Planning Software Development Service
Effective planning in software development is key to the success of any project. Proper planning ensures timely delivery, fitting the budget, and meeting the client’s expectations. In this article, we will come across key software development components, so that it will be easier for you to choose the best approach.
Software Development Planning
Software project planning is a foundation for the entire process. Here is the general overview of planning stage:
- Define project goals
All starts with defining the goals and objectives. Here we define the problems the software will solve, the target audience, and the key functionality of the software. - Create a roadmap
Once we define the goals, we create a roadmap of how to achieve them. This includes the resources needed, the timeline for each phase of the project, connections and dependencies between the tasks etc. - Identify potential risks and constraints
The software development project planning should also identify potential risks that could impact the project. This includes factors such as technical limitations, budget constraints, and regulatory requirements. - Allocate tasks
Finally, the team distributes the tasks, based on their skills and expertise.
The importance of a well-structured plan for project success cannot be overstated. A well-planned project ensures that everyone on the team understands their task and works towards the same goals and objectives . It also helps to cut risks and constraints that could derail the project and ensure efficient use of resources.
How to Choose the Right Development Methodology?
When choosing a software development methodology, it’s important to consider various factors, such as project requirements, customer involvement, team size and structure, time and budget constraints, risk tolerance, and development complexity. This checklist outlines key considerations to help you choose the right methodology for your project.
- Are the requirements defined and stable or likely to change during development?
- Is the customer involved in the development process?
- What is the size and structure of the development team?
- What are the budget and the deadlines and how flexible are they?
- What are the risks and what is our risk-tolerance?
- How complex is the development process and the tech stack?
In the table below, we compare different development methods, outlining their pros and cons. This will help you to choose the one that will better fit your project.
| Methodology | Description | Pros | Cons |
| Waterfall | A linear sequential approach that follows a predetermined set of steps in order. | Well-suited for projects with well-defined requirements and a fixed scope. | Less adaptable to changing requirements and less collaborative than other methodologies. |
| Agile | An iterative and incremental approach that emphasizes customer collaboration, flexibility, and adaptability. | Well-suited for projects with changing requirements and high customer involvement. Emphasizes continuous delivery and improvement. | Requires strong communication and collaboration skills among team members. May be less suitable for large-scale projects or projects with complex dependencies. |
| Scrum | An Agile methodology that emphasizes teamwork, self-organization, and frequent delivery. | Well-suited for projects with changing requirements and a small, cross-functional team. Promotes transparency and frequent communication. | Requires a high level of teamwork and may be less suitable for large-scale projects. |
| Kanban | An Agile methodology that emphasizes visualizing work and limiting work in progress. | Well-suited for projects with high variability and a focus on continuous improvement. Promotes transparency and flexibility. | Requires a high level of discipline and may be less suitable for projects with fixed deadlines. |
| Lean | A methodology that emphasizes the elimination of waste and continuous improvement. | Well-suited for projects with a focus on efficiency and cost reduction. Promotes a culture of continuous improvement. | Requires a high level of discipline and may be less suitable for projects with high variability. |
There are many other development methodologies beyond those listed here, and the choice of methodology will ultimately depend on the specific needs and requirements of the project and organization.
Steps of Creating a Software Project
Creating a successful software project requires a structured project planning software development approach:
- Defining Project Scope and Objectives
This step involves identifying the problem the software will solve, the target audience, and the key features and functionalities that the software will offer. - Creating a Project Roadmap
Once we establish the project goal, we break them down into steps needed to achieve them and create a project roadmap. Here we specify the deadlines and estimate the budget, resources, and people needed to follow them. - Risk Assessment and Mitigation
This stage involves identifying potential risks and constraints that could impact the project delivery. These can be technical limitations, budget constraints, and regulatory requirements. To ensure that the project stays on track, the team develops a risk mitigation plan. - Communication and Collaboration
Effective communication and collaboration are critical for project success. The team should establish clear lines of communication, hold regular meetings, and use collaboration tools to keep everyone informed and aligned. - Monitoring Progress and Performance
The team should monitor progress against the project roadmap and adjust as needed. They should also track key performance indicators to ensure that the project is meeting its goals and objectives. - Quality Assurance and Testing
Quality assurance and testing is an integral part of the development process. By testing each feature and software in the complex, the QA team ensures that everything works as intended. - Deployment and Post-launch Support
Once the software is deployed to the production environment, the team starts post-launch support. It ensures that even if any issues arise, the software will continue to meet the needs of users.
Benefits of Software Development Planning
Effective project planning for software development is essential to the success of any software development project. Now we will explore how project planning software development can help software development teams achieve their goals more effectively.
- Improved Project Management
Planning software development process helps to streamline the project implementation, track projects, set deadlines, allocate resources, and track performance.
- Increased Collaboration
Project plan software development helps to improve the team collaboration, reduce the risk of miscommunication and ensure that everyone is working at the same goals.
- Enhanced Visibility
Development planning helps the teams to estimate the resources needed for each task and distribute them. This ensures efficient resource usage and reduces the risk of delay or cost overrun.
- Improved Resource Allocation
Software development resource planning helps the team to estimate which resources they need for each task and to distribute them accordingly. This ensures efficient resource usage and reduces the risk of delay or cost overrun.
- Better Risk Management
During the software development planning stage, we identify potential risks and develop strategies for risk mitigation. This helps to reduce the possibility of unexpected issues and to be ready to solve any problems.
Software Planning Services Pricing
Software planning services are in demand in different countries and different industries. In this table, we compare the average planning software development price in five countries: USA, UK, Germany, Netherlands, and Ukraine.
| Country | Average Hourly Rate | Average Monthly Net Salary |
| USA | $100 – $200 | $6,500 |
| UK | £60 – £100 | £2,700 |
| Germany | €60 – €100 | €3,900 |
| Netherlands | €60 – €100 | €4,000 |
| Ukraine | $40-60* | $2800-4000* |
*Ukrainian salaries are provided based on Mobilunity’s Recruitment Team research on the local job markets. All salaries are net and do not include the service fee (in case of hiring on a dedicated team model). The salaries are provided for comparison purposes and could be not entirely accurate. Contact us to know the exact cost of hiring a developer corresponding to the required parameters.
Choosing software development services from Ukrainian providers can be more cost-effective compared to other countries in this list. Ukraine has a flourishing IT industry, and a great number of software development providers. At the same time, the hourly rate of Ukrainian developers is considerably lower due to lower cost of living. At the same time, Ukrainian specialists are highly skilled and have a good level of English.
Software Development Planning in Mobilunity
Mobilunity is a Ukrainian company offering custom software development services at competitive rates. We have a team of skilled developers who have rich experience in delivering planning software development service and delivering innovative projects to clients from all over the world.
We have a rich track record of partnering with companies from different industries and countries: fintech, e-commerce, data management etc. Here is a part of our clients:
- OnTrack Retail, UK, e-commerce
- Pafin, Japan, fintech
- I-doit, Germany, IT-documentation
- Qrates, Japan, Digital marketplace
- Matters, Switzerland, Data analytics
Effective development project plan for software development helps to define the project scope, calculate the budget, and plan resource allocation. During the planning stage, the company assesses risks and develops ways of risk mitigation. This makes project monitoring and implementation easier and more efficient.
Reliable software engineering consultant, such as Mobilunity, have the expertise of skilled software developers and project managers. The experience of these specialists will help to ensure that the project is completed in a timely manner and within the budget.
If you’re looking for a reliable software development service provider to help you plan and execute your next software development project, consider partnering with Mobilunity.
All salaries and prices mentioned within the article are approximate NET numbers based on the research done by our in-house Recruitment Team. Please use these numbers as a guide for comparison purposes only and feel free to use the contact form to inquire on the specific cost of the talent according to your vacancy requirements and chosen model of engagement.
