When embarking on IT projects in large organizations usually represents a significant endeavour of time and resources. When those projects look to fundamentally change the organization’s way of operating, all challenges are amplified at many levels of the company.
Whether you are on an IT team or work closely with one, you need to be prepared to tackle large-scale IT projects. So, here are 4 of the best practices for delivering large-scale IT projects effectively and efficiently to ensure a successful delivery.
1. Address the Right Issues
A surprisingly common issue that plagues IT teams involves not addressing the right issues. The people on these IT teams are often very knowledgeable and skilled in their fields, so this can lead them to do what they do best without asking if that is the right direction to be going. It can also lead to over engineered systems that are simple for these skilled IT teams to use but can become overbearing for other employees.
Starting out in the drafting phase of a project, it needs to be crystal clear to every member of the team what is the problem that is being solved.
2. Use the Right Methodology
Traditionally, large-scale IT projects utilize a waterfall methodology as it naturally fits into applying new hardware and software implementations. However, the waterfall methodology requires a sequential plan with limited ability to shift as the plan is executed, it does not allow for continuous feedback and a single issue has the potential of completely derailing the entire project.
Instead, large-scale IT projects have been increasingly moving towards an agile methodology. This allows for quick changes to be implemented almost immediately as the needs of the organization and the project itself change. It also incentivizes a fast completion of the basic essentials of the project so the organization can provide feedback based on an actual implementation. Then, the project can be adjusted based on that feedback for a fully optimized end result.
3. Gather the Right Team
The right team can be the difference between a smooth and effective IT project and an absolute nightmare that goes over budget with constant delays. The right team doesn’t need to be the best and most experienced, but they all need to share a common sense of a strong work ethic and a dedication to achieving company goals.
The right team does not always have to be the best programmers in your organization. Outsourced solutions bring new knowledge and experience that infuses your company with new possibilities. Outsourced teams also tend to focus more on the project without the distractions of day-to-day operations.
4. Always be Communicating
The last tip to a successful IT project is to always be communicating. Failure to communicate on any large project results in different expectations and people not knowing what the desired goal is. Setting up constant and effective communication will allow you and your team to always know what’s going on and what needs to be done. Effective and frequent communication is the key to delivering a successful IT project.
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