Software developers have a wide range of responsibilities when it comes to developing and designing software products. On a basic level, developers are tasked with researching, crafting, and implementing software programs. Along with the previously mentioned responsibilities, these software experts must modify existing programs, maintain and upgrade relevant systems, and deploy efficient code for software programs.
In addition to holding these skills, developers must be willing to study the ins and outs of state-of-the-art technological innovations with haste and effectively communicate with team members. With these high-priority responsibilities in mind, maximizing company time and ensuring developers’ optimal productivity should take precedence.
It can be challenging to measure the productivity of your software development team. For instance, difficulties such as vague documentation and global distribution of team members can make it challenging to generate a big-picture report on a development team’s productivity. Luckily, team leaders have several metrics and tools at their ready access, specifically engineered to measure and improve productivity.
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Utilize a cloud-native application platform
As our technological world develops, teams are continuing to move their applications to cloud-native application platforms. Since software containers successfully revolutionized how apps are managed, developers ran into issues when apps with a large and distributed containerization became increasingly difficult to coordinate.
Fortunately, cloud-native application platforms stepped in to lighten the workload and lift undue burdens from developers’ shoulders. With cloud-native app platforms, teams can continuously run and improve their services without undergoing individual development and operation phases.
One of these cloud-native platforms comes from SUSE, which brings an advanced developer experience to Kubernetes. SUSE streamlines the process of transporting applications to the cloud, boosting your development team’s productivity and efficiency.
Adopt agile practices
Working in sprints is a methodology proven to optimize team performance. By definition, sprints are a given period, typically two to four weeks, in which development teams work and complete planned projects. Team members are assigned defined roles and plan their development efforts throughout the sprint. During this planning phase, developers tweak testing and releasing features along the way. Agile practices also encourage team members to embrace transparency in communication and stay focused on their roles and deliverables.
Create an efficient working environment
Clearing out distractions and streamlining communication are two ways that a work environment can sustain a more productive team. Rather than interrupting workflows by communicating exclusively in-person, utilizing communications tools like Slack can provide team members with the ability to communicate when convenient for them and schedule face-to-face meetings on a case-by-case basis.
Permitting headphones or providing private workspaces can also allow team members to tailor their work environment to their unique needs. If workers prefer quiet environments without many auditory distractions, they can handpick the work environment conducive to individual productivity. This way, both those working professionals who prefer busier environments and those who need privacy and radio silence to complete day-to-day tasks can coexist and stay focused on their goals.
Invest in your development team
When team members are encouraged to grow and develop new skills at work, they tend to be more productive and satisfied contributors. While many companies still prefer that employees expand their skill set on their own time, providing continuous education is a way to show your team that they are valuable, long-term assets to the company. It also grants your team members the opportunity to get better at their jobs, which will only benefit the company vision.
Over to you
Ultimately, while the software development process can become complex and hard to track, there are many resources to keep your team as productive and efficient as they can be. As the software development world evolves, it’s essential to continue refining processes to ensure reduced cycle times.
About Carson Derrow
