For any organization, it is vital to give quality software products that are within the budget and also provide on-time delivery. To attain these goals, the software project management method has been adopted by the organizations to design, implement, monitor, and handle such projects.

Software project management means the discipline and art of regulating software projects. It will be directed by the project manager and will focus on developing a product that must have an acceptable influence on the organization.

Project Manager

A professional who plans, oversees, schedules, and delivers numerous types of projects in the enterprise is known as the Project Manager. He/she organizes the requirements of the project, assembles, supervises the project team, assigns the budget, and also communicates with the clients and project’s stakeholders. Without the Project Manager, a project team might begin to act on the project with no proper direction or vision, which results in the project’s failure. This indicates that Project Managers will play an important role in achieving the goals of the business.

Role of Project Manager in the development of software

Every organization requires a Project Manager who can supervise software projects and the team. Below are the roles played by a Project Manager in the development of software.

  • Plan the requirements of the project:

The project Manager plans and regulates the overall requirements of the project to complete the project successfully and on time. He/she organizes plans, the scope, communication strategies, time schedules, and the budget needed to finish the project at the given time.

  • Direct the project team:

The project manager directs the project team. To execute the given project on time, he/she illustrates the project’s goals to every team member and allocates the work based on their abilities and skills. Moreover, inspires the members of the team to work efficiently to finish off the project successfully.

  • Act as a Liaison:

The project manager acts as a courtship between the customers and the development team. He/she evaluates the requirements of the customers and communicates that with the development team. Furthermore, he/she keeps the progress of the project on track and updates the customers regarding the same.

  • Supervise the project:

The project manager organizes all the activities across every department during the project. He/she coordinates with the back end, front end, quality assurance, and design teams, allotting responsibilities to each member of the team to guarantee that the project is accomplished on time. In addition, the project manager directs the team and watches the progress of the project at each phase, and makes advancements as required.

  • Create proper documentation:

The project’s final documentation has to be prepared by the project manager for future reference. This report contains a precise illustration of the final product and several techniques which will aid in improving and maintaining the quality of the project in the future.

  • Manage risks:

Management of risk is a vital part of the management of a project. The project manager is responsible for recognizing potential risks like faulty cost projections, team member disagreements, and design changes. In addition, he/she should know unanticipated risks that may occur during the development of the project, evaluate the potential threats, and construct a risk reduction technique to handle these risks throughout the execution of the project.

  • Allocate budget:

The project manager divides the budget among all the activities entangled in the project. The project professionals assure that they stick near to the funding throughout the lifecycle of the project. Moreover, he/she moderates the re-allocating and spending funds when the budget passes over the limit for a particular activity.

Day-to-day activities of a project manager

  • Reply to emails on maintenance or project execution.
  • Review potential projects along with their parameters with executives, software developers, and clients.
  • Check the status of the project and meet with the team members regarding the status updates and organize management reports.
  • Stick to the crucial path strategy and develop a method to handle any new dispute that occurs.
  • Talk over the progress of the project with the clients and the other stakeholders.
  • Evaluate the appropriate document to analyze the schedule, scope, and budget, and reassign team members and resources, to various areas to handle these challenges.

Conclusion:

As the project manager plays several roles in an enterprise, he/she is considered an asset to the enterprise. The project manager is expected to coordinate and handle the members of the team included in the project. Furthermore, such experts are also expected to function as a leader or guides during the overall project’s lifecycle.

In software development, project managers are hired to perform software development jobs and complete the entire project with the resources available. In addition, their capacity to manage risks enables the organization to increase revenue by lowering the overall cost of production of the software. Hence, the project managers are popularly known as the liaisons between the software development team and the clients.

Individuals can become project managers easily by acquiring PMP or CAPM certifications based on their experience. Such professionals can take CAPM or PMP certification training programs so that they can gain in-depth skills and knowledge in project management. It helps them to become project managers in various domains.