What Is Software Project Management?

The most important goal of almost every project in the IT sector is to keep up with the increasing business speed. In order for these projects to be successful, they must be optimized according to customer feedback. Software project management aims to manage all these processes with the agility required by the IT sector. In this context, we can say that many tests and updates are also included in this process.

Software project management handles this process in six stages:

• Planning
• Scheduling
• Resource Allocation
• Execution
• Tracking
• Delivery

All these stages must be handled well. Otherwise, any issue that occurs at any stage causes a chain effect. It is the duty of the project manager to prevent this from leading the project to failure.

Project Manager Responsibilities

A project manager must have some virtues to lead any software project to success. Having a detail-oriented personality, these professionals also need to be organized in order to manage a project well. We may list the responsibilities of a project manager as follows:

• Overseeing projects from start to finish
• Motivating and managing the software development team
• Giving customer presentations
• Writing project proposals

A project manager should also master project estimation techniques. Having good decision-making and communication skills is also critical to the success of the project. A good manager should be able to handle these phases:

1. Project Planning Process

   For a project to be successful, a plan must first be created. This plan should address the following issues related to the project:

   • Scope
   • Timeline
   • Necessary Resources
   • Procedure for Execution
   • Communication Strategy
   • Testing & Maintenance

2. Leading

   A development team consists of developers, analysts, testers, technical writers, and graphic designers. In this context, the first duty of a PM is to bring these professionals together. After this stage, being able to manage them well depends on the abilities of the PM.

3. Execution

   As we've mentioned in the first part of our article, the success of a project depends on the smooth progress of all stages. This brings us to the execution phase. A PM is responsible for the smooth running of all these stages. The best way to do this is to create status reports by following the process.

4. Time Management

   Scheduling is another key element in the success of a project. It is also a PM's job to oversee that the development team is making progress in line with this schedule. This is almost one of the most challenging tasks. Because progressing will inevitably bring about changes in the original plan. Two skills are vital to keeping the project moving on schedule despite everything: Contingency planning and risk management.

5. Budget

   Software projects are just like other projects when it comes to budget. For a project to start, the budget must already be created. So, it is one of the main duties of the PM to ensure that the process proceeds by adhering to this budget. For this, PM must manage expenditures and reallocate funds in times of need.

6. Maintenance

   One of the most important factors affecting the success of software is bugs. In order for the final product to satisfy the customer, it should contain as few bugs as possible. For this, these bugs need to be discovered and fixed early. In this context, it is the PM's job to ensure that the software is tested regularly. It is also the PM's job to make sure the test methods are suitable and consistent.

   A project manager plays a vital role in both software and mobile app development. One of their most important duties is to recruit suitable developers to build a team to complete these projects. In this context, thanks to the team extension model, they're able to create a team faster or fill the missing positions quickly.

What Are Software Project Management Methods

These methods allow teams to plan, execute, and monitor projects. Each has its own pros and cons. However, the right method suitable for your purpose allows you to manage your project efficiently. Let's take a closer look at four of the most well-known of them.

• Agile

  Agility is vital for software development teams. This method helps teams to produce faster solutions for their customers. We may define Agile as an iterative approach briefly. Agile suggests that the entire project be delivered in smaller sets, called sprints, rather than being completed and delivered at once. Thus, both customers and the team do not have to wait until the end of the project for reviews and updates.

• DevOps

  DevOps is the only method that combines IT and software development operations. In this method, the main aim is to ensure high quality. The way to achieve this goal is to work with short development cycles. The most important advantage of DevOps is that it is a combined method with Agile. In short, DevOps promises to produce the highest quality in the fastest way. The only way to achieve this is through strong communication and effective cooperation.

• Waterfall

  The waterfall is a slightly older method of Agile. This method suggests handling each task in the project as a linear sequence. Each subsequent stage in this linear is based on the outputs of the previous one. In short, this approach suggests completing a project just like constructing a building. That's why it got the name the waterfall. The biggest downside is that it is quite difficult to turn back to the previous stages if an error occurs in the later stages.

• RAD

  RAD stands for Rapid App Development. RAD is a different version of Agile. First of all, it requires less specific planning. The goal is to create a working prototype as fast as possible. Thus, users provide quick feedback on the prototype. The remainder of the project is built on the basis of this feedback. Being able to make adjustments as you progress in RAD is essential.

What Is Software Project Management, In Short

In this article, we've share information about the stages of project development. Also, we examined the role of the project manager in this process. Finally, we've introduced the most popular methods in software project management.