Be a developer in leading IT Industries

By Saraschandraa M Uncategorized 0 Comments

In the current scenario of IT industries, they are looking for trainable and smart team players who can discover solutions with their skill sets and come up to the board with a roadmap.

How do acquire those skill sets?

In IT nothing is permanent neither the skills nor the wavelength of the project. So when you start working in software companies, keep updating your skillsets and learn to adhere to the process.

Ladder to upskill:

Software is always a hotcake and with every passing day, there’s new technology evolves. The building blocks of this industry revolve around a particular process or methodology i.e. agile methodology.

Know everything about agile methodology.

The Agile methodology is a way to manage a project by breaking it up into several phases. It involves constant collaboration with stakeholders and continuous improvement at every stage. Once the work begins, teams cycle through a process of planning, executing, and evaluating. Continuous collaboration is vital, both with team members and project stakeholders.

The phases of a project life cycle

Regardless of what kind of project you’re planning, every project goes through the same stages. Although each project will require unique processes and tasks, they all follow a similar framework. There’s always a beginning, a middle, and an end. This is called the project lifecycle.

The project lifecycle provides predictability and gives the project manager a way to tackle tasks in distinct phases. In this section, we’ll explain what you need to know about each phase.

The initiation phase

The initiation phase is the first phase of the entire project management life cycle. The goal of this phase is to define the project, develop a business case for it, and get it approved. During this time, the project manager may do any of the following:

Perform a feasibility study
Create a project charter
Identify key stakeholders
Select project management tools

By the end of this phase, the project manager should have a high-level understanding of the project’s purpose, goals, requirements, and risks.

The planning phase

The planning phase is critical to creating a project roadmap the entire team can follow. This is where all of the details and goals are outlined to meet the requirements laid out by the organization.

During this phase, project managers will typically:

Create a project plan
Develop a resource plan
Define goals and performance measures
Communicate roles and responsibilities to team members
Build out workflows
Anticipate risks and create contingency plans

The next phase (execution) typically begins with a project kickoff meeting where the project manager outlines the project objectives to all stakeholders involved. Before that meeting happens, the project manager must do the following:

Establish goals and deliverables
Identify your team members and assign tasks
Develop a draft project plan
Define which metrics will be used to measure project success
Identify and prepare for potential roadblocks
Establish logistics and schedules for team communication
Choose your preferred project management methodology
Ensure your team has access and knowledge of the relevant tools
Schedule the meeting
Set the agenda and prepare the slides

The execution phase

This stage is where the bulk of the project happens. Deliverables are built to make sure the project is meeting requirements. This is where most of the time, money, and people are pulled into the project.

As previously mentioned, a kickoff meeting is held to mark the official start of the execution phase. A kickoff meeting agenda might look something like this:

Introductions: Who’s who?
Project background: Why are you doing this project? What are the goals?
Project scope: What kind of work is involved?
Project plan: What does the roadmap look like?
Roles: Who will be responsible for which elements of the project?
Communication: What kind of communication channels will be used? What kind of meetings or status reports should your team expect?
Tools: Which tools will be used to complete the project, and how will they be used?
Next steps: What immediate action items need to be completed?
Q&A: Open the floor for any questions

The controlling and monitoring phase

This phase happens in tandem with the execution phase. As the project moves forward, the project manager must ensure all moving parts are seamlessly headed in the right direction. If adjustments to the project plan need to be made due to unforeseen circumstances or a change in direction, they may happen here.

During the controlling and monitoring phase, project managers may have to do any of the following:

Manage resources
Monitor project performance
Risk management
Perform status meetings and reports
Update project schedule
Modify project plans

At the end of this phase, all the agreed project deliverables should be completed and accepted by the customer.

Project closure

The closing phase is a critical step in the project management life cycle. It signals the official end of the project and provides a period for reflection, wrap-up, and organization of materials.

Project managers can:

Take inventory of all deliverables
Tie up any loose ends
Hand the project off to the client or the team that will be managing the project’s day-to-day operations
Perform a post-mortem to discuss and document any learnings from the project
Organize all project documents in a centralized location
Communicate the success of the project to stakeholders and executives
Celebrate project completion and acknowledge team members

Now that you understand each stage in the project life cycle, choosing the right project management tool for you and your team is critical to project success. Read on for best practices when choosing a tool that fits your needs, and a guide to the features you should consider when assessing a project management software.

Click here to work on industry projects and learn agile methodology with Nextstacks.