The systematic process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating potential issues that could negatively impact the successful creation and launch of a software application for mobile devices. This involves proactively anticipating challenges related to technical aspects, budget constraints, scheduling difficulties, security vulnerabilities, and market acceptance. For example, during the planning phase, a team might recognize the risk of using a new, untested framework and decide to allocate more resources to training and testing to reduce the probability of failure.
Effective planning significantly improves the likelihood of delivering a quality product on time and within budget. It fosters greater stakeholder confidence, reduces potential financial losses associated with project setbacks, and contributes to a more stable and predictable development lifecycle. Historically, projects that ignored potential problems were far more likely to experience delays, cost overruns, and even complete failure. Prioritizing and addressing potential negative impact promotes innovation and competitive advantage, since teams are more willing to explore new technologies and features when they have confidence in their ability to manage the associated uncertainties.