Report - mPHone 8 Plus

Introduction

The aim of this report is to briefly describe the technical problem that forced the project team to delay the launch of the mPhone 8 Plus, and to identify the main mistakes during the project. Finally, a recommendation will be made regarding measures to improve the procedure.

Findings

During the late stages of development, testers found, that ringing the vibrator motor can cause the screen to shatter. Unfortunately, this behaviour can only be reproduced when calling the phone, but not by regular usage.

This can be linked to a misunderstanding between the hardware and software team. The developer working on this received a previous data sheet for a less powerful motor. However, the motor was exchanged for a different version due to it's unavailability. The new motor happened to be more powerful and was only supposed to be used at 80% of it's power. An other contributing factor was the rushed development, which caused the bug to be unnoticed until user testing.

Conclusion

If the planing had allotted more time for the development, the bug could have been caught earlier and wouldn't have delayed the project. The same goes for the communication brake-down, which caused the bug in the first place. Both the management and engineering hold part of the blame, as both teams could have avoided the issue with the proper response.

Recommendations

It's recommended to ensure that the allotted time is sufficient for the development by adding a buffer. The buffer can be used for unplanned hurdles and added testing time. Additionally the communication between teams should be improved by holding company-wide status meetings.