<strong>Software project delivery</strong> is challenging enough; making that process smooth and satisfying to both the client and the project team, that's the sweet spot. Your team might get by without <strong>delivery management</strong> for a while, but errors, delays, and life happen. <strong>Delivery managers ensure the project life cycle is smooth and satisfactory</strong> - end-to-end. They ensure teams have the headspace to focus and excel in their areas of expertise and the clients <strong>deliver successful products</strong> to their stakeholders. <blockquote>Thinking about R Shiny for your enterprise application? <a href="https://appsilon.com/why-you-should-use-r-shiny-for-enterprise-application-development/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">We've shared 6 important lessons for building enterprise Shiny apps</a>.</blockquote> Appsilon uses delivery managers to do just that. Our delivery managers make sure that come roll-out day, the core functionality is ready and users are satisfied with the app. If project delivery has you worried, take a moment to read how we ensure smooth project delivery at Appsilon. TOC: <ul><li><a href="#deliverymanager">Software Delivery Managers at Appsilon</a></li><li><a href="#benefits">Benefits of a Delivery Manager for Project Management</a></li><li><a href="#practice">How Does Project Delivery Management Look In Practice?</a></li></ul> <hr /> <h2 id="&quot;deliverymanager">Software Delivery Managers at Appsilon</h2> For every project at Appsilon, we maintain a delivery manager. This individual is highly experienced, with a broad perspective on Appsilon's projects and extensive product management knowledge. Our delivery managers come from different backgrounds (e.g. engineering, project management, agile), but there is one commonality for all - they have worked on numerous projects, for various clients, in varying domains. Because of their practiced skills in numerous projects, they are excellent communicators, can foresee and mitigate risks, and know how to ensure successful delivery. <h2 id="benefits">Benefits of a Delivery Manager for Project Management</h2> There are many benefits of having a delivery manager on a project. The most common, recurring benefits we see in our projects include: <ul><li><strong>Successful deliver</strong>y - Experienced, product-oriented individual on the team capable of facilitating successful delivery</li><li><strong>Skills provided</strong> - Ensuring the development team has all the skills required for the project</li><li><strong>Early risk and improvement detection</strong> - Brings a broad perspective of many projects for spotting potential improvements and risks</li><li><strong>Smooth continuation</strong> - Ensuring the project has a smooth continuation</li><li><strong>Smooth administration</strong> - Ensuring the project has smooth administration</li></ul> <h2 id="practice">How Does Project Delivery Management Look In Practice?</h2> So you have an idea for an app. It can be as simple as a one-off dashboard, or a complex application with multiple data sources and extensive calculations. The point is, you have discovered a secret, powerful tool and a way to build it. In doing so, you will improve your coworkers' lives with less manual work, increased efficiency for employees, and more accessible information to stakeholders. To realize your idea or Proof-of-Concept you seek a partner. Perhaps you are understaffed, overworked, or have a knowledge gap preventing you from bringing the app to fruition. Regardless, you look for teams with the <a href="https://appsilon.com/careers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">skills and the staff required</a>; you search for <a href="https://clutch.co/profile/appsilon-r-shiny-machine-learning#summary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recognitions and reviews</a> of firms that deliver;  you browse <a href="https://demo.appsilon.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">demonstrations</a> and <a href="https://shiny.tools/#rhino" target="_blank" rel="noopener">open source contributions</a>. All of which (we hope) leads you to <a href="https://appsilon.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Appsilon</a>. Through this path of discovery, you are convinced Appsilon has the technical skills needed to build your solution(s). After reaching out, we begin discussing your project, along with the service of a delivery manager. <h3>Value of A Delivery Manager Role</h3> Now if you have never heard of this role, you might have some doubts. A delivery manager isn't working day-to-day on the project (as opposed to the project leader, who is an active member of the development team).  Their responsibilities are to <strong>oversee, support, and mentor</strong> multiple projects. So you might ask yourself: <em>Do I really need a delivery manager? How will my project benefit from this position? How can I benefit from it?</em> <img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-17749" src="https://webflow-prod-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/6525256482c9e9a06c7a9d3c%2F65b01bf22e07d803bce56559_in-the-mind-of-an-r-shiny-software-delivery-manager.webp" alt="the mind of an r shiny delivery manager" width="377" height="417" /> We speak from project delivery experience, not as salespeople here - there is huge value in efficiency. The delivery manager will likely become your closest ally through the project journey. They will become your representative in Appsilon, ensuring the development team has the required skills and the best possible fit for your needs. They are already involved in the sales stage, and can easily transfer knowledge about the project to the development team and you from the very start. <h3>The Management of Projects</h3> And so it does. The project begins, the team regularly demonstrates progress and you are happy! The app starts to have shape and it's becoming better than you imagined long before the collaboration began. Much to the chagrin of the uninitiated, software projects do require some level of administration - invoicing, on- and off-boarding of team members, organizing on-site visits, or handling organizational issues that arise. <blockquote>UX design of apps is so important. <a href="https://appsilon.com/ux-design-of-shiny-apps-7-steps-to-design-dashboards-people-love/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Follow Ania's 7 steps to designing dashboards that people will love</a>!</blockquote> The delivery manager works as a ninja here - seemingly invisible, leaving behind a trail of unblocked tasks, resolved issues, and open lines of communication. With their level of experience, there's a strong probability that the delivery manager has already seen such unexpected organizational issues (e.g. additional reporting, GxP regulations, cooperation with external vendors, working with legal, etc.) and can safely guide the project through the process. <img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-17753" src="https://webflow-prod-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/6525256482c9e9a06c7a9d3c%2F65b01bf2c1b48d7cae10f398_software-delivery-manager-targets.webp" alt="r shiny software delivery manager experience" width="748" height="301" /> <h3>The Successful Delivery of Projects</h3> When the administrative tasks are sorted and the communication is open, the project marches smoothly on, arriving at the big moment - production rollout. This is the time when your vision becomes reality. It can be nerve-wracking regardless of attempting production solo or guided; you either hear applause with great success or crickets with a forgettable failure. But with a delivery manager, guiding you through every step, your worries are mitigated. The user needs were well defined and the app was tested with them, so in actuality, the end-users are eagerly awaiting the official rollout date. This is because the delivery manager is an experienced, product-oriented expert. They know how to set up the success criteria and deliver them for the success of your app. <blockquote>Is your Shiny app production ready? <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD34fgXFFrI" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Join Ania, Marcin, and Pedro in a masterclass for production-ready Shiny</a>.</blockquote> With a delivery manager, you don't need any experience creating software products. You can leverage their knowledge and set up your project for success. <strong>Great business value delivered, happy users, and satisfied stakeholders - this is how you achieve success together with your delivery manager. </strong> <img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-17751" src="https://webflow-prod-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/6525256482c9e9a06c7a9d3c%2F65b01bf43a9e2f9075fbb038_shiny-project-management-and-delivery.webp" alt="R Shiny project management - ideation to delivery steps" width="1012" height="440" />