The past few weeks have highlighted an important lesson learned for me. During the development process, it is easy for both the client and the development team to just keep saying yes!

We need to focus on ensuring that we carefully choose what we say yes to as this can have major effects on project deadlines, budgets and the final product.

When we don’t say no

As a Project progresses, it is natural for the requirements to evolve. Using agile development we do all we can to manage this from iteration to iteration, however this is not always easy.

There is a difference between evolving scope and evolving requirements.

When new requirements evolve it is very important that we assess whether this fits within the scope and how it could effect the projects deadlines and budget.

Most software developers care about customer service, I certainly do.

This makes it too easy for us to say, “Yes, you can have what ever you want”. When we do this we are not always considering the consequences for the project. We need to assess whether this is a change in scope or a evolving requirement.

When a client doesn’t say no

Most designers and developers who I know are passionate about their work. When we build something we really get into it, we get excited about it and lose a little bit of our critical analysis of what we are working on. This is normal.

When we then present this work to a client, this enthusiasm can change the perspective of the client too. Causing them to see the work in the same light as we do and not to analyse whether it meets their needs.

This is another problem because when the client says ‘yes’ this changes the path of the project away from what they wished for.

Near the end of the project there will come a time when you all step back and see what you have achieved.

This is when this problem can be highlighted, when the projects deadlines are close and the budget is running out.

The bottom line

It is our responsibility as designers and developers to avoid these mistakes. We need to learn that saying no is not always bad customer service and that changes in direction should always come from the client.