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The world has seen a staggering number of software development projects come crashing down because they failed to consider cost estimation.
Following are a few business-critical questions you must ask before software development cost estimation:
If you don’t, you may encounter major business failures due to poor cost-related decisions.
Therefore, It is pertinent for you to understand what may lead to a sudden increase in cost to layout a low-cost mechanism. The question of the project timeline is as important as the case for cost estimation. When projects overrun deadlines, the cost is bound to increase.
To make it easy to understand, schedule overrun means the late completion of a project from the decided timeframe. But why does it happen?
These factors are bound to influence the estimated project cost and therefore they should be given prior consideration.
Project management tools used are statistical and often overlook the emotional components (human customer considerations) of the project. When in reality, these emotional components add greatly to the success of the project.
Find below why most projects fail:
Before jumping onto the cost estimation ways, it is equally important to understand its meaning, and of course what value it owes to the entire software development lifecycle (SDLC). Cost estimation is the process to calculate the overall project cost in relation to the specified timeframe and project scope.
The involvement of stakeholders right from the start can lessen the chances of miscommunication in setting up the project scope. This allows everyone to set realistic expectations from the start to avoid schedule overruns ultimately exceeding overall costs.
By doing this, you can have the technical team and the business leader reach mutually agreed-upon project objectives and cycle. You can hold everyone involved accountable for the initial estimate.
Never downplay the importance of research while putting together an estimation. Do market research on “why most software development projects fail,” the strengths and weaknesses of the team deployed on the project, and the project feasibility in light of the ongoing trends, and financial and technical resources.
The more time you will dedicate to research, the more chances of you not falling into the pit of skyrocketing outlays. This is why extensive research always comes in handy and is an investment.
The software size is the key driver in estimating the overall development cost The more complex the software, the more time and expertise it will require which in turn leads to increased costs.
It is important to determine the size beforehand and prepare accordingly. The cost will vary depending on the size and complexities of the functionalities.
Factors that add to the complexity are:
After finding out “Why do most software development projects fail?” you will stumble upon one common theme which is “Poor leadership and clarity of requirements.” You can hire the best technical resources in a bid to reduce costs and meet the deadline simultaneously. But if you don’t have the right leadership, unfortunately, the chances of failure increase manifolds.
Perceptive leadership clearly understands the project requirements and conveys them to the team efficiently. They decisively handle unforeseen situations, significantly minimizing the cost hikes. On the contrary, leadership that lacks clarity will deliver a flawed project, never on time, and far from anticipated business requirements.
Therefore, it is pertinent to enforce a systematic mechanism and end-to-end documentation of the software product requirements and anticipations. Below is what the tried and tested project management looks like at ARFASOFTECH.
Project Management Steps
#1: Active Listening – The Business Analyst digs deep into the client’s idea of the product to create a mental image.
#2: Documenting the Idea – The Business Analyst outlines the technical and business requirements that eradicate any ambiguity regarding the product goals.
#3: Selling the Idea – The Project Head and the QA Analyst are brought on board. They take care of the due diligence required in their domains and create a realistic project plan with objective outcomes.
#4: Implementing the Idea – The development team is onboarded with a clear project plan that they implement throughout the limitless iterations. Every iteration promises a deliverable that keeps the stakeholders informed and allows for course correction.
#5: Reviewing the Product – Design, Code, and Quality are reviewed in parallel with the development process as well as at the end of milestones. This ensures that the scalability, reliability, and extensibility of the product are never compromised.
#6: Maintaining the Product – Once the product is available for the end-user to interact with, feedback coming in, positive or negative, is documented via ticketing systems that act as guiding lines for the future direction of the product.
The process of breaking down the requirements will not only simplify the tasks for better understanding but will allow you to dedicate each task to one team member. This will help deal with cost and time limitations.
When requirements aren’t split into parts, it becomes difficult to predict costs regarding the time required. This builds transparency among the stakeholders and the technical team involved regarding the time required to complete the project. Setting milestones is another great way to motivate and keep track of progress.
Documentation is one of the initial and critical software development phases. Future-forward software development firms make sure to meticulously follow the below steps:
The software development cost varies with resource allocation methods. Outsourcing software development does cut costs, but at the same time, an in-house software development team has its own perks. Outsourcing is a great option if you can find an expert developer who can deliver a quality product in the decided timeframe.
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If problems start to show up from the initial phase then it indicates that your chosen cost estimation metrics as discussed above aren’t working. Metrics help you measure each team member’s performance individually.
It’s rare, to find all developers working at the same pace. After finding out the performance metrics, you will get a clear idea of task completion to avoid cost overruns.
If a few tasks aren’t getting completed on time, you can check where the friction lies. You can identify the causes of the delay and rectify them in time. It is better to identify a problem at the start and have it resolved before the final product release.
But Most Importantly, Be Realistic!
Be realistic in your approach, expectations, and strategy for a project. This piece of advice weighs higher than every other when it comes to software project cost estimations. One of the reasons why software development projects fail is because the initial estimation and approach are set on unrealistic objectives.
Be realistic in the research, development, and testing phases of software development to avoid setbacks and failures.
Fahad is PM at ARFASOFTECH but has a knack for writing. He enjoys writing about the latest technologies and evolving trends. Most of his writings revolve around trending technologies and their integration into operations.
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