I’ve listed things to do first when contract development starts, so I’d like to introduce them. (Updates planned as needed)
When taking over development of an existing service, there should already be a version control system and communication tools, so let’s get access permissions for those.
If there are missing tools, let’s introduce them first.
Not having a VCS is seriously problematic, so let’s set up GitHub or Bitbucket and use them.
Since you need to do the initial setup from scratch, I recommend doing these on the same day:
Adding .gitignore files can be easily generated with gitignore.io, which is convenient.
Choose tools that fit the project, such as Trello, Asana, or Google Spreadsheets.
For those who don’t like dispersed tools, there’s also the option of using GitHub’s Milestones or Project boards instead of these tools.
When adopting new communication tools, options would be Slack, Discord, etc.
When there are multiple stakeholders, who the Product Owner is can be vague and unclear. Let’s clarify who makes decisions for the service being developed under contract from the beginning.
Let the Product Owner decide other business priorities.
When you try to release, you might discover unexpected pitfalls, such as lacking permissions or having designated release time slots for service operations.
That’s all from the Gemba that’s also doing contract development.