Yahara's Project Management Philosophy

Based on data collected in the requirements analysis, Yahara architects will evaluate possible approaches and architectures to determine the best technical approach to implementing the project. Yahara discusses the advantages and risks of different approaches with the client so that informed decisions have been made. Once an approach is chosen a high level system architecture that describes the major functional components of the system is assembled. Yahara will often leverage reusable components that it has developed and used across multiple projects to minimize the time required to implement the architectural frameworks as most all applications share some common technical requirements.

Yahara utilizes tools that help the client visualize how an application will be implemented. Screen mockups as well as more interactive prototypes can be created that help demonstrate the navigation and major functional elements of the application. In addition to these prototypes, Yahara will commonly implement functional proof of concept prototypes that will help prove out any areas of the application that provide technical challenges. Using these prototypes minimize risk of major changes in user interface or technological approaches later in the project when the impact on cost and schedule can be much more substantial.

Research has shown that software development teams that communicate frequently and openly are more likely to succeed, and less likely to get stuck and lose development time. Every Yahara development team gets together for a daily 15-minute “Scrum” meeting, in which each team member describes the work they completed the prior day, their plans for work today, and any issues that are blocking their progress. By raising issues early, the team is able to adjust quickly and work together to deliver on their commitments.

A major focus of Scrum is to deliver complete, tested and useable software as often as possible, and to avoid leaving features partly done. Every work item that is completed during a Sprint will be documented, tested and ready for use. The team holds an open Demo meeting at the end of each Sprint, in which each developer demonstrates and discusses the software that they completed in the Sprint. At this point the team gathers feedback from all attendees, and captures any additional work that should be planned and prioritized for future Sprints.

A key property of successful software project teams is the ability to make reflective improvements to the team itself. Yahara project teams allocate a bit of time at the end of each Sprint to reflect on how the process is working. This meeting gives the team a chance to identify what is going well, and to define any actions the team can take to make the process run even more smoothly.