Skip to main content

Summary of reasons for not delivering the semester deliverables

1) WhatsApp API (Meta/Facebook) integration was more complex than anticipated

  • What happened: The integration required additional technical and bureaucratic steps (configuration, verification, and approvals), creating waiting periods that paused development.
  • Impact: Delays in critical features and repeated sprint replanning.
  • Corrective action: Use a simpler intermediary provider (e.g., Twilio) to accelerate go-to-market while keeping the direct Meta integration on a parallel, mid-term track.

2) Lack of agile process tracking and unclear final deadlines for deliverables

  • What happened: There was no consistent monitoring routine (e.g., weekly progress review), and final deadlines for deliverables were not clearly defined or justified by estimates.
  • Impact: Low predictability, difficulty in prioritization, and a higher risk of discovering delays too late.
  • Corrective action: maintain the already exisitng Kanban board with well-defined tasks (small, with an owner) and justifiable due dates based on estimates and team capacity, reviewed on a fixed cadence.

3) Under-specified scope and insufficient acceptance criteria

  • What happened: Clear acceptance criteria and minimal documentation were missing (concise user stories, Definition of Ready/Done).
  • Impact: Large and vague tasks, difficulty measuring real progress, and limited risk anticipation.
  • Corrective action: Write user stories with objective acceptance criteria, adopt DoR/DoD, break large items into shippable increments, and document scope decisions.

Immediate next steps (suggestion):

  • Break critical deliverables into smaller tasks with clear acceptance criteria.
  • Set justifiable due dates for each task and for semester milestones.
  • Decide this week whether to adopt Twilio as a short-term messaging solution.