Why is Regular Communication between Developers and Customers Important?
When it comes to development, communication is not only an essential part of the process, but it is also a necessary one. Communication between different people or groups of people in the development team is crucial. However, there is another form of communication which must happen for the development team to ensure that their product is both functional and desirable to the public. This communication is that of the developers and the testers, otherwise known as the customers. Just a decade back, the importance of this developer-tester communication was not thought of as an essential activity in the development cycle. What’s more, developers did not appreciate the need for critics in their work.
Eventually, the need for this communication became apparent. This realization was fueled by the fact that development is a never-ending cycle, and that improvement of a product would involve communication from the users regarding feedback, review and even suggestions. Developers have finally embraced the idea of having real users testing and giving their views on the products even as development continues; and with it, some benefits have been realized.
Guaranteed Success of Project
By ditching the old system of “develop first, review later” and embracing the idea of reviewing as you develop, the success rate of a project is higher. For developers, a review of single nodes of a whole project could help them to perfect these nodes and how they connect to each other eventually. Unnecessary details can be eliminated in time while those that were not there before can be added so that the project runs more smoothly.
Individual Growth
Communication is an essential tool when it comes to personal growth. When one gets to interact with others, then they can evaluate how well they communicate their views on certain development-related issues. This self-examination provides a platform for improvement in areas such as expression and clarity in explaining your grievances. It also allows you to choose your words carefully so that the relationship between developers and testers is maintained throughout and even after the development cycle is completed.
Team Growth
In development, there is always some form of competition between developers and testers. Developers may feel like testers are asking for too much, while testers sometimes feel like developers are not doing enough. Through constant communication, this competition can be kept at a healthy level where each of these entities learns from each other rather than fight each other on every aspect. Understanding each other’s needs through development not only ensures the development of a functional and robust system, but it also ensures that the development team as a whole is improved and that teamwork is fostered among the members. Through this kind of growth, development groups can become permanent groups and even become the basis for a company.
Learning Platform
Communication is the basis for every learning platform, and the development platform is no exception. Through effective communication, both developers and testers can learn from one another. Developers get the chance to learn about the ever-changing user requirements. This knowledge helps them to plan for future developments so that the probability of market success is higher for them. Testers can also learn handy skills from developers and get acquainted with different development processes, which may spark interest in the developer profession. They can also learn about different available platforms for development and the various constraints which each may have, enabling them to have a better understanding.
Realistic Goal Setting
Through communication, both testers and developers learn to be realistic about their objectives during development. Testers can understand further why their bug reports were dismissed – perhaps they had missed something during testing – and review their approach. Developers can also get a grasp of what users want, which helps them to avoid developing complex systems which may not be user-friendly. They can also eliminate any details which may end up making the system unnecessarily bulky and unappealing to users.
Project Prioritization
Through communication, different development nodes can be reviewed extensively and give the development team a clearer picture of which nodes are to be prioritized during development. Through getting things done by priority, developers can avoid wasting time and resources, and the entire development cycle can run more efficiently. It also helps project managers to get a clearer picture of the requirements and to evaluate which resources will be needed and which part of the development they will be needed. They can also arrange their team such that every team member will be allocated tasks effectively and in a timely order.
Idea Generation
While the main goal of communication between developers and users is to come up with ways to optimize the development process, effective communication can also be a way for the development team to come up with new ideas which will work towards improving the system that is under development. These ideas can range from additional features for the system to redefining the requirement specifications, as well as coming up with marketing ideas which will boost the popularity of the system as a whole.
The importance of communication has become evident in the developing world. As more development team embrace teamwork of both professional and non-professional individuals, an avenue for the development of better technological solutions is being created. The market space is also at an advantage because only viable solutions are being implemented. This reduces the overpopulation of the market by systems which are ineffective or by those which users are discouraged from using or interacting.
Source: QUALIUM SYSTEMS LTD.
