5 Strategies to Improve Your Team’s Bus Factor

How many of your team members can be killed by a bus before your project collapses?

The higher the number, the better. Knowing your bus factor is essential for a smooth and successful workflow. It impacts teams across various industries – but for a software developing company, it can be crucial. 

Understanding the Bus Factor 

Maybe your developers won’t get killed by a bus. Maybe they just took a long vacation. Or they quit the job and stopped replying. 

Do you have a project that is only in the head of one person who never leaves any instructions or documentation? This situation is much more common than you think. And it’s dangerous. 

Prepare for the worst. A higher bus factor means your team is more resilient to the sudden absence of key members. For example, a team with a bus factor of six could handle the loss of six members without severe consequences. 

How to Improve Your Bus Factor 

1. Sharing Information

Share as much information as possible: 

• Documentation 
  Documenting processes and code should be standard practice for every software company. Consider hiring a designated technical writer to shadow developers and cover potential information losses. 

• Record Processes 
  Use tools to document all processes and project phases, so your team can always access crucial information. Employ version control systems (like Git) and issue-tracking software (like Jira). 

• Standups and Meetings 
  Foster an environment where ideas are shared openly. Meetings should not be monologues from the boss but opportunities for information exchange. 

• Continuous Learning 
  Staying updated with new tools and technologies is vital for software developers to stay competitive. Keeping up with new tools and technologies enhances skills and productivity. Encourage ongoing learning through online courses, bootcamps, conferences, technical blogs, and personal projects. This helps your team stay prepared for sudden changes. 

2. Backups

Every team member should have at least one person as a designated backup. These backups are ready to take over their tasks when necessary. This practice also fosters a culture of shared responsibility and preparedness within the team. 

3. Cross-Training

Cross-training helps team members become familiar with each other’s roles, making it easier to manage workloads and cover absences. One of the techniques for cross-training is pair programming – two developers create code together, usually using only one computer. Cross-training promotes collaboration, reduces knowledge silos, and strengthens overall team cohesion. 

4. Automation

Implementing automation tools for routine tasks minimizes reliance on individuals. And it makes your developers’ lives easier. Automation simplifies tasks, cuts down on mistakes, and lets team members focus on more important work. Using technology to handle repetitive tasks helps teams be more productive and flexible in changing work settings. 

5. Role Rotation

Regularly switching roles and responsibilities often helps team members learn new skills and avoid over-reliance on one person. When the same developer consistently fixes issues in their own code, others may not learn that part, creating a knowledge gap. Rotating tasks ensures that different team members work on various parts of the project, sharing knowledge and keeping the team adaptable and skilled. 

Author: Kristýna Supradnyan 

Images:  

https://leonardo.ai/ 

 https://pixlr.com/ 

Sources and References: 

https://medium.com/ 

https://www.getclockwise.com/ 

https://moldstud.com/