Efficiency in software development is perhaps one of the most sought-after business objectives for any software development team, yet it is also one of the most difficult to accomplish. This is especially true with larger projects requiring the involvement of large development and testing teams, since coordinating all of the various tasks throughout the development lifecycle is often exceptionally difficult.
Achieving a greater efficiency is a big mountain to climb, but it’s not impossible. Increased software development efficiency can be enhanced significantly through having A & B players on your teams, but the following tips are beneficial regardless of the size, scope or team size for any software development project.
Provide Ideal Tools for Software Development Teams
Even the best programmers will be frustrated and relatively unproductive without access to a good ‘tool-stack’ for software development. The area in which many software development teams encounter issues reducing efficiency is commonly software testing, making it necessary for businesses to consider the utilization of efficient and effective testing tools for software developers.
A testing tool that is not only effective and efficient but also capable of fostering cooperation and communication between team members is most likely to yield the most exceptional results. Test management tools, particularly the kind of testing tools made available by QASymphony.com are comprehensive and capable of tracking, managing, organizing and reporting all aspects of the testing process.
Encourage Frequent Collaboration Between Programmers
Programming requires creativity and collaboration, which is certainly an excellent quality to possess in any pursuit. In developing software, the creativity of team members can be enhanced significantly by encouraging collaboration between programmers, thereby allowing each team member to see new angles and approaches for accomplishing a specific task. In terms of the specific methods for encouraging collaborative efforts between programmers, instituting pair-programming tasks and peer code reviews represent strategies that are typically quite effective.
Recognize the Importance of Flexibility
One of the most surefire strategies for cultivating inefficiency in software development is the insistence on an overly specific or exceptionally rigid approach to the process. Programming requires quite a bit of flexibility as well as the use of creative problem-solving strategies, and any sort of rigidity ultimately serves to undermine the process and predictably results in needless inefficiency. Instead, a basic conceptual framework that provides structure but leaves room for flexibility and creative problem solving is the ideal approach.
