When it comes to a newer software project, balancing a plan for long-term growth with the urgent needs of the software can be difficult. If you've ever been in this position, you'll know that sometimes you have to sacrifice one to build the other. Often, you'll have to ask yourself which actions are vital to take now, and which ones can wait.
While error monitoring for newer software projects often gets ignored, you may be surprised at the benefits you can gain from implementing these processes sooner rather than later. It's best to create a durable codebase from the beginning of your project, instead of having to go back and fix critical errors later. This puts you on the path for growth from the very start.
Talking To Your Team
Encountering errors, bugs, and mistakes are a part of building software - there's just no way around it. Developers are often encouraged to move quickly and fix things later to improve continuous delivery rates. It's how you track, control, and fix these errors, however, that will determine how stable your codebase it and how successful your project will turn out. This may make sense to you, but how do you convince your team - and your shareholders - that this expense is worth it?
- Start with research. The better you understand the error monitoring tools you need, the better you'll be able to explain the benefits to your team. Take advantage of free or reduced-rate trials. Request a demo if you can, and have a salesperson walk you through the features. Read the customer reviews to see which tools have been rated the highest, and why.
- Share a demo with your team. Once you have pinned down the error monitoring solution you'd like to use, share a demo with your team. Not only can you get their feedback, but you'll also be able to answer their questions when it comes to how this will affect their work.
- Present a business case to your shareholders. If you have shareholders, you know that getting their support is essential when it comes to implementing changes. Prepare a short report or business case that details how much of your team's time is already being spent on fixing errors. Give an estimate of how much time you think your business will save with your proposed error monitoring tool. The time you'll save in that area can translate into increased revenue, which will make your shareholders happy.
- Get senior management on board first. During this transition, you'll need support from key members of your team so you can share your knowledge with them. Having your team managers understand how the software will work in their department will help you delegate tasks and explain the processes to other workers.
- Be a great leader. For a new implementation to be successful, you'll need to communicate effectively and follow through with your processes and ideas. Nothing will degrade a team faster than a weak leader with a poorly executed plan. It may be helpful to start a trial with a small department so you can get the kinks out of the process before rolling out the change company-wide.
Errors in your software will only slow you down and cause headaches over time. Implementing error monitoring tools early gives you more time to understand how your applications are being received by your customers. While it may seem like a large undertaking, the time and money that you spend in the beginning will save you loads of time and money in the end. Putting forth the effort to make sure your codebase is stable in the beginning will ensure a better application overall.
