How to optimize IT project costs?

Creating entirely new, often very complex software is generally the result of the work of a large team of specialists, which indicates the main cost in IT projects - the cost of labour. Depending on the complexity and scope of the project, a whole team of people works on it: programmers, testers, analysts, architects, project managers, product owners, UX/UI specialists and often other domain specialists whose support is necessary to develop an optimal solution. Often, clients don't realize how many specialists from different fields work on delivering a high-quality solution.

Additionally, each of these specialists uses various tools and software in their work, which enable or improve the performance of their tasks, resulting in additional costs for software and various licenses. Another significant cost, often overlooked by clients, is infrastructure. The system must be "deployed" on some server, and additional development and testing environments are also required, so that changes can be safely prepared and the entire solution tested. Depending on the project, costs for external services (e.g., developing texts for the website/system, purchasing graphics, etc.) and outsourcing may be added.

Is it possible to reduce these costs without compromising quality?

YES! Obviously, some costs are unavoidable, but the key to success is EFFICIENCY of project management. All experienced members of project teams know that the area of IT projects is full of traps that are easy to fall into, thus generating unnecessary costs. With experience, it is easier to avoid typical pitfalls and work more efficiently.

Years of experience in IT projects allow us to identify several typical areas that are worth paying attention to in the context of project optimization:

•     Project scope
•     Inappropriate project management methodology
•     Communication with the client and within the team
•     Mismatched technologies and tools
•     Automation of repetitive processes

In a series of upcoming articles we will discuss these topics from both a business and a technical perspective.

Author: Alicja Polak, Project Manager