How to avoid and overcome software failure

Software now being an integral part of business success, playing a crucial role in business development and making processes faster and better than before. Softwares are being very useful in each and every area of business turning several processes into more accurate, reliable, and faster than ever before.

As changing technology and the birth of advanced tech stacks developers need to work very carefully and plan the development process to leverage the technology used for the software. Despite just planning, there are several other factors that lead to problems in the development lifecycle and non-compliance with the business objective.

Some 50 years since the inception of project methodologies, more than 50% of IT projects still fail because they run out of time, resources, funds, etc. Will there come a day when we’ll be able to plan and execute projects successfully? We’ll live and see. Let's see some of the factors that could lead to software failure.

Lack of Research

As described in my previous article, the lack of research contributes to major failures. New technology requires research and what is suitable for the project in spite of what is available. Developers and tech teams are not researching the project use and compatibility with the technology in spite they just start integrating it which causes the project to lengthen out on timeline, resources, and funds.

Any technology should be read and researched with formal documentation before even initiating the project. A good study leads to a good plan and good execution, we have google to search but if you don't know what you are implementing then it's easy to end up in a situation of problems all around.

Unrealistic Approach

Don't just start out with the idea. Every successful project needs good planning. Many times projects are executed with the idea a person thinks would work but that should not be the case as many stakeholders rely on that project and idea. A strategy and approach should be that easy that if someone asks you about it you should be able to explain the process like you are telling how to study 123.. then you would be confident as well as stakeholders can plan their further approach on that basis.

Miscalculated Time and Budget Frames

Budget constraints and inaccurate times create a pathway to failures. If a budget is low then feature specifications should be laid out carefully before even the work starts and if the budget is not the problem time and creativity with options should be focused on. In the market, clients don’t have time to wait, they prefer to get the software as soon as possible. While meeting that desire, software developers are not able to get their creativity out or they are not able to perform out of functionality. It is essential to understand that productive things require time and budget.

Communication

Now, comes the most important thing: the lack of communication with the client or with other departments can also lead to failure to launch the successful software. This process is a daunting task and requires the support of several departments.

Key to internal communication between the project team is a healthy environment that supports good bonding, openly sharing the ideas which help the team to take stronger and effective decisions. The work package distribution and identifying the team-specific skills come on to a consultant or project manager to effectively carry out the work.

Testing Process

Testing forming the most important part of the software completion plays a crucial role if test cases such as memory testing, user testing, device farms are done in a strategic manner. Developers should provide proper time to the testing process, as it helps them to detect the errors and fix them out before launching only.

Tests are generally just performed on the software platform user experience level but it is a much more extensive area to cover to ensure the product does not fail when it is in the real production environment.

Lack of knowledge of Software Tools

As the software development method improves, and in order to boost the process several tools also introduced in the market. Developers should be updated to the latest tools and processes available to make the development process much more efficient and cost-effective. New open-source and paid tools are released every month for developers to make the best use of time and knowledge.

Final Thoughts

Building modern software is a daunting task as developers have to focus on many aspects. But with proper strategy, it will help to take their step towards success. If you are also planning to launch your high functional software and leverage all the benefits of advanced software. You should be partnering with the right people and resources to get the best out of your software development process.

Rohan Girdhani IT Consultant | Researcher