Business change (1000 x 688)No matter what type of business you run, whether it be financial company or one that deals SEO health checks, project management will play a significant role. The software development industry is one that is booming at present, and it is in a fast and endless state of change. This means that project management can throw up a lot of challenges, which is why more and more software developers are taking project management courses. With that being said, read on to discover more about some of the project management challenges in software development in particular.

Numerous software iterations are required for bug fixing and quality testing – One of the major challenges that face project managers is the fact that numerous testing iterations need to take place throughout the project cycle to make sure the intended outcome is achieved. With implementation projects being constant and plenty, this can put on a lot of pressure. This is especially the case when bugs and issues are commonly discovered throughout. The issues need to be isolated, fixed, and retested, and this is not always easy. This is where professional project management training is important to ensure the correct decisions are made so the software does not go live with issues.

Difficult to find project management experts with the relevant expertise – There is a bit of a skills gap issue when it comes to the management of software development projects. There are those who are extremely skilled in development as well as those with vast experience in project management, but the two rarely seem to cross. This means that you need to take a look at the complexity of the job to determine how much system knowledge the project manager needs to have. If the organisation is large, and the project implementation and system is complex, then you definitely need someone with relevant experience in the field.

Issues with third-party integration – Nowadays, standalone solutions do not work. Customers demand solutions that they can integrate with the software they already use at their business. For instance, if you are developing a system for financial management, you may also need to integrate it with a CRM, contract management, external payment vendors, and so on and so forth. This means that project managers need to have sufficient knowledge of all other systems and the ability to work alongside the third-party vendors in question.

Building software for different levels – Companies demand software that caters to multiple complicated user levels. This is because some people may be experienced IT users whereas others may only have a basic knowledge. This means that a piece of software needs to be developed that can cater to all requirements.

 

Issues with legacy systems – Last but not least, another issue project managers face is dealing with stakeholders that are reluctant to change. This is because they personally vested in the old legacy infrastructure and systems, and thus they may be resistant to the new plan you are proposing. This is why you need to find a way to alleviate their fears and show them the benefits of the new system.