The nature of my work is that software projects have a finite budget and schedule that will eventually end. This is great. It usually means the product is ready to enter the market or we’ve completed the work needed. After the initial phase of software development, Atomic has several options. So, here are three things that might happen when software projects end.
Option 1: Goodbye (For Now)
Let’s start with a potentially obvious option: no more involvement from us at this time. This means we will transition the maintenance and responsibility for the product to the client. At Atomic, our clients always maintain legal ownership of the product and the intellectual property in the product, including the code. That ownership can ease this transition, but there are often wrap-up tasks to ensure all work is left in a good place. We will review any documentation, clean things up, and have handoff meetings as atomic ramps down on the project.
Cost is usually the benefit of this approach. By leveraging an existing team to take over ongoing maintenance, you may not need to invest more capital in the product at this time. The main drawback of this approach is that the team taking on the work may or may not have the time and expertise to be great custodians of the product. This option usually works best for larger companies with existing technology teams with the capacity to take on this work.
I also recommend this option when you’re building mission-critical software — that is, it’s integral to the company’s mission. In these situations, working with Atomic during projects for initial development can still make sense to give your teams a capacity boost.
Option 2: Maintenance Engagement
Our maintenance engagement contracts have a lot of flexibility to fit the needs of different clients. A typical format may be to set an annual maintenance budget, paid in one invoice. Then, the client can report potential bugs or issues to the Atomic consultant assigned to the maintenance project. Typically, this would be the technical lead who worked on the project during the development portion. This person would devote time weekly or monthly to fix the prioritized bugs or perform regular maintenance tasks like updates and monitoring.
Option 3: Continuous Improvement Engagement
A continuous improvement engagement is similar to but more flexible than a maintenance contract. In a CIE, we’ll work with you to identify a predictable cadence for when our team is working on your project. Typically, a CIE will designate a few weeks a month as dedicated workdays.
During those CIE days, the team can focus on working off the backlog of work for the project, ensuring that both maintenance tasks and new feature developments are addressed efficiently. The backlog can include maintenance tasks, but in a CIE it may also encompass feature work, and performance enhancements now that the software is out in the real world with users. This approach keeps the software up-to-date and allows for iterative improvements based on user feedback and evolving business needs.
I’ve seen this work best when the feature work may be dependent on tasks being carried out by the client organization or IT department, allowing the part-time nature of a CIE to use the budget more effectively. Additionally, the CIE’s flexibility allows us to make adjustments in priorities based on shifting project requirements. That fosters a collaborative environment supporting continuous improvement and innovation.
Whichever option you choose when software projects end, we try to ensure a smooth transition out of active work with a full-time software development team.