Software Projects Caveat: Scope / Requirements
Published on: May 01, 2023
Last updated: May 07, 2024 Read in fullscreen view
Last updated: May 07, 2024 Read in fullscreen view
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The IT industry is not that young anymore. However, there are still many never-ending projects; in addition, some projects end with low satisfaction on one or both sides – the customer and the developer side.
The most common problem is the scope of a project. Developers regularly complain to customers who repeatedly increase and enlarge their requirements during the project repeatedly. I agree this is a huge problem, and the scope of a project has to be defined and followed. However, I want to say couple of words from a point of view that is not often taken.
The most common problem is the scope of a project. Developers regularly complain to customers who repeatedly increase and enlarge their requirements during the project repeatedly. I agree this is a huge problem, and the scope of a project has to be defined and followed. However, I want to say couple of words from a point of view that is not often taken.
There are so many times when customers are not satisfied with an IT project because they can add requirements after the initial phase of functional analysis. They do not understand why it is so hard to add or change a functionality of an application, even if they explain the new functionality is crucial for them. So – why do developers assume their customers know their requirements in advance? Do the developers always know all of their needs and wishes in advance when they go shopping something? Of course they (we) do not. This is human – many times, you realize what you would want when you see what is possible. Take an example with mobile phones, there was a general idea somewhere in the ether how nice it would be to have a phone available anywhere. Then somebody invented mobile phone. After that, people got additional ideas with a built-in camera.
If you are a developer, you should take your customer’s point of view. You should anticipate at least three iterations of gathering the requirements. Of course, you have to limit the number of iterations. Consider preparing a proof-of-concept (POC) or proof-of-value (POV) for project or application. Show your users what can be done before you seal the scope. If you are a customer, remember that even developers do not know everything in advance. In addition, you should still be aware that the scope has to be determined in a moderate period if you want to finish your project some day.
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