Table of Contents
What is the software development team structure?
Approaches to product team structure
What does a typical software development structure look like?
What makes Agile Software development team structure different?
We live in a business world where due to technology outsourcing software development technology has become very easy. In addition, there is a plethora of information when it comes to finding the right vendor or the software development cost. But in contrast, not much has been spoken about the software development team structure.
Now it is easier for companies with some kind of IT background to understand the software development team structure. But what will happen in the scenario when you don’t have any experience? Therefore, in this article, we will study in-depth the software development team structure. In addition to it, we will look at the responsibilities and roles. of the involved team members.
Thus, without further ado, let us get started!
What is the software development team structure?
In simple words, software development team structure is a formation of a team responsible to develop an app development project. It includes experienced developers, designers, QA analysts along project managers.
An astute software development team structure is essential for the streamlined development of the project. Because of the team structure is not proper, things could go astray in no time and it will impact the project negatively.
Approaches to product team structure
There are three basic approaches to the product team structure. They are:
- Generalist
- Specialist
- Hybrid
Generalist
In this approach, there is a team of individuals with a broad set of expertise. This is because these individuals are responsible for the end-to-end development of the entire project. Thus, the generalist approach is the most common app development project team structure for companies.
Advantages
- Here the personals are experienced and competent enough to be not dependent on anyone else
- Everyone in the team has a complete understanding of the product so they focus on improving it as a whole
Disadvantages
- No team member has specialized knowledge about anything
- It is necessary to add a member onboard in the middle of a project
Specialist
In this approach, every team member is an expert in their own niche. Thus, this software development team structure includes professionals who are capable of handling narrow tasks.
Advantages
- In-depth understanding of the project elements
- Easier to build complex high-quality systems
Disadvantages
- There might be a lack of communication due to a lack of general knowledge
- The components might not fit in the first iteration since everyone works separately
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Hybrid
In this structure, the team comprises generalist and specialist software developers. Thus, such a team can handle the entire task as a whole and can also handle the narrow tasks as well. Thus, this is the most used software development team structure.
Advantages
- The entire development process is very effective
- The generalist and specialist professionals make sure that the entire system is neatly integrated
Disadvantages
- It may be difficult to follow the entire workflow of the development process
- Team building is expensive
What does a typical software development structure look like?
Before getting into the thick of things related to Agile software development team structure, let us see how a typical software development structure looks like:
Project Manager (PM)
This person is in charge of the execution of the entire project. Whether it is building relationships with the client or delegating the required work, the PM sees it all. Moreover, they also keep track of the progress of the development process and report everything to the clients.
Business Analyst (BA)
The Business Analyst (BA) is responsible for formulating goals, analyzing the core process, and documenting it. Moreover, they also take care of the alignment of the business model and technology. They also evaluate things that will work and those things that will not.
Designers
The UX designers are the main people on whom the user interaction of the software depends on. They make sure that all the features of the software solves people’s problems. Their main focus is on the functionality and usability of the software.
Front-end/Back-end developers
These are the people in the software development team structure who actually write the codes. The backend developers look at the functionality of things with which the user doesn’t interact. On the other hand, the front-end developers work on the elements that are customer-facing.
Quality Assurance (QA)
The Quality assurance team is a pivotal part of the software development team. They ensure that the developed product is according to the standards. They pay attention to the minutest of details and are the final editors in the software development process.
Now you must be wondering, what makes Agile software development team structure different? We will look at it below:
What makes Agile Software development team structure different?
There are some core differences between traditional software development team structure and Agile. We will have a look at them below:
- In a traditional team, there is top-down management. While in Agile, the PM’s role is to coach the team and prevent distraction. This is because everyone is self-organized.
- In a traditional team, there are distinct job titles and roles defined. On the other hand, in Agile, skills matter way more than the job titles. Thus, there are cross-functional teams here
- The software development teams may work on different projects simultaneously in a traditional team. But in Agile, the entire team focuses on one project at a time.
- There are 3-9 people per team in the Agile software development team structure. While if we talk about the traditional team, the size of the team is not defined.
- In the traditional team, every individual is evaluated individually. Now with Agile, evaluation is done on the basis on entire team’s performance
- The employees working in the traditional software development team are referred to as human resources. Now if we talk about Agile, here the developers are termed as talents.
Roles and responsibilities of the Agile development team
The three main people in the Agile development team are:
- Product Owner (PO)
- Scrum Master
- Development team
Product Owner (PO)
They are the key stakeholders or the project. In Agile development, their main job is to make sure that the final product is according to the client’s needs. The product owner has sound knowledge of the product.
Scrum Master
In simple words, Scrum is a method that helps teams to organize and adapt to the changes that are happening. Now, Scrum Master is the first point of contact that coordinates with the team’s work.
Development team
Perhaps the most important cog in the Agile software development team structure is the development team. They include front-end/back-end developers, UX Designers, QA Testers just like the traditional software development team.
Conclusion
The modern-day software development world is changing rapidly. Thus, it is not enough for businesses not to excel on just a brilliant idea. Along with that, they must be able to hire the right team that can execute that idea into reality. For this, the IT business owners should understand about software development team structure and apply it at the right time.
Krunal Shah
Krunal Shah is the CTO and Co-founder at Third Rock Techkno. With extensive experience gained over a decade, Krunal helps his clients build software solutions that stand out in the industry and are lighter on the pocket.
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