Building a Systems Development Team - Mistakes

While there are many benefits to contractors starting their own internal Systems Development teams, there are also many risks.

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  • First of all, it wasn’t the best fit as previously discussed. 
  • Underestimating the cultural mismatch between developers and other team members that were brought in from outside the construction industry.
  • Not funding the development team properly, including funding of individual roles. Just like the field, many times the cheapest labor is not the most productive per dollar.
  • Not putting the right amount of resources into the management of the team. Managing software engineers and developers is very different than managing a field workforce or project managers. A hands-off “hope” style or a micromanaging style are both typical mistakes.
  • Not sequencing the projects properly, so a return is seen for the investment across the organization.
  • Over-building when a “Minimum Viable Product” or MVP is what you really need. This will impact returns as much as not sequencing properly.
  • Not planning for and managing the roll-out, training, continuous improvement, and support aspects of an internally developed tool.

This is Part 16 of an 18-Part Series


Topics Covered in the Series Include:

  • Workflow
  • Management
  • Balance
  • Risk
  • Outsourcing

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More from Steve Jost
Building a Systems Development Team - Balance
Striking a balance between immediacy and scalability is a constant decision with Systems Development and will be ever-changing in most organizations. The needs of your organization may necessitate erring on one side of that balance or the other.
Building a Systems Development Team - Support
The need for support, training, and maintenance of developed systems should not be underestimated.
Building a Systems Development Team - Risk
Minimizing the business risk of a developer leaving. The better you are able to make your company a great place to work (culture & communication), the easier it will be to retain your top talented team members.