Customer participation increases software project success rate
Dariel Solutions, an IT services company and systems integrator, is determined to increase the success rate of local software projects in South Africa.
“The software development industry has an exceptionally high rate of project delivery failure,” says Wayne Yan, senior software developer at Dariel Solutions.
“On average, a staggering seven out of ten software development projects fail to meet intended objectives. Yet, running parallel to this staggering failure rate, is an ever increasing adoption of bespoke software by corporate SA, as companies continue to see the differentiating value it brings their business. Clearly then something does not add up.”
So why do software projects fail? How can the industry ensure that the benefits of bespoke development, and the real capability of South Africa to become a software power-house, is not unjustly lost?
Says Yan: “A startling trend and largest contributor to why projects fail boils down to one thing – a lack of customer participation throughout the project.”
Dariel insists that building software is not just about the technology, or about outsourcing a problem.
Rather, it is a "team sport" that requires all participants to be pulling in the same direction, towards the same shared vision and goal – building a working relationship between project stakeholders, to achieve a unique end result that enables market differentiation and delivers ROI.
“It is a rare occurrence for a complete and indisputable specification to be available before construction. The very process of system construction raises new questions, and may lead a company in directions that had not originally been envisaged. This can be immensely problematic to any company trying to keep its own head above water, but it doesn’t have to be," continues Yan.
"Being involved in the project does not mean disrupting a workforce or involving a critically busy CEO. Rather, it means investing in the right team. The project manager, business analyst, architect designers and developers are essential resources. However, the customer’s product stakeholder is probably the most important team member.
"The stakeholder needs to collaborate with the rest of the team, in particular the business analyst, project manager and architect to ensure that the system ‘converges’ to the product vision. In most cases, the technical team initially has poor knowledge of the problem domain.
"The customer stakeholder plays a vital role in closing the ‘gap’, by validating the requirements and the system as it is constructed. The role of the project manager is to ensure that the customer forms part of the project process from start to finish – this is the only way to reduce expectation risk and ensure that what is being built is what the customer wants.”
So then it’s simply about understanding the process and key aspects that should be put in place to ensure customer participation.
“We are committed towards further enhancing skills and proficiencies in this regard – driving an increase in the success rates of projects and ultimately, setting an example for the South African software industry,” concludes Yan.
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