There is nothing quite like leading a team of talented professionals through the software development life cycle. Releasing the final product for the world to enjoy can be euphoric. It is one of the reasons why the software development process yields so many successful results. It can lead a group of developers to create software that can make a difference in record time, and will be useful in your team’s current project.
That said, what about dealing with the development life cycle while transitioning a team from office to home? What are the challenges that come with such a transition, and what are the advantages? While it might seem like an overwhelming change of dynamic, it is more than possible to succeed. Here are a few tips to help you make the transition from office to home.
The software development life cycle will depend on your schedule moving forward
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Keep in mind that the schedule you create is not only for you, but for the rest of the team. While it might have been easy to deal with potential issues while in the workplace, transitioning to home is another story. There are plenty of new challenges, and it can be quite distracting to try to get the job done when the responsibilities at home make things difficult.
Just as it is challenging for you, so too will it be hard on your software development team. It is the reason why choosing the proper schedule is crucial, as specific members of the development team will likely take the helm of specific stages of the life cycle. Depending on the stage, it would be wise to stay open-minded when it comes to making changes.
Keep stress levels as low as possible to improve the software development life cycle
In an office, it can be easy to guarantee that the system life cycle will run as it should due to the controlled environment. There is far less control when it comes to taking care of software developers from home. If you want a smooth transition from office to the homefront, it is crucial that you lower stress levels not only for your team, but for you as well. The most important rule would be to get enough sleep to ensure that you and your team have the necessary energy to perform your duties without fear of burning out.
It is also crucial that you get enough food and water during the day. Keep in mind that burning out due to sleepless nights spent working is a very real possibility, as there is no office to give you a chance to disconnect from your work. For most software developers, you will likely have to urge them to follow a specific schedule so they do not work themselves to the bone. Keep in mind that overworking can be counterproductive.
For the software development life cycle to be successful, everyone must have access
By access, it means that every member of the software development team must be on the same page. It will do your project no good if one member works on a particular build while another tries to work the kinks out of an older version. A good idea would be to have a proper agile software development platform, to ensure that everyone has access to the same tools. It would also be ideal to announce the development of new builds, and to have everyone make the switch as soon as possible.
The same announcements can be made to transition between one stage of the life cycle and the next. So long as everyone is working on the same thing and that there are no problems with communication - something that the right platform can fix - there is nothing to worry about when working from home.
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Provide software development life cycle incentives for timely work
There will be an ideal deadline for each stage of the life cycle. It is important to be lenient when it comes to how long it might take - as it is often better to release fixed software later than buggy software earlier. That said, if your developers do a timely job when it comes to the different phases of software development, it is never a bad idea to have incentives lined up for timely work.
It is crucial to note that incentives could push your developers to work late nights. Urge them to get as much work done as they can, but within the scheduled work hours. Otherwise, you could very well have trouble keeping your developers from tiring themselves out or getting sick.
Your software development life cycle works best on a single documentation management system
While there are plenty of different documentation management systems out there, it cannot be stressed enough how important it is to work with one management system. If one of your developers is looking for key documents for a particular stage of the cycle, it should be available from only one resource. Otherwise, things will get convoluted and disorganized. Before you get started, ensure that you can all agree on one type of documentation management system - it also applies to many aspects of your software development process.
The entirety of the software project will depend on your chosen tools and projects to get the job done. Brainstorm with the rest of your team and consider the best possible tools. To guarantee success, build a list of potential candidates. Narrow it down depending on potential features. It should be easy to figure out the most important features, as it will have to do with your transition from office to home.
Related Content: 8 Tools your Software Developers Must Have for High Productivity
There is no denying that the software development life cycle takes plenty of time and effort to follow. When transitioning from the workplace to the homestead, you can follow the tips above. It will help make things as painless as possible. If you can take good care of your developers, they will pull through.
