How do you deal with software project delays and overruns?

One preventive method is to scale the software development project using your available resource and then use it to define your MVP (minimum viable product)

Before embarking on a software project, it's essential to define clear goals and scope. Ask yourself: - What outcomes and benefits do we aim to achieve? - What are the specific requirements for the software? Identify any constraints or assumptions that may impact the project. Establishing a well-defined vision will enable you to outline deliverables, set milestones, and define success criteria effectively. For instance, in healthcare software, ensure compliance with regulations while meeting user needs. To prevent scope creep, implement a change management process that requires approval for any modifications. Regular stakeholder communication is crucial to maintain alignment and focus throughout the project lifecycle.

Have stakeholders and executives participate in defining goals and scope. You can engage their help more easily when someone goes outside the boundaries or slow on task commitments. It helps for quicker recovery.

If the software project is already experiencing delays and overruns, a return to the original goals and scope can help the team get clarity on the forward path. Often the expectations change with the leadership changes, both in the stakeholders and in your own organization. A standard introduction document or presentation developed at the begining with all of the project details mentioned in the article will help introduce new members to the project. If maintained well, it can also help new stakeholders and leaders transition onto the project with an understanding of the prior agreements.

A lot of time that the project is delayed or overrun comes to the cause that scope change, requirement is not clear. Hence, before coming up with the resource plan, project plan and budget, a better definition of scope and requirement will be able to fill the gap at certain degree. Be more specific, precise on what is in scope as well as what is NOT in scope; Include the NFR in Definition of Done; List down the dependencies and potential risks so it can bring the awareness to the team; Consider the contingency; Enforce the requirement/user story to get refined over and over.

Use data from past projects to inform your estimates. This can include the time taken for similar tasks, the resources used, and any unforeseen delays that occurred.

Don’t estimate, calculate. It’s much more realistic. When the other leaders and stakeholders understand how it was calculated you get better buy in, commitment and opportunity for on-time project.

Seien sie in der Projektplanung ehrlich zu dem, was in der geplanten Zeit machbar ist (evtl. neben dem t?glichen Business). Muten sie den Projektbeteiligten nicht zu viel zu und bauen genügend Puffer ein. Falls Zeiten kritisch werden, nutzen sie #Steerings , um schnell und zielgerichtet Entscheidungen bei Ver?nderungen herbeizuführen.

After defining your project scope, the next step is to estimate the time and resources required. Consider questions like: - How long will the project take? -What skills and tools are necessary? - What’s your budget? Accurate estimations are crucial for developing a realistic project plan and budget, while also helping you identify potential risks and uncertainties. For effective estimation, employ techniques such as expert judgment, analogy, parametric, bottom-up, or top-down methods. For example, in finance, use historical data for analogy estimates, while in healthcare, involve domain experts for precise resource allocation. Always prepare for contingencies to ensure project success.

After estimating project time and resources, it's crucial to create a project schedule and budget. - The schedule details the sequence and duration of tasks, while the budget outlines estimated and actual costs for resources. -This approach aids in efficient resource allocation and progress tracking. To improve project management, utilize tools like Gantt charts for visual timelines, network diagrams for task dependencies, and work breakdown structures for organization. Software such as Microsoft Project or Trello can further streamline these processes.

Other Factors I've found helpful are: -early kickoff engagement of people, processes, Quality and resources is key to reducing risks. -another major component of timely project execution and implementation is having a decreased backlog. -smaller development/engineering teams self-regulating with reduced iterations assist in really getting real momentum. -incremental work of product/project deployment provides more efficient execution of projects. -results are a better outcome, on time and within budget for successful changes and Implementation.

Do everything you can to insert cost and schedule margin at the beginning. When allocating functionality to sprints, plan for later sprints to pick up the technical debt from prior sprints and consider leaving an empty sprint for the unexpected delays. Anticipate long lead items and work with supply chain or vendors to confirm items on the critical path (or that could become the critical path). (Even experienced staff can become a long lead item.) Once the teams gain momentum after 2-3 sprints, reassess the plan based on the teams' actual costs and current performance, then adjust accordingly.

Effective communication and collaboration with your project team and stakeholders are vital during project execution. - The project team handles the work, while stakeholders are affected by the results. - To align everyone, prioritize regular interactions, such as weekly check-in meetings, and use tools like Trello or Slack for real-time updates. - Share concise reports to keep stakeholders informed. - Manage expectations and adapt to feedback by encouraging open dialogue to address concerns. - By utilizing various communication methods—emails, presentations, or online platforms—you promote transparency and enhance project success across finance, healthcare, eGov, and education sectors.

Communicate early and often with stakeholders. Pay attention to the leading indicators like earned value for cost and schedule performance. As those begin to slip, start the conversation. Bad news doesn't get better with age. A formal process for approving requests to spend cost and schedule margin will help the team consider alternatives and may identify new opportunities. Late requirements and design changes should be negotiated to later releases whenever possible and should always come with additional budget. Work as a team to balance the optimism for recovery with the practical insights from more experienced members of the team, especially during a project "replan" with new leadership.

Someone said: What you don't know is what you don't know. This may come as a surprise, a roadblock which stops further progress unless resolved. Understand stakeholders, dependencies, create RACI matrix, work on risks mitigations & issue resolutions, work on parallel activities, create sense of urgency and communicate/followup/escalate till it gets resolved.

Communication, as always, is key. For example, don't just create a project schedule. Instead, invite inputs and socialise with all key stakeholders and invite their feedback. A project schedule with stakeholder buy-in is much more likely to be successful than one that is developed in a silo.

How do you know if you are running behind schedule if you are not monitoring time and resources? Close monitoring and identification of slippage means it can be quickly addressed and hopefully the amount of slippage can be minimised. If minimisation is not possible, at least you have early visibility of the issue to allow it to be addressed and/or escalated.

Effective monitoring and control of time and resources are vital throughout a project's lifecycle. - Monitoring involves collecting and analyzing data like time spent, costs, completed work, and quality, often using tools like Jira or Trello. - Controlling requires comparing actual results to planned benchmarks and taking immediate corrective actions when discrepancies occur. This proactive approach helps identify risks and allows timely adjustments to the project plan and budget. - Regular status updates to the team and stakeholders promote transparency and collaboration. - Embracing these practices can enhance project outcomes in finance, healthcare, eGov, and education sectors.

In current, dynamic and changing environment, Project learning needs to be done periodically and also at the end of the project. These in-term learnings will help to move faster for remaining part of the project. Agile framework is a great example of continuous learning/adapting sprint by sprint.

In my opinion, it's better not only to meet deadlines but also to learn from them. By analyzing what went wrong and right, you can identify areas for improvement and best practices for projects (and, from my experience, that work excellently). So it's a REAL goldmine for growth that keeps you sharp and your team on top.

After completing a project, it's essential to extract insights by evaluating successes and failures, documenting lessons learned, and identifying best practices. - Conducting retrospectives can highlight team dynamics and areas for growth, while surveys can collect stakeholder feedback. - Celebrating achievements and recognizing contributions fosters a positive culture and encourages collaboration. - In finance and healthcare, data analytics can improve understanding of project outcomes, while stakeholder engagement is crucial in eGov and education. Utilize these techniques to enhance your skills as a software project manager and promote continuous improvement.

In my experience the processes, ongoing analysis of the implementation project and strong communication internally and externally of timeline expectations and variables. Managing the project I would also consider having the amount of staff needed for a project implementation. Key of Success: Consistent Clear Communication of Implementation expectations, processes, status and deliverables. Internal process to communicate with the client daily, weekly, bi weekly dependent on timelines. As a software analyst I’ve noted the role of the person managing the project in perspectives of the two. Everything is figureoutable ??. Together we can! Respectfully, Sherisse

All of these steps are great to get the project started and certainly come into play when pushing to get the delivery over the finish line. If you notice the overrun or delay early, do the causal analysis to pivot and get the team back on track and start the conversation with the stakeholders. As tension grows over the missed deadlines and need for more budget, you'll need to get very intentional and focused on the details. Every course of action and potential pitfall should be open to discussion with an eye on the bottom line for the delivery like minimum functionality and definition of done. Resist the temptation to lean on more overtime from the team and manage your margin for the downstream tasks like final integration and test.