If you work in a digital agency or as freelance developer, then you’re probably responsible for managing projects on a regular basis. The best way to streamline your workflow and make sure that your team can handle any new client project with ease is to establish a solid process. Great software developers know how to write code that’s easy to read and understand, while also being flexible enough to accommodate updates. However, there are only so many hours in the day so it’s important that you optimize your time as much as possible. This article is going to focus on how you can structure your current development projects using WordPress as a CMS. You might be wondering why this matters, well let me explain…
Defining a development process is key to a successful workflow
Like any other area of your business, the success of your development process will depend on the way you define it. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel, or start from scratch – You can take inspiration from other teams and adopt a process that works well for you. As you define your development process, you’ll want to make sure you account for the key stages of a project. You’ll need to: – Create a project brief – Write down the goals of the project and the expectations of your clients. – Define a roadmap – Design the stages of the project, and create a plan for when those stages need to happen. – Establish a timeline – Estimate the time you will need to complete the project stages.
Use version control for your codebase
All software projects are going to have their code base as a foundation. This is the foundation upon which everything else is built. Having version control for your codebase allows you to easily track changes, and gives you the ability to roll back if anything goes wrong. It also gives you the ability to work with your clients to understand what functionality they need, and what has already been implemented. Having version control lets you easily navigate through your codebase to find files, and create backups. This allows you to avoid the headache of losing weeks of work due to a hard drive crash. There are a number of tools you can use to track your codebase, but we recommend Git. Git is an open-source tool that allows you to track all your files, and organize them into branches. Git lets you record each commit you make, and also lets you easily collaborate with other team members. Read more about WordPress Web Designer here.
Establish sprints and track daily progress
Establishing sprints also allows you to track development progress. Once you have a defined roadmap, you’ll want to break down each stage to create smaller tasks. This process will allow you to track the progress of each member of the team, and understand where bottlenecks might be occurring. Establishing sprints also forces you to be mindful of the time you’re spending on tasks. If you’re spending longer than you should on a given stage, you have the opportunity to adjust your schedule. Doing so will allow you to avoid unnecessary delays, and ensure that your team doesn’t miss out on important stages of the project.
Set up automated tasks with Toggl
As you build each stage of your project, you’ll need to create tasks that allow you to track the work that’s being done. There are a number of tools that allow you to create tasks and assign them to team members. We recommend using Toggl for this. Toggl allows you to create time-based tasks that have a start and end time. You can then assign these tasks to your team members, and track their progress. There are a number of features that come with Toggl that make this process easy to manage, and it’s easy to set up and use.
WordPress as a content management system
WordPress is a great content management system, but it’s also a useful platform for managing projects. You can create content such as articles and images, and also create galleries and projects that team members can add to. The WordPress dashboard also includes a number of tools, such as a blog editor, that allow you to easily manage your content. WordPress also includes a number of plugins that you can use to improve your workflow. This includes the Yoast SEO plugin, which is a great tool for maintaining consistent keyword usage.
Wrapping up
We’ve taken you through the key elements of a development process. We’ve covered how you can use version control for your codebase, and how you can establish sprints and track daily progress. We’ve also looked at WordPress as a content management system, and the benefits that come from using it. It’s important to remember that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to managing projects. You need to find the method that works best for your team. Establishing a development process will help you streamline your workflow, and make sure that your team can handle any new project with ease.
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