The amount of time spent on each step of the software development life cycle varies from project to project.\u00a0 However, the implementation phase is always the most significant portion.\u00a0 That means this is the area where projects can fail or succeed.\u00a0 We can ace all of the other steps in the life cycle, and a mediocre implementation will wipe out all that good work.<\/p>\n
In my experience, the most impact during implementation is to try for a balanced effort from start to finish.\u00a0 Avoid a slow start and then hectic finish to hit deadlines.\u00a0 Particularly for longer stretches of implementation and big projects.\u00a0 This is a killer of productivity and quality.\u00a0 I have seen project after project that\u00a0burns out team members with a hard push at the end that could have been avoided.\u00a0 The way to accomplish this is to set proper milestones and goals that balance the effort throughout the phase.\u00a0 When you keep the goals in sight, it is easier to keep everyone focused and avoid the lazy drift big projects see at the start.<\/p>\n
Another essential trait of a successful implementation phase is regular checkups.\u00a0 These are not progress focused as much as they are about requirements.\u00a0 There are a variety of ways to do this, but the result should be a review of what is being\u00a0implemented to ensure it is still in line with the requirements.\u00a0 This includes reducing\u00a0feature creep as well as correcting design\u00a0drift.\u00a0 Short projects will not suffer from this too much.\u00a0 However, long-term or large projects can see dramatic implementation problems and slipped dates from adding\u00a0features or skewed solutions to requirements.<\/p>\n
The good news is that this task does not need to be done by the implementation team.\u00a0 Team members from other phases (or QA staff) can perform sanity checks of features.\u00a0 They can measure against requirements and then meet with the implementation team to correct problems.<\/p>\n
This may seem minor, but regular code commits are critical.\u00a0 I have come across numerous projects that tank because of impossible code merge needs, or a team member disappears along with their source.\u00a0 Ideally, this is built into the daily regimen\u00a0of the implementation team.\u00a0 Regular merge and build steps are a big help as well.\u00a0 Much like the sanity checks above, regularly testing that you have all you need\u00a0for a successful build helps keep from drift.\u00a0 This factor is a solid argument for best practices like continuous\u00a0integration and regular builds.<\/p>\n
Testing has gotten better but still is too often left to the end of the project.\u00a0 This is when the cost to correct errors is at the highest level.\u00a0 It has been established over the years that the earlier a bug is detected, the easier it is to fix.\u00a0 There is a bit of a challenge in early testing\u00a0as (by definition) the implementation\u00a0is not yet complete and ready for full testing.\u00a0 This timing also means that there will be more time spent testing than when it is held until the end.\u00a0 That is entirely ok.\u00a0 The more testing that can get done, the more likely bugs will be found and squashed.<\/p>\n
When you combine early testing with regular builds and commits you get feedback early, and quality is built in from the start.\u00a0 This approach even makes the testing process better.\u00a0 The test scripts and tools can be used and refined during the implementation phase to improve coverage and confidence in the results.<\/p>\n
Note that none of these improvements are substantial on their own.\u00a0 These can be implemented as part of the process and pay worthwhile dividends when the project completes.\u00a0 All of these can also be tried out to see how they work for you.\u00a0 When in doubt, give it a shot and verify for yourself whether these are good for your team.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The amount of time spent on each step of the software development life cycle varies from project to project.\u00a0 However, the implementation phase is always the most significant portion.\u00a0 That means this is the area where projects can fail or succeed.\u00a0 We can ace all of the other steps in the life cycle, and a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":420,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[31,34],"class_list":["post-419","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-building-software","tag-developer","tag-software-development"],"yoast_head":"\n