One of the strategies that companies are currently applying to increase their productivity and agility in the development of software projects is the hiring of dedicated development teams. Different suppliers and technology partners offer this service, equipping their clients with qualified remote teams and software developers to manage and execute their projects, freeing up the In-House team to dedicate themselves to other responsibilities.
But we know that working with a software development team also represents a challenge since it involves adding external personnel to the In-House team who have to adapt to this work environment, which can generate complications if the requirements are not taken into account.
Good practices when working with Dedicated Development Teams
Communication
When working as a dedicated software development team, effective communication is essential, more than anything else. And the rules and codes of communication have to be totally clear between the Project Manager or leader and the team of developers. It should not be “assumed” that everyone knows how to communicate, the style of communication should be defined before starting work so that there are no misunderstandings.
The PM must let the team know what he is waiting for and the team, for its part, must strive to deliver results and communicate as clearly as possible, according to what the project leader needs. The balance between both parties is essential.
Of course, the first step towards this effective communication between a leader and his software team has to be taken precisely by the leader or PM of the project. Developers must respect the leader and work in accordance with what he suggests, since the PM is the one who has direct contact with the client and knows his needs regarding the project. It is not simply a leader who “rules”, but he knows exactly how the client wants the final project.
Without communication in the software development team, there is nothing. Even if you have the best team by your side, if communication is not well defined, everything goes wrong.
Planning
Another important aspect of the work of the dedicated development team is the planning and order that is had when executing the tasks of each week and month. While communication is vital, if there is no proper planning of what has to be done, the project simply stalls, resulting in wasted time and money.
In this regard, the PM must be aware of organizing the team's tasks during the week, depending on the particular needs of the client. But in case the developer, for example, does not see any tasks in his work week, he should go to his PM or leader, be proactive and ask what he can do or with what task he can start his week. Once again, communication plays a key role in the work of software development teams.
A good practice for a PM is to make Scrum calls to explain to the team all the tasks that need to be completed in the project. You can also make “Dailys”, which are small calls of 15 minutes in which certain team members are asked how they are doing with their tasks, if they have any blocks or delays, to see how to solve them on the fly.
Leadership
It is not about being a "dictator" leader, simply a good leader is one who manages the software team efficiently, achieving the expected results in the project. A PM can be excellent at managing a project, but he must also have a certain emotional and psychological control to be able to lead teams, since he will be faced with many personalities and different attitudes.
There may be great software developers, excellent in your area, but at the same time with conflicting personalities that can cause problems for the entire team. A good leader has to be tactful in managing people since they are all different and the way a team is managed will depend on the individuals that make it up.
He must be in control of what he says and does, taking care of the way he speaks and says things, especially in times of stress and tension.
You also have to know how to detect when a team member is affecting the performance of the rest, attacking this situation with intelligence and cunning. One bad apple can damage the whole sack, the saying goes, so these attitudes must be detected and it is the responsibility of the team leader.
These are three of the most important keys when working with dedicated development team, good practices that guarantee the success of any project. At Rootstack we have more than 10 years of experience offering software development services to global companies, dare to take the digital leap!
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