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What Is a Project Brief? and How Do You Use It in Software Development?
Find out what a project brief in project management is, what its importance is in software development, and what to include in your project brief.
Before the start of any kind of software development project, there needs to be a clear scope of work. This document should be ready even before the planning is completed.
Without a proper software development scope of work to delineate what needs to be done in a given amount of time and budget, businesses easily suffer cost overruns. A recent survey found that 41% of organizations suffered cost overruns for global enterprise resource planning (ERP) installation projects as of 2022. It was a significant rise compared to the previous year. Do keep in mind that going over budget doesn’t always mean that the expected value is delivered.
With that being said, developing a software development scope of work is hard work as it isn’t always so cut and dry. In this article, we’ll guide you through a step-by-step process to write the best possible blueprint to rely on, along with some valuable tips. Otherwise, if you still find yourself too busy or stuck neck-deep in unfinished tasks, our team of professionals at Orient Software - a top-notch software development company based in Vietnam - is always ready and happy to help.
In order to execute a software development scope of work well, we need to get the basics down first.
A software development scope of work (or software development statement of work when it is part of a legally binding contract) outlines in great detail the tasks that must be carried out as part of a software development project. This document is often conducted between the software development vendor and the client.
Product teams, IT teams, marketing organizations, and others can utilize the scope of work documents, or SOWs for short, to make sure that the project scope is well-considered and agreed upon before work begins.
A well-written SOW covers the following:
The SOW should, as a general rule, be written by the individual in charge of delivering the software development projects’ outputs. This person could be the project manager, the startup founder, or CTO (Chief Technology Officer).
Nonetheless, should the project be too complex, it is best to have a consultant with expertise in the field write the SOW. This ensures the SOW covers all the required elements while still being suitable for the project.
No matter the person in charge of writing up the SOW, have all stakeholders involved in the process – invaluable feedback and input often come with it. It goes without saying that the SOW should be carefully reviewed by every key person involved before being finalized and distributed.
A well-crafted SOW document guides you and your outsourced team toward a common objective. It serves as an effective project management tool that fosters trust and communication. It also ensures that:
SOW is an important business document. However, drafting one can be overwhelming and confusing, especially for those who haven’t got a lot of prior experience doing it. It always helps to have some guidance, so read on to find what key components you need to get started with your first scope of work document.
General information about your project and its objective should be included at the start. Give your software development partner enough context and references for the project so that even people who are unfamiliar with it have plenty to rely on in order to help them comprehend your requirements.
It is also recommended that you include a brief description of the key roles (project managers, product owner(s), software developers, etc.).
Spell out the project goals in this part. Make sure the reader has a picture of the end product. Try to answer questions like: What pain point is the product trying to solve? What is your product trying to achieve?
It is time to think beyond your project objective and try to paint a specific picture of a successful project. This can be done in a number of ways, but a common way is to break down the project deliverables into smaller phases (sometimes referred to as work breakdown structure or WBS). You should be specific but not technical. The development team has you covered on how those deliverables can be achieved. Here are some questions to consider:
The development of a project is tracked from beginning to end by your project management timeline. This part is crucial to any software development SOW. You can approach your timeline in a lot of ways: Mind maps, flow charts, tables, etc.
You can plan out the project schedule by considering the duration of the entire project, then break it down into smaller phases (like mentioned above), then assign start and completion days. Include the expected deliverables at each stage. Also, think about who will be responsible for which tasks or how missed deadlines will be handled.
Functional Requirements
It is time for a detailed description of what you expect the software is capable of doing. Again, for complex projects, it would be more efficient to break down the functional requirements by any means that makes them more understandable, e.g., by screen or persona.
Make sure your requirements check all of the following boxes:
Non-functional Requirements
Just as important as the functional requirements are the non-functional ones. These involve data security, data storage requirements, hardware requirements or any limitations thereof, UX standards, acceptable downtime if there should be any, and what maximum data and user traffic load the software should be able to handle.
Project milestones are a means of keeping track of the progress of the project objectives and how close the timeline is to completion. Milestone objectives should be objectives that are both attainable and measurable. These objectives will have an effect on other stakeholders outside the project team, such as meeting with stakeholders or reviewing the current progress of the project.
To make sure everyone is on the same page, make sure to address the assumptions. They can become a problem in a software project if they are left unacknowledged. For example:
Every project has its risk. Have all the relevant stakeholders on board in documenting the risks. These risks could be:
The last section is where you lay out anything else that is relevant but hasn’t been covered in the previous sections. Keep in mind that a well-written SOW covers the project in all of its aspects. Some examples of these detail are:
The structure of a scope of work might be a lot to take in. However, just keep in mind the following practices to make sure you nail the project scope document every time.
A software development scope of work is a crucial business document. It plays a key role in steering the project on the right track while ensuring everyone proceeds with the project’s objective in mind. It also makes sure the finished project stays within budget while delivering the most value.
Do you need help with project management? If so, the Orient Software team is just what you are searching for - we care about your growth and have a decade of experience in building dedicated software development teams.
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