Essential skills for IT project managers
Although many aspects of project management are universally useful, such as the ability to plan and comprehension of the fundamentals of project management, there are a few that are particularly relevant in the software project management field. Across sectors, a project manager's duties are standard. There are abilities that should be highlighted that might not be in a standard project management job description but are essential in the software development sector due to several industry-specific factors.
#1. Knowledge of software development
As opposed to the typical project life cycle, the software development life cycle has some unique phases. Testing is essential since it guarantees the final product will meet or exceed expectations in terms of quality and functionality. Some teams start testing during the design phase. Thus, it is essential to learn the software development life cycle and use it as a framework for your project management approach.
#2. Resource and cost management
As crucial as completing a job on schedule, it is to do so without going over the allotted budget. IT project managers need to maximize efficiency with minimal expenditure of time, money, and other resources. Budgeting is an important part of resource management, but so is allocating those resources where they will have the greatest impact. Planning and distributing resources to where they will have the greatest impact on a project. Efficient resource management is typically the cause of a project coming in under budget without compromising quality. Resources for a project include money, time, equipment, and the people working on the project. As a result, project managers need to know who on their team is best suited to carry out which responsibilities.
#3. Project management tools
Professionals in the software sector, like those in any other, rely on a variety of specialized applications. Gaining experience with technologies that integrate with what they use will help you design workflows that supplement the pipeline. For instance, Jira is a system developed specifically for software development. It is designed to facilitate the coordination of developers' time, the control of software defects, and the construction and iteration of software features. Using this instead of a more generic task management application will yield better results.
#4. Project management methodologies
Since the success of software development is largely on user experience, iterative techniques are ideal. You should put the product's foundational features and implementation through their paces before releasing the final version. Therefore, it is recommended that an IT project manager have expert knowledge of agile project management practices.
Key Takeaways
Every IT project manager indulged in software should be well aware of various project management methodologies and tools that can help integrate the project easily. They should be capable of becoming a liaison between the client and the team by efficiently allocating resources and budget.
