What are the duties of a software project manager

The role of software development managers is manifold as it comprises software development processes as well as business and managing aspects. Their roles are very crucial as they are the one who leads the teams of software developers which comprises of programmers, business analysts, system analysts , and software engineers working in industries in building a computer program that abides by the requirements of the market research.

In becoming a good software development manager, one must be well equipped with the knowledge on Systems Development Life Cycle SDLC since the project manager is the one that the software developers will reach and refer to when it comes to the issues on software development.

This emphasizes the importance of the software development manager to be familiar with all of the policies, procedures, and technical issues related to software programming.

Aside from that, software development managers should also possess good management skills as they hold the responsibility to manage the activities and works of the software development team for a designated project. The responsibilities of software development managers are not only within the software development team, as it also includes the collaboration with various department heads and management team in discussing how the software developed can be improved and enhanced to achieve the project objectives.

The job is vital because the efficiency of the software development manager may highly contribute to the performance of the software development team as a whole. The working hours and conditions of most software development managers are normally flexible.

However, this job sometimes requires them to collaborate with different clients worldwide. Thus, there might be occasions where the software development managers have to work in different working hours due to the different time zones. Aside from the occasional travel, software development managers usually work in their own office during the usual working hours.

Software Development Managers hold several responsibilities in the company, especially in the software development team. The field of software development management is closely linked to computer applications, software engineering, as well as business management. Software development managers functioned as the head of the team and the job scopes require knowledge in both management and software development as they work closely with the SDLC on daily basis. While these are some of the most common jobs for software development managers in general, some other tasks that are not listed here may be listed in the job description posted by companies depending on the requirements.

However, their jobs are not only restricted to software and computers because they are also required to collaborate with various levels of management as well as the customers they serve. Hence, this highlights that it is vital for the software development manager to be equipped with other complementary skills aside from the fundamental technical skills required by the job. This is important to ensure that they are at their best to give full cooperation for the job, thus ensuring the quality of the performance.

If so, what was the result? What information from that past project should be considered in this project? Planning Once the charter is approved, project managers work with key stakeholders to create an integrated project plan focused on attaining the outlined goals. Executing During this phase, team members complete the work that has been identified in the project plan in order to reach the goals of the project. The project manager will also typically: Protect the team from distractions Facilitate issue resolution Lead the team in working through project changes 4.

Monitoring and Controlling Despite being listed as the fourth phase, monitoring and controlling processes actually commence at the beginning of a project and continue throughout planning, execution, and closing. Closing During this phase, project managers strive to ensure all activities necessary to achieve the final result are completed.

During the close of a project, project managers will: Work with the client to get formal sign-off that the project is complete Release any resources budget or personnel who are no longer needed for the project Review the work of third-party vendors or partners in order to close their contracts and pay their invoices Archive project files for future reference and use After the project has been completed, a post-implementation review is often used to identify key lessons learned.

These include: Communicating with team members: Project Management is all about communication, whether through emails, calls, daily check-ins, or team meetings. Project managers must communicate with the members of their team regularly to determine the status of various projects and potential roadblocks that will need to be resolved. Communicating with key stakeholders: Just as important as communicating with your team is regularly updating key stakeholders on project progress and ensuring that the project still aligns with changing company initiatives.

This communication can take many forms, including weekly or monthly reports, regularly updated dashboards, or quick emails, calls, or meetings. Regardless of the medium, getting comfortable communicating with data is an essential skill. It is the role of the project manager to ensure that these issues are resolved effectively in order to keep the project on track.

Budgeting: For small-scale projects, cost estimation may be a weekly or even a monthly task. But for larger projects with many different expenses to keep in mind, project managers may spend time reviewing budgets each day to ensure the project does not exceed resource allocations.

This may also include reviewing, processing, and approving invoices from outside vendors if the project includes such partnerships. Time management and approval: In order to ensure that the project remains on track, many project managers turn to timesheets or a project management software that allows them to see how their team is spending their time.

In addition to ensuring that the project is moving along as planned, this helps project managers shift resources between projects as necessary. Team-building: A good project manager will do more than simply manage the steps of a project. They will also manage their team in order to keep them productive and happy. A part of this should include team-building exercises designed to boost morale, particularly after challenging weeks or phases of the project. Organizing a weekly lunch or happy hour is one such example.

Project Management vs. Portfolio Management vs. Program Management Project management is an umbrella term which can actually refer to three different types of management: Project management, portfolio management, and program management. Three types of interrelated project management disciplines include: Project Management: In a traditional project management role, the objective is to complete a project successfully, while remaining on time and within budget.

Project managers utilize a variety of project management strategies to help organize teams and complete projects according to their success criteria while engaging stakeholders appropriately. Program managers collaborate with project managers to ensure each project is strategically aligned and on track to hit major milestones.

Program managers also facilitate organizational change, manage the dependencies between projects, and address any project- or organizational-level issues and risks that affect the program. For example: Complete the project within six months from start date in the budget of xxx amount.

It is concise, crisp and outlines the objective clearly. Time estimation for the various activities is of major significance as it helps set the daily priorities of each team member.

A project manager has to properly time all the activities for the completion of the project and also prepare for any delays in any of the activities. Project manager must assign budgets to the various activities and make any cost considerations that there might be.

Executing the plan of action and ensuring that it is monitored along the way is a key responsibility if his. A project manager must set out the project boundaries and scope for the project which them formulates itself into a plan of action and assists in successful completion of the project. Tags: project-management-tools. We are dedicated to provide articles, detailed project management software reviews, PM book reviews, training and course reviews, and the latest news for the most popular web-based collaboration tools.

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