Transparency, in any project, means open and honest communication of a project’s status in as close to real-time as possible. In
our agile mobile app development process, it ensures an open forum where stakeholders and the entire delivery team are given total access to the status of all aspects of a project. This includes:

• The progress of the project
• Blockers and impediments as they arise
• Access to current code, designs, and product definitions
• Changes to delivery dates and features sets
• Other significant KPIs

Below are the top 5 reasons why transparency is important in the agile mobile app development process.

1. Promotes Accountability

Accountability is a strong motivator. In projects with a high level of transparency, team members carry the responsibility of directly reporting progress to their teammates.  They are aware of how their progress impedes others and how it stacks up against the progress being made by the rest of the team. When placed under the spotlight, team members are motivated to fulfill their commitments, communicate delays, or to immediately flag goals as unrealistic. Success and completion are also easily recognized throughout the team, helping to further inspire team members to keep working hard.

2. No Surprises

Anybody who has experience in mobile app development has likely experienced a few surprises in past projects. And when you’re developing apps, surprises are never good (project managers hate them almost as much as stakeholders).

It is human nature to want to avoid being the bearer of bad news and to only “tell them what you think they want to hear”. This is especially the case when timeline slippage occurs with what seems to be more than enough time to be made up. However, this methodology, when compounded over the course of a project, leads to irreparable delays and last-minute red flag waving. At this point, it is often too late to effectively mitigate risks and limited options are left for the reduction of features.

Transparency in the app development process helps eliminate such surprises by promoting open communication about progress, both between stakeholder and project manager and among the internal project team. Keeping project and task velocity visible and traceable from start to finish allows everyone to track project goals and ensure the feasibility of deadlines every step of the way – without any last minute surprises.

3. Access To The Big Picture

Open communication channels allow the entire team to regularly be reminded of the goals and objectives of a project. Being able to see the bigger picture helps explain the importance of the work that each individual is doing. This further cements their commitment to achieving the end deliverable. A more cohesive team with common goals will always build a better product when they know how each piece is meant to fit.

4. Collaboration

Collaboration is a natural by-product of transparency. Open communication helps to break down the silos of interdisciplinary teams, preventing individual members from working in vacuums. All team members are aware of individual undertakings so problem areas are easily flagged and where necessary, team members can pitch in to help.

Continuous engagement with stakeholders allows for a tighter feedback loop where input is provided early and often. This gives the opportunity for stakeholders to play a much greater role in the creation of the product.

5. Reduces Risk

When provided an open forum to express concerns, the entire team is made aware of risks early and frequently. This gives the planning team the ability to effectively navigate through obstacles as they arise in the project. Any adjustments to timelines, scope, or budget are captured early with sufficient time to appropriately respond.

In addition, an open and honest environment gives the resource planning team enough visibility to identify improper resourcing and to adjust roles as necessary.

Without transparency in the mobile app development process, it is typical to see missed deadlines, scaled back functionalities, rushed work, and ultimately, a poor end product. Poor transparency is bad for the entire project team, from stakeholders to project managers to developers. When transparency is integrated into your development process, everybody remains on top of goals and deliverables, and as a result, better apps are delivered.