Software development projects can be complex and challenging, and even with the best intentions, they can sometimes fail. However, with the right approach, it may be possible to recover from these failures and turn them into success stories.
Common Software Development Project Failures
Before we dive into the solutions, let’s first look at some common software development project failures and the reasons for them. Here are some of the most common reasons why certain software development project fail or need rescuing:
- Lack of business workshops before the project, which can lead to strategic misalignment and a lack of product-market fit.
- Poor project management can lead to missed deadlines, budget overruns, and poor quality software.
- Lack of stakeholder involvement can lead to a lack of requirements, miscommunication, and pointless running in circles.
- Insufficient testing can lead to software that is riddled with bugs and errors.
- Inadequate documentation can lead to confusion, miscommunication, and poor quality software.
- Technical debt is the accumulation of software design flaws and shortcuts that can lead to poor quality software and project failures.
Solutions for Project Recovery
Now that we have identified some common software development project failures, let’s look at some solutions for project recovery. Here are some of the most effective solutions for project recovery:
- The first step in project recovery is to identify the root cause of the failure. This can be done through a thorough analysis of the project, including the code, documentation, and project management processes.
- Once the root cause of the failure has been identified, it’s time to develop a recovery plan. This plan should include specific actions that will be taken to address the root cause of the failure.
- Implement the recovery plan as soon as possible to minimize the impact of the failure. This may involve changes to the project management processes, code refactoring, or additional testing.
- It is important to monitor progress throughout the recovery process to ensure that the project is on track and that the recovery plan is working.
- Finally, it is important to learn from the failure and make changes to the software development processes to prevent similar failures from occurring in the future.
Mente’s Approach to Project Recovery
At Mente, we excel at project recovery and fixing projects from strategy through operations to code itself. Our approach to project recovery is based on the following principles:
- We use Discovery Workshops to align stakeholders’ expectations, clarify requirements, and ensure that the project is on track from the beginning.
- We conduct a thorough analysis of the project to identify the root cause of the failure.
- We develop a tailored recovery plan that is specific to the project and the root cause of the failure.
- We implement the recovery plan using an agile approach to minimize the impact of the failure. Frequently, this boils down to several simultaneous projects under one umbrella.
- We always deliver the so-called “low-hanging fruit”, that is, we rapidly solve problems that can be addressed immediately and may deliver visible improvement to the situation, e.g. optimise infrastructure to limit the client’s spending or implement the missing features they had been waiting for long.
- We use continuous monitoring of the progress throughout the recovery process to ensure that the project is on track.
- Continuous improvement approach ensures that we learn from the failure and make changes to the software development processes to prevent similar failures from occurring in the future.
- At all times, we strive to involve different stakeholders, starting from the business owners and ending with their development team. Thus, we build trust and become one team with our client, focused on tackling the challenge.
Real-life Exampe
We are fortunate to have multiple rescue missions in our portfolio and all of them follow more or less the same path. A client comes to us with a software development project that had failed due to poor project management, lack of stakeholder involvement, lack of documentation, insufficient business acumen, and/or inadequate testing or insufficient technical competencies within their team. What happened on the Vene project was neither different nor uncommon.
We conducted a thorough analysis of the project to identify the root cause of the failure and developed a tailored recovery plan that included specific actions to address issues. As a result, we were able to turn the failed project into a success story, and the client worked with us for five years after the rescue mission. Our approach to project recovery, which includes a thorough analysis, a tailored recovery plan, agile implementation, continuous monitoring, discovery workshops, and continuous improvement, has helped us turn many failed software development projects into success stories.
Conclusion
Software development project failures can be frustrating and costly, but with the right approach, it is possible to recover from them and turn them into success stories. By identifying the root cause of the failure, developing a tailored recovery plan, implementing the plan using an agile approach, continuously monitoring progress, and learning from the failure, it may be possible to recover from even the most challenging software development project failures.
At mente, we excel at project recovery and are committed to helping our clients turn their software failures into success stories as they are in fact, our success stories, too.
