Developing applications is not just a time-consuming task. The tricky part is coordinating the software programmers that are involved in the project.
In an app development process, each programmer is assigned to a particular module or component of the system. Each module has a set of subtasks that must be monitored for progress until the module is complete. That is to prevent it from bogging down the entire project.
You could achieve this by setting up a sprint board. This is an “agile” tool that will allow you to monitor the progress of your programmers and to coach them along their way to meet a rigorous project deadline.
Origins of the Name
Sprint boards are also commonly referred to as scrum boards; a borrowed term from American Football. Scrum means a tactic within games that has the team charge towards the opponent in the hope of gaining ground and, hopefully, score a goal.
Translating that into app development, it means huddling together to find the quickest way to accomplish a project and ensure everyone is on the right page every time.
In the context of task management, this huddle can be a singular place where everyone can view the tasks that need to be done and when they should be done.
Before the digital age, the use of whiteboards and bulletin boards was popular. Project managers, after a few minutes of a pep talk, laid out everything in front of their teams in a common area. These physical boards are where they can follow their respective tasks and provide a constant point of reference in the office.
The concept of a sprint board does the same thing. A team of developers now have a singular digital venue that allows everyone to view pending tasks and to report on their progress.
Components of a Sprint Task Board
To translate the concept of the scrum to the task board, project managers must set up notes and assignments in a manner that imposes the urgency of the jobs allocated to each member.
A typical sprint task board will have the following columns to delineate the tasks and also to provide a means to monitor progress:
- Pending. This column will tell developers what tasks have not been addressed yet. It gives them a report that can help determine how much of a workload is needed to complete their part of the project.
- In progress. This column shows what everyone is working on, giving project managers an idea of what is being done to complete the assignment.
- Accomplished. This is where all team members can follow what has been accomplished so far. Having a clear view of the accomplished and those that yet to be accomplished, the team can use time wisely.
With so many concerns to look at, project managers may find it challenging to keep track of all that is going on with even just one project. Fortunately, a sprint board can help everyone follow their progress concerning their entire project.
