The HealthyNow mobile app development project aimed to create an iOS and Android app to help users manage their health and fitness. The project kicked off on Jan 15, 2023 and was completed on Apr 30, 2023, two weeks behind the original target date. The final budget came in at $250,000, 25% over the initial estimate of $200,000. While the app was delivered with all core features, some originally planned functionality had to be descoped due to time and budget constraints. Overall, the project partially succeeded in meeting its objectives.
The HealthyNow app project involved a cross-functional team of product managers, designers, developers, and QA engineers. Key project stakeholders included the company's executive team, the product owner, and a focus group of beta users.
The main project requirements were: - Allow users to track meals, nutrition, weight, and fitness activities - Provide personalized health insights and recommendations - Integrate with popular fitness wearables and apps - Engaging mobile-first UX design
During the project, the team encountered challenges around underestimating the complexity of some features, third-party API integration issues, and unexpected staff turnover. The scope was adjusted mid-project to accommodate these realities.
Several aspects of the HealthyNow project went smoothly: - The UX/UI design was highly praised by beta users and seen as a market differentiator - The meal and fitness tracking features were fully implemented - The team collaborated cross-functionally and maintained good communication - Responsive risk management allowed the project to adapt to challenges - 80% of originally planned functionality was released
The project faced difficulties in a few main areas: - Initial project scoping and estimation was not thorough enough - Requirements around third-party integrations were vague, causing delays - Lack of automated testing made regression bugs time-consuming to resolve - Beta user feedback was not gathered early enough in the project lifecycle - Staffing changes led to some loss of project knowledge
Digging into the underlying causes behind project challenges: - Insufficient due diligence was done on API integrations upfront - Team was over-optimistic during estimation and didn't build in enough buffer - QA was understaffed at the start of the project and brought in late - Beta user research studies were only scheduled after development began - Inadequate cross-training and documentation practices within the team
Key insights to take away from the HealthyNow project experience: 1. Spend more time on project planning and scoping before starting development 2. Thoroughly investigate all third-party dependencies and get detailed specs 3. Implement test automation early and secure sufficient QA resources 4. Gather real user feedback before and during the development process 5. Prioritize knowledge sharing and documentation to mitigate turnover risks
To act on the lessons learned and set up future projects for success: - Implement a more rigorous project intake and planning process - Develop best practices around API integration and create reusable frameworks - Invest in automated testing infrastructure and grow the QA function - Schedule beta user research studies in the design and requirements phase - Establish cross-training, pair programming, and documentation practices
By applying these recommendations, we can improve project predictability, quality, and stakeholder satisfaction going forward. Tracking our progress on these initiatives and their impact will be crucial.
This report was generated on May 15, 2023 and distributed to the HealthyNow project team, executive stakeholders, and the PMO. Please direct any questions to the project manager.
