Are you looking for an effective way to manage your business? A reliable software development team is the perfect solution for any startup founder.
The demand for qualified software developers increases every day. Thus, according to ‘Statista,’ by 2024, the number of developers is expected to rise from 23.9 to 28.7 million people. To make the right decisions, you need to know everything about the software development team roles and responsibilities.
This guide will help you to understand the crucial aspects of software development management. Read on to get answers to the following questions:
Read this guidebook to discover how to build a good software development team with the right software engineering culture and define the right software development team goals.
The Coronavirus situation has immensely influenced the global market. Since 2019, more and more companies have started to conduct work remotely. This "new reality" has also resulted in the rapid growth of IT outsourcing, which is expected to reach $1,149.24 billion by 2032. Moreover, around 60% of businesses worldwide will increase their outsourcing efforts soon.
Want to hire software developers who will comply with your business goals? Compare various software outsourcing business models, taking into account their pros and cons. These details will help you identify an outsourcing business model that will meet your expectations.
An in-house software development team model is popular among big companies. Apple, Amazon, eBay, PayPal, HP, and other IT giants opt for it, which indicates its relevance. The main idea of the in-house team is to use an internal team for managing and working on the project. Using this approach requires significant trust within the company and a seamless team structure in software engineering, which is crucial for any business.
Many projects choose in-house software development over outsourcing. But today, it's more cost-effective to prefer outsourcing software development. This allows you to optimise your business processes and cut your costs.
Pros
Cons
A remote outsourcing software development model encourages hiring distant experts, locally or worldwide. You might choose from the offshore, onshore, or nearshore software development team of dedicated freelance software developers. Remote dedicated development teams are perfect for companies that have clear business objectives for their project requirements. The software team augmentation model is used by many large companies, such as Automattic, Google, Slack, Toddl, and others. Yet, you ought to consider that you'll need specific knowledge and experience to manage team augmentation workers.
Pros
Cons
The third type of software outsourcing is a dedicated development team. This software development model combines the traits of the in-house and remote units. It allows for hiring experts, using a provider's help, making it perfect for achieving long-term goals. Dedicated development teams are used by large projects with a critical focus on lasting growth.
Pros
Cons
Building a reliable software development team might be pretty challenging, and if you don't know what to focus your attention on, you might need some help.
It's not enough to hire software development team and delegate the project's responsibilities. You have to make a proper analysis, and learn many details before creating a cohesive team. But first, take a look at the project team roles and responsibilities within software development.
Start with gathering information about the potential leader of the group. The team lead roles and responsibilities in extended software development should include:
To be a good leader, you should understand the following things:
While creating a mobile app or launching a startup project, the team lead faces many issues. But it's crucial to keep the company functioning smoothly, no matter what.
Let's look what is a development team responsible for. The talents in the software development team include the following:
Thus, all software development team members have different roles in a software development team. However, the most critical role in management of software development belongs to the team lead. Whether you have an in-house team or remote dedicated developers, there is one way to gain success in your niche — you should prioritise the team lead’s responsibilities in software development.
The success of your product development depends on your software development team members. If you intend to build a strong startup, you should properly design your development team structure. This will help you to achieve the best results. This guide will show you the crucial things you must consider when looking for experts. This is how you can hire the most responsive, talented, and professional members of an experienced dedicated developers you could have.
The size of the team is usually defined by the project’s scope, budget, and available resources. But, consider that smaller teams can focus on specific project needs. So, they are more likely to bring expected results faster.
When you manage a large company, it can be challenging to chat with all of the members in a meaningful way. But there is a way to ease the management of the software development team structure. Separate the group into smaller autonomous teams with cross-functional connections.
According to the ‘Scrum Guide,’ the most efficient and productive teams consist of 3–9 members. Such groups can perform tasks separately and are easy to restructure. As well as that, they don't face workflow issues, making them perfect for IT companies.
After you review the optimal team size, it's time to define the kind of software development team required for your company. Here are the details of each product development team type. Dive into them before picking the most appropriate option.
Generalists are experts who have knowledge and expertise in different IT areas. Such development teams can deal with all project aspects, thus providing end-to-end solutions to every issue. Generalists boast many advantages. But at the same time, if you have a project with specific requirements, you might need more narrowly specialised experts.
This project development team structure consists of experts with expertise in a particular area. A specialists' team has many advantages, including the fast solving of various issues. But there is also one weakness in such a structure: poor communication within a team. The experts in your group may not find common ground on some matters. In this case, you can expect less efficient decisions.
Does your project need versatile and narrowly specialized experts? Then this product development team structure is exactly what you need. The hybrid team involves both specialists and generalists. The first focuses on functional aspects of the project, while the second handles cooperation within a group. This type of software development team is considered the most effective, but it is costly. It requires a lot of time and effort to find and gather the best fit experts.
A good product development team structure is not only made up of a group of excellent talents. To effectively develop your products or services, you should also ensure an efficient workflow. Thus, each team member will understand their own duties and area of responsibility. Check the following product development organisational models to pick the most appropriate option.
A one-team model is perfect for small companies and projects. Such teams have relatively clear intentions and differ only in terms of having a clear structure. Another advantage is that they are easy to control. The one-team model works for both ‘Agile’ and ‘Waterfall SDLC’ approaches. It allows you to make small and big product releases at any given time.
If you need to solve an issue, you don't have to request help from a particular specialist or department. This model doesn't require splitting the team, and you can bring all the members together. Thus, you'll be able to ensure the smooth operation of all the specialists within a project.
As for its weaknesses, the one-team software development model won't be adequate for big companies. It allows you to assign only one group per task, which might be intolerable. Thus, if you plan to create a large team, it will be hard to manage all the skilled developers at once using this model.
Check out how a ‘One Team Software Development Structure’ may look like:
This type of software product development team structure can be helpful for large companies that are unable to manage one big team. The goal-focused squads also enable you to work on several smaller projects at once. Thus, you don't have to suspend the workflow to solve concrete issues. Each group of your team will be familiar with business requirements details that belong to their own field of responsibilities. This will ease the whole software development process.
Consider that every department may perform at its own working pace. This may influence the work of the remaining groups, so you should control and coordinate all the processes within a company accordingly. Yet, this will help you stick to the general deadlines and product requirements.
You should also take into consideration that this model is suitable for the ‘Agile’ approach. Thus, your team can become more purposeful and effective.
Here's how a ‘Goal-Focused Squads Software Development Team’ may look like:
Want your project to be adaptable and flexible to unforeseen changes? Follow the Agile methodology. This formula of building software allows you to avoid common mistakes and speeds up the workflow. But, before you decide on the agile software development team, you need to analyse its two types:
Scrum team structure implies splitting a large project into smaller sprints. Usually, such working sections last from a few weeks to months. Such structure will help your team improve work speed and efficiency — but only if you include a Scrum Master in the list of agile development team roles at your project. Such experts will take the responsibility of managing a software development team: observe it and ensure it sticks to the planned actions.
Kanban methodology implies full work transparency. This means you can observe and manage all the working processes in real-time. This framework is based on visualisation. Thus, the team will always have an idea of the project's current status. Moreover, Kanban showcases different blocks and bugs that slow down product development. Plus, it suggests the best possible solutions.
Before you start hiring for your project, ask yourself a question: "Who is in charge of software application development teams?" If you are a product owner, it's your responsibility to find an expert project manager to develop your digital product or service. But having an appropriate software development manager is not enough. To build a strong team, you also have to find specialists with great communication skills.
Start with hiring a project manager, the key position for every successful development. Then proceed with choosing other specialists, including:
The complete software development team hierarchy was previously described within this guide. Check out the detailed description of each talent to define whether you need particular technical skills or not. Pay attention to their roles within a company. If you plan to create several software development squads, appoint the head of each subteam (team leads). Thus, you can control the whole group more effectively.
You can't build a successful project without a strong team, a well-designed workflow, and great communication. If you follow all these conditions, you can expect an excellent result and a good profit. But there is one thing you should do before you start organizing the work process. Learn how to build an effective software development team and proceed with solving other essential points regarding your project. Follow the tips mentioned in this guide to stand out among competitors. This will help you launch a project that will draw potential customers' attention.
Do you have no idea how to establish an effective developmental team from scratch? The overall procedure is similar to the regular recruitment process. However, there are still some differences. Use the following step-by-step guide to discover all the nuances before hiring outsourced software development team experts.
Before you hire a software development team for your project, you should perform a proper company analysis. Ensure they provide you with reliable details about their specialists' expertise. Browse the Internet to find the top ten companies you want to cooperate with.
After you pick the most appropriate companies, it's time to proceed with collaboration. Send out your requests to them with all the requirements. This will help them get familiar with your project goals.
Every company has its own hiring requirements. Discuss them with the account manager to define a way to find the best developers for your project. Convey your thoughts very clearly so that the recruiting specialist can find the right candidates for you.
After you attract the potential talent pool, it's time to schedule the interviews. Prepare the questions and technical tasks to check the skills of the candidates. Don't plan too many interviews in one day. Focus on each expert for 30 minutes in order to make a final decision about his or her candidacy.
Take notes after each interview to compare opinions about each candidate. Look through the technical tasks to get an understanding of the applicants' expertise. If you are still hesitant about certain candidates, feel free to ask for another interview or technical task to be assessed.
To launch a popular, innovative product or service, you have to gather motivated and resourceful specialists. Think of your employees as valuable assets when considering how best to manage development team. Choose among the selected candidates in person during the interview.
There are several qualities you should pay attention to when picking potential specialists, such as:
Launching a project can be followed by risks, setbacks, and other problems. To build a strong company, you should find specialists who will be committed to the workforce. Then you will be able to trust your team members and rely on their devotion to the project.
Once you find the appropriate specialists, you need to inform other companies. Send out emails to maintain a good reputation in case you will work with these companies again in the future. Try to give feedback to the candidates within a week.
If you managed to gather a team of prominent IT experts, you also can't do without an experienced manager. Technical skills are a great advantage, but excellent soft skills are a necessity. This is not the only point to consider when building a software development team. Check out our top 13 viable tips on how to organize a software development team with less effort and costs.
The first step in assembling a project team is to find a professional Project Manager who can create effective cooperation within a team. To select a suitable candidate, you can ask a person the following questions:
If you think that no one will manage the team better than you, you should consider leading your project. Do everything possible to become the best example for all the group members. Thus, you can create the most efficient software development team.
Do you want to know what the first thing is that you should do when creating a product development team? Set strong emphasis on coordination and effective communication within a group. To enforce this goal, you should get to know all team members. Thereafter, establish daily or weekly meetings for managing the workflow. Thus, you can influence the group's work and track the general and individual progress made.
Some experts may provide you with certifications to prove their working experience. But if you want to hire real specialists, you should focus on the person's knowledge and expertise, not certificates. Otherwise, you risk adding inexperienced members to your team.
Good management is not the only thing the team needs. Every product development team requires specialists with excellent communication skills. Ensure you hire experts who can listen and follow your high-level functional requirements to get a good result. Professional team members should always be available. This will allow you to reach them at any time.
To get the expected results, you should set clear software development team goals for all team members. Inform your specialists of all the crucial details relating to software development. Consider if your company may hire new experts during the project, in which case the goals must be public knowledge within the team.
Effective software development management is not just setting precise current and long-term objectives. A professional manager should get to know the particular skills of every team member. This is the only way to divide the responsibilities of project tasks effectively. There is no need to be an expert in everything your specialists perform. Gain an overview of the skills required for your project, and entrust duties to specialists according to their skillsets.
The more autonomous your team members are, the more efficient your workflow will be. Allow your managers to take responsibility for their decisions relating to the project. Encourage your specialists to take more initiative. This will showcase their interest in your products or services. Leave yourself more time to deal with other critical business issues.
If you expect your team members to stick to deadlines and meet all the project requirements, you must become an excellent example for them. Come to meetings on time, no matter whether they are held online or in the office. Plan your workflow and discuss the software development details with your team to integrate what is necessary. Thus, you can build trust within your team and create a strong positive company culture.
Predictability is a good trait for an excellent software team manager. Try to be consistent about all the operational issues. This also enables your team members to understand how to discuss a specific problem with you. The workflow sequence is also a significant advantage. It helps to develop trust between you and the hired experts.
Showcase to your team that their opinion is crucial to you by explaining your decisions. Consider the questions experts may have, and answer them in detail. Therefore, even if most of your team disagrees with you, experts will listen to your recommendations more willingly.
Leading a software development team is not as easy as some people might think. It requires daily communication within a group to ensure a successful workflow. Provide an opportunity for anyone who cares to interact with you to discuss issues relating to product development. Launch a public channel for the whole team and make it easy for your experts to contact you during working hours.
Your software development team will consist of different subteams with specific goals and responsibilities. To ensure efficient cooperation within the company, you should adapt the project details to various departments. This enables each team member to have a clear understanding of his or her responsibilities, thus eliminating misunderstandings relating to product development.
When setting goals and assigning responsibilities to experts in your team, you should provide as much context as possible. These details can make the workflow more effective and productive. Moreover, it saves specialists a lot of time. As a result, your software development team members will understand what they need to do more fully.
Building a software development team can be challenging if it's new to you (but it can be easier if you hire Impressit for team augmentation services). Still, it doesn't mean you can't gather experts who share the same goals and are on the same page as you. Follow the tips mentioned in this guide to find the most reliable and responsive specialists with good experience in your niche.
Roman Zomko
Other articles