How to Eliminate Software Development Bottlenecks

The software development team's goal should be to deliver stakeholders a flawless app. That's all well and good but then a bottleneck suddenly appears. What happens next depends on how well the team leader handles the situation. 

Software development, although younger than traditional manufacturing, is now critical to the modern enterprise, says Mitchell Johnson, chief product development officer at supply chain management platform provider Sonatype. "While manufacturing has been optimized over centuries, software development is still catching up, despite its foundational role in business success," he explains in an email interview. "The stakes are enormous, as enterprises now rely on software for everything from product innovation to operations." 

The best way to eliminate a software development bottleneck is to prioritize clear, consistent communication and to make progress visible to the entire team, says Matej Bukovinski, CTO of software development firm Nutrient. "Ongoing asynchronous communication is truly effective for frequent updates, because it allows team members to share progress and next steps without disrupting their workflows," he notes via email. 

Practices such as daily async updates, scheduling work early to ensure visibility, and maintaining a dynamic Kanban board will reveal bottlenecks as they emerge, Bukovinski says. "When you use these approaches, combined with periodic team sync-ups for deeper discussions, you can create a transparent and collaborative environment that mitigates bottlenecks before they can escalate."  

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