Introduction:

Hiring the development can be a bit heavy for any organization, but what if they left from the mid project? This scenario is really common among the organizations from all over the world. And to development companies that process properly it is needed that each role should work properly from one another. Managers and other executives should properly organize their development team for the best optimal composition of the organization. 

According to the statistical report more than 14% IT projects failed due to the issues that are related to the team. If you are facing any of these issues then don’t panic. There are many structured ways, if you are facing these issues than don’t panic, there are many other ways to recover from this loss as it is a really common issue among the organizations. At Launchbox Global, we have helped many other businesses to find the challenges that would be provided to the dedicated software team that gives the surety of continuity. In this blog we will take you through the, what if your software development disappears and how can you prevent this mistake from happening in future.

What is Ghosting Team Development:

A development team is the group of people who work together to develop a different piece of software, product or the service. As for the development it is the team that refers to the core group of the different individuals that offers the successful completion of the project. They have been given authority from the upper management who are not allowed to go through the authorization process of every decision that is related. The role of the additional member will depend on the nature of the project. And can add the both internal and external stakeholders who contribute into the different project development. Each of the articles provide a high performing software team structure and also the role.

Why do Software Development teams disappear:

The development team that vanishes helps and prevent the future incident and some of the common reasons include:

1. The Poor Communication and the Unrealistic Expectations:
   The project scopes that are not aligned properly. Not clear deliverables and lack of the unstructured updates that lead to the frustration. 

2. Disputes on payment or the budget issues
   If the payments have been delayed or the contracts are unclear that many developers could walk away. Milestones should be properly defined and payments should come on the upfront. 

3.  Underpaid Teams or the Overwork:
   Exhaustion could be real, especially for the high pressure software team for different services . If deadlines could be really tight or if the compensation is low that talent could go for better opportunities. 

4. Lack of Legal Agreements:
   Through the solid contract, the teams wouldn’t have any of the legal obligations to stay further. The formal agreements with NDAs, exit clauses and for the penalties of abandonment. 

How to handle a disappeared software Dev Team:

If your software development team vanishes through the middle of the project ie:Custom software development, Web app development etc, the chaos could start but the structured way of approach can turn that chaos into control. 

Step 1: Assess the Damage:

The first step was to assess the current state of the project. Without the proper software development team at a software agency, the progress stops by understanding what remains can help plan the strategy for the next move. It began by reviewing all the existing code deposits, the documentation of the project as well as the communication logs. Do the identification of what features are developed fully that is half completed and could be entirely untouched. If any of your company used a version control, inspect the commit histories to look after the recent activity. 

Step 2:  Secure Your Assets

A development team could still have access to the critical systems, exposing the project according to the security risks. Immediately cancel their permissions from the cloud servers, databases, CI/CD pipelines and for the project management tools. Change the administrative passwords, API keys and deployment credentials. If any of them use the third party service i.e: AWS, Firebase, GitHub and ensure the ownership that could transfer to their account. Check for any unauthorized change of code or with the data exports that could indicate the intellectual theft of property. This step is crucial when going towards to buy the new team and to avoid any of the further disruptions. 

Step 3: Find the new team

With the project’s status that has been clarified and with the systems that have been secured, the next really important step is to gather the new development team. Looking for experienced developers in the rescue project that can quickly understand the incomplete work.  The Freelance marketplace may also offer the quick hires, but for the reliability, consider the agencies specializing in the emergency takeovers. If any of your projects involves mobile app development, hire dedicated Android developers with the expertise in the app migrations. 

Step 4: Rebuild and Document

A new development team needs the transparency to continue where the last one left. If the documentation is scattered, assign them through reverse-engineering the existing code while creating the structured notes for the future reference. Breaking down the remaining work through the prioritized sprints, through focusing on the critical path featured first. Implement the careful version control with the daily standups that focus on the track progress. The proper documentation could prevent another crisis for the long term. 

Step 5: Legal Recourse (If needed)

If the contracts are breached like the non-delivery or IP violations then consult the legal expert. Gather all the agreements, communication records and also the payment proofs to assess if legal action or cases is important than. The legal action can not revive a vanished Software team, it can recover the damages to impose non-complete clauses. For the further future projects, tighten contracts with the clear of the exit terms and payments based on milestone and IP ownership clauses.  

Preventing future disruptions in your development team:

Losing any of your development team in their mid project could be the nightmare scenario which can be avoided through the proper safeguarding. And by the implementation of the strategic measures. This is how you can fortify your operations against the future disappearance of the team:

Work with the Reputable Partners: 

Relying on the individual freelancers or the unverified agencies that significantly increases the risk of abandonment. Partner with the best established firms like the LaunchBox Global that provide the dedicated development team with long term accountability. 

Implement Strong Contracts:

The watertight contract is the defense against unexpected departures, It clearly defines the exit clause, intellectual property (IP) ownership, the penalties for abandonment to distinguish the unprofessional behavior. It includes the provisions for the code handovers, non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), and dispute resolution mechanism.

Regular Check-ins and Transparency:

A lack of communication is also the first sign of trouble. The project management tools can track the progress and can maintain full visibility through teamwork. Also to schedule the weekly syncs so the deliverables, address the roadblocks and ensure the alignment can be reviewed. Working with remote teams requires daily or bi-weekly standups to foster accountability. 

Backup developers on standby:

With the best precautions, the emergencies happen. Maintain the plan by keeping an in-house technical lead that can step in or with partnering with a reliable outsourcing firm that can be provided with the immediate replacements. With the Backup developers ensures the least downtime if your primary software team becomes unavailable. 

Conclusion:

Losing the development team in the middle of the project can feel like disaster but with the same approach. It does’t need to make your progress drained. Either the software development team can be vanished during the miscommunication, the financial disputes for the accidental circumstances. Through securing the assets can assess damage with the quick onboarding of a replacement for the software development team.

In the LaunchBox Global, we can understand how disruptive the situations can be which is why we offer the specialized solutions for the businesses while facing the neglected projects. Our best team members step into it fluently.   

Let Launchbox Global rescue your project today

FAQs:

What is the role of the development team?

The group of 3-9 people who collaboratively develop a product. The Development team in Scrum has two core characteristics. It is cross functional and self organized.

What is a developmental team?

A development team that consists of a wide range of the experts in the various aspects of the software development process. All of them worked on the designing, building and managing the quality software programs which address the specific needs in the industry.

What do you mean by development team?

The development team recognizes the individual and the team as a whole that improve the aspects of teamwork including communication, conflict resolution, problem-solving, accountability and motivation. 

What makes a good development team?

The development team is the group of the people that work together to design, create, launch and implement the product, service or solution. The great team could be that collaborates work well together, communicate frequently and share the knowledge while supporting each other

What is stage 3 of team development?

The third stage is the norming stage of team development, the team members begin to resolve the difference they felt with their individual expectations as well as the reality of the team experience.