Project Leader role at Revolve Healthcare
Joanna Marczyńska
Content Marketing Specialist
5 min read
Contents
As a software company, we have an experience in launching and running projects, and because we launch about 10 greenfield projects every year, we know that the key person in the management process is a great leader. At Revolve Healthcare, we decided to blend the roles of Project Manager and Team Leader to create a hybrid - Project Leader. In this article, we will explore the role of Project Leaders, their responsibilities and daily tasks, and their value in a well-managed project.
Major roles of the Project Leader:
Manages the project scope by creating, organizing and maintaining the backlog,
Controls the percentage progress of the project,
Controls the percentage of the budget use,
Coordinates development team.
Our Project Leader's main goal is to help organize the software development process and be the client's “right hand”. Because of different client's needs, the role of the Project Leader is always adaptive and flexible with different focuses and priorities. From the client's perspective, Project Leader is always the first point of contact and the main problem solver. What is important, we want to avoid any possible obstacles during the cooperation, so direct communication with the entire project team must be maintained.
The Project Leader is a “bridge” between the client, the developers, and the Product Design team. They are in charge of transferring information about the requirements and needs, keeping their finger on the pulse of development coordination and maintaining an agile framework. The Project Leader also takes responsibility for providing the majority of the documentation and maintains the quality of the process to fulfil ISO/IEC requirements.
The Project Leader controls the project but isn’t the only decision-maker. The project's scope is a result of cooperative discussions between the Project Leader and the client, where all the requirements and needs are taken into account, and the client has the last word about the final product version.
Sandra, our Project Leader.
What does the Project Leader actually do to keep the project successful?
Manages the project scope by creating, organizing and maintaining the backlog on Jira (or any other issue tracker). Our well-measured process helps the Project Leader evaluate the project deliverables, arrange a detailed development plan based on client priorities and requirements, and define developer tasks. Moreover, by preparing progress reports and statistics, the Project Leader can determine the strengths and weaknesses of the project to improve the workflow and ensure the quality of the backlog tasks.
Controls the percentage progress of the project. The Project Leader collects the feedback and reports from the development team to estimate the task completion and compare it with the budget consumption to get the two numbers to assess the progress of the project. The Project Leader closes the feedback loop by reporting the progress and statistics to the client.
Controls the percentage budget use. Efficient management is followed by saving time and money. For example, after 10 weeks of work, the Project Leader can already see how fast the project "consumes" the budget compared to the progress done. If the figures are close, the project is on target; if not, they need to see what should be changed or adjusted.
Coordinates development team. The Project Leader organizes regular sprints with demos and reviews for the client, retrospections for the team, and daily standups. They act as servant leaders who motivate and support the team and solve problems without creating unnecessary pressure.
Managed Project with the Project Leader, but why?
The Managed Project is not a body leasing model, and the Project Leader is not just another teammate. When the client decides on the Managed Project and hires the development team and Project Leader, they get a well-organised team with a person who already knows the people and their work style.
They become the client’s chief assistant, comprehending the project's needs and scope and ensuring developers use their skills most efficiently. In addition, the function entails regularly updating the client on the project's status, milestones, quality, and risks.
In Managed Projects, Project Leader also takes the role of Proxy Product Owner. It means they function as the Product Owner but on the contractor's side, serving as the client's right-hand person. The Project Leader is responsible for achieving the project's intended outcomes by defining and refining the product vision and managing and prioritizing the backlog to ensure the best business value for the client within the given budget.
The Project Leader can suggest possible solutions, but the final shape of the cooperation process is determined together with the customer. The Project Leader takes care of the client and ensures they take back the control over the project while relieving them of managing the details.
Sometimes, the Project Leader may join the project in a Team Extension model midway through when the team faces obstacles and feels that they experience a standstill. Entering the project, the Project Leader is able to support and organize the process and indicate the right direction.
To sum up
Every year, at Revolve Healthcare, we cooperate with healthcare projects starting from scratch in which we manage the software development process on our side. When we start, the client doesn’t only get additional hands to write the code, but the solid, fine-tuned process. The development is performed by people who know it from the inside and can adjust it to the budget, time, quality expectations and ISO regulations.
Supervising the product from the Product Design Phase to the Development Phase by the dedicated and experienced leader means an effective work environment and, most importantly, profitable software solutions ready to use.
Guiding the client through the evolution of the project is challenging but by our client's opinions, we do it well. We deliver high-quality products, and we are proud of our Project Leaders for their engagement and effectiveness.
The voice of our Project Leaders
At my work, transparent cooperation of the development team with the client and flexible adaptation of the strategy to the needs is essential. I conduct daily standups and one-on-one conversations with the team and client to keep everyone updated. In agreement with agile methodology, a big part of my work is meetings as well as filling up project documentation.
A recent challenge I faced was a big change in the project's roadmap & documentation; however, transparency and involving the client in the process helped us successfully resolve the issues and gain more trust and freedom in project development.
Jakub Rawicki
Project Leader at Revolve Healthcare
I manage a project that involves adding new functionality while maintaining the existing application. My responsibilities involve prioritizing tasks, managing the team, solving problems and maintaining a good atmosphere and productivity within the team.
The challenge is to meet client deadlines for releasing new versions and ensure that the current version continues to work. Trust is crucial in a maintenance project because the customer needs to see, feel and believe that we're working together in the interest of the application, not just to make money.
Marta Danch-Wierzchowska
Project Leader at Revolve Healthcare
Every day, I meet with project members to determine our tasks, update the client, and prepare backlog and financial reports and project-related documents. Important meetings include standups, refinements, retrospectives, and one-on-one meetings where I can find out about the client's and my team's reflections. When obstacles arise, I believe that the best solution is to discuss the problematic issue in depth because effective communication prevents conflicts.
Sandra Stefańczyk
Project Leader at Revolve Healthcare
They’ve been providing us with great project management. Sandra has been extremely helpful and accommodating and has been able to set up all of the meetings on a very short timetable. She’s always available to take calls, take notes, and send summaries of meetings, regardless of how technical they are. We use Confluence, Jira, and Kanban.
Sabina Wojnar
Project Leader at Revolve Healthcare
Let us know what’s your opinion on Managed Projects in your industry!
