DEV Community: Foretheta

How to effectively communicate in a remote team

Yassine Tounsi — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 11:21:00 +0000

Communication and action work hand in hand. Effective communication enables the exchange of information and ideas from one person or group of people to another. This is vital to delivering a successful project. A reliable remote team needs to have excellent communication. It is also important to use communication tools that are easily accessible by all stakeholders.

A project management team has three communication areas. These are internal information exchange, information management, and project marketing. Effective project communication management needs to follow three processes; planning, management, and control. The communication strategy chosen by the project manager should promote the goals and objectives

In this article, we will discuss some of the tips for building a successful remote project management communication plan. At Foretheta, we have incorporated these tips while working and collaborating with our remote teams. They have consistently proved to be reliable and effective.

Defined Charter

A project charter captures ideas and thoughts into goals and objectives. It is the first stage of project management. Here, the project manager needs to develop a business case and scope that is established within the project. A business charter provides the goals, limitations, challenges, time-frame, and budget of the project.

A clearly defined charter is the best way to kick-off your project. The project’s initiation stage is the most critical as it puts every stakeholder on the same page. It ensures that everyone is aware of the project and their expectations about the assigned tasks and final deliverables.

Communicating Reliably

Communication is the backbone of any remote team because this is where all the project coordination is done. The project manager needs to provide a platform that can be used to promote seamless communication. Proper communication is developed with clearly documented tasks, deadlines, decisions, feedback, organized information, and made accessible to every stakeholder.

Frequent communication is critical to ensure that every stakeholder is on the same page, the feedback was received, and updates are received on time.

Communication Channels

The communication plan determines the success of a remote project. Communication channels are the environments that enable the transfer of information between stakeholders. Short-comings within the communication structure lead to the derailment or failure of the project plan. Informed decisions need open channels of communication for a seamless flow of information.

As a project manager, you need to incorporate communication channels that are customized to your projects. Every stakeholder should be able to access these channels. This way, all the communications can be delivered effectively and on time.

Proper communication channels are also essential for organized documentation. They ensure that all emails, chats, and communication are easy to track. It gives the project the revolution in terms of organization and task allocation. Check out the available remote project management platforms to find out which works best with your team.

Communication Tools

The right project communication tools promote seamless collaboration. Every project team determines the form of communication that works best for them. Tools should be tailored to a specific type of communication. This could be discussion, weekly status reports, chatting, or status board. For instance, a project board captures the work-plan and tracks the progress. Trello, PivotalTracker, and Jira are some of the tools that are opted for project boards.

For written communication tools, a team should practice asynchronous communication. This allows organized follow up on those who haven’t gotten the message.

Sponsor Engagement

Many project managers credit the successful projects to detailed charter, the right resources, and an engaged team. You need to realize that an active project sponsor plays an important role. This is the person behind the identification of the need for the project. The sponsor co-manages the project to ensure ideal deliverables.

It is important to keep the sponsor engaged and informed throughout. This should be done in a well-outlined process. In case of an urgent decision, state a clear aim, and required actions. While you may want to adjust to the sponsor's style and preference of communication, the message should always be clear and direct. This avoids wastage of time and prompts quicker feedbacks

Visibility

Visibility ensures the progress of the project is accessible by every stakeholder. It ensures every member meets their deadlines for assigned tasks. Project management software makes tracking project visibility easy. The remote team members should understand the technology and how to access it. Timely and consistent communication and collaboration updates of stakeholders fosters project visibility.

Maintaining visibility goes hand in hand with communication and ensures the project is on track. Reasonable deadlines and milestones should go with tracking and monitoring of progress.

Right Team

Is your project on time and within the budget? Is every stakeholder putting in their best effort to complete their assigned task? Then you are definitely looking forward to a successful project. The success of the project depends on a communicative remote team. Communication within a team maintains project visibility and clears miscommunication. This ensures everyone is on the same page.

As a project manager, you should assemble a team that is self-driven and works well together. Also, promote a culture of transparency and empathy within the adopted structure. This minimizes miscommunication that leads to friction, frequent conflicts, and derailed deliverables.

Conclusion

Remote project management can sound discouraging on the planet. The truth is, it is. If you think about getting the right team and resources. The hack lies in getting the right team and establishing the right communication culture. Be patient and invest in a team that understands the importance of communication. Familiarize every member with the communication technology you will be using.

At Foretheta, we work with dedicated and self-driven remote teams. Every member of our team is familiar with all the tools and channels that make communication reliable. That is how we are able to track visibility and deliver successful projects.

Are remote teams less engaged?

Yassine Tounsi — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 11:03:19 +0000

Employee engagement is the degree of an employee's involvement in the workplace. It is the emotional connection and ownership employees feel they have for an organization.

A lot of managers believe that remote teams are not engaged enough because they are not working in an office.

This article will state why managers feel that on-site workers are more engaged; it will further explain how remote teams can showcase engagement and deliver exceptional results.

1. Sense of belonging

Active engagement thrives on employees' enthusiasm. Employees have an interest in engaging when they feel like they are part of the organization.

Some managers assume that employees feel a sense of belonging only by being physically present. Having a sense of belonging is not about physical attendance but rather about motivation. Workers can be present on-site and still feel like an outsider in the organization.

Managers can create a strong sense of belonging within remote teams by simply creating opportunities for team members to participate in the decision-making process.

Seeking your team's opinion on how to enhance services, for instance, instills a sense of belonging in them. They go the extra mile to get involved in the planning process to make the project successful.

Carrying your team along also makes them accountable. Everyone takes part in the responsibility of reaching team goals.

Everyone understands that the manager is not solely responsible if things go wrong: the entire team bears the consequences because they collectively took the decision.

2. Face-to-face interactions

An organization excels when team members interact with each other on their projects.

On-site workers have the privilege of face-to-face interactions. Managers feel connected to workers just by meeting them or seeing them do their work.

Remote teams can also have face-to-face interactions through video calls. They can be more deliberate about their interactions. They can leverage specific tools to engage their team on tasks.

A manager can have weekly 1on1s with each team member. This interaction allows you to connect with members about their assigned tasks. Both the manager and the employee can identify better ways of getting things done.

You can also have casual interactions where workers share ideas about specific topics. Noman Gul, an employee at Foretheta, introduced a weekly question and answer thread. Anyone can ask an open-ended question. For example, one of his recent questions was: What is something you recently tried but failed to do?

Such discussions will start interesting conversations that allow you to understand your team better.

3. Regular communication

Communication is a big part of engagement in the workplace.

On-site workers have the advantage of physically being in the office. Managers can message workers and have spontaneous meetings.

Remote teams can also communicate frequently. A manager can have weekly meetings with employees to ask for progress on assigned tasks. You can also have monthly sprint planning meetings about current and upcoming projects.

You can communicate with your remote team on a centralized system like Slack. There are also channels for private and public conversations. You can post information for the entire group on public platforms where someone can ask questions, and any team member can respond whenever they have time.

It is wrong, however, to use for constant communication: no one would be able to get work done if that were the case.

Communication among remote teams does not always have to be work-related. There should be room for small talk since informal discussions help remote teams bond and connect better.

You can schedule monthly non-work related calls for the team to hang out and unwind. Video applications like Zoom are suitable for remote group interactions: you can see and hear everyone as they chat away.

Working with a remote team does not mean you can never meet your team in person. You can organize an annual retreat for the whole team to meet up in a physical place.

4. Giving Feedback

Feedback on performance is essential for employee engagement. It gives them a sense of recognition of their efforts, and it highlights areas of improvement.

Managers feel that giving on-site workers instant feedback is not only faster but also more comfortable.

Remote teams can also get instant feedback by leveraging technology. Some software allows managers and workers to share the same virtual workspace at the same time. So, managers can give feedback in real-time as well.

You and your team can provide feedback on projects via a distributed conversation. People can post observations and suggestions for everyone to see.

The team at Foretheta does quarterly feedback on peer performance. Everyone fills out a simple questionnaire about their peers' performance, and each person has to come up with a suggestion for improvement. This feedback helps team members be more efficient in their duties.

5. Better training and learning

Continuous training and learning are vital in an evolving business place. Employees need to learn new skills to keep up with new trends in their field.

Managers feel that it is easier to train on-site workers. They not only tell them what to do but show them how to do it.

Remote training is quickly becoming a trend. Organizations want to cut the high cost of physical training by adopting the remote method.

Remote teams are the first beneficiaries of remote training. They deploy digital tools for employee onboarding and continuous learning.

You can set aside a budget for training and self-development courses. You can also encourage employees to share what they are learning on the job with the entire team. Other team members can learn a thing or two from others' experiences. Contributing to the team's knowledge and skills instills a sense of pride in your group. It also makes them feel like part of the company.

Employee engagement thrives when managers and team members have a common goal. A manager has to stir their team in the right direction. Remote teams can be as engaged as a manager wants them to be: the resources and practices discussed above can make it happen.

In this article, we talked about several ways in which remote work can be just as effective as working on site. It requires a little bit of thought and effort to come up with strategies to manage employee engagement. Hopefully, some of the tactics mentioned here can get rid of some misconceptions that managers might have regarding remote work.

Five challenges for remote project managers

Yassine Tounsi — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 10:43:28 +0000

This article contains an overview of some of the most common challenges that remote project managers experienced. We will also provide tips on how to avoid mistakes most project managers make at one point.

1. Lack of Motivation

Face-to-face communication sets the foundation for building stronger working relationships and fostering engagement and innovation. Thus, such collaborative environments ensure employee satisfaction as well as company culture and growth. On the other end of the spectrum, remote teams rely on various means of communication for rather formal interaction.

Setting up tech-tools, defining roles and processes, and establishing communication are the priorities. Keeping employees motivated is a challenge for most managers. Therefore, remote project managers have to lead a team that is neither motivated nor self-driven since motivation influences productivity.

Solution
Remote project managers should keep a continuous communication flow to ensure that their team members are updated on the expected level. The best approach is the use of remote project management communication software.

Communication technologies have made remote work more convenient. It enables a team to be more connected and informed, which promotes engagement and sustains productivity. It is also essential to keep the team as part of the company's bigger picture. This way, they will know that each one of them has a role to play.

The project manager should also take every opportunity to motivate his team by identifying the individual contribution and the outstanding work done within a project.

2. The difference in Time Zones

Different time zones are a more significant challenge to remote teams whose members come from different continents and countries. Finding an appropriate time for meetings is hard, especially if the time difference exceeds 8 hours. If members have to sacrifice their personal time to attend, they may end up resenting the project. As a project manager, it will be hard to work with a team that is discontent with a project.

Solution
One solution is to divide the team into geographical regions. If you have team members in North America and Asia, then it would be more convenient to have two separate teams. This will make it easy for the team members to have meetings and follow up as the project progresses.

Another option is to reduce the number of meetings altogether. Meetings should only take place when necessary. Otherwise, meetings at inconvenient times might negatively impact the team’s productivity.

Rotating the meeting schedule to switch between time zones is also an option to consider when all the members cannot agree on an ideal time.

If all the above solutions fail, the project manager may decide to record the meeting and send the videos to the members who did not attend.

3. Communication Challenges

Communication is an important aspect of remote project management. Lack of seamless communication throughout the project phases may delay the turnaround of the project. For this reason, many project managers look for software and digital tools that help them get the job done. It can be in the form of online chats, audio calls, or video conferencing.

But the availability of these tools doesn't minimize miscommunication. In an onsite setting, communication is easier for receiving feedback, and asking for clarifications is quicker. You have the opportunity to meet people outside the workplace and get to know them. Informal communication within and outside the workplace is the norm. This has made many people contemplate more on onsite projects as being better than remote.

Solution
The project manager should work towards normalizing informal interactions between team members. There should be a culture where informal communication between stakeholders is routine. This way, team members can engage with each other and clear miscommunications before they escalate and cause any setbacks.

The project manager should use remote project management tools and software to solve miscommunication issues. There are different modes and tools of communication that work for different teams according to the project needs. Most of these tools are designed to increase output while avoiding burnouts. It is important to choose software, tools, and means of communication that can easily be adopted by each team member. Some common tools we use are Slack, Trello, Zoom, Google Drive, and, of course, Github.

4. Output Analysis

The success of a project depends on the input of each team member. As a project manager, being able to track the efficiency of employees' input is essential for better estimation. If Project managers find it challenging to determine employees' output then they can't estimate overall team output with any degree of accuracy.

Solution
Picking the right tools is key to estimating the output of an employee. Whatever tool you pick, make sure the whole team is using the same tool. They should have access to each other’s work in the project management tool. This ensures timely dissemination of all project updates on the project to all involved parties.

This has an additional benefit of reducing the project manager's effort to check on the employees and track their progress frequently. With less overhead, the focus can be on the output instead. Focusing on the right things is important, as it determines the success of a project.

5. Analyzing Risk Management

Risk management is all about identifying and assessing possible challenges and obstacles to focus on treating such areas to avoid potential failures. The prioritization involves resource allocation and monitoring to observe the change or turn of events. Project managers have to plan for emergencies in case the project took an unexpected turn. This means that the project manager has to determine the risks the project is bound to face or encounter. The uncertainties involved in a project management process turn out to be a considerable challenge to most managers.

Solution
Strategic planning and research is the best way to understand the potential risks. Before the start of any project, a project manager should conduct intensive research. Analyzing previous projects and sorting for the field's experts and mentors consulting is an excellent way to familiarize yourself with the potential risks. This way, you can develop proper control measures.

Conclusion

In conclusion, lack of motivation, different time zones, lack of communication, managing the team's output, and accurately managing risk are some of the setbacks that most remote project managers may encounter. Experts, experience, and research show that you may be able to deal with many of these challenges if you incorporate these solutions in time. This is what we will like to call a proactive management strategy. Project managers should be dedicated to the constant analysis of setbacks and challenges as they implement effective ways of maneuvering the hurdles to achieving success. With the right strategies, remote teams have proven to be more effective than the traditional onsite teams because of their skills, knowledge, and experience diversity.

Do remote teams deliver lower quality software?

Yassine Tounsi — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 22:11:55 +0000

Remote work has changed the dynamics of the workplace. Companies are no longer restricted to physical locations to function and flexibility is essential for recruitment according to the findings of the 2019 Global Talent Trends Report by LinkedIn.

Organizations that allow employees to work from remote locations have an easier time keeping their employees, especially with more employees wanting flexibility with travel and avoiding commutes to work.

But this vision is far from the current reality: Managers still prefer on-site workers because of prejudice against remote teams. We will list some reasons behind this bias and explain how remote teams get around them.

Engagement

The staff’s collective effort contributes largely to achieving organizational goals. Managers have to engage employees in the establishment of projects and plans. Having managers on-site makes engagement and collaboration with workers easier. They can reach out to them for meetings, to brainstorm, and to delegate tasks.

However, remote teams do not have to be less engaged. Team members can leverage technology to stay connected. A variety of tools are available for different activities. Some of these activities include instant messaging and video conferencing for communication.

Collaboration becomes easy with the help of tools at the disposal of a remote workforce. Everyone can take part in ongoing projects. Members have the option to work either as a group or as individuals. Notifications are in place for handoffs, so team members know when they turn to take over or make an input.

Focus

A focused team needs to pay attention to details for excellent performance. Managers feel that on-site workers are more focused on their job than remote teams. This idea stems from the belief that remote teams get distracted by their families and friends, and their home chores, although distraction is not exclusive to remote teams.

On-site workers also suffer from distractions from co-workers and office activities that are beyond their control. There is a lot of physical movement at the workplace: People are always moving files from one desk to another or asking each other questions. They grab the slightest opportunity to talk about other matters unrelated to work.

Remote workers have control over their schedules and environment. They have the power to avoid distractions by choosing a convenient time and place to work.

Remote teams working from home can choose specific working hours. They don’t need to combine office work and home chores when they can do both at separate times. Choosing an isolated part of the house for work is one way to manage distractions at home.

Management

Effective management maintains organization in the workplace. The center stage falls apart when there is no coordination among workers. Managers believe that on-site workers are easier to manage. This belief is because they can monitor every move their employees make. They end up micromanaging workers at their own expense, thus wasting time and resources.

Employees feel overworked and pressurized when they know someone is watching them. They also ask their managers for help. As a result, managers answer repeated questions at their own expense.

Remote teams work according to stipulated guidelines. They have the information they need to work alone with little supervision. This independence is of significant benefit to managers as they have enough time to focus on other tasks instead of micromanaging the team.

Credibility

Credibility is vital for the sustainability and durability of a business. An organization loses its customers when it loses its credibility. Managers believe that having on-site workers makes their business more credible to clients. This belief is a case of misplaced value proposition.

Credibility lies in the quality of the delivered work and not the location of a business. Having a room full of workers does not guarantee excellent results. On-site workers may underperform if they are not well-grounded in their job.

A manager can build a remote talented team to deliver excellent services to clients. It is possible to hire talents with superb skill sets from different locations. Managers cannot achieve this with on-site workers because of the location barrier.

Trust

A trustworthy team protects the interest of an organization and goes the extra mile to get things done. Managers equate trust with activity. They are more comfortable seeing workers seated on their desks in front of a computer system.

However, research shows that on-site workers waste time surfing the internet at work. They know what managers want to see, and they offer it to them. They pack their bags and leave at the closing time.

A Stanford study found that remote teams are more productive than in-office workers by 13%. Their performance measurement was not done based on activity, but on the delivered results where there is no room for pretense.

There is no one-size-fits-all method in business. Organizations have the prerogative to adopt practices that are most suitable for them. Remote teams are a convenient alternative for managers who are more flexible in their working style. High performance is non-negotiable in remote teams. The only way they can meet this standard is to do their work. The results speak for themselves.

Business Automation Tools for Project Management

Aarzoo Naeem — Sun, 29 Nov 2020 07:51:04 +0000

What is Business Automation?

Business Process Automation is the procedure through which software or technology enables business organizations to do tasks automatically. A software product helps you automate mundane tasks, whether they are marketing emails, chatbots, or workflow. It helps by replacing human interaction with everyday tasks and doing them automatically.

Business Automation tools

Despite advancement in technology, project managers in the IT and software solutions industry struggle to complete projects within the given time and budget. We asked our project manager, Yassine Tounsi, about the challenges the project managers face that can be resolved by automation. He listed the following challenges and suggested some useful tools.

Challenges:

Mundane, repetitive work: Automated systems are more reliable and visible than those handled by humans. We can expect errors, especially when someone is doing repetitive, mundane tasks. This includes automatically creating template cards on Trello, moving cards on Github, or even adding contacts to CRM.

Lack of Productivity: Software projects can be overwhelming with the client’s expectations, tight budgets, demanding deadlines. It can often cause a lack of creativity and productivity amongst the team members. Producing seamless projects with minimal bugs is the ideal goal of every project manager.

Poor workflow management: Although software projects at Foretheta follow the agile methodology, it does not mean there aren’t any hiccups in the workflow. Managing time and planning the project around stages, and ensuring that the team stays efficient is a challenge for the team lead.

Solutions:

Process Automation: A Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and Business Process Automation (BPA) tool will help you follow the exact steps and protocols as instructed. Power Automate and Logic Apps provided by Microsoft are useful tools that could be used to increase process efficiency.

Macro, addons, and Build-in features: Some platforms have macros, add-ons, and built-in features that save time and effort. Browsers and Google products addons are good examples. You will also find it extremely helpful to use Macros and tools pro
vided by Notepad++ or Microsoft Excel.

Apps Automation: Using multiple business applications is really challenging. Indeed, you will have the need to connect one or two apps with a particular workflow. Hopefully, some excellent tools are now available such as Zapier, IFTTT, and automate.io

How to select your automation tool?

The main idea is to save time and cost while producing optimal results. Prioritizing tasks and organizing workflow is crucial to the success of any project. The first step is to recognize and identify those tasks that need automation. Always choose those assignments or tasks that are tedious and require hours of manual work or complicated calculations. The next step is to select a business automation tools company that has a reputation of providing smooth working tools. Do your research for the best business automation tools in America and narrow down your options. Finally, contact a team that can evaluate your current workflow so that they can work in partnership with you to curtail costs and improve overall efficiency.

Why Should You Opt for a Custom Software Development Company?

Nada Gul — Mon, 09 Nov 2020 11:20:53 +0000

Why choosing a custom software development company will boost your business

A majority of business owners need in-house resources to build software for their company. If they lack the required resources, they need to pick the right software company for custom-built software. Custom-built software helps companies streamline their work process. This article will discuss in detail why you might want to choose a custom software development company for your business.

Custom software development companies develop tailor-made solutions to match the specific needs and requirements of your business. Such software aligns with your company's structure, system, and workflow since they are designed especially for you.

Let's dig deeper into how a custom software development company can help you streamline your process and reduce costs in the long run by improving the overall efficiency of your company.

Personalization

A set of available features in a generic system might not suit your needs. Or you might only be using six out of the ten available features, but you're still paying for the other four. A custom software development company will design the software just for you to help you accomplish your objectives.

Scalability

As your business grows, you might require extra features or applications to streamline your process. Having custom software will allow you to scale the existing system to accommodate your business growth. You don't want to restrict your business by a generic custom software designed years ago to meet the business's needs back then. On the other hand, a personalized system can grow along with the business needs without getting complicated.

Business Integration

Custom software allows you to integrate multiple programs within the system, all simultaneously connected. The software company you choose will design custom software especially to interoperate with your existing system. It will also help you increase efficiency since you won't have to spend time trying to find and use off-the-shelf software. You won't have to keep adapting your business processes to software; instead, the software will continue to adapt to your business processes as they evolve over time.

Cost-effectiveness

An off-the-shelf solution might seem cost-effective at first. However, it ends up costing much more in the long run. You end up paying extra for additional features you didn't even need. With custom software, you won't be paying for extra functions that don't satisfy your business requirements. Moreover, you may upgrade existing features as the business grows, allowing for a higher budget allocation for software development.

Technical Support

Off-the-shelf software may provide you with technical support, but you're likely to end up waiting in a long queue only to find a bot at the other end. Contrariwise, a custom software development company's support team, would provide you with in-depth technical support and regular maintenance. Hence, the operational process becomes smooth as the custom software development company you opted for will ensure all issues are resolved efficiently in a timely manner.

Security

Custom software is likely to be more secure than a mainstream one. Your system would be more vulnerable to external threats with off-the-shelf software since such software is developed for a wider audience. Intellectual property and personal data will be more secure using custom-built software.

Efficiency

By helping a business with technical support, business integration, scalability, and personalization, custom software is ultimately going to increase your company's efficiency. Spending time integrating your workflow to a standard software is bound to affect the company's efficiency and productivity. Thus, increased efficiency is one of the prime advantages of custom software. Automating manual operations using custom software will also boost the company's efficiency.

A custom-built software enables business owners to streamline their process, expand in scale and/or size, and raise the business value. A custom software development company helps you personalize the software, scale it as your business expands, integrate it with the business, improve security and efficiency, and provide technical support while being cost-effective.

If you're considering hiring a software development company, check our guide Choosing the Right Software Development Company to help you pick the right fit for your business.

For custom software development companies in Seattle, check Top Custom Software Development Companies in Seattle. For New York, check Top Custom Software Development Companies in New York.

Product Managers and the Jobs to be Done Framework

Nada Gul — Mon, 02 Nov 2020 14:03:24 +0000

The Jobs to be Done Framework and how it can be implemented to help product managers

Most customers don’t care about the product itself. They are more interested in what a product helps them do or achieve. Failing to align the product to the customer’s needs leads to a failed product or service.

As a product manager or owner, you are responsible for delivering winning products. Product managers or owners might have to go through a long process of product vision, lifecycle, customer requirements, and engineering to deliver winning products. The entire process can easily be a wasted effort if a product fails to meet customers’ goals.

This article will discuss What the Jobs to be Done framework is and How it can be implemented to help product managers and owners deliver the right product.

What?

In his book, Competing Against Luck, Clay Christensen insists on discovering what jobs consumers are trying to get done by hiring their product. According to him, product managers ought to recognize why consumers choose what they do to progress in their respective lives; what job consumers are hiring a product to do.

How?

Jobs to be Done is a framework that helps companies understand that consumers are real humans with a vision, and to advance towards that vision, they need to buy your product. This theory establishes a real connection between producers and consumers; producers empathize with them and facilitate them in overcoming obstacles in life. This framework helps product managers understand the jobs their customers want to get done. Let’s look at how PayPal, LinkedIn, and Yolt apply the Jobs to be Done framework.

PayPal

PayPal Commerce Platform is the biggest online payment system in the world. The service helps consumers around the world pay for goods and services simply and securely. According to the CEO, Dan Schulman, PayPal gives its customers a feeling of “trust and security”. The customer feeling element connects to Jobs to be Done framework’s emotional aspect, making customers human and helping them feel secure by providing the service.

Linkedin is a widely used, employment-oriented online platform that allows professionals worldwide to connect. They also provide a paid premium service with extra features. When you sign up for the premium service, you can send messages to hiring managers, industry leaders, peers, or potential partners. It also lets you see who viewed your profile. LinkedIn has LinkedIn Learning courses that only premium members can access to promote their personal or company profiles.

When you opt for the premium service, LinkedIn provides options that do not describe the product, but an array of jobs you want LinkedIn to do for you:

LinkedIn knows you’re signing up to get a job done and assures you that they’ll help you get it done. LinkedIn Premium has multiple plans for consumers, which they segment using Jobs to be Done by creating a product for each job/plan.

Yolt

Yolt is an app that helps customers view various bank accounts and see how much they are spending. It also gives them a breakdown and insight on where they are spending it. Yolt helps the customer get the job done; the job to be cautious about how they are spending their money. The app allows them to achieve this by enabling users to pay bills, create budgets, or save for the future. The banks are still working in the background.

Product failure is a big concern for product managers. Using the Jobs to be Done framework will help products and their managers succeed because of humanizing the products and focusing on providing a solution for customers’ jobs. Implementing the framework will ensure product innovation meets customer requirements to stay relevant and afloat in this rapidly evolving market.

Should I Buy or Build an App for my Business?

Aarzoo Naeem — Sun, 01 Nov 2020 19:54:32 +0000

Nowadays, Apps are trending everywhere, and are widely integrated into almost every business and organization. Building an app for your start-up is the standard way to get started on a new project, even though it requires a considerable amount of time and effort. You should consider all factors when making your build-or-buy decision. In this article, we will address several elements to consider before you make up your mind.

First, start by considering why your business needs an app. Is it necessary for the company to function? Will it improve your team productivity? Do you need it to take your business to the next level?

Once you already determined that the App is crucial for your business growth, should you buy or build the App? When our clients reach out to us, we help them answer these next main questions prior to any engagement. These points help them decide on the buy vs. build choice.

Budget
Being aware of how much an app cost is essential to narrow down whether you will build or buy an app. An app can cost thousands of dollars, even reach hundreds of thousands of dollars to develop. Additional features like accessibility options, API integration, and back-end services can only raise the cost. Ask for a quote from app developing agencies and freelancers. A break-down of the cost can also help explore your options and choose what is suitable and convenient for your requirements.

Native Vs. Hybrid Vs. Web
Having a clear vision of the app’s purpose is crucial in deciding whether you want to opt for native, hybrid, or web apps. This decision will impact the cost and the user experience of the project.
A web app runs on browsers and can not be downloaded on mobile phones like native or hybrid apps. Yet, they are a popular choice due to their cost-efficiency.
Native apps have the advantage of being sophisticated, faster, and accessible at your fingertips through smartphones. They can use native features of mobile phones like camera, contacts, etc. and synchronize it.
As the name suggests, the hybrid app is a combination of both native and web apps as it is downloadable on mobiles yet functions as well in an embedded browser.

Will your product need updates?
Most apps need regular maintenance and updates on bugs. This is a task for an expert since it requires a higher set of skills to manage. If you build the app yourself, maintaining it will be an additional chore. Otherwise, you will need to hire someone to fix back-end issues and bugs. Buying an app from a software development company will give you easier access to an expert who can manage fixing bugs or issues at reasonable notice.

Making the buying vs. building decision easier
You can now proceed with more clarity to the next step of buying or building an app. Whether you run an established business or a start-up, an app will be of great importance. If the app has basic features that require little to no maintenance, it would be wiser to build it yourself. Get help from team members who have basic knowledge of building apps, testing bugs, etc. But, keep in mind that developing an app is not as simple as it may look. It requires a lot of research and fundamental design, developing, and testing knowledge.

So, buying an app can be costly, but it’s more efficient as it will take less time and be more successful than building an app on your own. Do you want to use the app for a service, a business, or just buy it as an investment? If so, we consider purchasing an app from expert developers as a smarter choice.

There are some ‘hidden’ or additional value-added costs that you may not have considered while deciding on the budget. These costs include functional, administrative, infrastructure, maintenance, and IT support services. If you want to integrate additional features, such as SMS or push notifications, you will have to pay extra fees as third-party providers supply them. Similarly, maintenance of the content, dashboard, fixing bugs, etc., will require an additional ongoing cost.

Your vision of your business future narrows down the decision to buy or build an app. Building an app is comparatively affordable, but it requires high-level knowledge of coding and app development. Purchasing an app from seasoned software developers or companies, on the other hand, is good value for money. It will look professional, and you won’t have extra details to worry about. It is crucial to consider the audience and users’ ease when using the app. You want to make their lives easier. As for hidden costs, considering them will help you closely manage the cost.

Top Custom Software Development Companies in New York

Nada Gul — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 15:30:25 +0000

Theodo
https://www.theodo.com/

Pattern Match
https://pattern-match.com/

Zco
https://www.zco.com/

Damco Solutions
https://www.damcogroup.com/

Weil & Jones
https://www.weiljones.com/

Ciklum
https://www.ciklum.com/

Dom & Tom
https://domandtom.com/

HubSpire
https://www.hubspire.com/

Saffron Tech
https://www.saffrontech.net/

Onit Digital, Inc.
http://www.onitdigital.com/

Fingent
https://www.fingent.com/

iTechArt Group
https://www.itechart.com/

Konstant Infosolutions
https://www.konstantinfo.com/

Stride
https://www.stridenyc.com/

Mobikasa
https://www.mobikasa.com/

Saritasa
https://www.saritasa.com/

TechNeed
https://www.techneedsolutions.com/

Valtech
https://www.valtech.com/

WASKO Software
https://wasko.software/

KeenEthics
https://keenethics.com/

Perpetual
https://www.perpetualny.com/

Gramercy Tech
https://www.gramercytech.com/

Codibly
https://codibly.com/

Koombea
https://www.koombea.com/

Def Method
https://www.defmethod.com/

Tivix
https://www.tivix.com/

JetRockets
https://jetrockets.pro/

NexGen Systems Inc.
https://www.nexgensm.com/

DOOR3
https://www.door3.com/

Bitbean.com
https://www.bitbean.com/

DataArt
https://www.dataart.com/

SourcePad
https://www.saritasa.com/

Icreon
https://www.icreon.com/en

Leadingdots Solutions Pvt Ltd
https://www.leadingdots.com/

Incipient Corp.
https://incipientcorp.com/

Lightmatter
https://www.lightmatter.com/

Bit by Bit Computer Consultants
https://www.bitxbit.com/

People10 Technologies Inc.
https://people10.com/

Messapps
https://messapps.com/

HTD Health
https://htdhealth.com/

Do you want your company on the list of Top Custom Software Development Companies in New York? Let us know at blog@foretheta.com.

Top 5 Business Automation Tools in 2020

Aarzoo Naeem — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 14:59:28 +0000

Business automation tools are the future of successful organizations. They assist you in working faster and better by using technology to streamline and automate your workflow. If you are a start-up that does not want to hire extra staff or wish to save time on task-automation, it is an avenue to explore. Even large organizations are now converting to digital automation to minimize costs and delays. Besides improving productivity, such tools give structure to organizational management. Saving a minute here and there can help you stay focused on the task at hand.

For instance, you may face delays in sending marketing emails or manually calculating salaries for your employees. With the help of business process automation tools, you can integrate workflows and processes between apps. They ease information flow from one app to another. There are several business automation tools, but here are a few of my favorites:

1- Zapier
A user-friendly option that integrates all apps within minutes and saves hours of work for you. For example, if you use Facebook ads to generate leads for your product and Gmail to send marketing emails to those leads. Zapier auto tracks Facebook's lead generation, connects it to Gmail, and automatically sends emails. This will save time spent on manual data entry for lead generation as well as going through lists. It has 'zaps' that are the trigger for a task. You enter the zaps that you need to be automated and let Zapier activate the convenient app to act.

Zapier’s main strength is the fact that it is one of the most straightforward BPA tools out there which permits many apps to be integrated. Yet, some people think that it is expensive when there are some open-source and free alternatives available. Additionally, Zapier’s main weakness is that it does not provide multi-step workflow processes. In conclusion, Zapier is the most popular option amongst users as it has an excellent customer support and marketing features. It is flexible and straightforward, with a range of payment options.

Pricing: Starts from free up to $599 with free trials for every package.

2- Automate.io
It is a cloud-based business automation tool similar to Zapier, but it claims to offer '3 times the value'. Its features are identical to Zapier’s, but it offers more 'tasks' within its packages, including the free one. Automate has multi-step workflow options in its free version and, of course, in the paid options.

Automate is a popular option as it is user-friendly, easy to set-up, and provides multi-step workflow processes. But, one of Automate's most common flaws is that its limitedness in the integration department as it does not support Microsoft Office along other essential integrations. Compared to Zapier and a few other BPA tools, Automate provides more 'free tasks'. It also has five flexible payment plans to choose from.

Pricing: It is reasonable for start-ups and small businesses that don't need too many automated tasks, starting from a free package up to $99 for small companies. The price goes up to $399 for premium users.

3- Azure Logic Apps & Microsoft Flow
As a cloud computing service by Microsoft, Azure is user-friendly and flexible. It presents basic free units per month, and beyond that, you should pay to you use it. It is especially useful for software development projects as it allows hybrid cloud management.

On the other hand, Microsoft flow is a tool that automates and configures your tasks for you. It assists in streamlining daily tasks and saving time.

One of the most significant advantages of both tools is that they allow limitless automated workflows. Not just that, but it has an easy to use interface. However, Microsoft Flow has a disadvantage: it does not provide as many apps integration as users would like, causing a delay in many workflows. It is essential to check if the required apps are supported by it or not. Again, compared to Zapier or Automate, it offers less app integration; but, price-wise, it’s more affordable.

Pricing: Microsoft Flow starts from $15 a month in which you can create unlimited flows and has two more plans available.

4- IFTTT
IFTTT is a useful free automation tool that enables you to connect and integrate your apps and communicate with each other. Yet, customizing the workflow can be time-consuming and often complicated with this particular tool. If the applet you need is not available within its data pool, it isn't easy to work with it. As of 2020, IFTTT has launched its Pro version, which has a limited promotional period, after which the user can choose from three different plans.

Users love tools with limitless integrations and actions,which IFTTT offers in the form of unlimited 'zaps' or triggers. An interesting feature is that it allows you to connect your household appliances with it and automate those tasks. The downside of IFTTT is that it does not support a multi-step workflow or provide premium level support for a sophisticated integration. So, while Zapier allows you to make an applet that is not available, that is not possible with IFTTT.

Pricing: The individual plans are free, whereas business plans start from $199 a year and up.

5- Huginn
Huginn is an online open-source automation tool that is free and is in competition with Zapier and IFTTT. It is a system for building agents that can automate your tasks and perform them by searching the Internet—commonly used for basic web-based tasks like tracking changes in a website, updating the weather, or voting highlights in an election.

Huginn is reasonably popular because it is free and open-source. Some users find it safer as it does not require passwords and cookies to function. However, many users find it challenging to build the agents and don't see the interface as friendly as the other options.

While one can write customized codes to conduct routine tasks, Huginn is not as good at complex logic and actions. It is limited in terms of systems syncing and integration.

It's essential to keep in mind that Huginn's primary use is not to create complicated automation, it is a tool that is mainly utilized to automatically filter the web for useful information. If you are browsing through a website a few times a day, you can build an agent to do that on Huginn. Then, you can automate it to send you an alert or an email when it finds what you are browsing for. For example, if you want alerts on traffic jams or want to find out about discounts on Amazon -Huginn can do that for you.

Pricing: Free

To summarize, there are many other business automation tools out there with different pricing ranges and features that make them more suitable for you. Regardless of which tool you choose, it is essential to embrace automation tools as they are the future of productive and successful teams. Organizations that work with automated and agile frameworks have a greater chance to succeed as they let technology do mundane tasks, thus saving time and promoting productivity.

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Is Agile Methodology the Perfect Fit for Software Development?

Aarzoo Naeem — Sun, 18 Oct 2020 13:10:54 +0000

Introduction

Until a couple of decades ago, project managers handled most software projects more linearly. This included a lot of testing after the completion of each software development stage. It led to projects’ inefficiency as there was little to no interaction between stakeholders and developers during each developmental or testing phase. No feedback process was adopted; any execution errors would be either ignored or started from scratch. This linear process increased the needed cost and time for project completion. Known as the waterfall methodology, it assumes that the client gives their feedback at the beginning of the project and can not change their mind at any stage of the development process. Thus there was a need to develop a more iterative and incremental management process.

Although now there are several software project management processes, the most popular methodology is Agile. As the name suggests, it is a flexible and feedback-oriented process. It has several subsets of methods like Scrum, XP, Lean, Kanban, etc. that differ slightly and are opted for according to the projects' requirements. It is essential to use the right process for a project to assure efficient management, increase productivity, and deliver better results.

What is the AGILE methodology, and what are its advantages?

The Agile methodology is a process by which a project is divided into several steps, with feedback included at every stage in collaboration with stakeholders. Deliberate iteration results in a better end product and helps the software developers stay in tune with the client's expectations.

The client explains the objectives and requirements for the developed software which guides developers into creating better projects and adequate solutions. With the agile methodology, it is easier to fix any issues before the product is delivered in its final form.

What are the variations of Agile Methodology?

Although the Agile Methodology's fundamental values and principles are recorded in the Agile Manifesto, there are several different variations. Some overlapping concepts differ in their approach. Organizations can choose the one that best suits their requirements and goals. Outlined below are the more popular and widely used agile methodologies:

Kanban: It is an agile approach that allows the development team and stakeholders to visualize the project on a kanban board. This method enables the concerned personnel to visualize the ongoing processes and their results. Kanban makes the process flexible while the workflow becomes smoother and more comfortable to collaborate.

Scrum: It is considered to be the simplest method to follow and is preferred by organizations for lightweight and simplistic approaches. As an iterative methodology, it gives the stakeholder or product owner access and involvement in the project. The project is divided into sprints, a period during which the software program is developed. A sprint can last from 2 weeks to a couple of months, depending on the project's complexity. The product owner works in collaboration with the team of software developers and businesses to produce a Product Backlog, which is analyzed at the end of each sprint.

Programming (XP): It is an agile methodology that prompts developers to produce the perfect product. It is an extensive methodology that practices short developmental cycles, extensive testing of codes, etc. Its core values are simplicity, communication, feedback, and respect. Like Kanban and Scrum, it is flexible, it involves both developers and customers, and gives importance to feedback. However, it differs in terms of its shorter sprints and the fact that it allows more changes throughout the process than Scrum.

Conclusion

Although there is no “perfect” way to manage a project, it is better to choose a methodology that suits your business model. Agile methodologies are famous for the reason that their results are exponentially better: They save time by being flexible and accepting feedback. The core value of Agile lies in mutual respect and collaboration between developers and clients, meaning that any changes suggestions are welcome, driving developers to be more open and courageous to take initiatives. All these agile practices aim at reducing the cost and producing the perfect product.