John Edwards, Technology Journalist & AuthorMarch 28, 20255 Min ReadBorka Kiss via Alamy Stock PhotoThe software development team's goal should be to deliver stakeholders a flawless app. That's all well and good but then a bottleneck suddenly appears. What happens next depends on how well the team leader handles the situation.Software development, although younger than traditional manufacturing, is now critical to the modern enterprise, says Mitchell Johnson, chief product development officer at supply chain management platform provider Sonatype. "While manufacturing has been optimized over centuries, software development is still catching up, despite its foundational role in business success," he explains in an email interview. "The stakes are enormous, as enterprises now rely on software for everything from product innovation to operations."The best way to eliminate a software development bottleneck is to prioritize clear, consistent communication and to make progress visible to the entire team, says Matej Bukovinski, CTO of software development firm Nutrient. "Ongoing asynchronous communication is truly effective for frequent updates, because it allows team members to share progress and next steps without disrupting their workflows," he notes via email.Practices such as daily async updates, scheduling work early to ensure visibility, and maintaining a dynamic Kanban board will reveal bottlenecks as they emerge, Bukovinski says. "When you use these approaches, combined with periodic team sync-ups for deeper discussions, you can create a transparent and collaborative environment that mitigates bottlenecks before they can escalate."Related:"When you focus on early visibility and collaborative problem-solving, you foster agility, which allows the team to quickly adapt and address issues without slowing down overall momentum," Bukovinski says.First StepsThe best way to eliminate software development bottlenecks is to automate as much as possible, advises Elliot Peele, senior manager of software development at statistical software development firm SAS. "If there's a process you have to do more than once, automate it," he recommends in an online interview. "Enable software developers to focus on writing code rather than performing repetitive tasks."Reliable automation is essential for eliminating bottlenecks, Johnson says. "Modern development cycles often grind to a halt when manual processes in testing, operations, or security cant keep up with the pace of code generation." By automating critical tasks such as dependency management, vulnerability detection, and risk remediation, teams can move faster without sacrificing quality or security.Related:What makes automation highly usable is a foundation of reliable, accurate data. Automated tools are only as good as the insights theyre built on and leveraging solutions that draw from the best data ensures high-confidence results, Johnson says. "For example, automating high-confidence upgrades and waivers minimizes wasted effort and keeps development workflows smooth."Automation is effective because it moves the mundane task to the responsibility of the robot rather than the creative developer, Peele says. "Additionally, automating tasks makes them more reliable and repeatable, as humans are inherently error prone."Preventing Future BottlenecksDevelopers can play a critical role in preventing future bottlenecks by proactively maintaining the quality and security of their codebase, Johnson says. "Engaging with tools that provide insights into the software supply chain, regularly updating dependencies, and participating in thorough code reviews are all ways developers can contribute to a smoother development process."Creating a culture of shared responsibility can also help. "By collaborating across teams, developers can identify inefficiencies and resolve issues early, reducing the likelihood of bottlenecks escalating further downstream," Johnson explains. "Continuous improvement practices, like retrospectives and feedback loops, can help teams stay agile and address potential challenges before they impact development cycles."Related:Bukovinski stresses the need for teams to embrace proactive interaction habits supported by project management and communication tools. "This is where your operations team can play a big role in communication success," he notes. Sharing regular updates ensures that the entire team is aware of progress and potential blockers, enabling quick action when needed. "Keeping the Kanban or sprint board up-to-date and pushing incomplete work early ensures that dependencies and feedback loops are handled efficiently."Async communication also reduces the cognitive load created by constant meetings, giving developers more focused time for problem-solving. "A culture of transparency and collaboration supported by these habits helps the team stay resilient and adaptable," Bukovinski says.Emerging ToolsAs new technologies become available, particularly AI tools, start thinking about using new approaches, such as reusable robots and other processes that developers can leverage to improve their speed and efficiency, Peele says. "If you can avoid writing automation twice, you can save significant effort, avoid duplication, and build general purpose tools to help everyone."Peele has one final bit of advice: "Start simple, and don't try to solve all your problems with AI -- you'll get there eventually."About the AuthorJohn EdwardsTechnology Journalist & AuthorJohn Edwards is a veteran business technology journalist. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and numerous business and technology publications, including Computerworld, CFO Magazine, IBM Data Management Magazine, RFID Journal, and Electronic Design. He has also written columns for The Economist's Business Intelligence Unit and PricewaterhouseCoopers' Communications Direct. John has authored several books on business technology topics. His work began appearing online as early as 1983. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, he wrote daily news and feature articles for both the CompuServe and Prodigy online services. His "Behind the Screens" commentaries made him the world's first known professional blogger.See more from John EdwardsReportsMore ReportsNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also Like