In today’s technology landscape, the trend of custom software development is on the rise. Many individuals and business organizations are investing in the development of custom software solutions that solve their unique challenges and give them a competitive edge.
Despite the availability of off-the-shelf software systems, many business owners feel that a custom-built software system adds more value to their business and sets them apart from the competition in the market. But developing a new software system from scratch is not an easy task; it requires exhaustive planning, hefty financial investment, and most importantly, a partnership with an expert development team.
When it comes to the development team, many businesses choose to outsource the development of their custom software to a third-party such as a professional software development company or freelance developers. While some organizations prefer building a team of software developers that can work in-house to develop their custom software.
Regardless of their choice between outsourcing and in-house development, developing custom software is a high-risk process; from project initiation to its completion – there are a lot of things that can go wrong and cause the project to fail completely. According to a 2016 report, more than half of software projects fail or go sideways due to challenges and unforeseen circumstances.
When projects go off-track and fail to meet their original goals, timeline, and budgets, businesses often turn to professional software rescue services such as goodcore.co.uk to save their projects and bring them back on track. So, what is software project rescue and what are the common reasons for project failure? Let’s find out in this article.
Top Reason Why Software Projects Fail
Some businesses prefer working with an in-house team because it allows them to be closer to the development work and more in control of the project so there are lesser chances of failure. But an in-house development team does not guarantee a smooth and problem-free project journey.
Both outsourcing and in-house development come with their own set of challenges and various unforeseen circumstances can arise during the project lifecycle that can jeopardize the project. Here are some top reasons why software projects require software rescue services to save them from turning into a disaster.
Why Software Outsourcing Projects Fail
The success of software outsourcing depends heavily on finding the right outsourcing partner. A partner that is reliable and experienced can bring your project to its successful completion, despite challenging situations and mishaps. Following are the factors that can risk your software outsourcing venture and cause you to seek software project rescue services in the future:
Choosing price over quality
Your project is bound to run into issues if you prioritize price over quality. If you run after low prices then chances are that you might not find a highly-qualified or experienced team, and you might end up spending a lot more money on software rescue services to save your project.
Wrong sized team
The size of the project is an important factor to consider when choosing your outsourcing team. Recent research shows that large software projects have a high risk of failure, and trusting a big-scale project with a small-sized team is a recipe for disaster.
Larger projects are more prone to running into critical challenges and eventual failure, therefore, you need a team that is the right size and adept at handling a large scope and complex requirements.
Language and Communication barriers
Outsourcing your project to a remote development team that’s located in a different time zone and culture than you can become a reason for project failure. Time zone and language differences can hinder your ability to effectively collaborate with the team and important things can get lost in translation or misinterpreted. This can lead to issues later on causing you to seek software rescue services when things go wrong.
Lack of experience
Lack of experience and technical expertise increase the chances of project failure. If you outsource to a team that is not experienced or skilled enough to handle your projects, then you might need project rescue in the future.
Why In-House Software Development Projects Fail
In-house software development gives businesses more control over the project but that does not mean that the project will not run into critical issues and challenges. Here are some common scenarios that can hamper the project and send it off-track:
Team members leave
You might spend months putting together a perfect team of people for your project but it is possible that they might leave the project midway. When important resources leave, it can cause serious issues for the project.
When an important resource abandons the project, it can take the business a long time to find a suitable replacement, and amidst all this, the project can suffer and go off track. In such a case, businesses often turn to professional software rescue services to steer the project back on track.
Low-quality software product
This is a common occurrence for businesses that have software-based products that are developed by an in-house team. If your in-house team builds a low-quality product low then it can have serious consequences for your business. Because of a subpar product, you can lose your customers and reputation in the market.
When businesses encounter this situation, they seek outside help in the form of an experienced development team that can take over the software project and improve the quality of the product.
Growing size of the project
With time and growth, the requirements of your project can change and it is possible that the project might become too big or complex for your in-house. This can lead to issues that can jeopardize the entire project.
Hence, businesses turn to professional software companies for project rescue. With software project rescue services, a business can outsource all or some parts of its project to a seasoned software company that can manage its scale and complexity.
Conclusion
Businesses that are starting new projects with an outsourcing company and those that are working with an in-house development team, both are bound to experience issues and challenges that can risk the project.
Even the most carefully planned projects also run into unforeseen circumstances. In situations like these, it is important to seek software rescue services to save your project from turning into a disaster.
