Improving productivity and maximizing efficiency are two goals that every software development leader aspires to.

But how do you actually get there? Here are the top five steps that enterprises should take in order to achieve more productive and efficient software development, as well as a handful of tips to help you get there.

#1 Fully Embrace Agile

The benefits of agile development have been made clear for many enterprise organizations, and according to Tech Beacon, an HP online survey found that more than half (51 percent) of companies are now leaning toward agile methods as they become more confident in the approach. Still, a large portion of organizations have not even begun their journey to agile.

Interestingly, only 16 percent of respondents to the online survey stated that they had adopted a pure agile strategy, suggesting that only a fraction are 100% agile. Companies that adopt new agile testing tools and commit to this approach still have time to gain a significant advantage.

#2 Identify Inefficiencies

Many enterprise organizations suffer from inefficient development and testing processes, but few decision-makers realize just how damaging this problem can be in the long term. Delays and productivity losses add up over time, and if problems aren’t identified, they may never be solved.

That’s why test case management software is such an important asset. These solutions can pinpoint where bottlenecks exist and help leaders map out a plan to fix their most pressing issues.

#3 Improve Documentation

Even with an agile development strategy in place, many organizations struggle when it comes to documenting the productivity and practices of their teams. Of course, a lack of documentation drastically reduces the accountability of key stakeholders and makes it difficult to track forward progress.

Looking ahead, smart enterprise leaders will establish new documentation techniques and introduce technologies that automate these important processes. Allowing team members to remain productive while their progress is monitored and reported in a thorough manner.

#4 Enhance Collaboration

Too many departmental silos can limit the productivity of even the most established development teams, but there is a way to introduce more collaborative processes. As Agile Modeling pointed out, “informal communication strategies, such as face-to-face communication and sketching, lowers overall complexity and cost and often improves time to market.”

Additionally, many QA testing tools are conducive to collaboration across teams, breaking down silos and allowing managers to keep a close eye on the progress of a project.

#5 Increase Transparency

In an enterprise setting, there is a vast range of stakeholders who have a vested interest in the development and testing process. Many of whom do not directly participate in these practices firsthand. According to Agile Modeling, this includes senior managers, operations staff, auditors and other professionals who may be involved on the perimeter of the project.

But, despite their best efforts to adopt agile practices, there is a lack of transparency from the perspective of these key stakeholder groups. Through the use of enterprise test management software like qTest, an organization can drastically improve the visibility of a project’s progress and the productivity of developers throughout its life cycle. This can help boost the accountability of development teams while keeping stakeholders informed.

Learn best practices for making the agile transformation with your people, process and tools in this on-demand webinar, “Agile Transformation: People, Process and Tools to Make Your Transformation Successful”.