all take the same path so it is best to focus on the paths followed by paying customers. Then make product improvements to enhance those areas first.

Mapping feature usage will give a clear representation of which features have performance issues and how users flow through the app. This data will help identify any required product improvement. It will also help to prioritize product improvements.

Immediately Prepare Bug-Fixing Updates

A developer’s job does not end once the app is available online. They have to watch, listen, and discover how the app is performing.

Teams need to be ready to address bugs, reports of crashing, and user concerns for an app to be successful.

More often than not, an app will have bugs that need addressing soon after release. Releasing bug fixes two to three days after an app’s launch will reduce criticisms and bad reviews.

Incorporate Expert Perspectives

A fresh set of eyes can provide a new perspective and helpful suggestions. Ask team members who were not involved in the development of the app or feature to review and test new updates. Expert evaluations can test an app and reveal what improvements may be necessary.

There are different types of expert evaluations. They include:

Heuristic Evaluation: This is a usability inspection. Evaluators examine the user interface design to identify any usability problems.

Heuristic Markup: Heuristic markup is a less formal method than heuristic evaluation. It is executed by internal employees. They navigate the product the way they expect a user to and review the performance.

Cognitive Walkthrough: This an approach to check product usability by completing tasks. Evaluators complete set tasks to ascertain if new users can understand and navigate the interface.

Conversion-oriented Evaluation: This method of evaluation estimates how many users will take the desired action. For example, it can determine the percentage of users that will purchase something on a website or app.

Content Audit: A content audit evaluates if the content and information on a website are up-to-date and usable.

UX Review: A UX review requires a professional to analyze a website or mobile app. They look for usability and user experience problems and suggest how to fix it. It is based on scientifically backed methods.

Keep a Regular Flow Of Updates

The most successful apps release between one and four updates a month. These updates include a mix of feature upgrades and bug fixes. Regularly providing updates ensures that your app stays up-to-date, reliable, and competitive.

Ending thoughts on product improvement

Keeping customers happy means consistently delivering value. And product improvement plays a major role in that.

There are many stages to improving products. First, one needs to come up with a concept, organize a strategy, and seek approval from stakeholders. The next steps include building a prototype and then conducting extensive testing. Unfortunately, it is an expensive and complicated process.

If you enjoyed reading this article on product improvement, you should read these as well:

• How To Create a Process For Your Development Team to Follow
• What Is A Project Management Framework? (Must Read)
• How To Write An RFP: Guide On Software Development Request For A Proposal

The post The Ultimate Product Improvement Guide for Your App appeared first on TMS.

Having an intuitive and responsive website that offers immersive browsing and customer experience is great leverage for businesses to widen their client reach and improve brand awareness.

Also, there are online branding strategies that can have a great impact on the brand itself. To have a well-functioning website, a business must optimize web development to help generate leads, and hire a team of web developers.

This article created by our team at TMS will provide key information on how to hire a web developer.

In-House Web Development

In-house web development requires businesses to include web developers in their regular workforce. Having in-house web developers is ideal for businesses with web projects that need full-time support. It helps business owners to build a unique and robust online platform or web application for their products and services. Hiring in-house is also perfect for those who plan to scale up their business and introduce advanced functionalities aside from basic customer relationship management (CRM).

Web developers are divided into three different types, the front-end, the back-end, and the full-stack developers. It is important to understand their differences to know which type of web developer you need for your business.

Front-End Developers

Front-end web developers are responsible for the slight modifications to the “front” of a website or the part that visitors usually see and interact with. They make changes to the web design and layout to make sure that the website stays responsive and organized when viewed on different devices.

Although the functions seem similar, take note that front-end developers are different from web designers. Web designers are more focused on the visual design, overall appearance, user experience of a website. They create the design components or visual elements that will be used on a website such as a layout, color scheme, theme, and more.

Using HTML, CSS, Javascript, and other coding languages, web developers make sure that the design is not only visually stunning but functional as well.

Front-end web developers have a particular skillset. They can code front-end mockups created by designers, and engage visitors to provide feedback to improve the interface.

Back-End Developers

On the other hand, a back-end web developer performs one of the fundamental roles in web development. Back-end developers usually work behind the scenes or the front-end. They design and create the website structure, and make sure that the website is running smoothly. A few of their tasks include solving technical issues, integrating third-party services, streamlining dataflow, and improving the load speed of the website.

Back-end developers utilize coding tools such as PHP, Python, Ruby, Java, and database languages like MongoDB, MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, and more. They design and optimize databases according to business needs and other requirements. They code any changes in the data using the database languages before sending them back to the front-end.

Full-Stack Developers

Full-stack web developers are often called the “Superman” or the “Superwoman” because they can work either at the front-end or back-end of a website. They are often preferred by small businesses and start-ups with limited resources because it’s more practical to pay one specialist for two separate jobs. Since they have a wider skill set, they usually have higher hourly rates than front-end and back-end developers.

What are the Advantages of Hiring a Web Developer?

Before diving into the meaty part of how to hire a web developer, let’s look at the advantages of hiring one.

Aside from the fact that web development is a time-intensive and highly skilled endeavor, hiring a web developer will help you in the following areas:

A team of in-house web developers will help you focus on tasks other than web development services. Since they are part of your regular workforce and daily business operations, they will have a clearer understanding of your business needs, allowing them to provide you with the most appropriate web development solutions.

As a business owner, it enables you to set your annual company budget and manage organizational workflow effectively. It gives you wider control of your business. You can also use your web development team to guide you through decision-making processes to have a broader set of ideas and concepts for your business, and ensure the success of your project.

How To Choose the Right Developer for Your Business?

Always keep in mind that full-time web developers are like employees for your website. They are responsible for the daily management and maintenance of your website. Hiring an expert for your team can be challenging especially if you have no prior experience of the position and its responsibilities. Resumes can help simplify the selection process, but a resume can’t tell you if the skills indicated are up to your standards.

Recruitment is a crucial process for every business, and choosing the right person to work with can be very challenging. So, how do you know if the applicant is the right web developer for your business?

There are steps that can help you improve your chances of hiring the perfect web developer.

Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Web Developer

It is always important to make your goals and requirements clear for your business project before adding new members to your professional team. To guide you in the right direction, you must answer these fundamental questions:

Is this a newly created position?

Make sure that you are hiring a new person for a completely new role to avoid paying a premium salary for a job that’s already existing in your company.

Is the workload consistent from day to day?

Study and analyze your digital marketing needs throughout the year to know if it’s really a regular job and if they can work at 100% capacity during seasonal promotions for example. Are you busy during the holidays? Do you have quarterly promotions? Or do you need to promote large company events?

Do you have the budget to hire the person or team you need?

The company budget is the most important factor to consider before proceeding to hire an in-house web development team. Which is the more practical and cost-effective option for the company? To outsource a web development agency or pay a salaried employee? Please make sure to consider the pros, the cons, and the requirements such as vacation pay, health insurance, and retirement benefits when making a thorough comparison between the two options.

Questions to Ask Web Developer Candidates

If you answered ‘yes’ to all the previous questions, then you can proceed with hiring web developers. The following are key questions that can help you assess an applicant’s technical abilities, soft skills, and other essential traits, along with the usual questions during job interviews. 

Please describe three web development projects that you recently worked on. What were the most interesting and challenging parts?

This question will help you determine a candidate’s attitude towards working on web development projects. Listen to their answers carefully. Take note of the most interesting and the most challenging parts for them. If the candidate is passionate about the job and loves to successfully take on challenges, then the person is right for the team.

What new programming languages or technologies have you learned recently?

Being able to adapt to changes and innovations in technology is one of the key characteristics of a good web developer. Web developers must always be willing to learn new programming languages to improve their skill set.

What web platforms do you have experience with? Which one(s) do you like most, and why?

There is a wide variety of website builders and eCommerce platforms like Magento, WordPress, Shopify, Wix, and more. Take note of the web platforms that the candidate prefers the most. The question will help you determine the extent of the candidate’s experiences and skillsets. It will also show if the candidate knows the advantages and disadvantages of using such web platforms.

What is your production timeline?

The candidate’s answer to this question will tell you a lot about his or her time management skills. It will help you determine how fast and efficient a candidate is in delivering daily tasks without compromising the quality.

What kind of research do you conduct before you start building the website?

This question will help you determine the candidate’s level of professionalism. If the candidate always includes and values research in the website development process, then this displays the candidate’s determination to build a website with the best quality and carry out web projects successfully.

How comfortable are you with writing HTML entirely by hand? (Conduct an exercise afterward)

As we have mentioned, resumes don’t always reflect a person’s real technical abilities. Many web developers claim to be HTML experts, yet they are not comfortable with writing an HTML document by hand.

As a business owner, of course, you want to get your money’s worth and receive the best value possible. So, you have to make sure you are paying a premium salary to a web developer that can write a basic HTML document without needing any external resources.

As for the exercise, provide a sample of a website then ask the candidate to write the HTML for it.

What is the W3C and what does it do?

When developing a website, it is important that it meets web standards. Ask this question to know if they are familiar with the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). They don’t have to state the mission and vision of the W3C, but any web developer must at least know the Consortium.

What are a few of your favorite development tools and why?

Ask the candidate to name a few of his preferred development tools. If the answer includes Notepad, then you may look for another suitable candidate. This question will help you gauge the candidate’s level of competence. You also want to make sure that the candidate is capable of working with the development tools used in the company.

Provide a problem or an extremely challenging task that you have encountered before, and describe how you solved it.

This question will enable you to assess and learn about a candidate’s problem-solving skills. Listen to the candidate’s past experiences and how he or she came up with the solution to the problem. You may also provide at least one hypothetical situation that might occur while doing the job, and evaluate the candidate’s approach to such a complex situation. It will help you determine whether or not the candidate is results-oriented.

We have a lot more interview questions depending on the type of developer that you are looking for:

• Top Python Interview Questions and Answers
• Node.js Interview Questions You’ll Need to Answer
• WordPress interview questions you need the answers to
• Web Developer Interview Questions

How to Hire a Web Developer: Decide on the Developer’s Skills

Web developers are engineers who use codes to create almost any website from the ground up, but that doesn’t mean that they are also good at designing websites. This sets them apart from web designers. Thus, web developers are often partnered with web designers to make a promising team.

Web developers have a broader coding knowledge than web designers because they also use advanced software languages like PHP and Python thus, they are capable of creating complex website layouts, fixing bugs, and integrating data from back-end services and database systems which are completely different skill sets from that of web designers.

These are only a few of the fundamental skills that an average web developer should possess, otherwise, you may continue searching for candidates with stronger web developer skills.

Projects They Have Worked On

Another way of choosing the right developer is by looking through the t candidates’ previous projects. You may require candidates to provide you with a portfolio of their past web projects, or access to their live work. This will help you evaluate the functionality of the websites they created, and determine if their skills are up to your company’s needs and standards.

You may also ask them if they own a blog site, an online portfolio of the websites and UX designs they developed, code samples of a solution that they are proud of, and a reusable widget or system.

Signs to Hire Them On The Spot

Having a clearer set of goals for the project will enable you now to create the profile of an ideal web developer you need in your business. A pro tip is to build the profile based on aptitudes, not on tasks and skills. Realizing the potentials of a web developer helps you choose the right person for the job.

To help you with profiling, consider the following signs to look out for when hiring web developers. The first sign is if they offer you multiple solutions for your business without prior order. One way to determine if a web developer values the quality of a website is to check if he keeps track of the solutions he created, takes the courage to address minor issues on the test, and refactor codes to improve the framework.

Web development is not a one-man job. It usually requires a collaborative effort, thus a web developer must be a great team player. Lastly, a great web developer is always willing to learn and master new technologies.

Reconstruct your question to elicit more valuable answers like a person’s disposition on certain matters instead of common interview questions. For example, instead of asking “Do you know Magento?” try changing it to “How do you feel about learning Magento or other web platforms?”.

Ending thoughts on how to hire a web developer

Before hiring a web developer, it is always important to have a clear vision of what you want to achieve for your business. Assess the resources and content marketing needs of your business. Ask yourself fundamental questions such as, “Do you have the budget to hire an in-house web development team or outsource a web development agency?” and more.

If you plan to hire an in-house web development team, this article has provided you with key information to help you choose the right person for the team.

If you enjoyed reading this article on how to hire a web developer, you should check out this one about what a software development budget implies.

We also wrote about a few related subjects like how to write an RFP, ALM tools, hire a web development team, application lifecycle management, and web development companies in Serbia.

The post How To Hire A Web Developer For Your In-House Team appeared first on TMS.

Also, writing superior requests results in avoiding problems further down the development road.  These problems could include delayed software release dates, exceeding budgets, or other complicated issues. Making one good RPF template can make life much easier in the present and reduce stress in the future.

Writing a request for proposal is not an easy task for most business owners. Whichever format you use,  whether it is for a mobile app, a website, a desktop application, middleware, or a small website redesign, the problems are similar. To help with designing a proposal, this article created by our team at TMS highlights the structure, expert advice, and practical tips on how to write an RFP for outsourcing a tech project.

What is an RFP?

Image source

Before diving into our subject of how to write an RFP, let’s discuss what it is.

Before choosing a development firm, the requesting company will write a request for development. This applies to software applications, but it could be anything. An RFP outlines the details of the project, requirements, deliverables, and timelines. Companies that offer the desired product or service then prepare quotes based on the request.

With the different bids in hand, the requesting company will choose a company by approving the bid. Besides that, they can see whether it is best to go for a Time & Material or a fixed price billing option.

What is the main objective of an RFP? It is to be able to compare bids and strategies to get as much information as possible. It can also reveal weak points in the request or details that before went unnoticed.

An RFP presents the company to potential partners, so composing them correctly is important. A well-crafted request will return quality proposals, smooth-running projects, and ultimately better results.

Who would write an RFP?

You could have several choices for the right person to write the request. It depends on the size of the project and the makeup of the team. For instance, it could be a project manager with the help of some subject-specific experts. Most of the time, the same people are later involved in evaluating the bids and the project itself.

In the case of software development, preparing an RFP is the result of teamwork. The main writer can be a business analyst, a product or project manager, or the product owner,. They will need input from team members that have an understanding of the technical aspects of the project. Of course, the exact way in which an RFP is detailed differs with each company.

Things work best when those who play a major role in the project are involved in preparing the request. Most software developers work according to the AGILE methodology, so it is practical to consider this in the RFP too.

What should be in an RFP?

Although there are no strict rules about what to put in an RFP, there are some common elements. It is important that the right amount of information is given, not too much and not too little.

With too little information it becomes difficult to make an informed decision on whether a vendor is qualified and able to do the job. Too many details and demands can scare potential vendors off from taking on the project. In deciding how much information to provide, it is necessary to examine the specific needs to make the right decision.

1.   The Executive Summary and Company Description

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The executive summary is a brief overview of the project’s goals, requirements, limitations, and target service providers. This summary should be concise and specific. Adding background information about the requesting company is helpful. In this way, the readers are better able to get an idea of the needs of the organization.

The company description mentions what it does, what its values are, what is special about the company, and about the product. Perhaps, the reader has never heard of the company or what it does and the website may not give those details.

Some requests for proposal contain the standard question: Present yourself as a company and why you fit this project? This is a rather vague question and will not likely return a helpful answer. Therefore, questions about the vendor’s background and qualifications must be more specific. The following are some questions that require a specific answer that help in selecting the best option.

• How long have you been in business?
• How is your company organized?
• What industries do you engage in?
• What is your client retention rate? How many projects do you have per client?
• What is your current headcount? What was your headcount last year?
• How many projects have you completed in the last three years? 

2.   Project Goals

When describing the project goals there are some things to keep clear in mind:

The goals should not be described in general terms. For example, the purpose of creating a website is not just to sell a product, or to interact with customers. It should rather be described in such terms as to promote omnichannel interaction with customers, or reduce cost and increase turnover.

Whenever quantitative goals should be set, they should be either final company goals or express the desired direction.

3.   Budget

It is recommended to include a budget in the RFP. If a vendor knows how much a company is willing or able to spend on the project it is much more likely that they will go ahead and propose their offer.

Including a budget will give both sides security during further negotiations. The requesting company knows what they can offer and may be able to adjust timeframes. Likewise, the vendor can determine whether it is possible to complete the project within the proposed time and budget. It is better to not accept a project than fail to meet a deadline or run over budget.

4.   Technical Requirements

Before starting the project, the technical requirements are not always clear. Nonetheless, in this section, the technical details must be described as clearly as possible.

A website is limited in the terms of any technical software. Deliverables are therefore described in those words. Here some common technical requirements:

• Ecommerce: Is the application for selling products, or only for charging debit cards? A web retail business requires a shopping cart, inventory control, and shipping calculators. A nonprofit organization only wants (recurring) donations.
• Content Management System: Is the project limited to a specific provider, like WordPress or Drupal? Or is the choice open?
• Backend Programming Language: Is there a limitation regarding the specific language? Or is it compatible with, for example, PHP, Python, or Ruby?
• Third-Party Software Integrations: Does the requesting company use third party companies? These are often used for accounting, email newsletters, CRM, intranet, inventory, and marketing.
• User Accounts: Is the site freely accessible, or are certain parts reserved for members with a password? This could be for members that have submitted their password, or after paying a certain fee.
• Mobile Responsive Design: Mobile responsiveness is a common requirement, but it is still advisable to include it.

5.   Response Timeline

A timeline is not always defined in detail. In some cases, there are clear deadlines, such as the launch of a new product, an advertisement campaign, or a special event. It is necessary to specify any calendarial requirements for the prospective vendors.

Another point that falls under this section is whether the team members must work on the project full-time, or is part-time acceptable? Can the vendor make use of freelancers and sub-contractors? What is the deadline for vendors for submitting their proposals? Also, details about semi-finalists, interview procedures, and final selections should be provided.

It is good to ask what specific details are important for the project. It could be the names, titles, and experience of the people involved. Often, the teams are very well defined for small companies. In the case of larger teams, the individuals likely change according to the vendor’s needs.

6.   Benefits

This section summarizes how the project will increase business value. This can be done in any format, such as organized in bullet points.

Return on Investment (ROI) is difficult to measure. Before the implementation of a tool, it is not exactly known how it will help a business to change and grow. During its lifetime new modules may have to be added or modified.

Although ROI is not known in detail from the start, most business leaders demand transparency when it comes to the benefits to the company. So the estimates should be founded on best projections and educated estimates.

In a worst-case scenario, the investment may not be fully returned. Still, in the benefits section transparency and realism should be packed in positive words.

7.   Possible Constraints

Possible constraints include limited resources or custom factors. It helps vendors to decide if they are willing and able to take on the project. It is an effective way of determining offers that are not able to successfully finish the project. On the other hand, the ones that are qualified will come to the fore.

During software development as many problems as possible need to be avoided or at least anticipated. It could become apparent that infrastructure needs updating. Or that more personnel or different skill sets are needed. Analyzing these shortcomings will help to get an idea of what is required from a vendor.

Any roadblock should be listed under this section, both realized and the potential ones. Included can be equipment or plant limitations. Some plants close down at least once a year for maintenance.

Do not ignore constraints or obstacles, but do not make them bigger than necessary. Mention them honestly and provide solutions and alternatives.

8.   Letter of Interest

Especially in software development, intellectual property is very important. The idea behind an application that does not have market precedence can be worth millions. Usually, it is up to a company to make its RFP public or not.

A letter of interest can cover many of the questions involving confidentiality. It can for instance specify with whom the information can be shared, require an answer, and limit risks.

Therefore, letters of interest are very commonly employed. In the first place, it includes a business introduction, project description, and deadlines. It mainly serves to establish contact with potential vendors. Then a preselection is made. More sensitive details about the software can then be shared with a selected group of service providers.

Reviewing Process

A final choice is made by reviewing the responses to the RFPs and additional questions and interviews of the selected candidates. Before reviewing all the information it is beneficial to establish a scoring system. Analyzing the answers in this way can reveal patterns and details even in similar bids.

One scoring method is based on assigning a score (for example 1-10) to each point and question in the RFP. Depending on how much an answer aligns with the needs of the company a score is awarded. The bids with the highest number of points are then selected.

Tips

The tips can help to understand what are the best practices and to be more effective in composing an RFP for software development purposes.

Be to the Point

The point of an RFP is to find the development solution that suits all the needs. If the request is not clear or does not come to the point, the potential partners have no way of knowing whether they can provide what is needed.

Deployment Method

There are different ways to host software. It can be installed on the company’s servers, or it can be hosted externally, on a cloud. It is important to know what is needed and express that need in the RFP.

Collaborate

Finding a solution requires you to know and understand the problem. So, before requesting help by issuing an RFP, familiarization with the issue is important. That involves talking and working with the people that are closely involved with the issue.

IT Infrastructure and Technical Requirements

IT experts are of much value in understanding and getting to know the problems and details.

Library of Standard Questions, Sections, and Templates

Every problem requires a unique solution. That means that every request for proposal will be slightly different. Still, some questions and sections will be similar or the same. Technical details will likely differ. But details about evaluation, customer success, and terms and conditions will probably be indistinguishable.

Needs and Wants

What is essential for the minimal viable product (MVP)? Are there things that would be nice but are not indispensable to finish the project successfully?

Multi-Step Processes

Most of the time, RFPs serve a very specific purpose. Although fulfilling all needs at once sounds appealing, it is usually not realistic or even practical. A multi-step solution may be much more desirable.

Inviting Too Many Vendors

This sounds tempting, but receiving too many bids at a time can become overwhelming. With some forethought, a preselection of potential partners can be made.

Transparency

Strive to be as clear and open as possible. Unclear RFPs only lead to frustrated vendors, or even confusion and difficulties once the project is started.

Visuals

The clearer an RFP, the more useful the responses will be. To show how the final product is envisioned add mock-ups and screenshots whenever possible. It will give the vendor a much clearer idea of what is being asked of them.

Patience

It takes a vendor time to come up with their bid. For bigger projects, this can take several weeks. So, if there is a deadline involved, make sure not to send the RFP at the last moment. Allow a vendor time to thoroughly go over the request and prepare a realistic offer. The determinations made at this point, create the course and outcome of the project.

Ending thoughts on how to write an RFP

Requests for proposals play a very important role in software projects and it is important to know how to write an RFP. There are so many things that can be included in a request that it can get complicated. The objective of this article is to provide help and information about how to write an effective RFP.

The most essential elements were discussed. It might not include every possible scenario, but any vendor would be happy to review an RFP that includes these sections. It will show a serious and thorough project. A clearly written request will show the vendor exactly what you are looking for and that you are determined to make it a success.

It may seem daunting, but a good software development RFP is not hard to compose. All of this becomes much easier if the reason for writing the request is clear.

It needs a purpose that can be used to the company’s advantage. Involve the team and include their input. The potential partner can then show how they can contribute to reaching the goal.

If you enjoyed reading this article on how to write an RFP, you should check out this one about software development budget.

We also wrote about a few related subjects like how to hire a web developer, ALM tools, hire a web development team, application lifecycle management and web development companies in Serbia.

The post How To Write An RFP: Guide On Software Development Request For A Proposal appeared first on TMS.

ALM is a blanket term for different processes involved in software development, from project management, software testing, and quality assurance, to delivery of IT services to customers.

This article created by our team at TMS will provide you with key information to further understand what ALM tools are — what they do, what benefits they give, and what a good ALM device should offer.

Functions of ALM Tools:

Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) pertains to the management of application delivery, from outlining its initial concepts and requirements through to its maintenance. The primary idea is to report and track any progress made to an application throughout its development.

ALM is likewise a part of project management systems. ALM tools provide analytics or insights to the workflow between development teams. These tools are utilized to automate cycles in software development.

Unlike other software management tools, ALM software centralizes various controls and processes into a single platform.

Thus, ALM tools are commonly sold as software suites composed of a few modules or segments. These modules can be integrated to give a standardized environment that supports business organizations throughout the application lifecycle. It provides businesses the capacity to manage and track processes in application development.

Leading ALM Tools

The following are a few of the leading ALM tools used in the IT industry together with their key features:

Jama Software

Jama Software is the leading solution for risk and requirement management. Its latest ALM tool, Jama Connect, enables automotive development teams to create safety-critical products with improved functionality and lesser risks. Jama Software allows engineering teams to create and implement test plans that are primarily based on requirements. It helps track progress, and it ensures quality, safety, and compliance by analyzing risks in the process.

Jama Software highlights requirements, tests, and risk management. Its traceability lets the team adapt and respond to rapid changes in requirements throughout the product development cycle, which helps improve team collaboration and project outcomes.

Rommana ALM

Rommana Software is one of the leading integrated application lifecycle managers in the market.

It claims to be the premier ALM tool, with the best requirement tool, and Cloud solution. Rommana is accessible through Cloud membership which allows teams to access project data anywhere and anytime. The most salient features of Rommana are its integration and traceability, through the implementation of key tools such as requirement and user story tools, change and test management tools, project management, and team collaboration tools.

Microsoft Power Platform

Microsoft Power Platform is a business application platform that offers apps such as Power BI, Power Apps, Power Automate, Power Virtual Agents, and Azure DevOps to provide business solutions. These tools aid businesses with an inclusive platform that allows them to increase business productivity, convert concepts into organizational solutions, improve decision-making, and more.

Rational

IBM’s Rational comes up with a full range of software offerings that provide technologies that help businesses optimize gains. Numerous leading companies are now utilizing items in this suite such as ClearCase. IBM Rational items implement both Agile and Waterfall approaches and coordinate with IBM Tivoli to help integration.

These revolve around IBM items, thus incorporating various cycles.

Tuleap

Tuleap presents itself as open-source software for Agile management and DevOps. It offers an integrated platform for project management, issue tracker, and software development tools that help businesses manage software projects and track progress in one solution. Tuleap can be set up according to preferred disciplines (Scrum, Kanban, Waterfall) and allows development teams to work with different tools such as Git, Jenkins, Eclipse, and so forth. Its advanced technology also features cloud access.

Tuleap provides end-to-end traceability of a software project from the initial plan up to the delivery.

Polarion ALM

Polarion ALM from Siemens claims to provide a Unified Solution for requirements, coding, testing, and release to refine workflow and application development processes. The core functionalities of Polarion include team collaboration, requirement traceability, and reuse of project data. It also implements Open APIs and other integrations to maximize its functions.

Polarion ALM enables businesses to create innovations and adapt to modern software development environments by providing transparent, real-time solutions.

Salient features of Polarion ALM include change and configuration management, test and quality management, as well as issue and risk management.

CodeBeamer

CodeBeamer is another integrated ALM platform. Its core functionalities include requirements management, Quality Assurance, and test management, software development, risk management, and more. It offers end-to-end traceability and a unified platform for product development.

CodeBeamer is integrated with tools such as MS Office, JIRA, IBM Rational DOORS, REST API, and other out-of-the-box integrations.

It enables product developers to streamline processes across DevOps lifecycle. Its robust features also allow teams to manage requirements, facilitate workflows, strengthen team collaboration, and analyze risks to ensure regulatory compliance.

Rally Software

Rally Software is an ALM platform from Broadcom that scales agile development practices by design. It aligns development work with key business objectives to produce project outcomes. It also allows teams to effectively manage dependencies and risks by providing an extensive list of progress and alignment, to aid their decision making.

Rally Software can be accessed through browsers such as Chrome and Safari, and software like Windows or Linux. This ALM tool aims to aid small to mid-sized organizations with a proper agile framework to optimize business.

Visure

Visure Requirements is a centralized ALM platform for requirement management. It provides environment support to core development processes like risk management, test management, issue tracking, and change management. This ALM tool captures all elements of requirements management, including item programming, inserted programming, electrical, mechanical and equipment necessities, and venture IT improvement.

Visure is a flexible requirements lifecycle management solution, intended to help clients define, support, and enforce simple to complex requirements processes.

Microfocus ALM / Quality Center

Microfocus ALM provides business groups with a comprehensive ALM platform, which accelerates the delivery of new software products. With its requirements management, it’s easier to identify, manage, and track requirements and work progress throughout the application’s lifecycle.

VersionOne

VersionOne is a centralized platform built for Agile and lean software development. It allows teams to scale Agile across different levels with its simple to scale, drag-and-drop feature.

VersionOne has other innovative features. It provides a more customized interface, prioritizes user stories, and helps identify business targets and potential product issues. It also provides project outcomes based on business objectives. VersionOne unifies all teams and elements in one enterprise Agile platform, controls processes, and organizes workflows.

Relution

Relution is an ALM tool for mobile app production and mobile device management. It supports leading software platforms such as iOS, Android, and Windows. Overall, this ALM tool is easy to use.

It secures smartphones and tablets by providing restrictions on application access. It is compatible with iOS, Android, and Windows platforms, and it improves efficiency and product quality.

Micro Focus

Micro Focus became one of the largest software companies in the world after merging with HP Enterprise. Micro Focus offers tools that integrate.

Micro Focus ALM is integrated with Lean, Agile, and DevOps software tools to accelerate software development. This ALM tool provides small to large-scale businesses with fast, secured, and predictive digital transformation solutions. The ALM tool was originally designed by Mercury and was later obtained by HP before finally taken over by MicroFocus.

Micro Focus delivers applications with speed and quality. It guarantees collaboration and business productivity and it provides support, visibility, and out-of-the-box integrations for application lifecycle. It allows essential task examination and successful administration.

SwiftALM

SwiftALM is a product lifecycle management software that offers innovative features for managing traditional to Agile product development projects in the Global Delivery Model. Its key features also include advanced search and analytics which help improve business productivity, product quality, and work performance.

Swift ALM facilitates resources, controls processes, organizes projects and restricts access to plans and reports. It has integrated support for Agile and Scrum software development. It also has a flexible application structure to support various end-users. Lastly, it provides advanced search and analytics technologies to enhance business productivity, product quality, and software delivery.

Helix ALM

Helix ALM helps business organizations streamline development and deliver quality products with speed and mitigated risk thanks to its feature modules dedicated to requirements management (Helix RM), test case management (Helix TCM), and issue management (Helix IM). These modules give the software its exceptional end-to-end traceability.

The latest key features of Helix ALM introduce the improved network and flexible reporting options to Microsoft Excel. It also comes with an upgraded version of Helix ALM Web which allows users to edit, attach, and export Helix ALM data.

JIRA Software

JIRA Software from Atlassian is a notable ALM tool built for agile software development teams. It allows them to plan, track, and release software products. JIRA provides substantial planning features such as Scrum and Kanban which ensures flexibility in creating plans that match with business objectives.

IRA is one of the leading ALM tools used by various business groups. It enables users to create stories, track issues, build plans, manage projects, organize workflow, release quality products with confidence, export Jira to google sheets, and improve team performance with visual data. JIRA equips software teams with innovative tools to improve their development workflow and help them with other tasks.

SpiraTeam

SpiraTeam is another ALM tool that specializes in requirements, projects, tests, and source code management. It allows development teams to manage a project from requirements, user stories, test cases, Quality Assurance, and bugs.

Code Review Bundle

Code Review Bundle is a set of code inspection tools that aid in the understanding of programmer’s decisions and improvement of the project code quality.

Code Review Bundle works with Visual Studio. It offers features like code folding and files merging. It also improves the code base through comments and discussion.

Panaya Release Dynamix

Panaya Release Dynamix (RDx) is a cloud ALM solution that aims to help IT organizations with continuous delivery of innovation and real-time application changes while meeting business requirements.

Release Dynamix allows organizations to see and manage the whole application lifecycle. This enables them to adapt to complex IT environments by rapid delivery of changes from conception through validation. It also allows them to create innovations with reduced risks.

Target Process

Target Process is a visual ALM tool that creates Agile software, and incorporates more than 60 applications through the Integration Hub. These applications include GitLab, GitHub, Bitbucket, Microsoft Project Server, Jenkins, JIRA, VersionOne, Blueprint, IBM Rational Quality Manager, Ansible, Puppet, and Salt.

Target Process is accessible through Android and iOS gadgets, allowing clients to keep track of their progress, plan, and work with issues directly from their mobile phones.

DevSuite

TechExcel’s DevSuite is an integrated ALM software that is simple to use. DevSuite’s software tools can either function independently or integrate with other tools for better traceability. TechExcel’s devices additionally uphold Oracle, MySQL, and Microsoft Access information bases. The product screens and controls all cycles of the application.

DevSuite highlights its adaptability to various types of product development. It can be enhanced to assist in project and portfolio management of different product development projects. It improves product quality with its full traceability. It manages and keeps track of multiple workflows and processes as it also detects any defects. Furthermore, it is versatile and offers a better perspective on product development.

Planview Leankit

Planview Leankit is a Kanban software tool that empowers teams with better visualization of work and processes to effectively implement Lean management principles, thus improving work productivity and delivery. Aside from online Kanban sheets, it also features real-time work status, customized interface, cross-team collaboration, testing, and enterprise integrations.

Ending thoughts on these ALM Tools

We have now provided you a refined list of leading ALM tools and business solutions.

Time and effort are also fundamental to fully maximize the functions of ALM software suites. There is a growing pressure for organizations to settle on a single ALM tool.

One of the most effective ways to determine the right ALM tool for a company is to make a use case. To create this, a company must make a clear outline of its business targets, existing issues, and potential challenges.

If you enjoyed reading this article on the best ALM tools, you should check out this one about software development budget.

We also wrote about a few related subjects like how to hire a web developer, how to write an RFP, hire a web development team, application lifecycle management and web development companies in Serbia.

The post The Best ALM Tools That Will Help You Deliver Better Projects appeared first on TMS.

This structured plan enables all involved to keep on track with the project. It also explains everyone’s responsibility to ensure the success of the project. A designated project manager manages the project from start to finish.

Project Management Framework includes three major parts: lifecycle, control cycle, and tools. These are necessary for implementing and completing a project.

Project Management Framework

What is the framework? It enables the use of more effective strategies. It establishes a common language to be used so that all can understand one another.

Framework also allows for more flexibility. As a project progresses, the possibility of an earlier completion may arise. Working with a variety of professionals allows the key personnel to better manage the project.

There are a variety of frameworks. Each has its defined methodology. This article created by our team at TMS, will discuss a few of those available. The analysis will help project managers to choose the framework that is best for their project.

Seven Effective Project Management Frameworks

The project management framework chosen depends on the size of the organization, type of work, budget, industry, and timeframe. Listed below are seven different types of frameworks.

Prince2

Prince2 is a project management framework program and methodology. It divides the project into controllable steps. The training module is available in a variety of languages.

This framework was originally developed as a UK government standard for IT project management. Its phases consist of business case analysis, organization, quality, plan, risks, change, and progress.

CCPM

The methodology focuses on people, resources, and physical spacing. The Critical Chain Project Management program is noted for helping to complete projects faster. This is due to the rigid scheduling of tasks.

As a result, CCPM cuts back on project costs which is beneficial for those working within a strict budget.

Lean

The lean project management framework focuses on delivering quality service by using resources efficiently. Its methodology is derived from the Toyota Production System (TPS). TPS focuses on creating less waste and providing quality products to the consumer.

Agile

The agile project management framework aims to provide maximum value to clients within the desired timeframe and budget. It allows for flexibility. There is no need for extensive planning before the project starts.

The project manager collaborates with the Stakeholders throughout the project. This allows them to make adjustments along the way.

Waterfall

The waterfall is a more traditional framework with tasks carried out in phases. One phase must be completed before starting the next one. Waterfall outlines a defined planning framework with all phases taking place in exact order.

Scrum

Scrum project management framework is good for small projects. There is no complex planning needed before the project starts. The team meets daily to discuss tasks and any roadblocks to overcome. Tasks are accomplished in short succession.

XPM

Managing complex projects in complex environments is known as Extreme Project Management (XPM). XPM is perfect for those who expect unstable circumstances during the project.

Before starting the project, the project manager invites Stakeholders to a meeting. The object of this is to discuss the project plans, as well as any unexpected situations that could arise.

Major Components of a Project Management Framework

The three major components of PM are lifecycle, control cycle, and tools.

The lifecycle consists of five processes. These are: Initiation process, planning process, execution process, monitoring process, and project closing process.

• The initiation process is the starting point. Discussion of the project goal begins. The viability of the business case is determined when the Project Manager meets with the Stakeholders.
• In the planning process, the project goals are defined. There are two types of goals: Smart goals and Clear goals. Smart goals are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. Clear goals are collaborative, limited, emotional, obvious, and refinable. This stage also involves the discussion of roles and responsibilities.
• During the execution process responsibilities are officially Updates and project status reports are developed.
• The monitoring process requires the Project Manager to assess the project. An update is issued to the Stakeholders regarding the project status. Adjustments to schedules and resources can occur at this point.
• Project closing indicates the project is reaching the completion stage. Contractors complete their workload.The project manager informs the Stakeholders of the project accomplishments. The remaining team members are assisted to complete any loose ends.

The control cycle entails monitoring results and making adjustments as needed. The use of software aids in this aspect of Project Management. Stakeholders are informed about the progress of the project. Through good communication, the Project Manager may discover that adjustments should be made to keep the project on track.

The tools component of PM includes software that allows you to track the progress of the project.

What’s the difference between Framework and Methodology?

The framework is a basic structure for understanding project management. It deals with the processes to accomplish a project, but also allows for other practices and tools to be used. It also includes phases that may not be mentioned in the methodology. For example, complex onboarding processes and assessments may be undertaken.

This allows the structure to develop and become more effective. Prince2 and Waterfall are examples of frameworks.

Methodology sets defined rules that help direct the project. They govern how people will interact and communicate with one another.

The methodology also gives organizations a standard to work by. With each completed project organizations discover which rules work and which rules do not. This allows them to develop more efficient standards to govern future projects. As a result, methodology contributes to an increase in successful projects.

Two examples of the methodology are Lean and Waterfall. The Lean methodology focuses on reducing waste of both resources and time. The Waterfall methodology involves planning the whole project and executing it in phases.

Ending thoughts on the project management framework that we talked about

The framework is crucial to the success of Project Management. It gives structure to a project, allowing others to see how they can achieve the project goal.

Project managers have a variety of frameworks to choose from. The right framework makes it possible to achieve the goals of the stakeholders.

It can also help an organization see how it can improve its processes. This contributes to completing the project on time, and to more efficient use of resources.

If you enjoyed reading this article on project management framework, you should check out this one about IT project managers.

We also wrote about a few related subjects like project management metrics, project management goals, project management principles, project management books, what is a war room, Kanban app, gap analysis, project management skills and project management methodologies.

The post What Is A Project Management Framework? (Must Read) appeared first on TMS.

All these companies need to have the best management possible, otherwise, their productivity will decrease. So they need to develop long term plans to maintain their software.

Companies can accomplish that consistency by using Application Lifecycle Management (ALM). ALM assists companies in making better choices for their software, thus enabling them to effectively sustain the software.

Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) is similar to Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), with the difference being that application lifecycle management is used in applications. ALM incorporates all the key components of an application’s lifecycle, ranging from acquiring the starting requirements to the application’s maintenance. The life-cycle ends when the application stops being used.

This article created by our team at TMS will examine some of these aspects of application lifecycle management, as well as the advantages of using ALM, and the necessary tools.

What Exactly Is ALM?

Simply put, ALM is the process of creating and maintaining an application until it’s no longer used. So, anything from the initial idea to the customer support is part of the application lifecycle management. So, ALM involves every member of your team, along with any tools they use. Any actions taken by the team to manage the application are also part of ALM.

In theory, application lifecycle management enables improved communication during the lifetime of the application, which allows every department to collaborate with the development teams easily and efficiently.

By using active lifecycle management, you can implement both agile and DevOps development approaches, because your different departments can cooperate more efficiently.

Some people confuse application lifecycle management (ALM) with the software development life cycle (SDLC). While they may appear similar, the essential difference is that ALM consists of every stage of an application’s lifetime. SDLC includes only the development side of an application, so SDLC is just one part of ALM.

What Does Application Lifecycle Management Consist Of?

Application lifecycle management covers many different departments, including:

• Project Management
• Application Development
• Requirements Management
• Testing and QA
• Customer Support

Application lifecycle management can be divided into different phases, or it can be a constant procedure, depending on your development process (e.g. waterfall, agile, or DevOps).

No matter which process you decide upon, ALM is divided into four distinct parts:

Administration, Development, Operations, and Maintenance.

Application Administration (Defining Requirements and Designing)

The Application Administration is an essential phase of the ALM. It is also known as the “requirements definition and design” phase. If you decide to use DevOps, this is the stage where you plan and create.

Generally, you collect any requirements for the application in this stage, ranging from the client’s requirements to the compliance requirements from governing bodies. Gathering the requirements is a unique process, usually where the general requirements are met first, followed by more precise ones.

The requirements follow a tree structure, in which the bottom part (the trunk of the tree) hosts the general requirements. As you can imagine, each branch and each twig is a different, more specific requirement.

If you choose any other development methodologies, like the Agile Method, the process is different. You do not use a hierarchical structure to rank the requirements. Instead, you should find the general requirements and distinguish them from the more precise ones.

Knowing that the tasks of the administration team include:

• Pinpointing the main stakeholders
• Ensuring a single point of accountability for the project
• Deciding who the owner of the project is
• Finding the executive departments
• Formatting their ideas
• Generating a business case for the application or the project
• Setting up requirements and customer demands to help the development team
• Managing the project and select the preferred development approaches
• Handling the benefits
• Discontinuing the application when needed

Application Development

The second stage of the application lifecycle management is development, also known as the software development life cycle, or SDLC.

The stage of the application development consists of the following:

• Planning
• Designing
• Creating
• Testing
• Publishing
• Maintaining

The development of the application begins after you’ve decided and set the requirements, and at this stage, your application is brought to life.

The development team needs to deconstruct the requirements into smaller ones. This is how the team will create a development plan that they’ll follow throughout the whole development process. It’s recommended to place representatives on each of the teams during this process, ensuring that the application goes through development smoothly. These steps might differ depending on the development approach you choose. The tasks of the development team include:

• Designing the application, based on the needs of the users
• Finding the software architecture
• Coding the application
• Managing changes
• Conducting version control
• Managing configurations
• Testing and QA
• Managing different builds
• Managing the official release and sustaining the final application
  

Application Operations

This stage is concerned with maintaining the final application. In DevOps, this stage includes the release, the configuration and the monitoring of the application. This phase investigates potential bugs and their fixes. By fixing these, you organize how the release updates for your application will be managed.

Application Operations cover all processes involved with the maintenance of the application, including monitoring or performance measurement. The application Operations start once the application has been published. They’ll end only when the application comes to the end of its lifecycle.

The tasks of the applications operations team include:

• Customer Support
  
• Reporting
  
• Performance Monitoring
  
• Security Monitoring
  

Consistent Maintenance And Improvement Of The Application

As a general rule, the longest part of the application lifecycle management is its maintenance. Neither the development teams nor the users are generally involved during this stage.

During this whole process, the application is supported by a support team, who will solve any problems that occur. Any maintenance and improvement is done after the application is deployed, so the performance of the application can be systematically reviewed.

Any bugs that remain will be discovered and fixed during this stage. If the development team has done a great job, their help is not required.

A key part of this process is deciding when the application and project should be retired. Then, they’ll be able to work on newer versions of the application, or the product could be changed to something completely different.

Why Is ALM So Important

If you want to deploy quality releases in good time, you must implement ALM.

1. It allows you to place the correct requirements.

You can ensure that these goals are met, as well as assisting the development team, as it allows them to improve. Remember to always test the application as the process continues.

The best way to implement ALM is by using ALM tools, and there are many excellent tools on the market. You should have no problem using them throughout the whole lifecycle of the application.

Combining ALM tools along with a great development team will make your product stand out.

2. You can use ALM with any development approach.

ALM is the foundation. Its features depend on your chosen approach, so, you can use both old-school methods like Waterfall or modern ones like Agile.

Regardless of your chosen approach, ALM is fundamentally about creating, integrating, and maintaining a product.

3. ALM adopts a holistic approach.

Every process of ALM can be run individually, but they rely on each other, in order to get the best possible product. This approach isn’t only true for ALM applications.

You might have integrated some non ALM applications along with your ALM, for improved functioning of your business. Businesses need to understand that using ALM is really efficient. Every team on the project is able to communicate with each other, in order to collaborate and create an amazing application.

ALM combines all the different departments of the project, so your application can be developed, deployed, and maintained much more effectively.

The Benefits Of Application Lifecycle Management

ALM has multiple advantages, although not all of them will apply to your business at every stage.  Some of the most significant benefits ALM offers are:

• Improvement on Employee Satisfaction, Productivity, and Usage
  

It assists the development team. This is especially clear on the SDLC. Using ALM, the development team can decide which tools they prefer.

This is extremely important, as employees tend to work better with the technology of their choice, thus ALM is crucial to improving productivity and employee satisfaction.

• Allows for Real-Time Decision-Making
  

Businesses can make better choices for their application as it continues to age. Real-Time planning and version control are features giving teams an edge over competitors.

With these features, the teams can “predict” the application’s future, so they can make plans beforehand, thus improving the application.

• Collaborating with Multiple Teams
  

Many organizations have bases all over the world, making ALM necessary because they need to have a means of effective communication without network disturbances.

ALM tools make sure that anyone involved in the development phase has access to the status of the project, so, ideally, everyone knows about every plan/strategy or changes.

• Boosts Development Speed and Agility
  

The market today is highly competitive, with every business trying to find something that will make them stand out. Software development is no different.

Your teams will be able to create products using ALM, with tremendous speed and agility, allowing you to continue being competitive.

• Enables Tests and Solutions
  

Using ALM tools provides access to a platform that’s useful throughout the development and testing of your application.

Developing software has many challenges, including providing ways for the teams to communicate with each other. For example, if the testing team finds bugs, the development team needs to be immediately informed, so they can start developing a solution as soon as possible.

• Assists businesses in Planning More Effectively
  

ALM allows you to initiate any project with the right methodologies and calculations. It supports the administration of the project by using resource planning.

You’ll have different tools at your disposal, depending on the requirements of your application. Another factor is the development approach you choose, which means access to certain tools with a Waterfall project, or different tools if you have an Agile project.

• Acquiring and Sustaining Highly Satisfied Customers
  

Regardless of the type of company you have, keeping your customers satisfied is vital. So obtaining customer feedback is important in order to improve your product. This is exactly where ALM excels. They have an integrated system to collect any feedback and pass it down to the teams, thus enhancing the communication.

Agile VS Waterfall Approaches

Agile software development is rapidly increasing in popularity. This new way of development has changed the way that teams manage the application lifecycle.

The Agile methodology has taken the place of the more traditional methodology, and updated all the ALM stages of an application, from planning to maintenance.

What Is The Waterfall Methodology?

The Waterfall methodology is more traditional and is also known as the Linear Sequential Life Cycle Model.

The Waterfall Model follows a sequential order. This means that the team will continue to the next stage of a project when the current step is finished. Every stage is done only once. The results from each stage are used as data for the next one.

A Waterfall project starts by identifying the requirements, then proceeds to the development phase. This is followed by the deployment of the application and the maintenance of it.

What Is The Agile Methodology?

The Agile Methodology is significantly different from Waterfall. Any development and testing is done simultaneously. This is really helpful because it enables improved communication between the teams, customers, and managers.

This approach encourages teams to continually check their work, so, anything from designing to testing is done multiple times during the development phase.

Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) Tools

ALM uses certain tools to achieve better results, usually utilized to automate the development and deployment of the product.

Some main features of ALM tools are the following:

• Requirements management
• Estimation and planning
• Source code management
• Testing and quality assurance
• Deployment or DevOps
• Covers over one application lifecycle management phase
• Allows users to see the traceability between the different phases
• Shows entities’ history (i.e., who changed what and when)
• Maintenance and support
• Version control
• Application portfolio management
• Real-time planning and team communication
  

Every ALM tool also works as a project management tool, allowing for great communication between the teams.

You might need to utilize some extra tools to obtain the best results.

Your chosen ALM tool needs to assist your development process, whether it be Waterfall, DevOps, or Agile.

Some of the most well-known ALM tools are the following:

• Atlassian Jira
• IBM ALM solutions
• Rally (formerly known as CA Agile Central)
• CollabNet VersionOne
• ALM Octane
• Rommana ALM
• Jama Software
• SpiraTeam
• Perforce Helix ALM
• Microsoft Azure DevOps Server
• Tuleap
• TeamForge by CollabNet
• Basecamp

If you enjoyed reading this article on what is application lifecycle management, you should check out this one about software development budget.

We also wrote about a few related subjects like hire a web development team, ALM tools, how to hire a web developer, how to write an RFP and web development companies in Serbia.

The post What Is Application Lifecycle Management? ALM Explained appeared first on TMS.

Firstly, you need a sound knowledge of the basics of website development. Then it’s important to know well the web developers who are part of your web development team, in order to solve any problems that might arise. This will enable you to communicate efficiently with your team throughout the entire process.

Many people ask questions such as: ‘How is the development process arranged?’, ‘What are specialists in my web development team responsible for?’ and ‘what are the specific roles for each team member?’

This article created by our team at TMS is designed to answer the questions you might have about the web development team structure.

How To Find Success with Your Web Development Team Structure

The hiring process is often challenging, even more so when you are seeking a web development team structure that matches your needs. A lot of research is required on each individual to find information such as client satisfaction ratio, past website development projects, and other crucial aspects.

A web development team needs to have a core skill set, consisting of:

• Strategy and Planning
  
• Project Management
  
• Information Architecture and User Interface Design
  
• Graphic Design
  
• Web Technology
  
• Site Production
  

In a small project, some team members may assume multiple roles. However, in larger website development projects, each role is filled by a separate individual. In more specialized skill areas, you may need different people at different phases of the project.

So, it’s vital to find the best candidates, with plenty of experience and a great work ethic.

Preferably try to recruit team members with at least 5 years of experience in their domain. It’s also useful to employ former employees of large companies that have a great workplace culture.

As a stakeholder, you should set some clear targets and viable deadlines, to ensure your web development team stays focused and motivated. Keep in mind that every company is different and all offer different services, so the members of your web development team will vary. However, the following are the key team roles needed by every web development team:

• Requirements analyst
  
• Project manager
  
• Information Architect
  
• UI/UX designer
  
• Web developers
  
• QA engineer
  
• User Acceptance Tester

The Role of the Project Stakeholder (or Project Sponsor)

The project stakeholder is responsible for the project’s initiation. It can be an individual or a group of people. The stakeholder is usually the client or customer. In smaller projects, the positions of the stakeholder and the manager of the project are usually held by the same person.

The sponsor oversees the whole project and provides its purpose. They’re also responsible for the budget, as well as approving the work plan. They provide the resources to help the web development team.

The three different types of stakeholders are:

• Primary Stakeholders
• Secondary Stakeholders
• Key Stakeholders

Primary Stakeholders

The primary stakeholders are directly affiliated with the project, thus any decision or outcome will either benefit or harm them. Such stakeholders are usually shareholders, top managers, team members, and have a financial interest in the project.

Secondary Stakeholder

The secondary stakeholders are the people who are not directly interested in the project but do have influence over the project. Examples of secondary stakeholders include clients, vendors, competitors, the government, and others.

The Role of Key Stakeholders

The key stakeholders can influence whether the project is successful or not. They are directly affected by the project and can belong to both primary stakeholder and secondary stakeholder groups.

Requirements Analyst

The requirements analyst is the primary member of your web development team and you’ll contact them first.

Their job is to turn your ideas into reality, by understanding what your project should look like, then to pass this information to the rest of the web development team.

The main task of the analyst is to communicate with you, to understand what are your project goals and aspirations. They will then analyze this information and convert it into technical specifications, which will be sent to the web development team, to prepare for the project. The analyst needs to consider factors such as: “What goal will a user accomplish with this feature?” or “What architecture do you want to use on your project?” This helps the requirements analyst to determine certain features of your project, who will then advise you of any other available features you might need.

Generally, these specialists help large teams optimize and speed up their work, so this requirement is not directly necessary for every in-house team.

The Importance of the Project Manager

A project manager is like a conductor for your web development team orchestra. Their initial task is to get acquainted with the technical specifications and the project’s deadline. They will then prepare a project plan and divide it into stages (also known as sprints), based on the information given to them. During the project, the manager coordinates and communicates with the entire web development team, and sets goals and achievable deadlines for the different stages of the project.

The project managers make sure that your project is delivered on time, and ensure that it corresponds with your requirements. If something fails, they will try to mitigate or fix the problem.

Project managers can be either in-house or remote, and their means of communication will depend on their whereabouts, i.e. face to face collaboration or via the Internet.

The project manager is not part of the hands-on production team in large-scale projects. Whereas in smaller in-house projects, the sponsor may act as the project manager of the web development team. They create and maintain the plans for the project. They also create any project documentation that contains details of the web development team’s activities.

Information Architect

Designers and web developers regularly deal with information architecture and require a variety of tools and resources for the various stages of the project, which require expert knowledge for correct operation. Information architecture is complex and contains many intricate details, enabling the user to know exactly what’s required for the website or app.

They organize and categorize the structure and the content of the development project, and are generally most active during the early stages of the project. Their job is to develop site architecture diagrams that explain the overall site planning to both the sponsor and the web team members.

The architects work closely with the project designers. Together, they create page wireframes, which show how each page will be used, and are the link between the architecture of the website and what the user sees on each page. This determines the user’s ease of access to the website’s content and features.

They carefully analyze and research exactly what users need, and design the content to enable them to best find relevant content.

They must deliver the relevant charts and diagrams, ranging from page wireframes to architecture overviews. These visual representations are crucial for enabling both sponsors and the web team to understand the structure of the website. They are especially important for back-end developers.

Understanding the UI/UX Designer

The design is the most important part of the whole project. The two different types of design found in website or web application projects are the user interface (UI) and the user experience (UX) design.

Most web development teams, both small-scale and large-scale ones, have one designer for both of these team roles. You’ll rarely see one designer exclusively for the UI and another one for the UX.

The initial task of any UI/UX designer is to examine the project requirements, as well as finding out who the target audience is. This approach helps them identify the difficulties that the users might face, so any problems can be solved quickly and effectively.

There’s a clear difference between UX and UI. The main process of UX is researching, to inform them how to structure the website or web application better so that it will have a great user experience. Whereas the focus of  UI is visual appearance, including color schemes, fonts, and icons. This way, the designer can compile all the information from the research (UX) and test its usability (UI).

In order to achieve the best product, if you have only one of these guys, then the designer should have a sound knowledge of both UX and UI.

The Importance of Front-End Developers

The front-end developers are responsible for the programming of the website. After they receive the prototype from the designers they recreate it in a website form, to ensure your website has the best possible appearance and function.

Most front-end web developers specialize in HTML or CSS or Javascript, usually with excellent knowledge of all three, so generally, only one front-end developer is required.

Every front-end developer should be able to communicate well and collaborate with back-end developers and designers. Thus ensuring all the stages of the project are consistent.

The Work of a Back-End Developer

The back-end developer is one of the most important members of your web development team structure. The back-end developer makes sure that everything on the back-end of the product is functioning well, usually referring to the database, servers, and any server-side applications.

Back-End Developers are vital for your web development project, by creating the server-side of a website or an app. They are usually proficient in PHP, Python, Java, .NET, or Ruby, and know how to use all the necessary tools and web app frameworks, to ensure the full functioning of the website.

The back-end developer ensures that data travels safely from the back-end to the front-end, and ensures .everything stays secure and stable on the server-side of the product.

The Role of Quality Assurance Engineer

Testing is essential before your product is released to the public, so every web development team has a quality assurance engineer (also known as QA engineer). QA engineers design and execute tests during the whole development process, to guarantee the product meets your set requirements. They also work on preventing any possible bugs and give much-needed feedback on the product.

Professional QA engineers will notice any faulty code at different stages of the development, thus can save you both time and money, so it’s important to choose someone who is properly qualified.

Having a User Acceptance Tester

With your website or web application almost ready, it needs to have some final testing to ensure that the product works and can be used efficiently.

A User Acceptance Tester (UTA) is employed at this stage to check if the product is fully functional. Also known as beta testers, UTAs are a great way of testing your web application in the real world.  It’s important to set aside enough time to include the beta testing into your production schedule.

Ending thoughts on the web development team structure

This article has explored the roles and responsibilities of every individual on a web development team, the structure of which can vary depending on the size of your project.

If you enjoyed reading this article on web development team structure, you should check out this one about how to create a process.

We also wrote about a few related subjects like web development team workflow, the team as a service model, and the advantages of hiring a dedicated dedicated development team.

The post The Web Development Team Structure You Should Know as a Stakeholder appeared first on TMS.

So you might be wondering how to do that yourself. And that’s just what we’re here for. By the end of this article created by our team at TMS, you’ll have the tools you need to hire the right web development team that you’ll need to modernize your business.

Why Outsource Web Development?

In this modern era, the customer’s expectation for quality technological capabilities is at an all-time high. Fortunately, companies today can achieve this at a reasonable cost.

Outsourcing web development enables you to access experienced web professionals, which can be the optimal solution for those who need to develop a website or app on a budget.

Here are a few reasons for outsourcing:

• You can hire a web development team with experience who has already completed projects similar to yours
• No need to waste money on training or office space overheads
• Customize your team to include skilled and experienced developers
• Be in control of the scope and work requirements through consistent updates and communication
• The dedicated team approach allows changes to the project during the development process
• You can negotiate monthly payment based on factors like deliverables and the number and skill of developers
• The vendor you choose can mitigate risk

How Does the Dedicated Team Model Work?

The dedicated team model allows for adjustments to scope and project requirements during any stage of the project. Developers can deliver e-commerce solutions while adjusting to your needs.

Not all development projects benefit from this model, so you should consider the dedicated team model for your project if:

• you want to build a relationship with a software development service provider.
• you need an expert team of developers who can work by themselves.
• you want to be able to adapt your requirements and goals to meet an ever-changing market.
• your project has the possibility of large changes in scalability. Fixed billings can allow you to keep the same team without paying more.

When deciding to use a dedicated team model, the first step will be identifying the requirements of your project. A Product Requirements Document (PRD) outlines what you want to achieve when you hire a development team.

Once you choose your team, you can work with them to create a Functional Specification Document, which defines the detailed scope and requirements of the project.

Next, the work on the project will begin and collaboration between you and the team is essential throughout this process.

Finally, after development is complete, the product will be ready for presentation.

What is The Team Structure?

Some web development teams differ in their structure. Most will include a Project Manager (PM), an Information Architect (IA), a UX/UI designer, and a Requirement Analyst (RA), as well as a team of developers. Naturally, you need to find the right person for each role in your project’s development.

Here is a short summary of each of these roles:

• Project Manager – Responsible for the delivery of the product in the timetable outlined. Manages the team to work towards the completion of the project.

• Information Architect – Focuses on organizing web site structure and content. Enables users to find and navigate the website or application.

• UI/UX Designer – Designs the look and feel of the website with the customer in mind. User experience (UX) and user interface (UI) are similar concepts. UI deals with specific interactions between the customer and specific assets. UX describes more general interactions with a company’s products and services.

• Requirement Analyst – takes your outlined ideas and translates them into technical specifications for the designers and web developers.

After you define the project and approve the prototype, development can begin. The actual programming is done by developers who code all the designs into a workable website or application. Of course, not all developers are the same, thus it’s essential to understand the different skills and specialties from each part of your web development team.

Developers are normally divided into different roles:

• Front-End Developer – Implements the website design into a viewable functioning website.

• Back-End Developer – Responsible for the website’s functions (i.e. when a user registers on a site, a profile for the user is created).

• Full Stack Developer – Can perform the functions of both a Front-End Developer and a Back-End Developer. These developers are actually rare and some freelance developers use this title to falsely describe themselves in order to increase their exposure.

• Quality Assurance Engineer – Reviews the technical specifications to ensure that they work as intended.

• User Acceptance Testers – responsible for implementing quality management and testing.

What Should I Look For When Outsourcing to a Development Team?

Groups work in various ways to develop a website or application. Choosing the right web development team is critical for the success of your business venture, therefore success hinges on hiring the right people for the right job. It also means understanding that you will have different expectations for each part of your development team.

For example, hiring a freelance software developer is very different from looking for a WordPress developer. Despite this, some factors do apply to everyone you hire on your web development team.

Below are some key expectations needed when choosing a vendor, no matter what the role is.

• Estimation and Evaluation – They should be able to provide a document that shows an analysis of the current market and your competitors. They should also be able to provide a detailed view of the project.
• Flexibility in staffing – You should be able to choose members of the development team based on their skills and abilities. You should also be able to add more developers or reduce the staff as the project changes and progresses.
• Clear deadlines – The vendor should provide periodic releases or updates to show that the project is progressing according to an agreed timetable.
• Honest pricing – A vendor’s estimation price should be within 20-30% of the average price on the market for similar projects.
• Minimum Viable Product (MVP) – Prospective companies should be comfortable with the MVP development model. Having an MVP model allows you to test out your idea and saves time and money.
• Project management – A professional development company should have more than just developers. They need to be self-sufficient and meet the agreed timelines without the need for your micro-management. A tech-lead, project manager, or product owner should be able to communicate your idea to their developers and maintain the scope of your project.

Once you know what to ask for, you’re ready to start investigating companies that can provide you with the right development team to start your project.

Here are some things to look for in a prospective company:

Experience – Companies without at least 2 or 3 years of experience can be a liability. They lack the experience of older teams and are less likely to be reliable.

Staff – The minimum size of a team should be around a dozen members. They should be able to easily replace a team member should they fall ill or leave the company. Vendors who have a sizable staff of 30 or 40 people are even better. These companies are equipped to ensure that personnel issues do not interfere with the project’s completion.

Customer Review – Find out what their previous customers have to say about their service. You can obtain unbiased answers concerning their performance on matters such as project management and product development.

Product quality – Ask the company for working examples of products so you can see for yourself what you can expect from their finished product. If their previous websites appeal to you and meet your requirements, they are likely to be a suitable choice.

Company website – Find someone with technical knowledge to help you evaluate their website. It’s a worrying sign if their own website has an awkward layout, insufficient functionality or poor design. 

How Do I Define The Project and Scope of Work?

You need to provide clear guidelines to ensure that your web development team can work to the specifications of a given project, by defining your project’s scope to your developers.

The scope is an essential part of every project that requires careful definition before development commences. This includes different kinds of limitations with time, resources, and staff, and also entails defining certain aspects.

To define the scope, clearly document the goals and requirements of your project. Below are some of the essential ways to define the scope of your own project.

• Project constraint – Any hard limitations on cost, time or resources
• Project stakeholders –Anyone invested in the project
• Resources allocated – Team members, budgets, hardware, intangibles, etc.
• Skill requirements – Ability and knowledge people have that is important to the project
• Deadlines – Timetables that must be met for the project to continue
• Project deliverables – The expected outcome of development. This is what you define as the success of the process. It is the concrete progress of the development group.

Questions to help you develop your project:

• How complex does your website need to be?
  • Is it simply to be attractive and provide information on your company?
  • Do you need to be able to sell your product through e-commerce?
  • Do you need to have customer accounts?
  • Do you want to be able to provide chat support for online questions?
• What are you trying to accomplish with the creation of your site? What will it achieve for your company?
  • Do you want to expand marketing to generate more leads?
  • Get exposure for your business?
  • Give customers another way to buy your products?
• What do you want your website to look and feel like?
• How often will you need to update your website?

Scope, along with the timeline, budget, team skills, and project goals are paramount to understanding your project before your project commences.

Questions to Ask

There are many factors involved in choosing a good web development team, as well as ensuring that everything is progressing according to plan. Throughout the process, you need to monitor both your schedule and the budget.

So before you meet with your web development team, here are some questions to keep in mind:

Who has the rights to the content?

Content is everything you can see on a website. Graphics, photos, copy (important text) are all considered content. Make sure to know who will own what content when the site is finished.

Can you create a site that has cross-platform functionality?

There are so many ways to access the internet and you want to make sure that your website is accessible to all devices. Mobile phones are now the most popular way users connect to the internet. Browser compatibility can also be a point of concern.

What are your strategies for handling web traffic?

This question is especially important if you know many people will be accessing your site. It’s even more important if you have a really busy season or a couple of days when many people are trying to access it simultaneously.

How easy is it to make changes?

During the course of the project, it is common to change your mind about functionality. Perhaps you realized something you believed to be important was not actually essential. Or you might find a new functionality that could benefit your business. A decent development company should be highly adaptable to these changes during the development process.

After the project is complete, you may need to make adjustments that align with changes within your company. Ask what kind of customization is available after the project is complete.

Is Search Engine Optimization Included?

Search engine optimization (SEO) helps your website appear in search engines more frequently. Done correctly it should also be visible when relevant terms are searched so your site is more likely to get traffic from your target audience.

What are the Major Risks?

It is also important to be checking for possible pitfalls and risks in both the process of vendor selection and development.

Work Quality – Inferior product quality is obviously a disappointing waste of resources, so ensure that you thoroughly vet the team, and make your contract with the vendor very specific. 

Reliability – Freelancers and sometimes small companies can be a reliability risk. The larger and more experienced the company, the more they have to lose from a botched project. 

Maintaining Scope – Make sure that everyone agrees on the scope of the project in writing. It is crucial to develop very specific objectives and make sure that the vendor and everyone within your company is in agreement. If changes in scope are allowed then the cost of the project can be unmanageable. Deadlines for deliverables also are dependent on this. 

Budget – It is very difficult to correctly estimate a budget at the beginning of a project. Variables need to be defined like quality, scope, scalability, timeline, and many others before it’s possible to make even a broad estimate.

Ending thoughts on how to hire a web development team

Most business is done online today, and this increasing growth makes it necessary to have products and services available for an online audience.

Outsourcing web development has become a tool that enables many businesses to gain a foothold in the lucrative online marketplace. Thousands of small businesses and tech giants like Samsung and IBM have outsourced their web development.

With the availability of talent around the world and the technology to work from anywhere, outsourcing has become the business paradigm.

Cost reduction, access to a professional development team, tech expertise and risk mitigation are all benefits of outsourcing web development. You need to be specific about your goals and cautiously research your prospective business partner. If you do, your company can stand to profit immensely from outsourcing your web development.

If you enjoyed reading this article on how to hire a web development team, you should check out this one about software development budget planning.

We also wrote about a few related subjects like ALM tools, how to hire a web developer, how to write an RFP, application lifecycle management, and web development companies in Serbia.

The post Want to Hire a Web Development Team? Know This First appeared first on TMS.

An effective team meeting agenda will ensure that participants are aware of the purpose of the meeting and what to expect, which allows them to prepare well. In the meeting itself, time can be allocated to topics, then concluded.

In the best team meetings staff and management teams are aligned, and unitedly working towards achieving the company’s goals. They should create an open forum for conversation and timely resolution, so a positive outcome is achieved for all participants.

Today’s agenda: discussion of what a team meeting agenda should be, the benefits of a strong team meeting agenda, what they include, and how to create one for your next meeting.

Learn below more about this topic in this article created by our team at TMS.

So, what is a team meeting agenda?

An agenda for a staff meeting summarises what the participants are hoping to achieve during their meeting. The benefits of an efficiently designed template include:

• Allowing attendees prior notice of key discussion points.
• Setting clear expectations of what needs to happen before and during a meeting.
• Keeps participants and conversations focused.
• Sets the pace of the meeting, and ensures time is allocated effectively.

These points apply to both casual discussions within a small team, as well as large and formal conferences. However regularly the team meets, an agenda will help make a more positive experience for all participants.

It is crucial that the team meeting agenda is distributed to all participants at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting, allowing the group adequate time for preparation. If possible, distribute the agenda several days in advance. If you desire a response from team members, you could invite additional discussion within the allotted time.

If meetings occur routinely, set a pattern of putting time aside as part of the workday to prepare an agenda and send it out to the group. This will allow the attendees to schedule in preparation time, and easily access the information they need. It can be beneficial to design a template for familiarity and structure. The agendas can also be used as a way of monitoring the progress of a project or topic.

Where should I start?

Prepare welcoming remarks, then, if the team members are familiar with one another, ask everybody to share something they are proud of achieving that week. If the group members are unfamiliar with other members, ask that they share a fact about themselves or at least introduce themselves and their role. This breaks the ice and gives people the chance to build rapport. They may learn something about a colleague that they will associate positively with the meeting.

A team meeting should not feel rushed or cramped. It is tempting to design a template for a meeting that only allows room for the leader to discuss their desired points. However, a meeting should have lee-way for open discussion within its structure, to encourage participants to voice their ideas and opinions and not feel rushed. If a conversation is cut short due to time constraints, it can be frustrating and discourage future participation, which could block creativity.

The team meeting agenda should propose a process for addressing each item on the agenda. The leader of the meeting should conclude the discussion with the majority in agreement with the decision.

Consider putting together visual cues for the meetings, such as a PowerPoint Presentation, which allows you to present data for participants to view and avoid lengthy spoken explanations. Presenting information in different formats such as tables, graphs or infographics creates a flow of information, making the meeting more engaging and easy to follow. These materials can be sent out following the meeting as part of the minutes or printed for the meeting itself. You may wish to include collaborative exercises, which can start a conversation and add energy to the meeting to avoid fatigue.

What should I include on my team meeting agenda?

There are three key things to include on your agenda. The first is information items, e.g. shared updates to the group, whether they are about a topic or a project.

The second is action items, which you expect the participants to review during the meeting. Perhaps these are focused on performance progress against a time limit.

Thirdly, you should include discussion topics, on which the group is expected to provide feedback.

It can be difficult and costly to schedule a group of people. It is important that every participant knows that their attendance has been worth their time and effort. This is particularly vital if external stakeholders are involved. Topics of discussion should affect everybody involved.

Team meetings gather people to focus on what goals they wish to accomplish. They can be a place to discuss and resolve challenges, to get excited about opportunities, and to make decisions on the future. The atmosphere should remain optimistic where possible. Whether the meeting is about a challenge or a celebration, communication should be collected and confident.

If a meeting needs to be lengthy, breaks should be scheduled. Allocate breaks at least every 90 minutes, and consider regular, short breaks for comfort.

And finally on the agenda…

The team meeting may be an ideal time to share any important company announcements or industry trends. Allocating time for these on your agenda will allow participants to contribute their updates. This could include internal social events or drives. These updates may be easily disregarded as unimportant in an email, whereas coming directly from a colleague in a meeting, they are likely to be received more positively.

Finally, ensure that a recap completes the meeting. Here, you should restate the required action items that are expected from individuals with clear timeframes. You should also ask for the participants’ final points, and confirm if anybody requires more information or further discussion. If required, book in a second meeting to ensure that the topic is resolved.

Then get to work on another meeting agenda!

If you enjoyed reading this article on team meeting agenda, you should check out this one about virtual teams.

We also wrote about a few related subjects like too many meetings and what makes a good manager.

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