7 things Covid has taught us about software development

Working remotely shouldn’t necessarily mean cancelling all team building activities — arguably its more important than ever to keep morale high. Creative ways of staying connected are a must to maintain a healthy, happy, and ultimately productive team — which we know is fundamental to a project’s success.

Communication is key

When working remotely, communication is everything and can determine the success or failure of a project. Keeping channels open at all stages is vital to ensuring that deadlines are achieved, and every member of the team knows their part in the process.

Frequent updates — on both the project timelines and just checking in on each other — helps to everyone to remain aware of what is going on and feel valued. 

Video calls are power!

If 2020 has taught us one thing, it’s that we’re highly social creatures. The ability to see each other when communicating is an essential part of our day-to-day interactions both at home and work. Remote working can be a lonely place, and for many, seeing colleagues and clients on camera can help to lift morale.

It’s also a necessary part of understanding and overcoming project challenges as it allows us to ‘read the room’ in many cases — and puts us at less risk of any potential misunderstanding.

Robust processes make for a smoother journey

Clearly defined goals and transparent processes are a must. Having a team that is aware of their contribution and input into achieving the final objective is a great motivator and key to success.  Good processes should clear the pathway to this, and not create additional workload and more pressures. 

Change is a constant

The ability to change is something that has become crucial to survival in business. Remaining agile — whether at the company or project level — is an essential part of the journey. Encouraging openness to learning and allowing projects and goals to evolve as time and need dictates ensures the future growth of any business — but is especially important within the ever-changing world of technology.

Innovation thrives under new challenges

Another strategy that allows businesses not just to survive, but thrive, is the capability to think innovatively. 2020 opened up many opportunities for companies to go beyond their usual software development  approach.

Tech has always been, and continues to be, all about innovation and pushing boundaries. Firms should not be afraid of introducing new techniques — whether it’s the process framework, technology stack, or value philosophy. By keeping an open mind and challenging the ‘norm’, innovations will continue to drive fresh solutions for existing and new problems.

Software development is all about people

This statement carries a double meaning. When we think about software development in 2020, the main objective was to support people’s immediate needs. We concentrated on the client relationship, adapting our products and services to take on the new challenges that the pandemic brought with it.

However, none of this is achievable without also focusing on the people within our teams — those that deliver the real value.

Above all, 2020 taught us that software development has become 100% centred around people.