BEGINNING A SOFTWARE PROJECT - THE BASICS. (PART 1)

To begin any project in any field, research is key. How large the research gets definitely varies on the size of the project. Good project research prior to project implementation will always :-

1. Save time - When goals are clearly seen and written down, the very next step in the way is known. No time is lost due to the fact that an unforeseen road suddenly pops up and you have to re-evaluate several thousand lines of codes.
2. Save cost - An athlete who runs into an unseen hurdle in an Olympics loses the race with broken bones (Double tragedy). You will be so shocked to realize how much an hour lag costs your business. That your competitor was able to deliver a project just as yours in less the time lies in the minutes you spent trying to re-evaluate implementation of an incomplete research which accumulated into hours and days and weeks; then you lost to your competitor.

The key in every project research is to find out specifics that will guide you to implement the project THE RIGHT WAY THE FIRST TIME. Some questions that if answered guide you in this light are:-

• How long do I have till I deliver this project.

• Am I absolutely (not assumed) clear on the needs of my client.

• Am I absolutely clear on what my project needs to solve.

• Which sets of people am I designing for - (are people with disabilities users of this system).

• What tools are important to implement this project from designing to deployment.

• Do I have the knowhow or do I need Experts.

• Has anyone implemented this kind of project previously.

NB: It must be done right. Doing it right means satisfying your client.

In the part two if this series, we evaluate very simple research techniques to help you get the right information you need to complete that project.