Teamwork Blog of Software Planet Group

Our Annual Intermission

Just like every good knife must occasionally be sharpened, from time to time, developers too must also refresh their talents. This is why every year (at the end of May or beginning of June) our services are temporarily suspended to enable Software Planet to treat staff and employees to a week-long getaway of team building and bonding activities.

During this time period, which actually coincides with our company’s anniversary, it is important to be aware that we will only be available for critical support requests — which of course isn’t to say that our customers don’t stand to gain!

After all, first and foremost, this event is all about facilitating communication and strengthening corporate culture through dynamism and creativity.

What to Expect from Our Product Teams

As explained in a previous article, working on a product instead of a project demands a totally different mindset, which often makes it difficult to discern and form a winning team.

At Software Planet, however, we strive to equip our team members with the knowledge they need at all times — and of course, in product development, this is certainly not an exception.

With this in mind, we would like to spell out the various qualities our company look for when putting together our specialised teams, so you too can know exactly what to expect when entrusting us with your valued products.

Agile for Larger Projects

It is no secret that when the Agile methodology was first conceived, this was done with fairly small development teams in mind. Yet today, with Agile’s increasing popularity in software companies across the globe, the old adage “less is more” might finally be losing its original punch.

Instead, more and more providers are now tending towards the notion that with a few clever tweaks and tricks, large Agile teams are still able to maintain the same agility as their smaller counterparts.

So without further ado, let us take a look at some of the most prominent scaling techniques available at the moment and explain how we at Software Planet are efficiently rising up to this challenge.

What to Expect from Our Estimates

If you are reading this article, our trusted business analysts have likely agreed to impart upon your project some much-needed estimates; and well, you’ve come to the right place!

After all, for today’s blog post, we would like to spell out our meticulous process for preparing estimations, the different sorts of artefacts you should be ready to receive and how this all will play out in the end — on that note, by the by, if you find that any or all your expectations have not been adequately lived up to, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time. This will help SPG to continue improving our company’s services for you as well as our future customers.

So, with this in mind and without further ado, let us dive right in!

Integrating New Arrivals

Our customers often inquire as to how in the world our newer developers will be skilful enough to deal with our development process — and really, who can blame then?

After all, how laid-back and comfortable would you feel if the man assigned to the critical case of your tooth extraction were an obvious hatchling fresh out of dental school?

“Let’s see then… I think this, no, erm… this over here is what I need! Right, could you open up your mouth, please? Uh huh… Oh dear. Oh no. That won’t work, will it? Well, maybe something sharper!”

Horrifying, right? Of course, to begin with, the words “comfortable” and “dentist” are hardly representative of a pairing made in heaven; but the point, nonetheless, is you would probably feel a lot more at ease if the drill were handed over to an experienced professional.

Now thankfully, as you probably know, our own situation is entirely different. But just to help to allay those fears, Software Planet would now like to reveal our careful and deliberate process for successfully integrating newer arrivals into the heart of our company.

Raising Giants: Our Internship Programme

How often do you take the time to invest in your future? For most of us, as life kicks into full gear, the opportunities seem fewer and farther between.

Yet as many of you will also know well, no better time for change exists than in the pivotal years of our youth. This is when a single miscalculated move could quickly spell the difference between a burgeoning career in something you love and a lifetime of hopeless disappointment.

For nearly a decade now, it is precisely this awareness which has formed the basis for one of Software Planet’s most beloved projects of all: our internship programme.

Building a Product: The Right Team

While most of our days are spent working on software projects, from time to time, we are asked by our customers to help build a product instead. This task, however, tends to come with a perceptible measure of adjustment, as it calls for a very different mentality and set of skills.

Having this in mind, today we would like to begin a brand new series on developing products and how this differs from conventional development. This first article will focus on our customers and the team of creatives they will require.

After all, building a successful product may not always be a walk in the park, but it certainly becomes a lot easier when you have the right people at your disposal.

Why Stand-Up Meetings Matter

According to a recent study by the Michigan State University, people who spend a lot of time sitting down are often plagued by slow cognitive function, long-term memory loss and generally poor mental health.

By contrast, the simple act of standing up has been shown to send blood and oxygen pumping throughout our bodies, activating a number of chemicals that not only enhance our brains but also improve our overall mood.

This, however, is merely the scientific case for an Agile practice that over time has proven itself indispensable to development teams across the world, including our own.

We are talking, of course, about stand-up meetings. Whether you know them as “scrums” or “huddles,” the daily stand-up is a powerful practice to increase team unity, coordinate efforts, and share problems and progress in a quick and effective manner.

What Great Tech Leads Are Made Of

David Blackwood
16th Feb 2018
General

For developers interested in moving up the ranks, the idea of becoming a tech lead may be as appealing as it is intimidating.

After all, when leading development teams, only a small proportion of the skills acquired as a programmer will prepare you for the role.

Gone are the days of merely aiming to design and write quality code. Instead, developers must now learn to understand people, resolve conflict and effectively juggle an extraordinary amount of tasks.

Thankfully, here at SPG, we are all about keeping things simple.

So to make this transition as seamless as possible, here are some essential skills every tech lead hopeful is expected to bring to the table:

Diagnosing and Dealing with Problems of Productivity

So your software development team has had a bit more than a hiccup. Productivity has stalled and frustration is increasing by the day.

You know it’s time to do something about it, but what exactly would that be? After all, up until this point, every single one of your attempts has fallen flatter than a pancake.

If any of these ring true, you could have a morale health problem on your hands.

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