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Work from home (WFH) is a new work style to work remotely. It means working from employees’ home by using the Internet to work and communicate with their colleagues aiming to accomplish all assigned tasks. Many companies are now offering employees a way to work from home.
Of course, software developers can also work from home. Especially during the current COVID-19 pandemic situation, working from home can reduce risk of infection, save time and cost of traveling, and help employees to work flexibly.
Anyway, it is undeniable that WFH also has some disadvantages as well. For example, you may confront some problems when holding a meeting to create a project plan, problems in co-working, and progress tracking.
In this article, iCONEXT is going to show you how software developers work at home and which tools do they use to facilitate their works.
Even though we stay at different places, we can always keep in touch by using “Meeting tool” which allows the software developers to run a meeting and work together through voice, video, text and real-time presentations over the Internet or the video conferencing.
For example, Microsoft Teams is a meeting tool with the following good features.
- Free license
- Up to 300 attendees can join the meeting and up to 8 hours of meeting duration
- Enable participants to give and take control of the shared content.
After planning the project in the meeting via video conference, it’s time for everyone to get the job done.
Lots of coding but not confused by using “Source Control” or “Version Control” which can help software developers to save changes of the modified source code and control version of the source code easily.
Sample of “Source Control” tool is GitLab. It is the software to keep and save changes of the source code of each project (Git Repository). It can help you manage projects as follows.
- It provides project or repository management.
- Software developers can report and explain the problems occur in the project.
- Project team members can fill in information or knowledge of the project.
It’s recommended to use GitLab together with Git Extension to make your project management and change records more convenient and easier to understand. Moreover, by using them together, you will have no need to write the command by yourself.
Work step by step with your style by making Kanban Board. GitLab has a function “Issue Board” to help manage your planned tasks. It provides many features as follows.
- You can create a to-do list and share with team members to keep them focusing on the same picture and share tasks together.
- You can track the progress of work in each step easier. All members can see how each task is proceeded throughout the process.
- You can specify and sort priority of each task in each step and let the team members focus on each task respectively.
Finally, iCONEXT would like to share some tips of working from home as below.
Tips of WFH
Select and set your working area which is suitable for your work.
- Your working area shouldn’t overlap with your relaxation area, and don’t do your work on the bed.
- No any distraction
- Set up your working environment appropriately to avoid bad effect on your health. For example, adjust proper and enough light, desk and chair should be comfortable with suitable height.
Time management when working at home is also important. It should be clear as same as you work at the office.
- Work during your working time
- Have a break at lunch time
Do not lose contact with your colleagues
- Always report progress or share problems with your colleagues.
- Have a talk or a meeting via video conference with your team for accurate communication
Currently many people don’t want to go outside due to the COVID-19 situation, so working from home is an option that can keep your work continue.
The above content is the WFH guideline of software developers but it can also be applied to other occupations as well.
