August 2020 — 4 minute read

SOS: Are You Signaling A Software Project Rescue?

Summary: TL;DR
Every project has its challenges, but some end up lost at sea. Knowing when to signal for help can be a tough call. If you’re experiencing any of the following scenarios, you may be a candidate for a software project rescue.
  • Limited Capacity Is Sinking You
  • Managing Your Dev Partner Has Become A Full-Time Job
  • Your Rockstar Developer Jumped Ship
  • It’s Over Your Head

At Lelander, our teams are often brought in to help get projects back on course. “Rescue” clients come to us with past-due deadlines, busted budgets, and ever-increasing pressure to deliver. Once we take the helm, our teams can manage every detail to help take the stress off our clients’ shoulders.

When is the right to reach out for help? Let’s dive into some common rescue scenarios.

Limited Capacity Is Sinking You

It’s a familiar situation: a limited number of developers and a growing number of projects. With maintenance issues using up precious resources, you’re taking in water faster than you can keep up. It’s the classic “fixing the boat while sailing” situation.

  • Pressure is rising, and your to-do list is getting bigger
  • Fire drills are coming up constantly
  • Project stakeholders are growing impatient
  • Your team is getting burned out

The solution? Call in a back-up crew. While you focus on other things, our team is all hands on deck, offering on-demand solutions under even the tightest deadlines.

Using an Agile approach, we prioritize tasks based on pre-and-post launch needs and plan weekly “sprints” to meet them. Regular stand-up meetings are a chance to see progress or quickly resolve any obstacles that come up.

We consider our team an extension of yours. Lelander is here to not only re-route your at-risk project, but also to help you achieve a “win” with stakeholders.

Managing Your Dev Partner Has Become A Full-Time Job

When you decided to outsource development, you weren’t looking for someone new to project manage. If you’re spending your days tracking tickets or hounding your contact for updates, it may be time to shift course.

Here are some telltale signs it’s time to let go of your underperforming development firm:

  • Recurring missed deadlines
  • The need to follow up on every request
  • Issues aren’t brought to your attention until you ask
  • You’re constantly QA’ing their work
  • Invoices are piling up with no signs of progress

Clients often express buyer’s remorse around outsourcing an offshore partner. Lower rates can’t make up for the time zone differences and language barriers.

When clients come to us with a rescue project, we assign the project to a tech lead and a project manager. Tasked with managing and providing the best technical solutions, these team leaders make it possible for our clients to be hands-off and fully informed at the same time.

Your Rockstar Developer Jumped Ship

You’re in deep water. You’ve lost one of your most productive developers—the one with all the project knowledge. What do you do now? Lelander has spent years jumping in cold, investigating, and rescuing even the most challenging software projects. Simply hand off the code, and our team will take it from there.

Our unique structure at Lelander allows us to be tech-agnostic, meaning we can source expert talent for any platform or coding language. We also obsessively document our processes. Once a project phase is complete, we provide all the documentation you need for future reference.

It’s Over Your Head

It happens. You inherit code that’s completely foreign to you. You attempt the usual fixes, but nothing seems to work. Don’t worry, help is on the way. Lelander’s nimble teams can work alongside your people to reach the right short-term solution, then regroup for a long-term strategy. After that, nothing but smooth sailing.

The Lelander team is never truly “stuck.” As challenges arise, our broad network of expertise has the experience and skills to brainstorm, problem-solve, and arrive at the right solution.

In Need Of Rescue?

Our teams at Lelander have deep software rescue experience. We know the stress of sinking and having no one to turn to. Reach out today and we’ll get your project back on course in no time.

Get in touch.