Keeping project management on track is notoriously tricky. Not only are you dealing with impending deadlines and possible issues and problems, but you are also dealing with teams and individuals.
Dev teams have been noted as one of the most challenging teams to manage in a company. These teams deal with highly complex tasks where something can easily go wrong and take down the whole site.
We decided to take a look at a few ways that you can stay on top of your development team and effectively manage the projects that they are working on. Let’s get started right away.
Choose the Right Platforms and Integrations for Your Team
It’s important to run a successful team, and ensure that projects are being fulfilled in a timely manner. In order to do this, choosing the right tools and platforms is essential. You will want plugins and integrations that streamline your dev’s workflow and allow them to access the right data efficiently and swiftly.
For example, the Gitlab Jira integration app powered by Bitband allows you to stay in the loop with your development team on every issue. It is a seamless way to stay in control of your committed data. It also ensures that all data is protected and secure at all times. These integrations are also incredibly powerful when it comes to accelerating the development workflow, making deadlines more achievable.
It is highly recommended that you always opt for an option that allows you to integrate with other types of tools, like collaboration and communication tools. You will also need robust customer support and access to someone who will be available to assist you with troubleshooting and tickets promptly.
Pick Collaboration Tools Wisely
We briefly mentioned collaboration tools in the previous paragraph. But let’s go into it in more detail.
Tools like monday.com and Trello are great project management tools. This is because they allow you to keep track of each element of a project, and several projects simultaneously. You can assign projects and tasks within the projects to team members, give them deadlines, and track their progress. You can also track the time spent on each task and project and attach vital files and information to each.
From there, you can integrate real-time communication tools too. Slack integrations are one of the most popular elements of these tools as Slack provides you a platform to communicate and chat with your team in real-time. You can use Slack to chat with individuals and teams or the whole company. You can also set up notifications that are triggered when certain actions take place on the collaboration tool.
Provide the Right Training and Knowledge
Hiring the right dev for your team is one thing, but onboarding and ensuring that they are part of the team is another. Whether you are hiring front-end, back-end, or full-stack, it is important to ensure that you provide these people with the right information and training to excel at their job. Besides, ensure they have pursued project management courses online that’ll help them keep stakeholders informed about progress and effectively manage risks.
Make sure that all of the relevant information they need is accessible to them at all times by creating a centralized, cloud-based knowledge hub. Here, they will be able to access various training manuals, company policies, and general company information to help them along the way.
It is also important to make sure that they are correctly onboarded. In many cases, developers and web designers forgo the onboarding experience that sales staff and marketing are provided with. It is important that the dev team is also introduced to the brand, the company values, and mission as well as other departments.
Encourage Team Engagement and After-Works Socials
In many companies, the dev team is often overlooked. They are either relegated to the back office or work from home, effectively isolating them from the rest of the company. You need to get the most out of your team, especially the team responsible for creating and managing your website and key company data. In order to do this, it is important to make them feel valued.
After-work social events and activities are a great idea to not only thank your team for a job well done but also to encourage team building. Team buildings are important opportunities for teams to recognize their strengths and weaknesses and learn how to work together. However, simple after-hour socials like Friday drinks can also help the team members get to know each other out of a pressurized environment. Beyond that, these team members will feel like valued assets to the company.
A satisfied and engaged employee is a productive employee. So, make your team feel valued and seen at all times.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, you need to provide your team with the resources they need to excel. Give them the right information and training right from the beginning. Make them feel valued and part of the team. Most importantly, stay on top of all projects and deadlines for effective project management.