Bringing Value to Custom Software
The past few weeks, Entrance’s custom software consultants have been in an ongoing discussion about producing quality final products that give our clients value. This week, I’d like to share a few things to look out for during a project that might indicate that it is value challenged.
10 Warning Signs for Bad Software
In a collaborative Yammer discussion, several Entrance consultants shared the following ten things to look out for as your custom software project moves along.
- Bloated backlog
The list of additions to your custom software application is so big that the deadline for completion keeps getting pushed, or no one can prioritize what should come first. - Indecision about what to do next
Maybe your team isn’t working in two week sprints, or perhaps the overall end goal of the project was never well defined in the first place. Either way, a lack of good planning can prevent your team from working in an organized way towards an agreed upon end-goal. - Huge gaps between what is expected and what is actually delivered
- Rushing to deliver more and sacrificing quality to do so
- Allowing excessive scope creep (or creating it)
Last week your manager decided to add credit card processing to your custom web app, this week, the team decides to add another customer facing feature. More functionality can be great, but it also pushes deadlines, stretches budgets, and can have unforeseen consequences in the long run that can affect the quality of your final product. - Inability to accurately estimate deliverables, causing delays or missed deadlines
- Inconsistencies in design, coding, methodologies and performance
- Inconsistent nomenclature throughout a given solution
Every custom software application should be written in such a way that a new developer can come in and see how and why it was created that way. Consistent nomenclature also contributes to a good user experience because it makes software easier to navigate. - Forms, reports and dashboards that do not reflect the “As a ___” part of their respective user stories
- Solutions that are created in a vacuum separate from the client
For more on producing custom software that has good value for your company, check out our three part series, “Agile and Custom Software: Getting the Most for Your Money.”