Development time - Sense check

Hello @NachitoMax

First off consider setting up your project in Azure DevOps where you can organize iterations/task and sprints where you write out what needs to be done starting with the big picture moving down to task in a sprint. While writing out requirements you need to assign hours which in the end will give you an estimate of time needed to complete the project.

Considers in no specific order

• Experience of each developer when considering task
• Every project has scope creep which means at some point there will be backlogs (Azure dev ops accounts for this). At the start of the project customers need to realize this.
• Have standup meetings (if possible) every day where it's done in person, over Skype or Teams so progress is known along with problems encountered
• Have code reviews done e.g. a task is finished, before a commit is done review the code.
• Consider writing unit test so if something breaks run all unit test can greatly cut down on time to figure out an issue.
• Know the architecture e.g. platform, how to work with data e.g. Entity Framework, conventional data access
• Will a third party framework be used or internal framework, either way all developers need to understand them.
• Be sure to have a firm understanding for creating relational databases using many to many and one to many.

When I think of a large project, that's all I do they tend to have 1,000 plus users internally and external applications in the millions. Time to complete can range between eight months to one year. Generally speaking the first release (tends not to do much) is in the first month. I believe to release often so that there are no surprises to the users.

Usually at the end of a project there are lingering task that may not be considered to those that never done a larger size project so think about that too.

In closing, up front research is the key, for example if going with Azure DevOps it's going to take time to get up to speed if never used before. Also although Azure DevOps has stored for code an alternate is to use GitHub for source control but that is simply a choice.

Sample view of DevOps on a training project I wrote to teach with.

Thanks for the reply.

The first release is due to be published early Feb. No point before then because i had to build the initial app first then a product editor / configurator to review the product. As far as developers, there is only 1 and for users, a small amount of around 20-30. We plan to release each product in 2 stages. The initial design and after feedback, the updated design. operability to the 3rd party application doesnt change as the information collected, processed and returned will always be the same for each product.

We already do weekly stand-ups as a group and 2 one to ones a week between me & the manager to maintain a direction and we use Teams a kanban along with an overall schedule of works to cover the 2 yr period.

Feature creep is apparent, pretty much every call has some of minor change which we are getting under control. Scope creep is under control, we have a clear direction of what we need to deliver, its the UI requirements that change.

I dont think this project would warrant Azure at this time, its an in-house project only and the 3rd party application required to integrate is desktop in-house.

Appreciate your time to reply, i feel that im on the right track timeline wise and while the initial application build is up to 3 months, the way its working to add in products along with some other new methods of managing the product edit is going to reduce the overall long term plan.