After a while of working on a project, it turns out that the product looks and works quite differently than planned. Even though it appeared that you and the team were in sync. This can be frustrating, especially when a lot of time and resources have been invested. So, how can this be fixed?

Drawing from our experience, inefficiencies in requirement documentation, communication, and testing are often the root causes. Let's explore these aspects further.

Documenting and aligning requirements

First and foremost, it's crucial to ensure that all requirements are thoroughly documented. This means that user stories are detailed enough, and a system prototype (wireframe) is drafted.

It’s also important to remember that when an analyst creates user stories and translates the initial idea and vision into clear technical tasks for developers, they do so based on their understanding. Therefore, before development starts, it's essential to verify whether the analyst has correctly grasped the idea and whether the project's vision and functionality are fully reflected. 

If further clarifications are needed, the analyst makes adjustments until the user stories align completely with the initial concept. Only then can wireframing begin.

A wireframe illustrates how the finished system will appear to all user roles. This allows for interacting woth the product even before development begins. Any discrepancies with expectations can be identified and addressed much more easily and affordably at this stage.

Without a wireframe, there's a risk that deviations from the plan will only be detected by the time the first demo is created, by which time significant resources and time have already been invested.

You can read more about how we prepare requirements here

Regular communication and change management

To ensure that the project is progressing in the right direction, regular communication is vital. Weekly status reports are excellent for this purpose, where the project manager summarizes the week's progress, current tasks, and plans for the near future. Additionally, product demos should not be overlooked to assess how the requirements are being implemented. This helps facilitate feedback sharing and confirms that reality aligns with expectations.

Throughout the development process, new requirements or ideas may emerge that need to be added. Therefore, active change management is also crucial. This is also the responsibility of the project manager, who documents the changes and updates the requirements accordingly, after obtaining approval from the client.

Testing

Even if requirements are clear, changes are documented, and communication is established, the problem might still lie in testing.

Testing isn't just about finding bugs or checking system performance. It's also about ensuring tasks are executed as intended. Testers provide a fresh perspective and highlight areas where solutions may not align with user expectations.

Unit and integration testing assess the performance of individual components and their interactions, ensuring they function as intended. Additionally, acceptance testing validates whether the system meets the requirements set by the customer.

More about our testing here

To sum up

To prevent a mismatch between expectations and reality, we suggest focusing on three key aspects first: documentation and alignment of requirements, regular communication and change management, and effective testing. 

However, every product is unique and requires a personalized approach.

If you're facing similar challenges with your software project – we offer you a free system audit with a detailed report and recommendations to resolve the issues.

‍Contact us or book a quick call to get started

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