The ZenTao Mission: Helping ALM Teams Be More Productive and Efficient

2021-10-19 15:38:53
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Summary : Find out how to choose an ALM tool that will help your teams be more productive and efficient.

The ZenTao Mission: Helping ALM Teams Be More Productive and Efficient

Source: Freepik

What is ALM?

Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) is a catch-all term for several related fields that were previously thought to be distinct, such as project management, requirements management, development, testing and quality assurance (QA), and customer support and IT service delivery. ALM is a concept which involves all the departments working on an IT project (from R&D to QA and PM teams), ensuring that they collaborate to deliver high-quality software.


Sometimes referred to as Application Development Life Cycle (ADLC) or Software Development Lifecycle, ALM is the process of managing all stages and transitions in a project. It can also be defined as a collaborative work environment for teams that manage all software development activities throughout the entire project dependency cycle from design to implementation and testing until deployment.

ALM tools help managers to easily manage the entire process from idea generation, design, coding, and testing until deployment. In essence, ALM tools create a structured and automated setting for communication and cooperation between software development teams and other departments.


ALM tools help managers to easily manage the entire process from idea generation, design, coding, and testing until deployment. In essence, ALM tools create a structured and automated setting for communication and cooperation between software development teams and other departments.


Why Do You Need An ALM Tool?




Long before ALM tools were used, a traditional work environment is each department that makes up an overall software process works separately. When the Agile Manifesto came into fruition, companies started to realize that this waterfall approach to software development was inefficient such that the approach was susceptible to scope creep, budget overruns, and missed due dates.

The following are the most frequent project management issues associated with a conventional approach without the help of an ALM tool:

  • Slow development cycle and a slow response to change

  • Projects frequently fail to materialize on time

  • Too many bugs affecting the product

  • Difficulty in integrating different tools

  • Difficulty in keeping track of many projects at the same time

  • The synchronization of a project plan and a development plan becomes nearly impossible

  • No clear monitoring and restriction on the use of resources

  • Inadequate management structure

  • Change and conflicts among departments become frequent

Clearly, the ineffectiveness of the old separate processes becomes apparent once the ALM integration of all disciplines is introduced. With an ALM tool, the seamless collaboration between integrated teams paves the way to the whole process starting with the planning of requirements, releases, and sprints, then testing of products during development, up to the software delivery, and deployment of software updates.

Rather than having a team of experts working in isolation to draw the plan, handover the design to the developers, deliver the code to the testers, and finally having the IT support to deploy and maintain the product, with an ALM tool, companies can have a single ALM process that covers all of these aspects in a seamless sequence. Even the timetable of software updates can be continuously done regularly, rather than coming up with a release every time.

Fig. 01. With ZenTao, not only is there a clear distinction between teams, but also collaboration.

Source: ZenTao


What Are The Main Benefits Of Using An ALM Tool?

Many benefits come with using an ALM tool like ZenTao. Some key points include:

  • Fast iterations: With the release of fewer stories, development, and testing, you'll be able to break down a big job into smaller ones and complete it faster.

  • More efficient project management:  All tasks, updates, and communications can be easily tracked within one platform ensuring no information is lost or missed. This ensures all teams know exactly what they need to do and when.

  • Better work quality:  An ALM tool can help create a structured workflow between teams, ensuring that bugs are found early on in the development process rather than during testing or after release which results in wasted time and a lower reputation for your company.

  • Greater transparency:  All files related to projects such as requirements, designs, and revisions are kept in one place meaning that it is easy to find the information you need. This also means that developers can work on different projects at once without worrying about losing files or having them disappear from their system due to a crash etc.

  • Improved communication:  All project members have access to real-time updates via notifications so they know exactly what is going on within each project. This ensures projects are always moving forward and all team members have the information they need to get their job done.

  • Established meeting cadence:  Every project meeting is carefully planned and scheduled so that everyone is kept informed. This means no more last-minute scheduling of meetings or unstructured meetings going on and on without a set of agenda to help.

  • Improved productivity:  An ALM tool can be used to schedule tasks and assign manpower, which means that developers know exactly what they need to work on next resulting in faster completion of projects. There will also be no more unnecessary meetings as everything is already planned out for you!

  • More satisfied employees:  With a platform that streamlines processes, increases transparency, and simplifies communication, employees will feel more motivated and happy working in your company which means increased productivity 

  • Reduced risk:  Having all files, updates, and communication in one place means that there is a reduced possibility of losing information. This reduces the chance of errors being made or work having to be re-done due to missing information. It also helps track progress which can help reduce obstacles, delays, etc.

The ZenTao Mission

ZenTao is the #1 Team Collaborative Tool for R&D teams in China with 1.4 million users to date, and our aim is to continue to deliver professional management software to help businesses across the world.

ZenTao has been recognized as one of China's fastest-growing companies in 2011 based on revenue growth over three years. Since its inception in 2009, ZenTao has helped thousands of businesses and teams in improving their project management and is currently being used by some of the world's largest organizations from a range of sectors including finance, manufacturing, and telecoms to streamline their processes, increase transparency and simplify communication between employees so that they can be more productive and efficient.


Why Choose ZenTao?

ZenTao is a professional project management tool for managing multiple projects. It takes on a Scrum approach rather than the waterfall method, with an all-in-one solution that covers everything from product management to project management to bug tracking to case management document management to organization management, and more.

The ZenTao Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) tool is:

  • The most popular open-source scrum tool

  • Based on both Agile and Scrum methods

  • Can be self-hosted and features an easy-to-use API that allows for expansion and customization

  • A tool with a solid framework and user interface that are cross-compatible

  • A tool can be used for both individuals and large companies to manage their projects

  • A platform that seamlessly integrates all stages of the software development process into one system

  • Simply the best development team collaboration tool chosen by over 28,000 companies

Fig. 02. The ZenTao mission: Provide high-quality management solutions that power teams around the world!

Source: Freepik


With ZenTao, ALM Teams can be more productive and efficient by:

  • Seamlessly managing different versions of their designs for each member of the team

  • Being able to see who is responsible for each task and ensure all tasks are completed on time

  • Managing multiple projects in one place to avoid switching between different tools


ZenTao's powerful features allow managers to easily manage the entire process from idea generation, design, coding, and testing to deployment:

  • Record project milestones with our burndown chart and Gantt chart features

  • Create a list of tasks and assign them to team members

  • Designate due dates for each task, then track their progress in real-time

  • Receive real-time notifications of project status so you can keep your finger on the pulse

 

What ZenTao Can Do For You

ZenTao is currently available in 4 versions: Open Source, Pro, Biz, and Cloud. From a free solution to optimized features that can be managed anytime and anywhere, every version comes with its own set of features that fit every requirement.

ZenTao is the only agile development solution that allows you to seamlessly manage all stages of your project, from product management and design to bug tracking, testing, and release planning – all in one place with real-time updates on progress for greater transparency between team members. So whether it's a small business or a Fortune 500 company, ZenTao has the solution for you.

Find out which ZenTao version is right for your team. Contact us to know more!




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