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How to make the project go online on time?

Why is the project easy to postpone?

1.Software development is a creative work

Project postponement is a common phenomenon, and one of the biggest headaches for managers.But outsiders do not understand.It's obviously your own plan, so how come so many problems always arise.After all, this is due to the characteristics of our work.What we are doing is a creative work, it is not like building a house, there are specific steps.We implement a function, how to write it, and how many lines of code we have before we write it.


Based on my own experience, I think there are two reasons for the project delay:

2.There are many emergencies at work

When we evaluate the workload, it is based on past experience.This empirical assessment is not reliable in a real environment.You cannot deal with unexpected problems.There were too many unexpected problems during our real development process.

3.High coupling between collaborations

The coupling of the technician's work is too high.From the very beginning, product managers put forward requirements, UI design prototypes, UE design experience, programmers do system design, write codes, and testers write test cases.The links are interlocked, and there is an "accident" in one of the links, and the time has to be delayed.

Common reasons for postponement at work

Here I list the common reasons for postponement at work:

  • Requirements change, generally refers to new requirements or requirements details have been changing;

  • The workload of needs assessment is insufficient, and the difficulty of function realization is underestimated;

  • The requirement is not understood correctly, and the function is wrong.Only found out when the final test or docking;

  • There is a temporary need to insert.For example, a bug suddenly appeared online and needs to be fixed;

  • The new requirement itself has a logical problem, which was not discovered before, but was discovered during the process.

  • Self-test is not careful, the test finds too many problems, and the more bugs are changed;

  • Temporary personnel changes;

  • Failure to respond properly after deviation from the plan;

  • The technical difficulty research has problems, and the implementation plan has to be changed;

......


Isn't that we can't help it? Nor is it.There are always more methods than problems.As long as there are solutions to all the problems that arise, it is possible to go online on time.Of course, in the face of complex problems, it is difficult to solve them all at once, but fortunately, we can iterate.Every time the project ends, a review of the project should be done.

How to solve the problem of project delay?

This is my solution to project delays: review-find the problem-dismantle the problem-formulate a solution-iterate-review

1.Review and find the problem

Replay: What was the reason for our postponement last time? Find out the cause of the problem.For example, the last time it was caused by a change in demand.

2.Disassemble the problem and formulate a solution

Then there is the problem of dismantling.Why do you need to change? Because this function is more important.Is this the answer true? Is this feature really important? Okay, it's true.So what is the judging standard? if there is not.Then I need to work it out.With the standard, next time we encounter new requirements, we can quickly decide whether to add it to this version.Okay, we can continue to demolish, is it the delay caused by the new demand? Yes, because of the new requirements and the online time has not been modified.So next time we face the new demand, can we fight for a longer development time externally?


The advantage of this method is that every progress can be felt.The disadvantage is that the time period is too long.But fortunately, we can learn from the experience of others.We don't need to go to the pits that others have wandered through again.

Three key elements to solve project delays

Based on my years of project management experience, I believe that to solve the problem of project delays, three things must be done.

1.Before the project starts: demand management

There are four key steps in demand management before the project starts

1.Reach a consensus on the prioritization of requirements

First, we need to reach a consensus to prioritize requirements.What kind of requirements are the most important and must be fulfilled? Each company may be different.My own ranking is based on the two dimensions of business value and user value.


Commercial value is those functions that directly bring profits to the company, reduce operating costs, and accomplish the company's long-term strategic goals.The user value is those functions that can improve user experience, improve user efficiency, and solve user pain points.


Based on these two dimensions, we can draw a four-quadrant diagram and classify all our needs into different quadrants according to the two dimensions of business value and user value.For products with high commercial value and high user value.We should do it right away.As for whether the second priority is the demand with high commercial value and low user value; or the demand with low commercial value and high user value, it depends on the actual situation of the company.


Why prioritize requirements? Time is limited and there are too many functions to be done.If there is still a lot of demand after dismantling based on commercial value and user value, we can continue to dismantle them in two important and urgent dimensions.

2.Figure out the purpose of the demand

After reaching a consensus, the second step is to ask the product to first explain the purpose of the requirements during the requirements review.Not only to explain what we want to do, but also to explain what goals we want to achieve.This has two advantages.

  1. Let everyone participate, give play to the value of everyone in the team, and get better solutions through collective co-creation.

  2. After the event, we can clearly see whether the function we have made is one step closer to the goal.if there is not.Then, when resuming the market, you can find the cause of the problem more directionally.

3.Find out the details of the requirements

The third step is that the developer needs to figure out the details of the requirements.Every developer should develop such an ability to see through details.


There are only 0 and 1 in the world of code, not casual.When the product tells us the requirements, it doesn't know the specific realization of the system.He didn't know some details.This will lead to many requirements in the process of making many details that need to be repeatedly confirmed.If they are not done well, many details will be reflected in the test.For example, when the product says we are doing an event this time, the user orders 29 free shipping.A requirement that seems very simple, but if your system is complex enough, developers should think about what to do with the cross-store situation? What to do with virtual goods? What if there is a conflict if the store has set up other activities? Will the post-demand become 49 free shipping? If these are not thought of during the review, then you must maintain communication with the product during the process.Some newcomers are embarrassed to ask when they first arrived, but it's actually nothing.Everyone comes here like this.This ability takes time to accumulate.


There are also two benefits of clarifying the requirements:

  1. The workload of the assessment will be more accurate.

  2. Discover the hidden problems in the requirements earlier.

4.Output a complete project online schedule

The fourth step is to synchronize requirements from top to bottom and generate a demand schedule.First, we disassemble the demand, and the big demand becomes the small demand.Then evaluate the workload for small needs.Output your own personal schedule.Then integrate the requirements within the department, and output the department's plan completion table.Finally, the overall project schedule is generated with other members of the team.Generally it will be a Gantt chart.This makes it easier to find problems in the process.

abnormal situation

These four key steps are simple to say, but it is not easy to do a good job.If it can be done, there will be no major problems in demand management.Of course there will be some abnormalities.For example, after the requirements are determined, can they be changed? After the general requirements are determined, it is best not to make temporary changes.Unless there are special circumstances.


So what is the special situation? This is the advantage of formulating requirements priority rules, if there are indeed more urgent, low-cost, high commercial value, high user value requirements.We can change.As long as the members of the team agree with this rule, it will be easier to implement changes in requirements.

So what if the leader does not change the demand according to the rules?


Whoever is responsible makes decisions.Because of the different stand angles, the high-value tasks we think are not necessarily right.This is a general workplace principle.As a member of the project team, you can express your suggestions before you decide whether to do it or not, but if the person in charge decides to do it, then resolutely implement it.

2.The project is starting: process management

The key to process management is to solve the problem of information out of sync.My solution is:

1.Hold a standing morning meeting every day.


Many people say that it is useless to have a morning meeting in the morning.It is a manifestation that managers have no other way but to advance their work through meetings.I don’t think that the morning meeting is not complicated, nor does it take a lot of time, but it is precisely because of such a fixed "communication" matter that everyone will think about this matter in their hearts, and they will naturally follow the current work as planned.Advance.Here I introduce the specific steps of our company to hold a standing morning meeting:


  1. First, reach a consensus between the teams.Make it clear that the purpose of the morning meeting is collaboration, not reporting.Everyone has 2 minutes.Control the speaking time.

  2. Determine the content of the report.Everyone talks about whether the plan and actual progress of the day are consistent.Have you encountered any problems and whether you need any support.

  3. The order of speaking is fixed.During the speech, other people will not comment or answer.Specific issues will be discussed with relevant personnel after the meeting.

  4. The host of the morning meeting is very important, he needs to control the process and time, and remind him of the off-topic speeches.

  5. The last thing is to make meeting minutes, only record the problems or requests encountered by someone and whether the progress of the entire project is normal.


It is recommended that the meeting time be 30 minutes after the official working time, such as work at 9 o'clock.Start at 9:30.It ends before 10 o'clock.Remarks: Our company can work flexibly at 9:30 to the company.


The morning meeting can solve the problem of information asymmetry within the team, and everyone can better understand each other's project progress and cooperate well.Moreover, people have to save face.If the plan you make is not completed, you have to say in public the reasons why you did not complete the plan.This is very stressful.This kind of pressure will subconsciously affect your daily task completion and concentration.Spend.


Many companies turned the morning meeting into a briefing meeting, and in the end it became a retreat meeting without much information.It's not that this tool is not easy to use, but that you didn't use the right method.Remember the principles I mentioned above, I believe you can organize a morning meeting suitable for the team.

2.If it is a cross-departmental collaboration, "check the table" must be carried out daily

If it is cross-departmental collaboration.We also have to "check the table" every day, that is, synchronize information.

3.Follow up on key nodes.

Don't wait to see the progress of the project until it is online, so that even if you find a problem, you don't have time to solve it.

4.Develop a handling mechanism for abnormal problems.

All abnormal situations need to design a response plan.With a response plan, at least there is a process for solving the problem, and the mind will not panic.It is much easier to solve.

5.Establish your own question list library.

Many large companies have such a product problem list library.When customer service colleagues deal with user problems, they can find common solutions through keyword search.This greatly improves the efficiency of customer service in dealing with problems.The same method can actually be used for development.Maybe a problem encountered by a colleague a long time ago can also be encountered by other colleagues.In this case, the problem that took half a day to solve through keyword search may be solved in one minute.It should be noted that when making this question list library, you must first define the format.This is easy to manage.

Is it possible to do the above to ensure that the project can be launched on time? not always.Because the most important thing here is the person who executes it.Human management is an art.I'll talk about it in detail later.

3.After the project ends: review the project.

Review meeting: full participation

If you do a good job, you must find a way to standardize and replicate it.

If you do not do well, you must find a way to formulate a plan to deal with it.

Several schemes to prevent project delay

Finally, talk about my personal experience in preventing project delays.

1.Large projects should be transferred to testing in stages.

Don't concentrate testing and design work in one time period.The duration of the version iteration should not exceed one month.

2.Reserve test time

Every time a developer finishes a task, he must reserve test time.At the same time, it is necessary to reach a consensus with the developers.If there is a delay in the opening process, you must catch up with the progress by working overtime without affecting the progress of other colleagues.

3.Develop standards for handling common abnormal situations.

That is to say at the beginning, if there is a demand change, then the standard for the change demand must be made.Demand can change, and how to deal with it after it has changed.This also needs to be clear.Some can be directly put into the version and solved by working overtime, and some can be discarded some requirements.Try not to make changes when it is about to be released.

4.Make a Plan B plan.

What's the plan to meet some unexpected time.For example, what should I do if there is a temporary request for personnel? What should I do if there are technical difficulties that cannot be overcome? As a manager, you need to think of alternatives in advance.

5.Develop two release plans.

One plan is internal, according to the release time after everyone's work plan is integrated, and the other is a plan for external launch.Our team must pursue internal time to go online.But if something goes wrong, the time set aside is our buffer zone.Of course, you can also give a vague launch time externally, such as internally going online on September 10, and externally going online in mid-September.


The above are some of my experiences in dealing with project delays.I hope to bring you some inspiration.Students are also welcome to add me on WeChat and communicate together.


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