Struggling to hit project deadlines with a small tech team? Try this
Small tech teams can hit project deadlines by breaking large projects into smaller, deadline-driven milestones and prioritizing tasks that can hold up everyone else. They can also set realistic scope before work gets underway and communicate blockers before they become delays.
Rockstar Developer University reports that 50% of software projects are challenged and 19% fail. Many of these failures happen because teams don't meet project deadlines, and this snowballs into bigger failures.
You might think that if you have a small tech team, you won't be able to hit deadlines yourself. The fact is that you definitely can, especially if you follow our tips.
Break Large Projects Into Smaller, Deadline-Driven Milestones
Small software development teams may struggle with deadlines if a project feels huge and like one interconnected task. The better way to tackle it is to break the work into smaller milestones, as this makes progress easier to track and problems easier to identify.
Instead of setting one deadline for the entire project, establish dates for key stages, such as:
- Requirements
- Development
- Testing
- Revisions
- Launch
Make sure that each milestone has a clear owner and a specific definition of completion. Consider project management tools, as this guide to staff augmentation recommends.
Should You Prioritize Tasks That Can Hold Up Everyone Else?
Not every task has the same impact on a project's timeline, so prioritizing tasks can help with tech capacity. It's best to identify dependencies and prioritize work that could prevent other team members from making progress.
Teams can identify critical-path tasks early and address blockers as soon as they appear. In addition, they can limit how many tasks each person handles simultaneously.
It's here that you can also determine whether IT outsourcing is necessary to handle the large workload.
How Can You Set Realistic Scope Before Work Gets Underway?
Deadline problems often begin before development starts since teams commit to more work than their available time and resources can support. The good news is that establishing a realistic project scope can help prevent this.
Before setting a final deadline, estimate the team's capacity and distinguish essential features from improvements that can wait. For example, having a minimum viable version can be a useful baseline when time is limited.
Teams should also establish a process for handling new requests during development. You don't have to reject every proposed feature, but adding work should come with an understanding of how it affects the schedule.
Communicate Blockers Before They Become Delays
One unresolved problem can quickly affect several people, so early communication is really important. Team members should feel comfortable flagging blockers as soon as they encounter them.
They can also use shared project boards or messaging channels to bring attention to blockers between meetings. When a problem threatens a milestone, they can then decide whether to reassign work, adjust the scope, change priorities, or revise the schedule.
Meet Your Project Deadlines
Project deadlines can already be difficult to meet, but especially so for small tech teams. When you know how to efficiently handle projects, though, you'll have a much easier time.
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