Digital delivery is revolutionising how tasks are managed and executed in line with organisations' digital transformation strategies. By utilising software applications and online platforms, this approach significantly enhances workflows and boosts productivity, which is crucial for businesses aiming to maintain a competitive advantage.
As firms rely on online solutions to boost growth and efficiency, the ability to deliver projects within budget and on time with the highest quality standards becomes a competitive advantage. If you are contemplating undertaking a new task or if you have one already, we will share insights on steps to managing an online task and tips for successful digital project delivery in this article.
Digital project delivery involves devising, planning, designing, developing, and deploying tasks within an interactive online space accessible to all stakeholders. This method utilises a common data environment (CDE) to facilitate collaboration and manage tasks.
It involves several key components necessary for ensuring success:
Effective digital delivery requires a balanced integration of these elements to ensure successful outcomes, with each component playing a critical role in achieving goals and meeting client expectations.
Digital delivery offers several key advantages:
Below are common processes employed in delivering projects digitally.
Agile project management is particularly useful in dynamic environments, such as software delivery and game development. The processes are flexible and iterative, allowing tasks to be executed and adapted as needed, unlike the pre-planned waterfall approach. Teams respond to unpredictability with incremental, iterative work processes, focusing on adaptability and continuous communication.
Many agencies adopt the Scrum concepts – such as daily stand-ups, progress demos, and sprint retrospectives – and apply them in managing their digital delivery process, using tools to track progress and deliverables. Scrum defines roles (including the Scrum master), events, and tools to iteratively deliver valuable, shippable functionality. Work is divided into “sprints”, a 2-4 week development cycle, where the team tackles backlog items (a prioritised list of user stories or requirements managed by the product owner).
The waterfall model prioritises comprehensive upfront planning to ensure tasks are completed correctly on the first attempt. The team establishes all requirements before any work commences, and following sponsor approval, the project progresses in distinct, sequential phases with no overlap. Adjustments are minimal and generally require formal change requests. Although this method offers limited flexibility for adjustments once a phase is completed, it remains effective for tasks with fixed, well-documented requirements, mature technology, and short timelines.
Kanban is a methodology focused on enhancing efficiency and enabling frequent releases through the collaboration of self-managing teams. It achieves this by visualising workflow in real-time, imposing limits on work in progress, making processes explicit, and continuously evaluating and implementing improvements. Managers utilise a Kanban board, which can be physical (sticky notes on a whiteboard) or digital (using cards), to represent the team's workflow. Kanban is particularly suitable for work that requires a consistent output amidst changing priorities, such as production, support, or maintenance.
eXtreme Programming (XP) focuses on values and processes that improve software quality and adaptability to changing customer needs. Its core values – simplicity, communication, feedback, respect, and courage – mirror those of Scrum. XP distinguishes itself by establishing specific rules or prescriptive processes tailored to development projects. Key among these are user stories, test-driven development, pair programming, and continuous integration.
This table provides an overview of various tools across different functional areas essential for digital delivery, highlighting how each category serves specific business needs and contributes to overall operational effectiveness.
|
Category |
Tools |
Description |
|
Digital Marketing Tools |
Email Marketing: HubSpot, SendGrid, MailChimp Social Media Marketing: Hootsuite, Buffer, Sprout Social SEO: SEMrush, Moz, Ahrefs Lead Enrichment: HubSpotSales, OptinMonster |
Tools to enhance online visibility and direct customer engagement through various digital channels. |
|
Customer Relationship Management |
Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho CRM, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales |
Platforms that help manage and analyse interactions, enabling better customer relationships and insights. |
|
Communication Tools |
Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom |
Essential for effective team communication and collaboration, especially in remote settings. |
|
Project Management Tools |
ClickUp, Trello, Wrike, Zoho Projects |
Facilitate the management of tasks from planning to execution, providing tools for task assignment, tracking, and reporting. |
|
Cloud Storage Solutions |
Amazon S3, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive |
Services that offer secure, scalable storage solutions, facilitating access to files and data from anywhere, which is crucial for business continuity and flexibility. |
|
Collaboration Suites |
Google's G Suite, Office 365, Salesforce Chatter, Slack |
Integrated suites that enhance productivity by allowing seamless collaboration across documents, spreadsheets, and communication platforms. |
|
Next-Generation Intranet Platforms |
Cisco WebEx Meetings, Microsoft Sharepoint, LumApps, Workplace from Meta |
Central hubs for internal collaboration, offering tools for virtual meetings, document management, and team interaction within a secure network. |
|
Digital Accounting and Financial Management Platforms |
QuickBooks Online, Xero, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics Finance |
Automate and streamline financial processes, providing real-time financial data and improving efficiency and compliance. |
|
Content Management System (CMS) Tools |
WordPress, Wix, Drupal, Prestashop, Kentico, HubSpot CMS |
Platforms that simplify the creation, management, and modification of content on websites without needing extensive technical knowledge. |
|
Business Automation Tools |
Zapier, HubSpot, Salesforce, Google Data Studio, HootSuite |
Tools that automate routine business processes, enhancing efficiency and allowing businesses to focus on strategic activities. |
Below are the five steps to managing any online tasks. When done correctly, they ensure the success of your task.
Initial planning is vital for laying the groundwork for a successful digital project. During this phase, the focus is on generating and evaluating ideas and identifying potential risks and challenges. The outcome is an all-around proposal and a foundational plan that outlines the project's requirements and expectations.
Key activities in this phase include:
One common challenge is the shift from account executives to managers, which underscores the need for clear baselines to ensure alignment and meet initial expectations, thereby averting issues during the execution of the task.
The process includes defining the user experience through wireframes, user journeys, and information architecture. Teams from UX, design, marketing, and development collaborate on this.
Key tasks in scoping involve:
Development begins once the team receives the initial requirements and rough design specifications. During this stage, the architecture that supports both the development process and the final product is constructed. After the back end is developed, the front end is enhanced based on final design specifications.
Collaboration with key stakeholders for revisions and feedback ensures the product meets client expectations. Tracking progress via a Kanban or Sprint board is essential to monitor and adjust the development workflow effectively.
This is the final stage before the product is rolled out to end users. At this stage, thorough testing is conducted to ensure that all code and use cases meet the specified requirements. After the evaluation phase, a quality assessment is carried out to verify that the final product complies with all applicable quality standards. Once the software is approved, it is deployed and made available to the public.
Upon delivery of the product, the maintenance phase commences with a focus on improving functionality, stability, and support. This stage may involve additional development as per the requirements.
Key aspects of maintenance include:
Effective maintenance is essential for the long-term reliability of the product, ensuring that it consistently meets user needs and adapts to emerging requirements.
Here are five top tips to ensure your project meets its goals and delivers outstanding results:
Adequate communication is paramount for the success of any digital project, as it allows for input from all stakeholders, including end users and the technical team. Managing changes presents challenges from both a technical and a user standpoint, underscoring the importance of maintaining open lines of communication.
Furthermore, ensuring that documentation is consistently updated, well-organised, and easily accessible is crucial for clarity and supports the needs of both new and experienced team members.
It is essential to proactively pinpoint and address potential risks early in the project lifecycle to improve the overall success rate. By incorporating risk assessment into the initial documentation, team members can effectively anticipate and mitigate issues that may arise.
All potential risks, regardless of their magnitude, should be thoroughly documented. This includes risks such as delays in creating user accounts as well as major technological failures within the project infrastructure. Effective risk management focuses on proactively addressing issues to avoid productivity bottlenecks rather than reacting to them after they occur.
To make sure the success of your online transformation project, it is essential to actively involve users in the process. Their participation is important as they are the primary beneficiaries of the new systems and processes. It is vital to comprehend their daily workflows and practical differences in task execution.
Taking the time to understand and learn from end users, who possess a deep understanding of the processes being digitised, is key. This approach aids in tailoring a solution that genuinely meets their needs and ensures effective implementation.
In complex tasks, it's highly necessary to prioritise User Experience (UX) to avoid overlooking its significance. Even highly functional applications, processes, or software can be unsuccessful if they provide a challenging user experience or are difficult to navigate, especially on specific devices.
The digital solution must reflect your team's identity through simple and cohesive User Interface (UI) elements such as organisation-specific colours, fonts, and branding. The ultimate objective is to create something user-friendly, easy to navigate, and effectively caters to the end user's requirements.
After lengthy development and delivery phases, there might be a tendency to rush through testing as the project nears completion. However, time saved during testing now will likely lead to more time spent on addressing issues later on.
It's imperative to conduct comprehensive User Acceptance Testing (UAT) within your organisation. This involves replicating real-life scenarios, such as submitting data and actively identifying any potential issues. Thorough testing enables you to pinpoint and resolve issues that could impact end users, ensuring the success of your project.
At Deazy, we provide a streamlined platform that connects companies with top-tier software engineers who will help them advance their digital delivery initiatives.
Our BuildTeams helps solve tech hiring challenges by bringing flexibility and enhanced capabilities, helping you optimise your operational efficiency. Whether you require adaptability, increased capacity, or specialised support, we have the perfect team for you.
Learn how we simplified product delivery for Orderbee.
Orderbee is a leading Order and Pay application in the UK, prominently featured within Access Group's suite of hospitality solutions. It's favoured by major names in the industry, including Wagamama and Fuller's pubs. Originally developed by Omnifi, a renowned agency known for driving digital innovation, Orderbee began as an in-house project aimed at transforming service delivery in hospitality.
Despite initial success, it faced challenges in early 2021 due to a surge in demand from other clients. This led them to partner with Deazy, discovering not only cost-effective solutions but also the value of augmenting their capabilities with our skilled developers and QA (quality assurance) professionals. This collaboration started with the integration of three full-stack developers and a QA expert, accelerating the Orderbee development timeline while allowing the team to focus on broader client needs.
The partnership proved transformative. Within four weeks, the new team members were fully integrated and began enhancing Orderbee's features, subsequently assisting with other client projects. This flexible model enabled Omnifi to scale their resources effectively, meeting client demands and driving business growth.
Like Orderbee, you can enhance your project management with Deazy, keep track of developments, monitor real-time progress, and gain critical insights into your project's delivery status.
Why waste time when you can scale your digital operations with high-performance software? Contact our team today.
It is necessary to understand what digital delivery is, as organisations can improve operational efficiency, cut costs, and offer better customer experiences by adopting it. Key technologies and methodologies such as project management software, collaboration tools, version control systems, and testing tools, along with techniques like agile, waterfall, or Kanban approaches, are driving this process, enabling organisations to obtain high-quality digital products that support their transformation initiatives.
The role of software development is critical in this process, laying the groundwork for scalable, efficient, and user-friendly applications that meet the changing needs of customers and businesses. As innovations continue to emerge, the future looks promising as they expand the possibilities of online delivery. Embracing these changes is crucial for any company that wants to stay competitive and relevant.
The process involves planning, execution, and monitoring of project activities, leveraging online tools to ensure efficient task management, communication, and collaboration.
A digital project involves any initiative that relies on digital tools and platforms to achieve its objectives, typically involving software development, digital marketing, or online infrastructure development.
Implementation requires defining clear goals, assembling a skilled team, utilising appropriate technology, and maintaining continuous communication. Regular assessments and adjustments ensure alignment with objectives.