#16 - How do you start a No-Code/Low-Code Project?
Introduction
Starting from scratch can be hard. This can be a difficult problem when you are choosing which projects you should apply no-code/low-code tools.
There is no clear-cut line when you should look at applying no-code/low-code tools due to the sophistication and specialisation of these tools. In this article, i hope to give a rough glimpse of what you should consider for applying these tools or taking on a full-fledged software development team.
What are the Project Requirements?
In every project, we must gather the project requirements for the project. Requirements serve as the foundation for a project and help define the scope, objectives, and deliverables.
By gathering these requirements, we can look at specific functional, performance, security, design and various requirements.
Effective project requirements help to ensure the project is aligned with business goals, and customer needs, and is completed on time, within budget, and with the desired quality.
Who are the Stakeholders?
In a software project, stakeholders are individuals or organizations that have an interest or investment in the project outcome. Stakeholders can impact, or be impacted by, the project and its outcomes. They may include:
Project sponsor: the individual or organization that funds the project and provides overall direction.
Customers: the individuals or organizations who will use the software.
End-users: the people who will directly interact with the software.
Development team: the individuals responsible for designing, building, and testing the software.
Project manager: the individual responsible for overseeing the project and ensuring it is completed on time, within budget, and to the desired quality.
Other departments: such as marketing, sales, support, and finance, may be impacted by the project outcome.
Stakeholder engagement is important in a software project as it helps to ensure that the project stays aligned with the needs of the stakeholders and that the stakeholders are aware of the project status and progress. This can also help to minimize risk, increase collaboration and communication, and ultimately increase the chances of project success.
What are the Budget & Resources Allocated to the Project?
Budget and resources are important for a software project because they directly impact the success of the project. A lack of adequate budget and resources can result in missed deadlines, decreased quality, and a lower return on investment.
On the other hand, having a sufficient budget and resources can help to ensure that the project is completed on time, within scope, and to the desired quality.
What is the Team composition for the project?
Team composition is important for a software project because it has a direct impact on the success of the project. A well-composed team can bring together diverse skills and perspectives, leading to better problem-solving and decision-making.
Additionally, a well-functioning team can increase collaboration and communication, leading to more efficient and effective project execution. On the other hand, a poorly composed team can lead to conflicts, slow decision-making, and decreased motivation, ultimately affecting the overall quality and success of the project.
Key factors to consider when composing a software development team include:
Problem fit: Technology should be chosen based on its ability to effectively solve the problem at hand. It's important to consider the specific requirements and constraints of the project when choosing technology, such as scalability, security, and performance.
Team fit: It's important to choose technology that the development team is comfortable with and has experience working with. This can help to increase productivity and reduce the learning curve, leading to faster and more efficient development.
Maintenance: Choosing technology that is well-supported and has a large user community can make maintenance and future development easier.
Conclusion
Overall despite low-code/no-code projects makes it easy to get started. This comes down to deciding factors to consider of adding low-code/no-code platforms. Ultimately we should look at the requirements, budget, stakeholders and team composition before we decide whether we should consider the use of low-code/no-code platforms to start a low-code/no-code project.