How Can Software Project Managers Help Your Team Finish Your Software Project?

Software development is a continuously evolving industry that aids digital transformation. In order to better serve organizational needs and customer demands, software projects must be aligned with industry trends and transformations. This can involve tapping into containerization for greater portability and efficiency or low-code development for more accessible and streamlined workflows. But developing cutting-edge software is easier said than done. This makes software project managers integral to finishing the project on time and on budget. The job description of a project manager includes overseeing the entire project lifecycle, from planning and initiation to management and execution. With leadership skills and technical knowledge of processes, workflows, and terminology, they can efficiently address logistical complexities and delegate tasks among team members. Whether the project itself is an application, an update, or a software solution for a specific vendor, software project managers keep development on track and ensure that the project delivers business value to all stakeholders. Hereâs a closer look at how exactly this role can help teams finish software projects with quality, efficiency, and end-user satisfaction.

Planning for short- and long-term goals

The software development cycle starts with the planning and initiation phase. As previously covered in an article on the importance of finishing a software project, this phase is crucial for laying out the preliminary timeline for coding, testing, and the desired rollout. With a clear timeline, software project managers can inform developers of the deadlines they have to meet and the deliverables they have to accomplish. Additionally, the planning phase is helpful for identifying long-term goals in terms of what the clients or stakeholders envision, and the resources they are willing to provide. Software project managers can hence perform project estimation for cost, duration, and effort in order to translate these visions into plans. Meanwhile, short-term goals can be outlined through project managers hosting brainstorming sessions, analyzing past software projects, and breaking down project phases into tasks and subtasks.

Handling internal and external communications

Despite so many moving parts in software development projects, everybody involved â from internal team members to executives and clients â must be updated on key decisions and milestones. Within the team, project managers can utilize their communication skills to coordinate team members, provide feedback, and resolve conflicts. As a survey by DevOps found that about 83% of developers work more than half of the time remotely, project managers can also use online communication platforms like Slack to ensure collaboration despite fewer in-person interactions. Software project managers can also serve as the liaison between the development team and the client or end-users. They can monitor team members' progress and relay this information to the clients through regular updates and/or project status reports. A good project manager would know how to strategically align all stakeholders to enhance their ownership and involvement with the project.

Adjusting schedules and budgets

Software development projects can still face multiple risks and challenges despite proper planning for work timelines and resource management. These can come in the form of immature technology, staff turnover, or a change in client needs and demands. For example, in conversations about software architecture, it is common for business stakeholders to be concerned about costs in the middle of project implementation. But competent project managers can use their negotiation skills to balance stakeholdersâ expectations and need for cost-effectiveness with business outcomes and user experience. They can do this by determining cost thresholds or presenting trade-offs and alternatives. On the other hand, schedule changes can be effectively managed through sprint planning. Software project managers can work with scrum masters and the development team to identify priorities in the product backlog, then determine how these can be accomplished with proper capabilities and estimations. Doing so helps avoid team burnout while still meeting tight deadlines.

Aids in software testing and quality assurance

It is extremely rare for software development projects to be completed without any issues or faults. As such, project teams must be prepared to conduct software testing in order to find errors and ensure that the app or system is fit for release and use. Should there be a shortage of testers within the team, software testing from quality assurance engineers can be outsourced to reduce the time and costs for turnover, while still upholding the success and quality of the software project. Software project managers are then tasked with ensuring that the QA engineers can provide various types of manual and automated testing services; have the appropriate knowledge and expertise, and can effectively communicate with the rest of the team. Overall, software project managers can spearhead the entire project lifecycle, regardless if the steps taken are linear, overlapping, or iterative. Once a project has been completed, software developers can look into using PieceX for publishing their work. They can use the platform to improve their portfolio and boost their employment opportunities or earn profit by using the PieceX Marketplace.