Why Appsilon Has Delivery Managers and How They Drive Project Success

At Appsilon, we don’t just build software; we build solutions that drive business outcomes. Many organizations initially wonder why a Delivery Manager (DM) is included in their projects. The question often stems from a common misconception: some see Appsilon as a body-leasing or team-extension provider rather than a full-service partner that delivers end-to-end solutions.

Curious about what a Delivery Manager actually does? Step inside a typical day and see how they keep projects running smoothly.

A Delivery Manager ensures that software development is not just efficient but also strategic and aligned with business goals. While their impact may not be immediately obvious, the difference they make in execution, efficiency, and project outcomes quickly becomes clear.

What Does a Delivery Manager Do?

A Delivery Manager acts as a bridge between our clients and our development teams, ensuring that projects don’t just get done but get done right. 

Their responsibilities go beyond simple task coordination; they align technical feasibility with business needs, resolve blockers, and help teams ship high-quality software efficiently. A Delivery Manager acts as a strategic leader, ensuring development moves forward smoothly, efficiently, and in alignment with key objectives. 

Their role extends beyond simple project tracking. They optimize team performance, protect budgets, and ensure clear communication between business and technical teams. 

Sitting inside the team, a Delivery Manager also maintains a close overview of evolving needs, adjusting services as required, whether that means involving a UI designer, or platform engineer. They're responsible for bringing the right competence into the team at the right time.

Here’s more on how a Delivery Manager drives value:

1. Keeping Development on Track

With a Delivery Manager, the development team can stay focused on actual development work. The DM helps structure the process, removes bottlenecks, keeps developers focused, and ensures the right expertise is available when needed. Developers stay engaged and productive instead of waiting for input or clarification, ensuring no wasted time.

The DM also helps resolve issues before they slow down progress, maintaining smooth execution. If a developer is unavailable due to unforeseen circumstances, the DM quickly finds a replacement to prevent delays and keep the project moving forward efficiently.

At the same time, the Delivery Manager keeps scope under control by evaluating new requests against the team’s capacity and making sure changes are clearly documented and communicated. Using Agile methodologies like Scrum or Kanban, they help prioritize work that delivers the highest business value.

Beyond execution, they focus on long-term success, building strong relationships with stakeholders, and ensuring the project meets key success metrics, which increases the likelihood of future iterations and continued collaboration.

2. Driving Communication and Project Success

One of the core responsibilities of a Delivery Manager is ensuring that all stakeholders, both internal and external, are on the same page. They define and clarify requirements so that developers can translate them into actionable work. 

They also explain technical constraints and possibilities in a way that non-technical stakeholders can understand, bridging the gap between business and technology. 

By managing expectations around scope, timelines, and deliverables, they ensure smooth collaboration. 

Rather than simply relaying information, a Delivery Manager facilitates conversations, fostering alignment between business needs and technical feasibility.

3. Maintaining Project Visibility and Progress Updates

For a project to stay on track, all stakeholders need clear visibility into progress and potential risks. The Delivery Manager ensures this by:

• Scheduling and leading key meetings such as weekly syncs, sprint reviews, and retrospectives.
• Providing structured updates through reports, emails, and dashboards for full transparency.
• Identifying risks and dependencies early to prevent last-minute surprises.

This proactive approach keeps projects on schedule, within scope, and free of unnecessary blockers.

4. Bridging Technical and Business Perspectives

A common challenge in software projects is the disconnect between technical teams and business stakeholders. 

The Delivery Manager plays a crucial role in bridging this gap by:

• Facilitating discussions to align both technical feasibility and business goals.
• Helping teams balance technical debt with new feature development.
• Clearly communicating the impact of technical decisions to non-technical stakeholders.

By maintaining this balance, a Delivery Manager ensures that the end product meets business objectives without compromising technical integrity.

With a high level of involvement, they act as both an advisor and a direct manager of individual contributors, providing feedback and guidance. Their ability to navigate between technical and business priorities ensures that the final product meets both functional and strategic goals.

5. Proactively Resolving Issues and Managing Competing Priorities 

A Delivery Manager doesn’t just solve problems; they prevent them from happening in the first place. 

They identify risks early and implement mitigation strategies before they escalate, ensuring smooth project execution. By mediating between competing priorities, they strike a balance between expectations and realistic delivery timelines. 

They also establish a feedback loop where both the development team and stakeholders feel heard and valued, promoting open communication. 

By staying ahead of potential issues, a Delivery Manager keeps projects on track and fosters a collaborative working environment.

6. Shipping Fast and Ensuring User Adoption  

A Delivery Manager ensures that the final product is not just functional but high-quality, scalable, and actually used by end users. They oversee development to ensure best practices are followed, maintaining consistency and reliability throughout the process. 

By gathering user feedback, they guide meaningful improvements that enhance usability and effectiveness. They also provide performance feedback for software engineers, helping to refine and optimize their work. 

Additionally, they enforce Appsilon’s quality guidelines (take our Definition of Done for pharma teams as an example) to uphold technical excellence and ensure that the delivered solution meets the highest standards.

Delivering great software takes more than just good code. Learn how Appsilon ensures projects run smoothly from start to finish.

How Working with Appsilon Looks

Working with Appsilon means structured yet flexible collaboration supported by Delivery Managers. This includes:

• Discovery Workshop: Before development starts, all key aspects of business needs, technical feasibility, and project scope are defined to set clear expectations on deliverables, budget, and timeline.
• Project Kick-Off: Two meetings ensure alignment, one internally and another externally, to clarify cooperation, deliverables, and key success criteria.
• Backlog Refinement: Mid-sprint, priorities are reviewed and refined to ensure the next sprint is well-prepared.
• Sprint Planning: Clear sprint goals and user stories are defined to ensure transparency and alignment between business and development.
• Daily Stand-Ups: Regular updates remove blockers and ensure continuous progress.
• Sprint Review: Delivered work is reviewed, risks are discussed, and the project remains aligned with business objectives.
• Retrospectives & Adjustments: Continuous improvement based on feedback enhances efficiency and outcomes.
• Quarterly Wrap-Ups & Final Handover: Long-term projects benefit from structured quarterly reviews, ensuring smooth adoption and long-term success.

Summing Up the Value of a Delivery Manager at Appsilon

Delivery Managers at Appsilon ensure projects align with business objectives, driving efficiency and high-quality outcomes. Their strategic involvement fosters smooth execution and strong client relationships.

Want to see how our Delivery Managers delivered real results for Elkem? Be on the look out our other blog post for an inspiring case study.