Basically, a kick-off meeting is the first meeting held once a project is taken on. The meeting comes after initial discussions and negotiations in which the client and software development agency agree to work together.
Who should attend the meeting?
It is crucial to have all internal and external stakeholders present at the kick-off meeting so that the client, management team, and development team can align their visions and ask their questions directly to the people who have the answers.
What to discuss in a kick-off meeting?
In order to make the most of the kick-off meeting, here are 5 topics to cover:
- Identify the project’s team members and their roles:
- Introduce the various stakeholders (client’s team, management team, development team)
- Establish who is responsible for what with regard to the project
- Identify the project’s main objectives and intended outcomes (such as the purpose of the project, the target audience, and any other overarching aspects)
- Establish and analyze project requirements (ensure that the objectives are achievable)
- Discuss questions that arose while establishing the specifications of the project (gather additional details in areas that are still vague or unclear)
- Establish the functionality of the project, dividing it into manageable iterations and, therefore, forming an approximate schedule for project completion.
What is the outcome of the meeting?
The client should have a reasonable idea of how long the project will take to complete and the management and development teams should have an initial list of tasks to begin working on. This is where the planning phase of the project really begins.
This article by FixColab, a software development agency, based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, provides all of the information readers should be aware of regarding kick-off meeting in project management.