Did you know that 66% of all software projects end in partial or total failure?
Despite technological advances and best management practices, software project failure remains a constant concern for companies and development teams. The reasons behind these failures can be varied and complex, but some recurring factors include time and scheduling issues, budget constraints, poor communication among team members, constant changes in requirements, and inadequate risk management. Exploring these variables is critical to understanding why some software projects fail to thrive and learning from past lessons to improve in the future.
Challenge # 1
Lack of objectives and a well-defined plan
Solution
Understanding the needs and purpose of the project is a fundamental step for its success. In this initial stage, it is crucial to define several key aspects: Who is the target customer, what problem are we solving, what benefits will it bring to our company, and not least, what is the differential or improvement opportunity we are seeking for the organization?
Having clarity on these questions from the beginning will allow us to focus in the right direction and ensure that the project is aligned with the goals and objectives.
This deep understanding of the purpose will allow us to make better decisions throughout the software development process, minimizing risks and maximizing the probability of success. Only with a solid foundation and a clear vision, we will be able to move forward effectively towards the materialization of our project.
It is important to be realistic! After defining the initial path we recommend you to plan no more than 3 objectives, the focus on these will be crucial.
Challenge # 2
A poorly trained software team
Solution
Depending on the project, you will have the challenge of putting together a team with the necessary skills to achieve your objectives. It is important to evaluate what soft skills and technical competencies your project requires. Once you have clarity on this, you should go out to the market and hire those who best fit your needs. If you already have a team but it lacks certain skills, try to promote their training through courses and workshops. It is essential to have a couple of key people in your team, who already have the knowledge and can help the new members.
Challenge #3
A market that doesn't need or is not ready for your solution.
Solution
It is a very unfortunate case and it is very common to find entrepreneurs and business people interested in building digital tools without a deep knowledge about the market they will serve. From our point of view in Activeone we have found that it is necessary to define and conceptualize what is the market that your solution serves, what are the competitive advantages it offers, what type of customer it is designed for, what are those needs and above all what is the business model behind this exciting idea.
If you have all these elements, you are ready to create and develop your project. If not, start with this step first.
Challenge #4
Insufficient Budget
Solution
If your goal is to keep your project costs within a tight budget and not exceed it, it’s very likely that your efforts will lead the project to failure. Here are two possible solutions:
- Hire less experienced developers at a lower rate.
- Modify the scope of the project by reducing costly features that do not add value.
It is very important to add an uncertainty buffer of 15-20% additional money to the budget. This will help you control and mitigate unforeseen events that may arise.
Challenge #5
Lack of Communication
Solution
Building a software product requires multiple people to interact and communicate with each other to achieve project success. When teams do not share information or coordinate their efforts, they cannot produce a quality product.
To correct this problem, teams must establish the communication channel they will use. Each team member should know and understand the roles of their teammates so that they can turn to them in case they have any problems.
It is important for team members and all stakeholders to work together with maximum collaboration to resolve conflicts and ensure the project proceeds smoothly.
Make sure all project members understand the vision and objectives you want to achieve.
In a nutshell 🌰
These are perhaps the most important challenges you should keep in mind when developing a new digital product. If they seem daunting, don’t worry; these are common challenges, but more importantly, they are highly preventable and solvable. Generally, the solution to all IT problems revolves around skills, experience, and knowledge.
The important thing is to be aware of them and have the necessary strategies to mitigate their impact and achieve the successful development of a product.
Why Activeone? At Activeone, we have faced these kinds of challenges in all types of companies and we know how to help you find clear answers that allow you to achieve your goals and accelerate the growth of your organization.
