When starting a software development project, it is obviously recommended that you have an exceptional software team or vendor at your disposal, but it is not the only thing that guarantees a good software product. It is necessary to have good software development practices to carry out the project efficiently and successfully.
Good software development practices have a significant impact on the quality of the software since it has to do directly with the creation of the software. That is why good practices influence the reduction of errors, the increase in efficiency and productivity, as well as greater reliability.
In addition, by applying good development practices, the security of the project and the platform being developed is being taken care of and, in the end, everything translates into the development of software that offers the best possible user experience.
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Best practices for successful software development
There are many practices that can aid successful software development, here are some of the best practices:
Effective communication
Clear and effective communication between development team members, stakeholders, and end users is critical to the success of the project. It's important to establish open communication channels and set up regular meetings to make sure everyone is on the same page.
“Communications have a vital role to play in how an employee feels about the company they work for. Good communications can boost the attraction and retention of talent, create a positive company culture, foster loyalty, commitment and improve performance”, they assert in a Deloitte article.
Proper planning
A detailed and realistic project plan is key to the success of the project. Planning should include clear goals, milestones, and realistic deadlines.
By having clear priorities, they can guide effective planning, both in the development area and in the monetary area.
Modular design
The modular design allows the software to be developed in small, self-contained pieces, making it easy to maintain and update the software. The modular design also allows team members to work on different parts of the software at the same time.
“Introducing a platform and module strategy requires a different way of working that reallocates responsibilities within the organization. The journey from pure project orientation to platform and module responsibility requires defining several new roles and modifying existing ones,” they commented in a McKinsey article.
Frequent tests
Frequent testing during the development process can help catch and fix bugs early in the software lifecycle, saving time and money in the long run.
"Unit tests help reduce defects and expose them early in the development life cycle, increase code readability, enable code reuse, and improve deployment speed", they add at Techtarget.
Continuous integration
Continuous integration is a practice in which changes to source code are automatically integrated into the central repository and tested automatically. This allows developers to quickly detect and fix problems.
Code review
Code review by other team members can help catch bugs and improve code quality.
Change management
Change management is important to track and control changes to project source code and documentation.
According to the Geeks for Geeks portal, this management can be done as follows:
- Create a change request
- Review and evaluation of the change request
- Change planning
- Evidence of change
- Creation of the change proposal
- Implementation of changes
- Shift Performance Review
- Closing of the process
Documentation
Clear and detailed software documentation is essential for end users to understand and use the software effectively.
Training
Proper training of end users and development team members can help ensure project success and customer satisfaction.
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Continuous improvement
Continuous improvement is important to ensure that software remains relevant and effective over time. The development team must continue to improve the software and address issues and opportunities for improvement.
Implementation of best practices can help ensure software is delivered on time and according to customer specifications. This can improve customer satisfaction and increase the likelihood that the customer will do business with the company again.
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