Software development is a challenge for any development company. The IT world is vast. The range of possibilities, technologies, programming languages and tools is broad and complex. Planning, communication, and collaboration are critical ingredients for the successful delivery of the final product. Each project is different, and the development team must be ready to face a variety of obstacles. One of the critical factors determining failure or success in software development is a cross-functional, skilful and experienced development team; an interdisciplinary team made up of different roles and specialisations. Each member has their own responsibilities and methods of adding value to a project.
The following article will describe these roles for you and explain who is responsible for what and why you need them in your team.
Product owner
This is a crucial role in Agile: Scrum methodology. The Product Owner represents the business and its’ needs. They are responsible for creating a vision of the product and maximising investment (ROI). In addition, the Product Owner works closely with end-users to create and prioritise a Product Backlog (containing project requirements). This ensures that all functionalities needed from a business perspective are provided at the right time.
Business analyst
The work of a Business Analyst (BA) starts at the beginning stages of a project. Firstly, they identify project stakeholders and gather project requirements. They clarify the client's needs by defining the project scope and analyse current processes and documentation.
The BA communicates with their client and the development team to identify business requirements and discuss potential solutions to meet project criteria. An important component of their role is to prepare visual representations that convey the current and future processes of their business. They also prepare the project’s task description for their developers. Finally, the BA designs wireframes and mockups to help their team visualise a future solution.
Project manager
The Project Manager (PM) is mainly responsible for managing the project and their team. The PM allocates resources and aims to remove all roadblocks and bottlenecks. They are in constant contact with their client, development team and higher management.
The PM prepares a development plan, manages it, assigns tasks, prepares a schedule and tracks the project’s progress to ensure it is delivered according to schedule. The PM is also responsible for the project budget and change management.
UX designer
The UX Designer defines how the application will behave and react during interactions with a user. They play an important role in building the project design and application interface. They prepare the information structure and name conventions.
Lastly, the UX Designer creates mockups and prototypes based on project requirements to confirm and test the application flow and visual appearance.
Developer
This role lies at the heart of the development team. Developers transform graphics and business requirements into application functionalities. With the use of different programming languages and tools, they build the final product. Developers are divided into Junior, Mid and Senior Developers according to their skills and experience.
Developers have different specialisations. Backend Developers work with the application architecture and databases. FrontEnds are responsible for visual aspects and user interaction elements. Mobile Developers build applications for systems like Android and Apple iOS. Very often, the development team needs the contribution of all specialists to successfully fulfil project goals.
Technical lead
This role refers to a Technical and Development Team Leader who translates business requirements into technical solutions. In addition, they help developers overcome technical issues, calculate estimates, and support product releases.
The Technical Link also acts an important point of contact to resolve the technical challenges of Business Analysts, the Project Manager and Developers.
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