With a successful project outcome in mind, here are a few ideas on how to handle estimating when using Agile. Leverage these insights to keep your effort on time and under budget.

Customers Want to Know When Their Software Will Be Done

While estimating isn’t generally a focus of Agile – many feel it takes too much time better spent writing code – customers need to be informed when an application will be ready to use. Maybe they are planning a marketing initiative in concert with the release date? Whatever the reason, having some form of schedule helps make your clients happier – especially if you get the work completed earlier than expected!

Finding a middle ground between a full Waterfall scheduling effort and not doing any estimates is a good goal for an Agile project. The important thing is to build trust with the customer. Being able to show tangible progress throughout a project is one of the strengths of Agile.

Develop a Product Road Map

A simple schedule detailing when the functional areas of an application will be complete is a good basic estimate to share with the customer. This “product road map” gives them a high-level understanding of the various tasks within the overall project. If time allows, breaking down each individual effort into their subtasks helps improve the overall estimates.

Determining Release Criteria

Instead of a project due date, work with the customer to develop a set of criteria that must be met before an application gets deployed into production. This allows for more flexibility to build the most essential parts of an application first, leaving any non-essential functionality as enhancements. This approach is also more compatible with the Continuous Deployment model used by many enterprises in today’s business world.

As noted earlier, this style of estimation also helps build trust with your clients. They are able to see working functionality in production earlier compared to an older methodology. Work on enhancements can proceed without spending an inordinate amount of time creating estimates and a schedule.

Work With a Leading Software Solutions Companies

When you need additional advice on bringing your application idea to fruition, talk to the experts at SDE USA. As a top software development firm focused on Agile and co-sourcing, we can help your business achieve a new level of success. Connect with us soon!

How does your organization best market the successes you’ve achieved through co-sourcing? Keeping your sales team in the loop as far as the new possibilities of your project team helps keeps new opportunities flowing through the pipeline. Let’s take a closer look on how to turn one successful project into many.

Access to the Experts in the Industry

Co-sourcing gives your firm access to technology experts in many different areas, without making the expenditure on permanent hires. In short, the team gains the additional flexibility to better handle a myriad of different project types. This needs to be a major point used by your sales staff when out in the field.

This expertise goes beyond the technology side of the shop. Co-sourcing gives you access to talented professionals in other areas, including marketing and specific business domains – all relevant information for your sales team.

Interest in Agile Continues to Grow in the Business World

Agile continues to grow in relevance in software development as companies leverage the methodology as an operational advantage in an increasingly competitive business world. In fact, you are now seeing departments outside of IT in many businesses use Agile techniques to make those areas more efficient. As news of these transformations gets around, potential clients are more likely to listen to the Agile success stories presented by your marketing staff.

This provides a great opportunity for additional project work around helping businesses transform their operations to take advantage of Agile techniques. Access to experts in the methodology – either through co-sourcing or your internal talent – needs to be a key item in your organization’s marketing message.

Co-Sourcing Lets You Work With the Best

Ultimately, following a co-sourcing model for your company’s staffing needs offers an opportunity to your organization beyond just one successful project. As you gain experience building different types of innovative solutions, you are able to show your current clients what you’ve learned. Use these “wins” as part your sales staff’s expanded marketing efforts, bringing the company’s message to potential new customers.

Work With a Leading Software Solutions Company

If you have additional questions on the advantages of co-sourcing, meet with the experts at SDE USA. We also know the latest methodologies and technologies to ensure your projects end up as successes. Schedule some time with us at your earliest convenience.

Here are a few ideas on how to leverage Agile for the benefit of your entire organization – not only your software development team. Soon, your company will truly be a 21^st century business.

Business Agile Outside of Software Development

Agile is definitely making inroads in areas unrelated to application development. According to the Harvard Business Review, NPR uses the methodology to help devise and schedule radio programming. John Deere and Saab leverage Agile techniques in their engineering and manufacturing processes.

Many other organizations in nearly all business sectors are now using Agile outside of IT. The bottom line is simple. Embracing Agile brings your company benefits that go beyond faster code development.

Steps to Implement Agile at Your Business

Analyze the areas within your company you feel would benefit from Agile process improvement. Research other businesses using these techniques in those same areas at their organization. Armed with this information, prioritize the departments within your business where implementing Agile makes sense.

Determine the expected costs to transform those departments’ operations to Agile in addition to the anticipated benefits. This gives your managers and staff a goal to aim towards during the implementation process. Consider a pilot project with one smaller department before transforming your entire organization.

Don’t forget to take advantage of the expertise of your IT team to help get the rest of the company “talking” Agile. Any Scrum Masters or project managers would be well-suited for this role.

Metrics Are Vital for Determining Success

Knowing the right metrics for each department is an important part of determining whether Agile is making the positive impact you expected. Ensure your entire management team has access to a reporting system so everyone can offer input on the process as it reaches other areas within your organization. This transparency is especially important with something as revolutionary as Agile.

Once your pilot project is determined to be a success, use what was learned as the rollout is repeated within other departments. Soon, your entire company will reap the benefits of higher productivity.

Work With a Leader in Software Solutions

If you need additional advice on Agile, talk to the experts at SDE USA. As one of the leading co-sourcing application development companies, we are experienced with Agile projects at businesses of all sizes. Connect with us as soon as possible.

Here are a few insights on Agile and Scrum with the hopes of making an informed decision on changing your team’s methodology of choice. You’ll gain a better understanding of the entire process along with knowing how the executive team can help ensure a successful project outcome.

Initial Considerations of Agile

Ultimately the final choice of Agile as a methodology lies with the CIO or another executive serving in a similar role. The CIO needs to place a project manager experienced with Agile or a Scrum Master in charge of the initiative. Both persons then work together to figure out the scope of the project along with the resource planning to ensure enough technical talent is available for the work.

Following this plan is a great way to begin the project on the right foot.

Assuring Buy-In From the Project Team and Business Stakeholders

The CIO needs to get everyone associated with the project – other executives, business stakeholders, the project team, etc. – together so all are on the same page regarding the timeline, scope of work, deliverables and quality metrics. While the PM generally handles the communication flow throughout the project lifecycle, having the executives involved at a project’s initiation is smart.

Managing the Budget

Budgetary concerns of an Agile project require close management by either the Scrum Master/PM or possibly the person working with the CFO or other C-Level executive. This guarantees the availability of resources – personnel, equipment, Cloud server space, etc. – throughout the project. Don’t let budget issues adversely impact the delivery date of your software product!

Keeping the Project Running Smoothly

Once again, even though the project manager or Scrum Master is the key person as far as managing the daily routine of a project, the C-Level executive serving as the project owner needs to keep their finger on the pulse of the overall effort. If there are any scope changes or other issues requiring a decision “from above,” it is important to be available so no delays happen.

Work With a Leading Software Development Company in the USA

When you need additional advice on leveraging Agile to bring your project to fruition, talk to the knowledgeable team at SDE USA. One of the foremost software development organizations specializing in co-sourcing, we can help assure a successful result. Connect us today to work with a leading software solutions company.