7 Project Management Skills That Are Crucial To Your App Development Team
Whilst this article focuses on app development teams, it can easily be applied to any team within a workplace. So whether you’re working for a start-up or a multi-national, these project management tips will help you out no end.
With app development happening on a larger scale than ever, there are now multiple teams of several people working together on a project. To meet deadlines and end up with a remarkable product, effective collaboration and management are crucial.
Effective project management helps make sure that all members of the team are on the same page. It helps establish better communication and eliminate redundancies. From understanding what the customers want to knowing what the teams need, here are 7 key project management skills that help make your app development process more efficient:
1. Set Definite Goals and a Clear Path
When there are multiple people across various silos working towards one common goal, it is imperative that everyone has the same perception of the goal, and a clear one at that. An efficient project manager helps the entire team have the right vision of the goal as well as the strategy involved in reaching that goal. This eliminates any ambiguity and every team member knows exactly what the final app will look, feel and work like. With a clear picture, everyone can work together much more proficiently.
2. Set up Open Communication Channels from the Get Go
From design to development, IT and marketing, every team has their own set of challenges. Open communication channels are crucial to ensure that everyone has a clear understanding of each stage of app development.
Effective communication between an app designer and developer for instance, helps keep the process smooth. It often happens that some design elements need to be modified after they reach development stage. While developers have concerns with the feasibility of a design, designers feel uncomfortable about their design being compromised. If not managed effectively, such situations lead to unnecessary friction and loss of time, ultimately affecting the app’s overall performance.
Open communication channels must make everyone feel comfortable in voicing out their concerns as well as listening to those of the others. This way, there is no friction and the final product is at par with everyone’s expectations.
3. Streamline Workflows
From a sketch drawn on the back of a napkin to wireframing, prototyping, developing, testing and distributing, there are just so many different workflows involved in the app development process. With every person working towards their specific goals, a project manager must keep every workflow running smoothly and keep the entire operation time-bound.
4. Create a Collaborative Environment
Instead of one-upmanship, the outlook of different teams must be to give in their individual best and help the other teams do their best, to together build a fantastic app. Effective collaboration between all teams is essential from the day one. Instead of designing in isolation and then simply handing it over to the developer upon completion, the designer and developer must collaborate at every stage. The marketer must also stay abreast of the development. Establishing a productive collaboration strategy is central to a holistic environment where each team can perform its best.
5. Cost Control and Efficient Use of Resources
At the end of the day, resources like time and budget are always limited. Effective project management ensures optimal utilization of resources so that the final app turns out great, within these limits.
6. Assure Quality
By setting up firm quality standards and accountability, project managers ensure the highest quality of app development. When each member of the team is held accountable, without being made to feel vulnerable, every milestone is achieved with the highest quality.
7. Prepare For Contingencies
Despite all precautions, a few problems will turn up from time to time. The dreaded ‘what if’ question needs to be answered, no matter how unpleasant it sounds, and that responsibility falls on the shoulders of project managers. An understanding of all probable risks and a plan to deal with them makes sure that the teams are prepared to handle contingencies.
Wrapping Up
An effective project manager is the oil in a well-oiled machine. The above project management skills help make sure each member of every different team is able to bring their best to the table and effectively collaborate with other team members to create a great app together.red
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