Keys To Success
The key to success in software development is to embrace change. We all know change is going to happen. The key is to determine how to deal with change. Tackling risks early and communication within the team help to determine how each piece of change might impact the project. Relating this information to the business stakeholder's helps to ensure expectations are adjusted with the new changes.
There are many different project management methodologies. Within the Agile spectrum there are also many different flavours. We find Scrum is a very effective tool for embracing change and communicating to stakeholders the new realities of each change event.
Working in small increments and delivering business value quickly help mitigate most change events. Application demos help to keep business familiar with the project and allows them to see progress often. Even in software development, baby steps are exciting to see.
The easiest way to keep our customer's happy is to deliver what they need. Easier said than done. We all know there can be tough times in building a business solution. Our key to success for customer satisfaction is to understand the business need and communicate our progress. A professional attitude helps to remove "blame" scenarios. We are constantly trying to keep focus of the ultimate goal and learn from any misstep along the way.
Having a solid version control system is a wise investment. Like everything in today's world, Version Control Systems (VCS) have improved as well. Using Git is defintiely a consideration any team should look into.