case study of software development life cycle

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Agile Software Development Life Cycle: Case Study

Learn more about our agile software development life cycle from our Mitsubishi case study.

Any software development project, either big or small, requires a great deal of planning and steps that divide the entire development process into several smaller tasks that can be assigned to specific people, completed, measured, and evaluated. Agile Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), is the process for doing exactly that – planning, developing, testing, and deploying information systems. The benefit of agile SDLC is that project managers can omit, split, or mix certain steps depending on the project’s scope while maintaining the efficiency of the development process and the integrity of the development life cycle. 

Today, we are going to examine a software development life cycle case study from one of Intersog’s previous projects to show how agility plays a crucial role in the successful delivery of the final product. Several years back, we worked with Mitsubishi Motors helping one of the world’s leading automotive manufacturers to develop a new supply chain management system. With the large scope of the project, its complex features, and many stakeholders relying on the outcomes of the project, we had to employ an agile approach to ensure a secure software development life cycle.

Business Requirements

Mitsubishi Motors involves many stakeholders and suppliers around the world, which makes its supply chain rather complex and data-heavy. That is why timely improvements are crucial for the proper functioning of this huge system and a corporation as a whole. Over the years of functioning, the old supply chain has been accumulating some noticeable frictions that resulted in the efficiency bottlenecks, and Intersog offered came ups with just the right set of solutions to make sufficient solutions that would help Mitsubishi ensure a coherent line of communication and cooperation with all the involved suppliers.

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Previously, Mitsubishi used an outdated supply chain management system that involved a large number of spreadsheets that required a lot of manual input. Considering a large number of stakeholders, the problem of synchronization has been a pressing one as well – different stakeholders would input the data at different speeds and at different times of day, which created a degree of confusion among suppliers. Though the system has been sufficient for a long time, the time has come to eliminate all the redundancies and streamline data input. 

The legacy system has been partially automated and ran on the IBM AS400 server, which allows for impressive flexibility, but it no longer sufficed for Mitsubishi’s growing needs. The main requirement, thus, was to create a robust online supply chain solution that would encompass the entire logistics process starting with auto parts and steel suppliers and ending with subcontractors and car dealerships around the world. That being said, Mitsubishi did not want to completely change the system, they opted for overhaul, and we came up with the idea of an integrated web application that was meant to function in conjunction with a DB2 base that was already used on the IBM AS400 server. 

IT Architecture and Agile SDLC

Mitsubishi employs a series of guidelines and rules on how to build, modify, and acquire new IT resources, which is why Intersog had to be truly agile to adapt to the client’s long-established IT architecture. Adapting to the requirements of the client, and especially to the strict regulations of the IT architecture of large corporations like Mitsubishi requires knowledge, flexibility, and strong industry expertise. Each software development company has its own architecture standards and frameworks for building new systems but many face difficulties when working with the existing systems and modifying them to the new requirements.

Intersog has no such problems. We approached Mitsubishi’s case with strong industry expertise and flexibility to account for all the client’s needs and specifications of the existing system. Obviously, following the client’s architecture regulations requires a profound understanding of said regulations, which is why information gathering is an integral phase of the software development life cycle.

Requirements Gathering

The requirements gathering phase can take anywhere from just a couple of days to several weeks. Working with complex and multi-layered legacy systems like the one used by Mitsubishi requires serious analysis and information gathering. In the case of Mitsubishi, our dedicated team had to gain a clear understanding of how the legacy system functions, create new software specifications, map out the development process, gather and create all the necessary documentation, track all the issues related to the functioning of the legacy system, outline the necessary solutions, and allocate all the resources to achieve the project’s goals in the most efficient manner. 

Working on the Mitsubishi project, our team has been gathering all the required information for up to 4 weeks. This included a profound examination of the legacy system, mapping out all of its flaws and specifications, bridging the gaps between the current state of the system and the requirements of the client, and outlining the development process. 

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The design stage includes all the integral decisions regarding the software architecture, its makeover, the tech frameworks that would be used in the system’s rework. During this stage, developers discuss the coding guidelines, the tools, practices, and runtimes that will help the team meet the client’s requirements. Working with large corporations like Mitsubishi, a custom software development team has to work closely with the company’s own developers to better understand the specifics of the architecture and create a design that reflects all the requirements. 

After all the requirements are gathered, we initiated the design stage based on all of the client’s specifications and came up with a number of solutions that matched Mitsubishi’s specs:

• Convenient data model meant to optimize data duplication;
• Permission system that differentiated the users by their access levels;
• Appealing user interface mockup to improve the comfortability of user-system interaction;
• Integration with the legacy RPG system;
• Notifications for the partners to keep them up with the important activities.

This set of essential solutions has been discussed and approved in the course of the design stage that lasted for 2 months. During this stage, Intersog and Mitsubishi development teams worked closely to come up with the solutions that matched the client’s requirements to the tee. Proper functioning of the supply chain is vital for the entire corporation, which is why it was critical to do everything flawlessly. 2 months might seem like quite a timeline, but for this case study on software development life cycle, it was not that long considering how complex Mitsubishi’s legacy system was. 

Solution Development

After approving the solution design, the team can move to develop those solutions. That’s the core of the entire project, a stage at which the teams meet the goals and achieve the outcomes set during previous stages. The success of the development stage depends heavily on how good a job the teams did during the design stage – if everything was designed with laser precision, the team can expect few if any, surprises during the development stage. 

What happens during the development stage is the teams coding their way towards the final product based on decisions that have been made earlier. With Mitsubishi, we followed the guidelines we came up with earlier and implemented a set of essential solutions:

• We built a convenient data model that minimizes the risk of human error by reducing redundant and repetitive data entry and duplication. 
• Improved Mitsubishi’s security system to differentiate the users by their level of access and give them the respective level of control over the data.
• Added the notifications for the users so that they could react to the relevant changes faster.
• Designed an appealing and comfortable user interface using the AJAX framework to make the user-system interaction more comfortable and time-efficient. 
• Deployed the platform running on the IBM AS400 server with the integration of DB2 databases.
• Integrated the existing RPG software into the new system.
• Migrated the existing spreadsheets and all the essential data into the new system.

All of these solutions took us 6 months to implement, which is rather fast for a project of such scale. Such a time-efficiency was possible only thanks to the huge amount of work we’ve done throughout the research and design stages. The lesson to learn from these software development life cycle phases for the example case study is that the speed of development would depend heavily on how well you prepare. 

Depending on the scale of the project, you might be looking at different timelines for the development stage. Small scale projects can be finished in a matter of weeks while some of the most complicated solutions might take more than a year to finish. In the case of the Mitsubishi project, it was essential for the client to get things done faster. Rushing things up is never a good idea, but you can always cut your development timeline by doing all the preparation work properly and having a clear understanding of what needs to be done and in which order.

Quality Assurance                   

Quality assurance is as vital for your project’s success as any other stage; this is where you test your code, assess the quality of solutions, and make sure everything runs smoothly and according to plan. Testing helps you identify all the bugs and defects in your code and eliminate those in a timely manner. Here at Intersog, we prefer testing our software on a regular basis throughout the development process. This approach helps us to identify the issues on the go and fix them before they snowball into serious problems. 

That’s it, quality assurance is a set of procedures aimed at eliminating bugs and optimizing the functioning of the software solutions. Here at Intersog, we run both manual and automated tests so that we can be truly sure of the quality of solutions we develop for our clients. With Mitsubishi, we ran tests throughout the development process and after the development stage was over. It took us an additional month to test all the solutions we’ve developed, after which we were ready for the implementation stage.

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Integration and Support

Following the testing, and once we are sure all the solutions work flawlessly, the development team gets to the implementation stage. Also known as the integration stage, this is where we integrate the new solution into the client’s pre-existing ecosystem. Basically, you are putting new gears into a complex mechanism that has been functioning for many years, and it is essential to make sure all of those gears fit perfectly. 

With such a complex system as the one employed by Mitsubishi and a vast amount of accumulated data, our developers had to be incredibly precise not to lose anything. We are talking about surgical precision because Mitsubishi’s suppliers amassed thousands upon thousands of spreadsheets full of critical data on supplies, material and product deliveries, accounting data, and more. All of that had to be carefully integrated with the new automated solution. 

After 2 months, the solutions have been fully integrated with Mitsubishi’s existing ecosystem. Intersog usually backs the clients up by offering support and maintenance services to ensure flawless functioning of the system over time, but this time, our client was fully capable of maintaining the new system on their own. As said, Mitsubishi has its own development team that is able to take care of the system maintenance, so that our cooperation was finished after the integration stage. 

Final Thoughts and Outtakes

A software development life cycle depends on many factors that are unique for each company. In the case of Mitsubishi, we’ve managed to get things done in just under a year, which is rather fast for a project of such an immense scale. Different projects have different life cycles, and it depends on the scale, the client’s ability to explain their needs, and the development team’s ability to understand those needs, gather all the necessary information, design the appropriate set of solutions, develop said solutions, ensure their quality, and implement them fast.

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In the realm of software development, the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is akin to the architectural plan or methodology used in house construction. It’s a crucial process that outlines methodology for development cycles that create effective, high-quality software from concept to launch, and even thereafter.

However, the SDLC isn’t just about coding. It’s a complete guide involving seven key phases that help teams navigate through the twists and turns of software creation, ensuring no aspect is overlooked. From initiation to the maintenance phase post-deployment, each phase presents distinct tasks and objectives.

Why are each of these phases relevant? Consider them as checkpoints with project management associated with each software project. They ensure we’re on the right path, creating software that not only meets users’ needs but also accomplishes business goals. For instance, the planning phase clarifies what the software should do. The design phase sketches out its implementation and deliverables. The testing phase examines if everything functions as expected and so on.

Let’s examine the seven phases of the software development life cycle, shining light on how a digital product or application journeys from idea to execution.

Phase 1: Planning

The initial stage of software development, Planning, involves defining the software’s purpose and scope, much like pinpointing our destination and plotting the best route. We uncover the tasks at hand during this phase and strategize for efficient execution.

The team collaborates to understand the end-users’ needs and the goals the software should meet. Essentially, we ask, “What problem will this software solve?” and “What value will it offer to the user?”

A feasibility study also takes place during the Planning phase. Developers and product teams evaluate technical and financial challenges that might affect the software’s development or success.

So, what transpires in this phase? Key documents such as the Project Plan and Software Requirement Specification (SRS) are created. These guides detail the software’s functions, necessary resources, possible risks , and a project timeline.

The Planning phase fosters effective communication and collaboration within the team. By defining clear roles, responsibilities, and expectations, it lays a solid foundation for an efficient software development process.

Phase 2: Requirements Analysis

Phase 2 of the SDLC, Requirements Analysis, seeks to identify and record the precise requirements of the final users. In this phase, the team is looking to answer, “What are the expectations of our users from our software?” This is called requirements gathering.

The project team collects information from stakeholders, including analysts, users, and clients. They conduct interviews, surveys, and focus groups to understand the user’s expectations and needs. The process involves not only asking the right questions but also accurately interpreting the responses.

After collecting the data, the team analyzes it, distinguishing the essential features from the desirable ones. This analysis helps the team understand the software’s functionality, performance, security, and interface needs.

These efforts result in a Requirements Specification Document. It outlines the software’s purpose, features, and functionalities, acting as a guide for the development team and providing cost estimates if needed. To ensure its reliability, the document is validated for accuracy, comprehensiveness, and feasibility.

The success of the Requirements Analysis phase is pivotal for the entire project. Done right, it leads to a software solution that meets users’ needs and exceeds their expectations.

Phase 3: Design

The Design phase is all about building the framework. The development team is responsible for software engineering and outlines the software’s functionality and aesthetic. This ultimately results in the software product. The emphasis lies on outlining the software’s structure, navigation, user interfaces, and database design. This phase ensures that the software is user-friendly and performs its tasks efficiently.

So, what tasks does the team undertake? Key activities include crafting data flow diagrams, constructing entity-relationship diagrams, and designing user interface mock-ups. The team also identifies system dependencies and integration points. They also set the software’s limitations, such as hardware constraints, performance requirements, and other system-related factors.

The culmination of these tasks is an exhaustive Software Design Document (SDD). This document serves as the roadmap for the team during the coding phase. It meticulously details the software’s design, from system architecture to data design, and even user interface specifics.

The Design phase is the link between the software’s purpose (established in the Planning and Requirements Analysis phases) and its execution (defined in the coding phase). It’s an essential step in creating software that works efficiently and provides an excellent user experience.

Phase 4: Coding

The Coding phase in the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is when engineers and developers get down to business and start converting the software design into tangible code.

This development phase aims to develop software that is functional, efficient, and user-friendly. Developers use an appropriate programming language, Java or otherwise, to write the code, guided by the SDD and coding guidelines. This document, acting as a roadmap, ensures the software aligns with the vision set in earlier phases.

Another key aspect of this phase is regular code reviews. Team members carefully examine each other’s work to identify any bugs or inconsistencies. These meticulous assessments uphold high code standards, ensuring the software’s reliability and robustness. This phase also includes preliminary internal testing to confirm the software’s basic functionality.

At the end of this phase, a functional piece of software comes to life. It embodies the planning, analyzing, and designing efforts of the preceding stages. Though it may not be flawless, it represents a significant stride towards a valuable software solution.

Phase 5: Testing

Consider the Testing phase of the SDLC as a stringent quality inspection on a production line. It is when vulnerabilities are uncovered. Software testing involves a thorough examination of the software for any bugs or glitches that might have slipped through during coding. The aim is to ensure flawless software operation before it reaches the end-users. And even identify opportunities for enhancement.

The testing process begins by setting clear parameters in line with the software’s requirements. This includes identifying the necessary software conditions, and outlining diverse scenarios to examine these conditions. This step aids in creating an efficient testing strategy.

After establishing test cases, developers and engineers should rigorously test the software . They should conduct various types of tests, including unit testing, security testing, integration testing, system testing, and acceptance testing. These tests range from scrutinizing individual components to ensuring the seamless operation of the entire system.

When a test reveals a bug, it is documented in detail, noting its symptoms, reproduction method, and its influence on the software. These bugs are then sent back to the developers for rectification. Once the required fixes are implemented, the software re-enters the testing phase for validation. This process is a cycle of persistent refinement until the software complies with all predetermined parameters.

The Testing phase is instrumental in ensuring the software’s robustness and reliability.

Phase 6: Deployment

After crafting a product with precision, it’s time to present it to the users by pushing to the production environment. The Deployment phase involves rolling out the meticulously tested and fine-tuned software to its end-users.

A specific strategy is executed for the software’s deployment to ensure minimal disruption to the user experience. Depending on the software and its audience, we might use different methods such as Big Bang, Blue-Green, or Canary deployments .

However, deployment isn’t just about launching the software. It’s about ensuring users can operate it with ease. This responsibility might involve creating user manuals, conducting training sessions, or offering on-site support. 

The Deployment phase doesn’t signal the end, but rather a notable milestone. It signifies the shift from a project phase to a product phase, where the software begins to fulfill its purpose.

Phase 7: Maintenance

In the Software Development Life Cycle, the maintenance phase is characterized by constant assistance and improvement, which guarantees the software’s best possible functioning and longevity and ensures it meets customer expectations.

The primary focus is to adapt to the software’s changing needs. This adaptation involves responding to user feedback, resolving unexpected issues, and upgrading the software based on users’ evolving requirements. It’s a continuous process of refining and adapting, much like a gardener tending to their garden.

Maintenance tasks encompass frequent software updates, implementing patches, and fixing bugs. User support is also a crucial component, offering help and guidance to users facing difficulties with the software.

The maintenance phase also considers long-term strategies, for instance, upgrading or replacing the software. This decision depends on the software’s lifecycle and technological progress. Similar to a homeowner contemplating a renovation or selling their house, the software might require a complete revamp or phase-out to stay relevant and valuable.

Frequent SDLC Models

The Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) encompasses various models that outline the processes involved in software development and maintenance. Here are seven commonly used SDLC models:

Waterfall Model

This is a linear and sequential approach where each phase must be completed prior to moving on to the next step. The phases include requirements, design, implementation, testing, deployment, and maintenance.

Iterative Model

This model involves repetitive cycles of development, allowing for feedback and improvement in each iteration. Phases are often repeated until the final product is achieved with success.

Incremental Model

This is more of an incremental model that divides the system into small, manageable parts (also known as increments) with each increment representing a portion of the entire system’s functionality. In this approach, each increment is developed and delivered separately.

Spiral Model

The spiral model incorporates elements of both iterative and incremental models. In this model, development progresses in a spiral fashion through repeating cycles of planning, risk analysis, engineering, and critical evaluation.

V-Model (Verification and Validation Model)

Consider this an extension of the waterfall model that emphasizes the relationship between development stages and testing stages. In this model, each development stage has a corresponding testing phase.

Agile Model

The agile methodology is an iterative and incremental approach that emphasizes flexibility and collaboration between cross-functional teams. When implementing an agile model, requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration and adaptation to change.

RAD Model (Rapid Application Development)

This is not about giving fellow surfers props after riding a killer wave. Alternatively, the RAD model focuses on rapid prototyping and quick feedback from end-users. It involves user feedback and iterations to rapidly refine and enhance the software.

It’s important to note that these models are not mutually exclusive, and development teams often use a combination of methodologies tailored to the project’s specific needs. Factors such as project requirements, budget, timeline, and flexibility determine the choice of an SDLC model.

The Essential Steps in Software Development

We’ve thoroughly examined the seven crucial phases of the Software Development Life Cycle. Each phase – from planning to maintenance, adds value by generating a software solution fitting users’ requirements and meeting objectives. While the SDLC provides an effective pathway, adaptability is critical. Is this a large project or a small project? Adapting to your needs is key. Are you prepared for this systematic yet flexible method? To learn more about how Split’s suite of development tools can help your engineering team work more efficiently, contact us here . From feature flags to automated rollout monitoring, Split can help your engineering team ship more great products.

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Agile Software Development Life Cycle (Best Practices and Tips)

Want to stay up-to-date with the constantly changing technology industry? Utilize a flexible approach that encourages collaboration and delivers results efficiently. 

This is where the Agile Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) comes into play. It’s a methodology revolutionizing how software is planned, created, and released.

This blog is the ultimate guide for anyone interested in Agile software development methodologies . We’ll explore the Agile landscape and gain practical insights to elevate your software development efforts.

Introduction to Agile Software Development Life Cycle

The Agile Software Development Life Cycle  is the heartbeat of modern software engineering. 

It fosters iterative development, continuous feedback, and client collaboration. Now, it’s time to unravel the layers of Agile SDLC.

Let’s explore its core principles, best practices, and invaluable tips to elevate your development processes.

Unveiling the Essence of Agile Software Development

Agile Software Development transformed the execution of many projects, specifically focusing on collaboration, flexibility, and customer satisfaction. 

Rather than being a methodology with rigid rules, it’s a mindset or framework with a more adaptive and responsive software development process. It emphasizes the importance of delivering work in small, manageable increments. 

Furthermore, iterating based on feedback makes it highly suitable for agile projects with undefined or rapidly changing requirements.

From Origins to Current Trends in Agile Practices

The roots of Agile extend back to the mid-20th century. It was when industry leaders like IBM and Motorola experimented with incremental development methods. 

Yet, it wasn’t until 2001 that the Agile Manifesto formalized these principles, capturing the essence of these practices in a revolutionary new approach to software development. Agile has expanded beyond its software industry origins into various business sectors. It adapts to the fast-paced, change-driven market trends. 

6 Core Stages of Agile Software Development Life Cycle

In the Agile Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), the work is divided into six key phases. Each serves an integral role in delivering high-quality software. Let’s break them down:

• Concept: This initial stage involves identifying the project’s scope and prioritizing tasks. Product owners discuss requirements with clients , outline documentation, estimate timelines, and assess feasibility.
• Inception: With a defined concept, building the right team is crucial. Product owners select apt colleagues, equip them with necessary resources, and kick-start the design process, ensuring requirements are incorporated from the outset.
• Iteration/Construction: Developers and designers collaborate to turn designs into functioning code, focusing on core functionality first, with additional features added in subsequent sprints.
• Release: The product is prepared for release with proper documentation and training materials after rigorous testing and bug fixing. The focus is on delivering a stable and usable version to end-users.
• Maintenance: Post-release, the product enters the maintenance phase, where regular updates, bug fixes, and support ensure the software remains functional and relevant.
• Retirement: Eventually, software may become obsolete or be replaced. In the retirement phase, it’s phased out with as little disruption as possible, often involving data migration or user training for a new system.

Best Practices for Each Agile Stage

Unveil the tailored strategies crucial for navigating the agile software development life cycle. This guide illuminates effective practices at each phase. So you can get insights on how to enhance your Agile development process.

1. Strategies for Effective Sprint Planning

Effective sprint planning is the keystone of a successful Agile project. Start by meeting with the product owner and your entire team to review the backlog. 

Identify the most important features, user stories, and bugs to address in the upcoming sprint. Aim to prioritize work that delivers the most value to the customer.

Then, expand upon your chosen user stories to flesh out the details. Collaborate to create an intelligent workflow with clear task ownership and realistic estimates, whether in story points or time. 

Let’s take a look at Monday.com as an example. They advocate for planning sprints to help teams resolve unexpected challenges without compromising the delivery timeline.

Remember to involve the whole team in these decisions. Having shared ownership over the work promotes accountability and commitment to project goals.

2. Techniques for Smooth and Successful Release Management

Release Management in an Agile SDLC is a continuous process for frequent and reliable software delivery. For a smooth and successful release, bear in mind the following techniques:

• Automate Deployment: Utilize tools like Jenkins or GitHub Actions to automate your build, testing, and deployment processes. This minimizes human error and streamlines your release pipeline.
• Feature Flagging: Implement feature toggles to turn functionalities on or off without deploying new code. This allows safe testing in production and provides a quick rollback if needed.
• Environment Consistency: Ensure your development, testing, and production environments are identical using infrastructure-as-code tools like Terraform or Docker.
• Branching Strategy: Adopt a version control strategy such as GitFlow to manage your codebase effectively for feature development, releases, and maintenance.
• Release Often: Embrace a frequent release schedule to reduce the scope of changes, making each deployment less risky and more manageable.
• Monitor Post-Release: Utilize monitoring tools to track your application’s performance post-release actively. This can help catch any unforeseen issues quickly.

Top 2 Tips for Implementing Agile SDLC Successfully

Discover essential tips for successfully implementing the Agile Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) in this concise guide.

1. Embrace Change with a Flexible Mindset

To thrive in an Agile environment, embracing change is non-negotiable. 

Flexibility must become intrinsic to your team’s ethos. Understand that requirements might evolve as new insights emerge. What was a priority yesterday may no longer be relevant today. Encourage your team to be open to pivoting and view changes as improvement opportunities rather than obstacles.

Adopting an Agile mindset means valuing customer collaboration over contract negotiation. And responding to change over following a fixed plan. 

By emphasizing adaptability, you create an environment where the team can innovate and swiftly respond to the market. This ensures that the end product not only meets but exceeds customer expectations.

Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change. -Stephen Hawking, Theoretical Physicist, Cosmologist, and Author

2. Ensure Team Collaboration through Agile Frameworks

Agile frameworks, like Scrum, Kanban, and Scrumban, are the engines that power teamwork and collaboration. These frameworks provide the structure to navigate complex projects and ensure that each team member’s efforts align toward a common goal.

Scrum thrives on roles, events, and artifacts to encourage cross-functional collaboration, with daily stand-ups, sprints, and reviews keeping everyone on track.

Kanban offers more visual coordination through its boards and cards, thus enhancing transparency and facilitating just-in-time production.

Scrumban is the symbiotic blend of Scrum and Kanban. It takes the structured approach of Scrum and combines it with the flexibility of Kanban. With its structure, it’s ideal for teams who need the guidance of sprints but also crave the flow-based efficiency of Kanban.

Fostering a collaborative environment allows for collective problem-solving and shared ownership. When team members work together within these frameworks, they can leverage diverse expertise, foresee challenges, and build innovative solutions efficiently.

This brief chart compares Scrum vs. Kanban vs. Scrumban frameworks. This is ideal for quick reference when choosing the right agile framework based on project and team needs.

Overcoming Challenges in Agile Environments

Navigating challenges in Agile environments is crucial to ensuring successful project delivery. This exploration delves into practical strategies and insights for overcoming hurdles commonly encountered in Agile settings. 

Managing Distributed Teams Agilely

Managing distributed teams necessitates embracing agile software development methods and tools. This way, you can bridge geographical gaps and create a collaborative environment. 

The key is to implement robust communication channels for stand-up meetings, such as Slack, Zoom, or Microsoft Teams. And using real-time collaboration tools like Confluence, Trello, or Jira. This ensures everyone is in sync and aligned with the team’s objectives, regardless of their physical location.

Set clear expectations for availability and response times and establish regular touchpoints. Think about having daily stand-ups, sprint reviews, and retrospectives. This fosters a strong team dynamic and maintains momentum. 

What happens when you’re proactive about clear, consistent communication? And why should you utilize technology to bridge the distance? It makes managing remote teams within an Agile framework becomes not only possible but also powerful.

Balancing Speed with Quality Assurance

Maintaining a balance between speed and quality assurance is paramount in Agile. While Agile is synonymous with swift development and releases, cutting corners on testing can lead to poor user experiences and erode trust in your product.

To balance these imperatives, integrate testing into every stage of your Agile process. Adopt Test-Driven Development (TDD) practices where tests are written before code, ensuring quality is baked into your product from the outset. Utilize Continuous Integration (CI) tools to automate testing and catch issues early, reducing the QA time needed before a release.

Moreover, foster a ‘whole team’ approach to quality, where everyone, including the dev team, is responsible for the final product’s quality, not just the QA team. This ensures that quality is a collective pursuit rather than a siloed responsibility.

Agile Technologies that Enhance Development Efficiency

Explore the synergy between Agile methodologies and transformative technologies.

1. Tools for Better Project Tracking and Visibility

In the Agile framework, having the right tools can significantly enhance project tracking and visibility. 

Consider using project management software like Smartsheet or Wrike, which offers features like Gantt charts for timeline tracking, roll-up reports for a high-level overview, and dashboards that visualize work in real time.

Another popular option is Atlassian’s Jira. Its powerful Agile boards, detailed reporting, and customizable workflows are tailored to keep the team aligned and informed. Couple it with Confluence for documentation. They form a comprehensive solution for project tracking and transparency.

Image source: monday.com

2. Automation: The Secret Weapon in Agile Methodologies

Automation is pivotal in Agile methodologies, acting as a multiplier for efficiency and consistency. By automating repetitive tasks, teams can focus on more strategic activities that necessitate a human touch.

Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Deployment (CD) are automation staples in Agile practices, where they ensure that code changes are automatically tested and deployed. This reduces integration issues and enables faster release cycles.

Adopting test automation tools like Selenium or Cypress allows for rapid feedback on new features or bug fixes, enhancing the team’s ability to deliver quality code with speed.

Moreover, use build automation tools like Maven or Gradle to create a streamlined pipeline that compiles, packages, and prepares applications for deployment without manual interference.

Embrace these ‘secret weapons’ to supercharge your Agile methodology, ensuring you deliver high-quality software swiftly and reliably.

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Faq: agile software development life cycle, how do you ensure agile best practices are followed.

Fostering an Agile mindset throughout the team is critical to following Agile best practices. You can also provide ongoing Agile training and encourage open communication. 

What Are the Common Pitfalls to Avoid in Agile SDLC Implementation?

Common pitfalls in Agile SDLC implementation include treating Agile as a set of rigid rules rather than a flexible mindset. Insufficient training and support is also a common problem. Lastly, overlooking the importance of clear communication and neglecting the value of team collaboration should be avoided. Failing to fully integrate customer feedback, overstuffing work into short sprints, and not maintaining sustainable work practices can derail Agile efforts.

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The Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC): 7 Phases and 5 Models

Hannah Clark is the Editor of The Product Manager. Following six years of experience in the tech industry, she pivoted into the content marketing space. She’s spent the better part of the past decade working in marketing agencies and offering freelance branding and content development services. Today, she’s a digital publisher who is privileged to work with some of the most brilliant voices in the product world. Driven by insatiable curiosity and a love of bringing people together, her mission is to foster a fun, vibrant, and inspiring community of product people.

Building software is a huge job, which is why digital product teams rely on the software development life cycle (SDLC). Here's what you need to know.

Building software is a huge job, which is why digital product teams rely on the software development life cycle (SDLC). The SDLC usually takes the form of one of 5 different methodologies and follows 7 main development stages. Knowing what needs to be done in the SDLC process can help product managers guide the entire project to completion. It also helps PMs understand the milestones and communicate progress to stakeholders. Let’s jump in!

What is the SDLC?

The software development life cycle is a process that development teams use to create awesome software that's top-notch in terms of quality, cost-effectiveness, and time efficiency. The main goal is to minimize risks long before deciding how to launch your SaaS product and ensure the software meets the customer's expectations during and after production.

This process is about creating a detailed plan to guide the development of the product and then breaking down the development process into smaller modules that can be assigned, completed, and measured to make the whole thing more manageable.

Benefits of SDLC for the Product Team

Managing changing requirements, staying on top of new technology, and working collaboratively can be challenging for the product team. That's where the SDLC comes in handy. The SDLC provides a framework for the product team to manage the development process systematically, with clear goals and deliverables at every stage. By using SDLC, the product team can ensure that all stakeholders agree on software development goals and requirements upfront and have a plan to achieve them.

Here are some specific benefits of using SDLC for the product team:

• Increased visibility of the development process for all stakeholders involved
• More efficient estimation, planning, and scheduling
• Improved risk management and cost estimation
• A systematic approach to delivering software that meets customer expectations and improves satisfaction

The 7 Phases of the Software Development Life Cycle

The SDLC process will look a little different for every team and product. However, these are the stages that most SDLC frameworks have in common:

1. Planning & Analysis

The first phase of the SDLC is the project planning stage where you are gathering business requirements from your client or stakeholders. This phase is when you evaluate the feasibility of creating the product , revenue potential, the cost of production, the needs of the end-users, etc.

To properly decide what to make, what not to make, and what to make first, you can use a feature prioritization framework that takes into account the value of the software/update, the cost, the time it takes to build, and other factors.

Once it is decided that the software project is in line with business and stakeholder goals, feasible to create, and addresses user needs, then you can move on to the next phase.

2. Define Requirements

This phase is critical for converting the information gathered during the planning and analysis phase into clear requirements for the development team. This process guides the development of several important documents: a software requirement specification (SRS) or product specification , a Use Case document, and a Requirement Traceability Matrix document.

The design phase is where you put pen to paper—so to speak. The original plan and vision are elaborated into a software design document (SDD) that includes the system design, programming language, templates, platform to use, and application security measures. This is also where you can flowchart how the software responds to user actions.

In most cases, the design phase will include the development of a prototype model. Creating a pre-production version of the product can give the team the opportunity to visualize what the product will look like and make changes without having to go through the hassle of rewriting code.

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4. Development

The actual development phase is where the development team members divide the project into software modules and turn the software requirement into code that makes the product. 

This SDLC phase can take quite a lot of time and specialized development tools . It’s important to have a set timeline and milestones so the software developers understand the expectations and you can keep track of the progress in this stage. 

In some cases, the development stage can also merge with the testing stage where certain tests are run to ensure there are no critical bugs. 

Keep in mind, different types of product development software will have different specialties so you’ll want to pick the one that suits you best.

Before getting the software product out the door to the production environment, it’s important to have your quality assurance team perform validation testing to make sure it is functioning properly and does what it’s meant to do. The testing process can also help hash out any major user experience issues and security issues. 

In some cases, software testing can be done in a simulated environment. Other simpler tests can also be automated. 

The types of testing to do in this phase:

• Performance testing: Assesses the software's speed and scalability under different conditions
• Functional testing: Verifies that the software meets the requirements
• Security testing: Identifies potential vulnerabilities and weaknesses
• Unit-testing: Tests individual units or components of the software
• Usability testing: Evaluates the software's user interface and overall user experience
• Acceptance testing: Also termed end-user testing, beta testing, application testing, or field testing, this is the final testing stage to test if the software product delivers on what it promises

6. Deployment

During the deployment phase, your final product is delivered to your intended user. You can automate this process and schedule your deployment depending on the type. For example, if you are only deploying a feature update, you can do so with a small number of users (canary release). If you are creating brand-new software, you can learn more about the different stages of the software release life cycle (SRLC).  

7. Maintenance

The maintenance phase is the final stage of the SDLC if you’re following the waterfall structure of the software development process. However, the industry is moving towards a more agile software development approach where maintenance is only a stage for further improvement. 

In the maintenance stage, users may find bugs and errors that were missed in the earlier testing phase. These bugs need to be fixed for better user experience and retention. In some cases, these can lead to going back to the first step of the software development life cycle. 

The SDLC phases can also restart for any new features you may want to add in your next release/update.

SDLC and Security

It should come as no surprise that security is an increasing concern in the software world. Building security into a software product is a project in and of itself, so these operations are typically integrated into the software development life cycle.

How can you integrate security into the SDLC?

SDLC integrates security via DevSecOps, which is not an isolated stage but a continuous process.

DevSecOps , an extension of DevOps, incorporates security checks at every SDLC phase. Activities include code review, architecture analysis, penetration testing, and automated detection. Tools are integrated into IDEs, code repositories, and build servers.

How to Integrate DevSecOps into SDLC?

1. Planning & Requirement Analysis

• Identify security requirements.
• Select security measures to counter threats and vulnerabilities.

2. Architectural Design

• Apply security design principles.
• Conduct threat modeling, access control, encryption, and risk analysis.

3. Software Development & Testing

• Perform code reviews for standard compliance.
• Run security tests like penetration testing.

4. Deployment

• Use automated DevSecOps tools.
• Configure firewalls, access controls, and security settings.

5. Maintenance

• Continuously monitor for vulnerabilities.
• Update software with security patches.

Common SDLC Models

In software development, there are various frameworks, or “models,” of the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), which arrange the development process in different ways. These models help organizations implement SDLC in an organized way. Here are some of the most commonly used software life cycle models.

1. Agile Model

This model arranges the SDLC phases into several development cycles, with the team delivering small, incremental software changes in each cycle. The Agile methodology is highly efficient, and rapid development cycles help teams identify issues early on, but overreliance on customer feedback could lead to excessive scope changes or project termination. It's best for software development projects that require flexibility and the ability to adapt to change over time.

2. Waterfall Model

This model arranges all the phases sequentially, with each new phase depending on the outcome of the previous one. It provides structure to project management, but there is little room for changes once a phase is complete, so it's best for small, well-defined projects .

3. Iterative Model

With this model, the team begins development with a small set of requirements and iteratively enhances versions until the software is ready for production. It's easy to manage risks, but repeated cycles could lead to scope change and underestimation of resources. This model is best for projects that require high flexibility in their requirements and have the resources to handle multiple iterations.

4. Spiral Model

This model combines the iterative model's repeated cycles with the waterfall model's linear flow to prioritize risk analysis. It's best for complex projects with frequent changes but can be expensive for smaller projects.

5. Big Bang Model

The Big Bang Model is a unique approach where developers jump right into coding without much planning. This means that requirements are implemented as they come, without any kind of clear roadmap. If changes are needed, it can require a complete revamp of the software.

While this model isn't great for larger projects, it’s best for academic or practice projects, or smaller projects with only one or two developers . Essentially, it's a model that works well when requirements aren't well understood and there's no set release date in sight.

What is the best SDLC model overall?

As you can see above, the best SDLC model is highly dependant on your organization's unique circumstances. However, the most popular model today is the Agile model. The Agile model is preferred by most organizations as it emphasizes rapid and frequent iteration, which allows software development teams to adapt product features quickly according to the most current user research findings and customer feedback.

SDLC vs Other Lifecycle Management Methodologies

As you may know, SDLC is not the only lifecycle management process in the glossary of product management terms. Here are some similar terms and what distinguishes them from the SDLC:

SDLC vs. ALM (Application lifecycle management)

ALM is a term that describes the creation and maintenance of software applications, from ideation to design, development, testing, production, support, and eventual retirement. Sound a lot like SDLC? They might appear similar on paper, but some key differences include:

• SDLC focuses on the development phase of an application, while ALM takes a more comprehensive approach, covering the entire lifecycle of the application.
• Multiple ALM tools , processes, and teams need to work together to manage different stages of the application, including development.
• There may be multiple SDLCs within an application's lifecycle that fall under the larger ALM framework.

SDLC vs. systems development lifecycle

Sometimes, people use the term SDLC to refer to the systems development lifecycle, which is the process of planning and creating an IT system. This system typically consists of multiple hardware and software components that work together to perform complex functions.

So, what’s the difference?

• SDLC only covers the development and testing of software components
• Systems development is a broader process that encompasses the setup and management of hardware, software, people, and processes needed for a complete system.
• While SDLC focuses on the software product only, systems development can include tasks like organizational training and change management that aren't necessarily part of software development.

SDLC vs STLC ( Software Testing Lifecycle)

You might have also heard about the software testing lifecycle (STLC). The STLC refers to the set of activities that ensure software quality by detecting bugs and defects before the product release. It has phases similar to the SDLC but with different objectives and deliverables.

There are several key differences between SDLC and STLC, such as:

• SDLC is focused on software development, while STLC is focused on software testing.
• SDLC aims to build a software product that meets the user requirements, while STLC aims to ensure that the software is bug-free and reliable.
• SDLC consists of various phases, such as planning, design, coding, testing, and deployment, while STLC has different phases, such as test planning, test case development, test execution, and test closure.

SDLC vs DevOps

Another buzzword in the software development industry is DevOps. DevOps is a set of practices that combines software development (Dev) and IT operations (Ops) to enable faster and more frequent software delivery. It involves collaboration, automation, and monitoring throughout the software development lifecycle.

Here are the distinctions between SDLC and DevOps:

• SDLC is a methodology for managing software development, while DevOps is a cultural shift that promotes collaboration between development and operations teams.
• SDLC focuses on delivering software that meets the user requirements, while DevOps focuses on delivering software that meets the business objectives.
• SDLC involves different phases, such as planning, design, coding, testing, and deployment, while DevOps involves continuous integration, continuous delivery, and continuous monitoring.

SDLC vs PDLC (Product development lifecycle)

The product development lifecycle (PDLC) is a comprehensive process that covers the entire lifecycle of a product, from ideation to retirement. It includes product planning, market research, product design, development, testing, launch, marketing, and support.

Here are some key differences between SDLC and PDLC:

• SDLC is focused on software development, while PDLC is focused on product development.
• SDLC consists of various phases, such as planning, design, coding, testing, and deployment, while PDLC includes additional phases, such as market research, product planning, and marketing.
• SDLC aims to build software that meets the user requirements, while PDLC aims to build a product that meets the market needs and generates revenue.

SDLC vs SRLC (Software Release Life Cycle)

The software requirements lifecycle (SRLC) is a process that focuses on gathering, documenting, and validating software requirements. It includes eliciting requirements from stakeholders, analyzing and prioritizing them, documenting them in a requirements specification, and validating them.

Here are some key differences between SDLC and SRLC:

• SDLC is focused on software development, while SRLC is focused on software requirements management.
• SDLC consists of various phases, such as planning, design, coding, testing, and deployment, while SRLC includes additional phases, such as requirements elicitation, analysis, and validation.
• SDLC aims to build software that meets the user requirements, while SRLC aims to ensure that the software requirements are complete, correct, and unambiguous before development starts.

What’s Next?

This is just the basics of the software development life cycle (SDLC); for more information on how to develop new products and create high-quality software, check out our roundup of the best product development books on the market. Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter for more product management resources and guides , plus the latest podcasts, interviews, and other insights from industry leaders and experts.

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What is the software development lifecycle (SDLC)? Phases and models

In this guide, we’ll provide an overview of the software development life cycle (SDLC) and its seven phases, as well as a comparison of the most popular SDLC models.

What is the software development lifecycle (SDLC)?

Every software development team needs a guiding framework. This might come from a lightweight framework such as scrum or a traditional heavyweight framework such as the software development lifecycle (SDLC).

The SDLC is a methodology that involves multiple steps (also called stages) that enable software development teams to produce low-cost and high-quality software products.

The development team often owns the SDLC. They use the SDLC alongside the engineering manager to organize their workflow. However, the SDLC is also a part of the holistic product development framework.

The product manager is typically involved in the SDLC in the same way as any other framework. Product managers:

• Ensure with the engineering manager and the development team that the SDLC is aligned with the business objectives
• Guard the team against any organizational obstacles
• Define the product vision and strategy and scope the features related to them in an unambiguous manner to avoid issues during the implementation
• Ensure that the product built during the SDLC aligns with the scope, schedule, and budget
• Remain actively involved during the testing stage to make sure the product produced adheres to the expected quality

What are the 7 phases of the SDLC?

Corporations use the SDLC to define, build, and maintain software products. It is a detailed process that creates a comprehensive outline for the engineers’ workflow.

The SDLC comprises seven phases (stages or steps) whose names and numbers differ from company to company and book to book. However, they all serve the same purpose.

The following phases are the most common within the SDLC model:

Defining requirements

Prototyping, implementation, integration and testing, operations and maintenance.

The work plan is constructed. The team members are assigned and the activities needed to build the software are defined (e.g., gather requirements, interview clients, conduct smoke tests, etc.).

A detailed requirements document is prepared (e.g., product requirement document , product specifications document, etc.).

In traditional SDLC, the requirements should be supported by different product architecture diagrams such as use case diagrams , activity diagrams, sequence diagrams, component diagrams, composite structure diagrams, and interaction overviews.

The designers pass the requirements to create a very detailed prototype that covers every aspect of the user journey. The prototype should cover all possible cases, including error messages, status, and interactions.

The engineers receive the requirements and the design from the other team members and the actual implementation work starts.

The backend work integrates with the front-end work and the testers start executing their test cases to identify bugs or any potential issues.

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After successfully building the software, the team coordinates with the product manager to deploy the software to production.

The team continuously identifies technical and functional enhancements to improve the product. This includes refactoring and bug bashing.

SDLC origins

The SDLC was initially introduced in a book called Global Business Information by Feoffrey Elliott. After it was proven successful by large organizations that develop business systems, countless software development companies started adopting it, and different variations of the SDLC model evolved over time.

SDLC models

The SDLC phases or stages can be used in various ways with multiple sequences. Organizing and reorganizing the steps of the SDLC will produce so-called models or methodologies.

Each model has its own advantages and disadvantages. SDLC methodologies are divided into traditional models and contemporary models:

• Traditional models — Frameworks or models that are distinguished by their linear nature, meaning that SDLC phases are carried out consecutively
• Contemporary models — Frameworks or models that are based on the iterative nature throughout SDLC phases to provide more adaptability during the production flow of the software. Those models have evolved into agile models down the road

Examples of traditional SDLC models

The SDLC has more than 10 traditional models, however the most popular models are:

Spiral development

Waterfall vs. spiral development.

The Waterfall model is one of the oldest SDLC models, known for its basic and classical structure. The stages of this model are fixed. Each phase must be completed before moving onto the next, which prohibits overlapping. The output of each stage is an input for the next stage.

Phases of the waterfall model

The six phases of the waterfall model are as follows:

Requirements

Maintenance.

This phase concentrates on communicating with the users/end users to gather the requirements and to capture information regarding a user’s needs. The product manager, at this stage, defines and documents the scope of the project in a document called a business case .

A business analyst evaluates the business case and starts the logical design of the software by using the requirements and information collected by the product manager. Based on the high-level design created by the business analyst, a system analyst translates the high-level design to a detailed low-level design that considers software and hardware technology.

A full user interface design with the system architecture is defined at this stage. A couple of documents are also produced to help the engineers understand the end-to-end expected output.

Here, the actual code of the software system is written. Software developers create the system according to the instruction and requirements recorded, written, and prepared in the design and requirement phases. The output of this phase is the actual product.

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This stage gets the input from the implementation stage. Software testers draft test plans based on the functional specification documented in the low-level design document (LLDD). On the other hand, software developers prepare testing plans in the form of a checklist to examine if every function is executable as expected.

Finally, quality assurance engineers gather all documents written in all phases and conduct an overall deep test on every specific aspect of the system.

After passing all processes of the testing phase, the product is ready to release. The software system is either released for users to install on their own machine or deployed to production servers.

This phase focuses on enhancements, delivering changes, or fixing any defects and issues that may arise.

Applications for the waterfall model

The waterfall model is most suitable for:

• Small and simple projects
• Projects with a limited number of unconfirmed and ambiguous requirements
• A software system that requires well-documented artifacts (e.g., issuance software)

Advantages of the waterfall model

The waterfall model helps to:

• Provide the team with the ability to detect errors early in the process
• Define the specific starting and ending point of the project. It ensures that the project deadline is in control
• Provide well-written and structured documents that make it easier to revise the code for future enhancements and scaling work

Disadvantages of the waterfall model

The waterfall model is limited by:

• The biggest disadvantage of this model is that there’s no way to go back to a specific phase. Once a phase is completed, it’s locked
• In some cases, estimating the required time to finish a phase is tough. An incorrect assumption may result in a failure to meet the deadline
• If changes are proposed during the execution of the project, the project has to stop and start all over again

The spiral model is a risk-driven hybrid model that features some of the traits of the waterfall model and Iterative model. Based on the identified patterns of risk, the team can adopt specific activities of different processes.

Phases of the spiral model

• Risk analysis
• Engineering/implementation

1. Planning

Requirements are collected and the overall objective is identified during this phase. A business analyst collects and generally documents those system and business requirements.

2. Risk analysis

This phase is meant to identify any potential risk by planning the risk mitigation strategy. The project manager, team members, and end user collaborate to identify potential risks that may impact the project.

3. Engineering/implementation

The system is developed along with quality assurance checks and testing processes at this stage.

4. Evaluation

The product manager/end user in this phase is responsible for evaluating the system software, which is the output of the previous phases. The evaluation is done before the project proceeds to the next planned spiral cycle.

Application of the spiral development model

The spiral development model is suitable for projects that:

• Have a large or medium scope
• Come with high risk
• Are complex or unclear in requirements

Advantages of the spiral development model

• Flexible and easy to manage
• The process of monitoring the process effectiveness is easy
• Coping with the late proposed changes is easy for the product manager
• It eliminates the errors early during the project

Disadvantages of the spiral development model

• Not easy to implement. Needs high expertise
• Requires risk analysts paired with the development team continuously
• High in cost
• Meeting the scheduling and budgetary constraints is challenging with this model

Final thoughts

The SDLC is a framework that was invented around 50 years ago. Since then, it has contributed to building tons of successful software products. Many companies later adopted and adapted it to develop an effective process tailored to their needs. The SDLC, by its nature, was invented to save costs, build quality and complex software, and satisfy the end-user.

Currently, the SDLC is not as popular as before, especially with the rise of agile models and mindsets. However, having information about all those frameworks will allow product managers and product teams to build better processes that generate better results.

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Sdlc — explained with vivid examples.

Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) can be called a process; however, in its core, it is a model of software development that allows you to minimize development costs and maximize the final product quality. SDLC defines not only the steps one needs to make to complete the development but also hints at how to maintain and tweak a software system to ensure its highest efficiency in the future.

How and why SDLC works

SDLC is based on the years of practice and thousands of mistakes developers and managers have already made to guarantee the best results. It helps a client to lower development costs and at the same time get all the required functionality as fast as possible. A plan based on the SDLC principles removes all common pitfalls and eliminates excessive work in the development projects.

SDLC and its stages

Note that stages offered here can vary depending on your development goals and needs.

Project scope definition. Whether it is your project or you have a client who came to hire you, the scope definition is one of the essential elements in the whole process. The client defines the goals and the results they are willing to achieve while the development team, guided by a project manager (PM), carefully notes all the details to clarify the timeline and the list of requirements, as well as outline the number of experts needed to complete the project.

Planning. Once all communication with the customer is behind, and the PM clearly understands the scope of work, the planning time comes. This is where a senior developer can estimate how much time is needed for the project and how many team members should actually be involved. The UX/UI team also states what it will take to finalize the design of a project. Then QAs say their final word about the last checks. Based on all this information, the PM sets out a timeline for all teams with the milestones and goals to be completed at each stage. The final calculations on the price can also be communicated at this stage and hence finalized with the client.

Development. This is the easiest stage in terms of definition. All teams get down to business, coding, testing, and monitoring the system’s performance. This is the core of the whole project course hence the name of the stage.

Testing. After the software is delivered by the developers and the UX/UI designers, the QA team steps in to ensure that all functionalities, buttons, links, and processes in the software work as intended. The head of QAs also reviews the initial requirements and compares them with the final software so that the product serves the intended purpose. Once any bugs or discrepancies are identified, developers fix them, and testing begins again. Only when QAs give the green light, the PM can proceed to the next development stage.

Delivery or deployment. Both names suit this stage well. This is the moment when the client sees the final product and reviews all the work. Should any remarks appear, the development team fixes them. After both sides of the deal are happy, the software is deployed (pushed live).

Maintenance and support. This is not an obligatory stage of SDLC . It might not be applicable for outsourcing companies, while it is pretty common for the in-house development teams. After the rollout of the software, the development team keeps on working to maintain high performance, eliminate any bugs, deliver updates based on new requirements, and support end-users if required.

Software development life cycle examples

Now let’s move to how the model works in real life and how a development team goes through the cycle.

Project: New CMS

Project scope definition: the client already has a CMS and needs to update and improve the existing solution. The main request is the UI to be more intuitive to let even new team members easily manage and create new mobile solutions, websites, and intranets.

Planning: since the task is not the addition of a new feature but a complete re-development of the existing system, the Agile framework works best for such tasks. At every point of the process, every element can be updated, redesigned, and readjusted to fit the altered final goal.

Development: of course, during the development, everything may happen since the initial request is not clearly defined. But let’s assume that the developers turn the system towards a custom-made web framework as opposed to the open-source framework. This is justified by higher levels of content security. The UI team then enriches the front-end to make it more intuitive and user-friendly.

Testing: the testing process will usually look similar for all development projects. The QA team performs automated and manual tests to guarantee that the system works as designed and matches the customer’s requirements.

Delivery and deployment: in a perfect world, the new solution will be accepted by the client without any comments and hence will be deployed soon after testing.

Maintenance and support: whenever users report about any bugs or a client requests new features, the dev team gets back to the projects and fixes the problems while updating the system.

Project: Streaming app

Project scope definition: the client needs to develop an omnipresent streaming app that will allow customers to watch their streaming on any device (phones, tablets, OCs, laptops, TVs, and gaming consoles).

Planning: the dev team offers to work on Backbone.js to minimize the development costs and hence increase development productivity. Additional features are proposed to the client to maximize a smooth experience from the app (stream purchasing after its passing). After the approval from the client, the development team gets down to coding.

Development: the specific requirements allow the team to work fast and efficiently, delivering the app earlier than planned.

Testing: since the core development ends earlier, the Quality Assurance team has more time for testing. In the process, it appears that the app database does not accept users with identical first and last names. The bug is reported to the dev team and fixed within the timeframe.

Delivery and deployment: the customer is satisfied with the result but requests UI color change owing to the company’s rebranding strategy. The last adjustments are made, and the app is deployed.

Maintenance and support: the client refuses to receive any maintenance and support assistance.

The bottom line

The software development life cycle examples above demonstrate the versatility of the methodology and its effectiveness for projects of different scope and complexity. The important thing to remember about SDLC is that the overall success of software development within this framework heavily depends on the first two steps: scope definition and planning. Whenever the end-points or the expectations get accurately authorized by a client, the development team gets the possibility to prepare the final solution just as required without the need to jump back and fix or add any unexpected features.

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What is SDLC? Software Development Life Cycle Phases, Methodologies, and Processes Explained

By Adam Naor

James Taylor, who authored Managing Information Technology Projects , noted that a “project life cycle encompasses all the activities of a project." And the goal of systems development is the realization of the product requirements.

If you want to learn how to build, deploy, and create high quality software you will want to follow a blueprint.

As Taylor articulated, your goal should be to think holistically about all the activities of a project and how to best manage each stage.

But where should you start?

One answer is to leverage a framework to guide your behavior and work-flows.

One particularly powerful and popular framework is called the Software Development Life Cycle process (SDLC).

In this article I will walk you through the following:

• How SDLC works and why it is used
• Each stage of SDLC and the best practices and methodologies you must be aware of when using it
• I will conclude by citing examples to show the benefits of the SDLC approach.

How SDLC Works and Why it is Used

SDLC consists of six steps which I have diagrammed here for your reference.

In totality, SDLC is a closed loop. This means that each step influences actions that come after it and each stage provides forward looking guidance.

The six phases seek to build on each other in an efficient manner to answer questions and to ensure alignment in your development process.

I seek to take the abstract and provide examples that you, as students and practitioners of software development, can more readily relate to.

For example, if you strive to build software designed for hourly employees, as Zoomshift has done, or time tracking software, you would start at the “requirement analysis” stage.

Here, at this most foundational level, you would figure out what the requirements of workers are when it comes to tracking hours and labor.

You might do this by speaking with hourly employees. Perhaps you would engage in a conversation with managers who lead hourly worker teams.

Another idea is that you could test solutions on the market to better understand the pitfalls of existing software.

You could take notes, sketch diagrams, or build graphs to more deeply understand qualitative and quantitative feedback.

Only after deeply understanding these pain points will you be ready to go to the next phase of SDLC.

Only then can you start the planning phase.

The requirements analysis phase may be tedious.

But by going through these steps you can reduce your time to market, ensure a better product output, save money, and increase the likelihood of product market fit.

Think beyond time tracking.

Think about what you want to build and where your technology passions are.

Figure out the requirements to solve problems in that domain. This is where you start.

Stages of SDLC and Best Practices and Methodologies

Each step must be completed before proceeding to the next phase in the development journey.

Most importantly, the first three steps seek to generate answers to questions and the last three steps are optimized to provide outputs.

• Requirement analysis
• Answer: what problems need to be solved?
• Answer: what do we want to do?
• Architectural/software design
• Answer: How do we reach our goal?
• Software Development
• Solve: Let’s build
• Solve: Let’s ensure what we have built works
• Solve: Let’s take our solution and use it.

These six phases map to behavior you might already be implementing when scoping, building, testing, and releasing software. But SDLC makes the work-flow standardized and formal.

This is to your benefit: by following specific steps you can easily communicate where you are in the process, and inform others of where you are headed.

Let’s dive deeper into each stage and explain the probing questions and outcomes you will want to optimize for.

Phase #1: Requirements Analysis

This stage of the SDLC forces you to obtain feedback and buy-in from relevant internal and external stakeholders.

Think about my prior examples with time tracking software development. You will need to think broadly about who your “users” are.

Some ideas include your clients, designers, your boss, or other technical representatives on the team.

Ultimately you are looking to answer this question: what problems need to be solved? I find it helpful in phase one to take notes and to actively listen.

When you feel highly comfortable with your answers you can advance to the next phase.

Phase #2: Planning

You are seeking to answer this question: what do we want to do? This question might inspire you to understand the unit economics of your plan (costs and benefits), risk mitigation factors, and expected values.

Much like planning for a vacation, you need to get your possessions organized and think about what bags to pack.

Here is a relevant example.

I have read extensively about the history of Instagram. A tremendous amount of time was spent on the planning phase of the app’s development. This was just at the time social media was rapidly expanding.

How users would interact with the product was still very much unknown.

The founders knew that if the foundational experience was strong (taking, editing, and sharing photographs) then growth, success, and high conversion would follow. This is what they planned for.

The founders spent time on application and website design knowing that if they planned correctly the actual architecting and design stage would be smoother.

They were always looking one step ahead and thinking about the future of social sharing and e-commerce shopping.

Plan for what you can control and be mindful of things you can’t plan for. This will help you have a solid foundation heading into phase three.

Phase #3: Architectural/software design

By this stage you know what your requirements are and what you want.

You are on solid ground to now answer the following question before you start writing software: how do we reach our goal? In short, you need to decide what you are optimizing for and design for that.

Perhaps you are building software that you want to be secure, high-performing, resilient, and efficient. Which of those principles is most important to you and why?

Do the stakeholders from the first phase agree? Ensure that stakeholders are fully aligned.

After the design phase you will start putting “hands on keyboards” and making changes will become more costly in terms of time and money spent. Small variable costs will add up.

There are a few pillars of design that I advise you to consider during this phase: operational excellence, security, reliability, performance efficiency, and cost optimization.

Use these buckets to drive final design decisions.

Phase #4: Software Development

This is the build phase in which you seek not to answer questions but to produce outputs.

Specifically you are looking to show a bias towards action and develop a prototype or system that others can experience.

When you start building, it's critical you follow the first three phases so that your output aligns with expectations.

Get your computer out, make sure your environment is conducive to work, grab a coffee and mug warmer, and turn on your monitor.

In this phase you get to earn the trust of your stakeholders by embodying a builder's mindset.

Phase #5: Testing

I used to see co-workers wear t-shirts that said the following: “Building rocks, testing not so much.”

You can’t produce a final version of a product without eating your own “dog food”.

At the completion of this phase you are able to ensure that what you have built works. Look for bugs or defects. Get second opinions.

Probe deeply to find errors that will slow down the release of your final product. Ensure strong fundamentals.

Phase #6: Deployment

Go take your solution and use it. Launch. Go Live.

Get the stakeholders from phase one to use your software in the wild. Celebrate. Start measuring sales engagement.

Listen to users and iterate because through user feedback surveys and guidance you can start again at phase one scoping new requirements.

Bringing It All Together: The SDLC Approach

SDLC exists to help you reduce your time to market, ensure a better product output, save money, and increase the likelihood that what you build is useful to the stakeholders that you care about.

SDLC is particularly helpful in the world of software development because it forces you to “color within the lines.”

In other words, SDLC will force you to follow steps and to ensure you are doing the right actions at the right time and for the right reasons.

Think of SDLC as a blueprint for success. Following it blindly doesn’t ensure anything - but it increases the likelihood that you will be satisfied with the results.

Software development - as we all know - is a broad domain and can cover website design tools and online forms to more robust machine learning or backend systems.

Whether or not you are coding in the browser or doing more robust development work, you need a plan of action.

Building software can be hard.

It can also be rewarding. SDLC is a guide for technical work, but more broadly it can be thought of as a guide in life.

You can deploy SDLC to many domains.

For example, SaaS content writing follows the SDLC cycle. Before writing content the author must first define the requirements, plan what will be written, and then actually put pen to paper.

SDLC is a great framework for technology entrepreneurs as well.

My friend wanted to start the a company and reached out to me and others for guidance. I advised him to use SDLC to first perform a requirements analysis even though his ambitions were quite large.

I asked him: what problems are you looking to solve? What do your users want? And lastly, how would this platform help you achieve these goals?

By framing these questions around SDLC he was better able to hone in on his ultimate solution and to build the right tools for the right users.

He narrowed his scope and more tightly defined his problem space. He was able to allocate resources to the planning phase before he started to do anything else.

He went on to build arguably the best Instagram growth service that I am aware of. But his field is constantly evolving.

Now software exists to perform the role of a social media scheduler at scale. Eventually he will need to go back to the basics: requirements analysis.

The adoption of his technology is proof that SDLC, when applied and executed correctly, can lead to profound technological and business outcomes. But as with the development of a business, software is never done.

Hence the cycle continues.

Regardless of what you are building - a company, a tool, a complex program, or an entirely new product - you would be wise to deploy SDLC to ensure quality and to help you maintain focus on your customers while you build.

“Building rocks” should be your North Star.

SDLC is a tool that will help guide you along the way.

If you read this far, thank the author to show them you care. Say Thanks

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SDLC Models: Agile, Waterfall, V-Shaped, Iterative, Spiral

Updated: May 22, 2024

Published: August 4, 2017

There are so many different SDLC models in software engineering, and choosing the best one for your project is half the battle on the way to creating a successful product. People have already developed frameworks for efficient project management called software development methodologies. In the article, we’ll look at the most common ones, see what steps they include, and discuss how to choose the most suitable option according to the requirements.

What is software development life cycle, and why does this notion seem so challenging and complicated at first? SDLC is one of the basic notions of software development. It stands for Software Development Life Cycle. SDLC is a continuous process, which starts when a decision to launch the project is made and ends at the moment of its complete removal from the exploitation. There is no universal SDLC model. They are divided into groups according to some factors, and each approach has its strengths and weaknesses.

Evolving from the first and oldest “waterfall” SDLC model, their variety significantly expanded. The diversity of SDLC models is predetermined by the vast number of product types – starting with web application development services to complex medical software implementation. And if you take one of the SDLC models mentioned below as the basis – in any case, it should be adjusted to the features of the product, project, and company. You can see the most used and reliable SDLC models on the list below:

• Waterfall model
• Iterative model
• Spiral model
• V-shaped model
• Agile model

The SDLC models define how the process is organized, in which order the potential risks are eliminated, and the problems are solved. We’ll look into some of the models, discuss their similarities and differences, and name some of the most beneficial and comfortable to work with. 

By the way, the frequency of communication between the programmers and other details related to the collaboration within a team are also defined by the SDLC model. While planning all details, the project manager should choose the model according to the team size, working schedule, etc.

For example, all software development life cycle models under the adaptive type will not be suitable for large teams and yield results only in groups of approximately 5 to 10 people. Later in the article, we’ll discuss two main types of SDLC models – “adaptive and predictive” or “heavyweight and agile.” 

So, no matter what software development approach you’ve chosen, each has the core stages which every software product goes through.Let’s explore those stages as it is essential to understand different SDLC models in detail.

List of the Content

• Software development life cycle: phases
• Types of SDLC models in software engineering
• SDLC models
• How to choose the SDLC model
• In conclusion

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE: PHASES

There are many different SDLC models in software engineering, and they vary according to many factors. Still, the sequence of software life cycle phases usually remains the same, with a few exceptions. Let’s see what software life cycle phases there are and what should be done during each.

Stage 1. Planning And Requirement Analysis

Requirement gathering and analysis are crucial for a software life cycle. There are many people taking part in this stage and many processes going on. In short, specialists try to look at the project from the business perspective and understand whether it’s worth the investment. 

Each software development life cycle model starts with the analysis, in which the stakeholders of the process discuss the requirements for the final product. The goal of this stage is the detailed definition of the system requirements. Besides, it is necessary to ensure that all the process participants clearly understand the tasks and how specialists will implement every requirement. Often, the discussion involves the QA specialists who can interrupt the process with the adjustments even during the development stage if it is necessary. Also, a project manager defines the technologies used in the project, team load, limitations, time frames, and budget. The most appropriate project decisions are made according to the specified requirements.

Business analysts perform the most crucial part of the work at this stage. They actively communicate with a client, conduct meetings, and ask questions. The goal is to receive a precise application’s concept, document it, and present it to the team to rely on during the further stages.

To be more specific, let’s name the deliverables of this stage. Along with the project manager, the business analyst does the cost estimate and defines the scope of work. Depending on the software development model, the requirements may be very strict or just sufficient to start the work. The project manager, in turn, should form the initial working plan and split all tasks correctly between the team members.

What are the deliverables of the requirement analysis phase?

During this stage, specialists form the basis needed for further development. It includes a Software Requirement Specification document, application wireframes, mockups, and a prototype (optional).

Requirement analysis should be approached seriously by the specialists because it is a foundation of all further work.

Stage 2. System Design

The system design stage is practically an extended version of the plan developed during the first phase. So, all gathered info about the product is being analyzed and systematized. The information received during the requirement analysis stage was primarily described in words, and at the design stage, the plan is amended with the technical details.

So, the developers are designing the architecture at this phase of the software life cycle. All the different technical questions that may appear at this stage are discussed by all the stakeholders, including the customer.

Specialists who work actively at this phase are software engineers, system architects, database specialists, designers. And of course, BA, PM, and tech leads remain a permanent part of the software development process.

So, to conclude, the deliverables of the system design stage include system and database architecture, wireframes and mockups of the app’s screens, etc. Each time a system component is created, it should be documented at once.

Stage 3. Development

After the requirements are approved, the process goes to the next stage – actual development. It is the most lengthy stage of the SDLC. Up to this point, all necessary information about the product is ready, and all details are thought out and designed. Developers’ task is to assemble them into one working infrastructure by putting them into code.  So, they start to write the source code while keeping in mind previously defined requirements. The system administrators adjust the software environment. Frontend programmers develop the user interface of the program and the logic for its interaction with the server.

Programmers actively communicate with the designers because the functionality must be consistent with the design. That’s why designers may change something in the mockups, or devs may make minor changes to the features’ implementation.

The programming itself assumes four stages:

• Algorithm development
• Source code writing
• Compilation
• Testing and debugging

Apart from the developers, PM plays an essential role by controlling that the documentation, system design, and other components fall under the relevant standards. He is also responsible for managing teams and consistent product delivery. 

So, before moving on to the next phase, programmers need to code back-end, front-end, databases, APIs, integrations, etc.  After everything described is completed, the team moves to the testing stage.

Stage 4. Testing

The testing phase includes the debugging process. All the code flaws missed during the development are detected here. QA specialists document them and pass them back to the developers for fixing. The testing process repeats until all the critical issues are removed, and the software workflow is stable.

The activity during this phase may vary depending on the testing types adopted by the QA engineers. They do manual testing with the help of such methods:

• Acceptance testing
• White-box testing
• Grey-box testing
• Black-box testing
• Unit testing
• Integration testing

If QA specialists opt for automated testing, they use numerous frameworks and solutions that ease the process.

QA engineers can receive some testing results only after the demo version of an app is published, and they can interact with it as users. The data based on it helps to understand whether the product corresponds to business requirements as well as to the technical ones.

Stage 5. Deployment

When the program is finalized and has no critical issues, it is time to launch it for the end-users. After the initial program version release, the tech support team joins. This department gathers user feedback for further analysis. They also consult and support users during the exploitation.

In Agile development, a DevOps engineer is responsible for app releases and deployments. DevOps specialists use the CI/CD principles (continuous integration and delivery) to facilitate the release processes. Among their responsibilities there are:

• Automating the delivery pipeline
• Source code management
• Code containerization
• Configuration management

DevOps engineers use various tools to achieve faster product deployment — for example, Jenkins , Docker , Git , and others.

Sometimes, the DevOps team includes from 3 to 5 specialists. So that, separate people are in charge of release management, automation, QA overseeing, and security management. But, in some cases, only one high-skilled person takes on all of these responsibilities.

A product manager is responsible for analyzing the data gathered based on the first feedback from real users. So that a team can make conclusions about which practices were successful and which ones they better replace. 

This information helps a business analyst or a product manager understand whether all features are necessary or missing. It provides them with a clear picture of what people want. So, the application adjustments are not uncommon after the initial release.

Maintenance includes two types of work if we divide it roughly: supporting initially created functionality and adding new features. Usually, it involves the maintenance agreement, where the responsibilities of a software provider are strictly defined. It targets more the support of the existing features and outlines how many online consultations and departures to the client are included, what time is suitable for contacting the team, and other details. However, this document also covers the frequency of software updates.

When it comes to the technical side of the issue, a project manager analyzes the feedback after the initial release and assigns the developers to fix bugs and add updates. Significant updates are made according to a particular schedule, and some minor changes are implemented by a DevOps engineer frequently.

While programmers fix bugs and add new features, a DevOps specialist plans, and schedules the ongoing release. After the developers’ work is done, DevOps releases a new version to an app distribution platform or the server if we’re talking about the web apps.

So, if support and maintenance are entirely entrusted to the software development provider, this process doesn’t have timeframes. However, customers may take responsibility for the product maintenance themselves, and in this case, they contact a service provider only in some critical cases they can’t manage on their own.

Want to know more about the software development process?

Curious to find out what specialists take part in each stage, how long it takes, and how much it costs?

TYPES OF SDLC MODELS

If we’re speaking about the classification of SDLC models and methodologies, they can be divided into numerous groups according to different criteria. However, let’s see what the main types of SDLC models are.

There are two core software development life cycle models: heavyweight (predictive) and lightweight (agile). Heavyweight processes imply that the scope of work is predefined in advance. That’s why they are also called predictive. They require a significant contribution from the programmers and weighty documentation. Traditionally, companies chose a heavyweight approach for streamlining and organizing extensive projects. However, now this type of SDLC models has lost its popularity. It decreases project efficiency because of the unnecessary bureaucracy implied.

Today, it is replaced by lightweight or agile processes, also called adaptive. They are a good compromise between overly strict discipline and its total absence. Agile methodologies require a much smaller amount of documentation in terms of a software life cycle.

For example, an adaptive approach considers various customer requirements, such as the necessity of constant application modifications. Predictive SDLC models, in turn, are only growing in complexity with the emergence of unplanned changes. 

Heavyweight methodologies are pertinent in the context of strictly defined requirements and large teams of specialists. Agile tactics are best implemented in terms of frequent amendments to the initial plan and relatively small groups (up to 10 people working in one team).

Predictive SDLC Models

Predictive (heavyweight) models include:

There are many more options, but these are the most common ones. Let’s discover the main characteristics of each. We won’t dive deep into the phases of each model because they are pretty similar. So, let’s find out each model’s peculiarities and pros and cons. 

Adaptive SDLC Models

Among different SDLC models and methodologies, adaptive (agile) are the brightest candidates nowadays. The agile approach opens up new possibilities for specialists, enables more flexibility, and puts the communication between people ahead of the blind plan following. Realizations of Agile models include:

Later in the article, we’ll look into each in detail.

SDLC MODELS

Waterfall sdlc model.

The waterfall is a cascade SDLC model that presents the development process like the flow, moving step by step through the phases of analysis, projecting, realization, testing, implementation, and support. This SDLC model includes gradual execution of every stage. Waterfall implies strict documentation. The features expected of each phase of this SDLC model are predefined in advance.

The waterfall life cycle model is considered one of the best-established ways to handle complex projects. This approach allows avoiding many mistakes that may appear because of insufficient control over the project. However, it results in pervasive documentation development. It is beneficial to the developers who may be working with the product in the future, but it takes a long time to write everything down.

In some cases, the feedback loop is included. It allows making short reviews of each stage’s result and applying some minor amendments. This loop enables specialists to return to the previous phase for a short period.

If something significant changes in the initial plan, a team should wait until the very last stage to return to the beginning and pass all software life cycle phases again.

In the table below, you will find the advantages and disadvantages of the Waterfall SDLC model.

Use cases for the Waterfall SDLC model:

• The requirements are precisely documented
• Product definition is stable
• The technologies stack is predefined, which makes it not dynamic
• No ambiguous requirements
• The project is short

Iterative SDLC Model

The iterative model resembles a waterfall model, but there is quite a considerable difference between them. For example, let’s suppose there’s an app that contains ten core features. In the waterfall case, all ten functions will be thoroughly planned during the requirement analysis and design phases and then steadily implemented during the development stage. The iterative model is quite different. It implies that the whole process is divided into a particular number of iterations, and during each of them, developers build a limited number of features. 

So, the Iterative SDLC model does not require a complete list of requirements before the project starts. The development process may start with the requirements to the functional part, which can be expanded later. The process is repetitive, allowing to make new versions of the product for every cycle. Every iteration (that lasts from two to six weeks) includes the development of a separate component of the system. After that, this component is added to the features developed earlier. Speaking with math terminology, the iterative model is a realization of the sequential approximation method; that means a gradual closeness to the planned final product shape.

For example, during the first iteration, the team has decided to work on three features out of 10. While creating them, developers pass all stages of the software development process, starting from the requirement gathering to the deployment and maintenance. When they move to the next set of functions, the development cycle starts over.

Use cases for the Iteration model:

• The requirements for the final product are clear from the beginning
• The project is large and includes complex tasks
• The main task is predefined, but the details may change in the process

This approach results in constant learning, meaning that during each iteration, the team makes observations and brings new ideas to the next iteration. 

Spiral SDLC Model

Spiral model is a combination of the Iterative and Waterfall SDLC models with a significant accent on the risk analysis. The main issue of the spiral model is defining the right moment to take a step into the next stage. The preliminary set timeframes are recommended as the solution to this issue. The shift to the next stage is done according to the plan, even if the work on the previous step isn’t done yet. The plan is introduced based on the statistical data received in the last projects and even from the personal developer’s experience.

Use cases for the Spiral model

• The customer isn’t sure about the requirements
• Significant edits are expected during the software development life cycle
• Risk management is highly essential for the project

V-shaped SDLC Model

The V-shaped algorithm differs from the previous ones by the work approach and the architecture. If we visualize this model, we’ll see that there appears one more axis, unlike the waterfall and iterative models. Along with the first one, they constitute the V letter.

The V-model is called this way because of the scheme’s appearance and because its primary priorities are Verification and Validation. Stages positioned along the left axis display the verification phases, and the ones on the right are responsible for validation.

Let’s clear the terms in a few words, so there’s no misconception. Verification and validation mean different things, though they seem pretty similar. The goal of verification is to determine whether the software is consistent with the initial technical requirements. Validation, in turn, should confirm whether the product corresponds to the business needs, whether it serves its intended purpose, whether it acts as planned. To summarize, verification accounts for aligning features with the technical requirements based on the business requirements. Validation manages the last ones. 

These concepts include different types of product testing. These methods are located along the respective axes. One on the left side necessarily has an associated one on the right. For example, the requirement analysis stage corresponds to acceptance testing, system design to system testing, architecture design to integration testing, etc.

To summarize, the V-shaped SDLC model is an expansion of the classic waterfall model, and it’s based on the associated test stage for every development stage. This is a rigorous model, and the next step is started only after the previous one is over. Every phase includes the current process control to ensure that the conversion to the next stage is possible.

Use cases for the V-shaped model:

• For the projects where accurate product testing is required
• For the small and mid-sized projects, where requirements are strictly predefined
• The engineers of the required qualification, especially testers, are within easy reach

HOW TO CHOOSE THE SDLC MODEL

When it’s time to choose the software development approach, there’s a strong chance of getting confused over numerous options. However, if you learn a little about each, it all starts shaping up. Each software development methodology has some significant distinctions that you may proceed from. In addition, it’s usually project or delivery managers who are in charge of choosing the right approach. Their knowledge of the peculiarities of each methodology noticeably facilitates the task.

Still, let’s find out what logic is implied in choosing the technique that will make the best fit for your project. Firstly, it’s necessary to think about:

• How precise the requirements are
• How lengthy the project is
• How complex the project is
• How large the budget is
• How extensive the client wants the documentation to be

As soon as you have answered these questions, you should integrate them with your knowledge about software development techniques. Let’s briefly go over each question.

If we’re talking about the unclear requirements, the Agile software development process is a win. Iterative and Spiral models do fit as well.

When the timeframes are limited to short, Agile is the correct answer. Due to the possibility of amending changes anytime and working simultaneously on many features, it significantly reduces the timeframes. 

Some people may still consider Agile not stable enough to leverage it in large projects. It may seem that predictive models provide more permanence and sustainability that should theoretically result in fast product delivery and high app quality. However, it’s nearly impossible to plan a project that lasts one year or even more. No one can predict all the minor details that may appear in the middle of the process. That’s why heavyweight methodologies often face unexpectedly increased time frames when one subtle change in the scope results in the cascade of changes and ruins all plans. Such a software development approach is suitable for smaller projects with fewer requirements.

Starting software development with the Waterfall or V-shaped model when the budget is relatively low is questionable. Such models require numerous cycle repetitions leading to increased development time and, consequently, the budget.

It’s all quite clear about the documentation. It’s already been discussed that despite all advantages an Agile approach has, extensive documentation is not among its strengths. If a client requires detailed documentation, it’s better to opt for heavyweight techniques like Waterfall, V-shaped, or Iterative methodologies.

Does it still seem like there’s too much information to make the right choice? As visualization makes it easier to perceive the data, some people form a table to put all the questions and methodologies. They mark the respective boxes as “+” or “-.” Then, choosing the best option becomes very straightforward.

The table may and should be amended with some more questions, but you can see the main points to understand the concept in the presented table.

One more crucial thing to say is that you can continually optimize the existing model. You don’t have to follow all instructions blindly. They exist to guide you through the process, but you can optimize the duration of the stages or add some more if you consider it necessary. 

Methodologies eliminate the need to invent new management and development techniques. They are a framework for the software development process. Also, they provide every team member with a clearly defined plan so that everyone understands what they’re doing, why, and what’s the final goal.

Different models were created during the SDLC evolution to meet a wide variety of development requirements and expectations. Nowadays, the world is moving towards flexibility instead of excessive regularity and orderliness. Still, agile approaches perfectly combine responsiveness and well-organized project management.

Are you in the process of choosing the best software development approach for your project, but a vast number of options make you hesitate? 

Share your ideas with the specialists of EXISTEK. We’ve been working on different projects, so we’ll find the most appropriate approach for you.

Frequently asked questions

What are the 5 stages of software development?

The software development process usually includes 5 main steps that include:

• Requirement analysis
• System design
• Development
• Deployment and maintenance

These 5 phases may be amended by some others, or their names may differ depending on the software development methodology. However, traditionally, exactly these five steps are considered the necessary basis.

How is SDLC different from STLC?

These two terms are often used interchangeably although they mean different things. The first one stands for software development life cycle and describes the stages that software passes while being built. The second term is about testing. It streamlines the testing process by dividing it into particular phases as well.

How are development methodologies classified?

Software development approaches are divided into two major groups: heavyweight (predictive) and lightweight (adaptive). The first group includes techniques that require creating a detailed plan and its further following. Such models include Waterfall, V-shaped, Iterative, etc. The second type contains flexible methods that allow making changes in the process. It includes Scrum/XP, Kanban, etc.

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A Case Study of the Application of the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) in 21 st Century Health Care: Something Old, Something New?

Permissions : This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Please contact [email protected] to use this work in a way not covered by the license.

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The systems development life cycle (SDLC), while undergoing numerous changes to its name and related components over the years, has remained a steadfast and reliable approach to software development. Although there is some debate as to the appropriate number of steps, and the naming conventions thereof, nonetheless it is a tried-and-true methodology that has withstood the test of time. This paper discusses the application of the SDLC in a 21st century health care environment. Specifically, it was utilized for the procurement of a software package designed particularly for the Home Health component of a regional hospital care facility. We found that the methodology is still as useful today as it ever was. By following the stages of the SDLC, an effective software product was identified, selected, and implemented in a real-world environment. Lessons learned from the project, and implications for practice, research, and pedagogy, are offered. Insights from this study can be applied as a pedagogical tool in a variety of classroom environments and curricula including, but not limited to, the systems analysis and design course as well as the core information systems (IS) class. It can also be used as a case study in an upper-division or graduate course describing the implementation of the SDLC in practice.

INTRODUCTION

The systems development life cycle, in its variant forms, remains one of the oldest and yet still widely used methods of software development and acquisition methods in the information technology (IT) arena. While it has evolved over the years in response to ever-changing scenarios and paradigm shifts pertaining to the building or acquiring of software, its central tenants are as applicable today as they ever were. Life-cycle stages have gone through iterations of different names and number of steps, but at the core the SDLC is resilient in its tried-and-true deployment in business, industry, and government. In fact, the SDLC has been called one of the two dominant systems development methodologies today, along with prototyping (Piccoli, 2012). Thus, learning about the SDLC remains important to the students of today as well as tomorrow.

This paper describes the use of the SDLC in a real-world heath care setting involving a principle component of a regional hospital care facility. The paper can be used as a pedagogical tool in a systems analysis and design course, or in an upper-division or graduate course as a case study of the implementation of the SDLC in practice. First, a review of the SDLC is provided, followed by a description of the case study environment. Next, the application of the methodology is described in detail. Following, inferences and observations from the project are presented, along with lessons learned. Finally, the paper concludes with implications for the three areas of research, practice, and pedagogy, as well as suggestions for future research.

The SDLC has been a part of the IT community since the inception of the modern digital computer. A course in Systems Analysis and Design is requisite in most Management Information Systems programs (Topi, Valacich, Wright, Kaiser, Nunamaker, Sipior, and de Vreede, 2010). While such classes offer an overview of many different means of developing or acquiring software (e.g., prototyping, extreme programming, rapid application development (RAD), joint application development (JAD), etc.), at their heart such programs still devote a considerable amount of time to the SDLC, as they should. As this paper will show, following the steps and stages of the methodology is still a valid method of insuring the successful deployment of software. While the SDLC, and systems analysis and design in general, has evolved over the years, at its heart it remains a robust methodology for developing software and systems.

Early treatises of the SDLC promoted the rigorous delineation of necessary steps to follow for any kind of software project. The Waterfall Model (Boehm, 1976) is one of the most well-known forms. In this classic representation, the methodology involves seven sequential steps: 1) System Requirements and Validation; 2) Software Requirements and Validation; 3) Preliminary Design and Validation; 4) Detailed Design and Validation; 5) Code, Debug, Deployment, and Test; 6) Test, Preoperations, Validation Test; and 7) Operations, Maintenance, Revalidation. In the original description of the Boehm-Waterfall software engineering methodology, there is an interactive backstep between each stage. Thus the Boehm-Waterfall is a combination of a sequential methodology with an interactive backstep (Burback, 2004).

Other early works were patterned after the Waterfall Model, with varying numbers of steps and not-markedly-different names for each stage. For example, Gore and Stubbe (1983) advocated a four-step approach consisting of the study phase, the design phase, the development phase, and the operation phase (p. 25). Martin and McClure (1988) described it as a multistep process consisting of five basic sequential phases: analysis, design, code, test, and maintain (p. 18). Another widely used text (Whitten, Bentley, and Ho, 1986) during the 1980s advocated an eight-step method. Beginning with 1) Survey the Situation, it was followed by 2) Study Current System; 3) Determine User Requirements; 4) Evaluate Alternative Solutions; 5) Design New System; 6) Select New Computer Equipment and Software; 7) Construct New System; and 8) Deliver New System.

Almost two decades later, a book by the same set of authors in general (Whitten, Bentley, and Dittman, 2004) also advocated an eight step series of phases, although the names of the stages changed somewhat (albeit not significantly). The methodology proceeded through the steps of Scope definition, Problem analysis, Requirements analysis, Logical design, Decision analysis, Physical design and integration, Construction and testing, and ending with Installation and delivery (p. 89). It is interesting to note that nearly 20 years later, the naming conventions used in the newer text are almost synonymous with those in the older work. The Whitten and Bentley (2008) text, in its present form, still breaks up the process into eight stages. While there is no consensus in the naming (or number) of stages (e.g., many systems analysis and design textbooks advocate their own nomenclature (c.f. Whitten, Bentley, and Barlow (1994), O’Brien (1993), Taggart and Silbey (1986)), McMurtrey (1997) reviewed the various forms of the life cycle in his dissertation work and came up with a generic SDLC involving the phases of Analysis, Design, Coding, Testing, Implementation, and Maintenance.

Even one of the most current and popular systems analysis and design textbooks (Kendall and Kendall, 2011) does not depart from tradition, emphasizing that the SDLC is still primarily comprised of seven phases. Although not immune to criticism, Hoffer, George, and Valacich (2011) believe that the view of systems analysis and design taking place in a cycle continues to be pervasive and true (p. 24). Thus, while the SDLC has evolved over the years under the guise of different combinations of naming conventions and numbers of steps or stages, it remains true to form as a well-tested methodology for software development and acquisition. We now turn our attention to how it was utilized in a present-day health care setting.

Case Study Setting

The present investigation regards the selection of a software package by a medium-size regional hospital for use in the Home Health segment of their organization. The hospital (to be referred to in this monograph by a fictitious name, General Hospital) is located in the central portion of a southern state in the USA, within 30 minutes of the state capital. Its constituents reside in the largest SMSA (standard metropolitan statistical area) in the state and consist of both rural, suburban, and city residents. The 149-bed facility is a state-of-the-art institution, as 91% of their 23 quality measures are better than the national average (“Where to Find Care”, 2010). Services offered include Emergency Department, Hospice, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Obstetrics, Open Heart Surgery, and Pediatrics. Additional components of General Hospital consist of an Imaging Center, a Rehabilitation Hospital, Four Primary Care Clinics, a Health and Fitness Center (one of the largest in the nation with more than 70,000 square feet and 7,000 members), a Wound Healing Center, regional Therapy Centers, and Home Care (the focal point of this study).

There are more than 120 physicians on the active medical staff, over 1,400 employees and in excess of 100 volunteers (“General Hospital”, 2010). In short, it is representative of many similar patient care facilities around the nation and the world. As such, it provides a rich environment for the investigation of using the SDLC in a 21 st century health care institution.

Home Health and Study Overview

Home Health, or Home Care, is the portion of health care that is carried out at the patient’s home or residence. It is a participatory arrangement that eliminates the need for constant trips to the hospital for routine procedures. For example, patients take their own blood pressure (or heart rate, glucose level, etc.) using a device hooked up near their bed at home. The results are transmitted to the hospital (or in this case, the Home Health facility near General Hospital) electronically and are immediately processed, inspected, and monitored by attending staff.

In addition, there is a Lifeline feature available to elderly or other homebound individuals. The unit includes a button worn on a necklace or bracelet that the patient can push should they need assistance (“Home Health”, 2010). Periodically, clinicians (e.g., nurses, physical therapists, etc.) will visit the patient in their home to monitor their progress and perform routine inspections and maintenance on the technology.

The author was approached by his neighbor, a retired accounting faculty member who is a volunteer at General Hospital. He had been asked by hospital administration to investigate the acquisition, and eventual purchase, of software to facilitate and help coordinate the Home Health care portion of their business. After an initial meeting to offer help and familiarize ourselves with the task at hand, we met with staff (i.e., both management and the end-users) at the Home Health facility to begin our research.

THE SDLC IN ACTION

The author, having taught the SAD course many times, recognized from the outset that this particular project would indeed follow the stages of the traditional SDLC. While we would not be responsible for some of the steps (e.g., testing, and training of staff), we would follow many of the others in a lockstep fashion, thus, the task was an adaptation of the SDLC (i.e., a software acquisition project) as opposed to a software development project involving all the stages. For students, it is important to see that they benefit from understanding that the core ideas of the SDLC can be adapted to fit a “buy” (rather than “make”) situation. Their knowledge of the SDLC can be applied to a non-development context. The systematic approach is adaptable, which makes the knowledge more valuable. In this project, we used a modified version of the SDLC that corresponds to the form advocated by McMurtrey (1997). Consequently, we proceed in this monograph in the same fashion that the project was presented to us: step by step in line with the SDLC.

Problem Definition

The first step in the Systems Development Life Cycle is the Problem Definition component of the Analysis phase. One would be hard-pressed to offer a solution to a problem that was not fully defined. The Home Health portion of General Hospital had been reorganized as a separate, subsidiary unit located near the main hospital in its own standalone facility. Furthermore, the software they were using was at least seven years old and could simply not keep up with all the changes in billing practices and Medicare requirements and payments. The current system was not scalable to the growing needs and transformation within the environment. Thus, in addition to specific desirable criteria of the chosen software (described in the following section), our explicit purpose in helping General was twofold: 1) to modernize their operations with current technology; and 2) to provide the best patient care available to their clients in the Home Health arena.

A precursor to the Analysis stage, often mentioned in textbooks (e.g., Valacich, George, and Hoffer, 2009) and of great importance in a practical setting, is the Feasibility Study. This preface to the beginning of the Analysis phase is oftentimes broken down into three areas of feasibility:

• Technical (Do we have the necessary resources and infrastructure to support the software if it is acquired?)
• Economic (Do we have the financial resources to pay for it, including support and maintenance?)
• Operational (Do we have properly trained individuals who can operate and use the software?).

Fortunately, these questions had all been answered in the affirmative before we joined the project. The Director of Information Technology at General Hospital budgeted $250,000 for procurement (thus meeting the criteria for economic feasibility); General’s IT infrastructure was more than adequate and up to date with regard to supporting the new software (technical feasibility); and support staff and potential end users were well trained and enthusiastic about adopting the new technology (operational feasibility). Given that the Feasibility Study portion of the SDLC was complete, we endeavored forthwith into the project details.

Requirements Analysis

In the Requirements Analysis portion of the Analysis stage, great care is taken to ensure that the proposed system meets the objectives put forth by management. To that end, we met with the various stakeholders (i.e., the Director of the Home Care facility and potential end-users) to map out the requirements needed from the new system. Copious notes were taken at these meetings, and a conscientious effort to synthesize our recollections was done. Afterwards, the requirements were collated into a spreadsheet for ease of inspection (Exhibit 1). Several key requirements are described here:

MEDITECH Compatible: This was the first, and one of the most important requirements, at least from a technological viewpoint. MEDITECH (Medical Information Technology, Inc.) has been a leading software vendor in the health care informatics industry for 40 years (“About Meditech”, 2009). It is the flagship product used at General Hospital and is described as the number one health care vendor in the United States with approximately 25% market share (“International News”, 2006). All Meditech platforms are certified EMR/EHR systems (“Meditech News”, 2012). “With an Electronic Health Record, a patient's record follows her electronically. From the physician's office, to the hospital, to her home-based care, and to any other place she receives health services, and she and her doctors can access all of this information and communicate with a smartphone or computer” (“The New Meditech”, 2012). Because of its strategic importance to General, and its overall large footprint in the entire infrastructure and day-to-day operations, it was imperative that the new software would be Meditech-compatible.

Point of Care Documentation: Electronic medical record (EMR) point-of-care (POC) documentation in patients' rooms is a recent shift in technology use in hospitals (Duffy, Kharasch, Morris, and Du, 2010). POC documentation reduces inefficiencies, decreases the probability of errors, promotes information transfer, and encourages the caregiver to be at the bedside or, in the case of home care, on the receiving end of the transmission.

OASIS Analyzer: OASIS is a system developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), formerly an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as part of the required home care assessment for reimbursing health care providers. OASIS combines 20 data elements to measure case-mix across 3 domains–clinical severity, functional status and utilization factors (“Medical Dictionary”, 2010). This module allows staff to work more intelligently, allowing them to easily analyze outcomes data in an effort to move toward improved clinical and financial results (“Butte Home Health”, 2009). Given its strategic link to Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, OASIS Analyzer was a “must have” feature of the new software.

Physician Portal: The chosen software package must have an entryway for the attending, resident, or primary caregiver physician to interact with the system in a seamless fashion. Such a gateway will facilitate efficient patient care by enabling the physician to have immediate access to critical patient data and history.

Other “Must Haves” of the New Software: Special billing and accounts receivable modules tailored to Home Health; real-time reports and built-in digital dashboards to provide business intelligence (e.g., OASIS Analyzer); schedule optimization; and last, but certainly not least, the system must be user friendly.

Desirable, But Not Absolutely Necessary Features: Security (advanced, beyond the normal user identification and password type); trial period available (i.e., could General try it out for a limited time before fully committing to the contract?).

Other Items of interest During the Analysis Phase: Several other issues were important in this phase:

• Is the proposed solution a Home Health-only product, or is it part of a larger, perhaps enterprise-wide system?
• Are there other modules available (e.g., financial, clinical, hospice; applications to synchronize the system with a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) or smart phone)?
• Is there a web demo available to view online; or, even better, is there an opportunity to participate in a live, hands-on demonstration of the software under real or simulated conditions?

We also made note of other observations that might be helpful in selecting final candidates to be considered for site visits. To gain insight into the experience, dependability, and professionalism of the vendors, we also kept track of information such as: experience (i.e., number of years in business); number of clients or customers; revenues; and helpfulness (return e-mails and/or phone calls within a timely manner or at all).

Finally, some anecdotal evidence was gathered to help us evaluate each vendor as a potential finalist. For instance, Vendor A had an Implementation/Installation Team to assist with that stage of the software deployment; they also maintained a Knowledge Base (database) of Use Cases/List Cases describing the most frequently occurring problems or pitfalls. Vendor C sponsored an annual User Conference where users could share experiences with using the product, as well as provide feedback to be incorporated into future releases. To that end, Vendor C also had a user representative on their Product Advisory Board. Vendor E offered a “cloud computing” choice, in that the product was hosted in their data center. (A potential buyer did not have to choose the web-enabled solution.) Vendor E’s offering was part of an enterprise solution, and could be synchronized with a PDA or smart phone.

As previously noted, for this particular case study of software selection, the researchers did not have to proceed through each step of the SDLC since the software products already existed. Thus, the Design stage of the SDLC has already been carried out by the vendors. In a similar vein, the coding, testing, and debugging of program modules had too been performed by each vendor candidate. Thus, after painstakingly analyzing all the wares, features, pros and cons, and costs and benefits associated with each product, we were now ready to make a choice: we would whittle our list of five potential vendors down to the two that we felt met our needs and showed the most interest and promise.

The principle investigators arranged another meeting with the primary stakeholders of General Hospital’s Home Health division. After all, although we had done the research, they were the ones that would be using the system for the foreseeable future. As such, it only made sense that they be heavily involved. This is in line with what is put forth in systems analysis and design textbooks: user involvement is a key component to system success. Having carefully reviewed our research notes, in addition to the various brochures, websites, proposals, communications, and related documents from each of our shortlist of five vendors, together as a group we made our decision. We would invite Vendor B for a site visit and demonstration.

Vendor B was very professional, courteous, prompt, and conscientious during their visit. One thing that greatly supported their case was that their primary business model focused on Home Health software. It was, and still is, their core competency. In contrast, one other vendor (not on our original short list of five) came and made a very polished presentation, in the words of the Director. However, this company was a multi-billion dollar concern, of which Home Health software was only a small part. Thus the choice was made to go with Vendor B.

Ironically, this seller’s product was not Meditech compatible, which was one of the most important criteria for selection. However, through the use of a middleware company that had considerable experience in designing interfaces to be used in a Meditech environment, a suitable arrangement was made and a customized solution was developed and put into use. The middleware vendor had done business with General before and, therefore, was familiar with their needs.

Implementation

As is taught in SAD classes, the implementation stage of the SDLC usually follows one of four main forms. These are, according to Valacich, George, and Hoffer (2009): 1) Direct Installation (sometimes also referred to as Direct Cutover, Abrupt, or Cold Turkey method) where the old system is simply removed and replaced with the new software, perhaps over the weekend; 2) Parallel Installation, when the old and new systems are run side-by-side until at some point (the “go live” date) use of the former software is eliminated; 3) Single Location Installation (or the Pilot approach) involves using one site (or several sites if the software rollout is to be nationwide or international involving hundreds of locations) as beta or test installations to identify any bugs or usage problems before committing to the new software on a large scale; and 4) Phased Installation, which is the process of integrating segments of program modules into stages of implementation, ensuring that each block works before the whole software product is implemented in its entirety.

The Home Care unit of General Hospital utilized the Parallel Installation method for approximately 60 days before the “go live” date. Clinicians would “double enter” patient records and admissions data into both the old and new systems to ensure that the new database was populated, while at the same time maintaining patient care with the former product until its disposal. The Director of the Home Care facility noted that this process took longer than anticipated but was well worth it in the long run. Once the “go live” date was reached the new system performed quite well, with a minimal amount of disruption.

Training of staff commenced two weeks before the “go live” date. Of the approximately 25 users, half were trained the first week and the rest the next. Clinicians had to perform a live visit with one of their patients using the new system. Thus they would already have experience with it in a hands-on environment before switching to the new product and committing to it on a full-time basis.

It is again worth noting that the implementation method, Parallel Installation, follows from the SDLC and is what is taught in modern-day SAD courses. Thus, it was satisfying to the researchers that textbook concepts were being utilized in “real world” situations. It also reinforced that teaching the SDLC was in line with current curriculum guidelines and should continue.

Maintenance/Support

Software upgrades (called “code loads” by the vendor) are performed every six weeks. The Director reported that these advancements were not disruptive to everyday operations. Such upgrades are especially important in the health care industry, as changes to Medicare and billing practices are common occurrences. The Director also noted that all end users, including nurses, physical therapists, physicians, and other staff, were very happy with the new system and, collectively, had no major complaints about it. General Hospital expects to use the software for the foreseeable future, with no plans to have to embark on another project of this magnitude for quite some time.

Many inferences and observations were gleaned by both the researchers and hospital staff during the course of the investigation. First, we all learned that we must “do our homework”; that is, much research and analysis had to be performed to get up to speed on the project. For instance, while the principle investigators both had doctoral degrees in business administration, and one of them (the author) had taught the systems analysis and design course for over ten years at two different institutions, neither of us had any practical experience in the Home Health arena. Thus, we had to familiarize ourselves with the current environment as well as grasp an understanding of the criteria set forth by the stakeholders (both end-users and management). This was an important lesson learned, because we teach our students (in the SAD class) that they must not only familiarize themselves with the application at hand, but they must also interact with the users. Much research has been conducted in the area of user involvement and its relationship to system success (e.g., Ives and Olson, 1984; Baroudi, Olson, and Ives, 1986; Tait and Vessey, 1988). Therefore it was satisfying, from a pedagogical standpoint, to know that concepts taught in a classroom setting were being utilized in a real-world environment.

It was also very enlightening, from the standpoint of business school professors, to see how the core functional areas of study (e.g., marketing, management, accounting, etc., not to mention MIS) were also highly integral to the project at hand. During our research on the various vendor companies, we were subjected to a myriad of different marketing campaigns and promotional brochures, which typically touted their wares as the “best” on the market. Key, integral components (such as billing, scheduling, business intelligence, patient care, electronic medical records (EMR), etc.) that are critical success factors in almost any business were promoted and we were made keenly aware of their strategic importance. Again, this was very rewarding from the point of view from business school professors: we were very pleased that our graduates and students are learning all of these concepts (and more) as core competencies in the curriculum.

Finally, probably the most positive outcome from the project was that patient care will be improved as a result of this endeavor. Following that, it was enlightening that an adaptation of the SDLC was applied to a healthcare setting and it achieved positive results. This showed that the SDLC, in part or in whole, is alive and well and is an important part of the MIS world in both practice and academia. In addition, key outcomes regarding each were identified and are elaborated upon in the following section.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE, RESEARCH AND PEDAGOGY

Implications for practice.

This project, and case study, was an application of pedagogy on a real-world systems analysis project. As such, it has implications for practice. First, it showed that concepts learned in a classroom environment (such as the SDLC in the systems analysis and design course) can be effectively applied in a business (or in our case, a health care) environment. It was very satisfying for us, as business school professors, to see instructional topics successfully employed to solve a real-world problem. For practitioners, such as any organization looking to acquire a software package, we hope that we have shown that if one applies due diligence to their research effort that positive outcomes can be achieved. Our findings might also help practitioners appreciate that tried and true methods, such as the SDLC, are applicable to projects of a similar nature, and not just academic exercises to fulfill curriculum requirements. We find this among the most gratifying implications.

Implications for Research

This project could be used as the beginning of a longitudinal study into the life cycle of the Home Health software product selected. It is customary to note that maintenance can consume half of the IS budget when it comes to software, especially large-scale systems (Dorfman and Thayer, 1997). It would be interesting to track this project, in real time, to see if that is indeed the case. Furthermore, an often-neglected phase of the SDLC is the stage at the very end: disposal of the system. By following the present study to the end, it would be enlightening (from all three viewpoints of research, practice, and pedagogy) to see what happens at the end of the software’s useful life. Additional future research might investigate the utilization of the SDLC in different contexts, or even other settings with the healthcare arena.

Implications for Pedagogy

Insights for the sad course.

After learning so much about real-world software acquisition throughout this voluntary consulting project, the author has utilized it in classroom settings. First, the obvious connection with the SAD course was made. To that end, in addition to another semester-long project they work on in a group setting, the students pick an application domain (such as a veterinary clinic, a dentist’s office, a movie rental store, etc.) and perform a research effort not unlike the one described in this monograph. Afterwards, a presentation is made to the class whereby three to five candidate vendors are shown, along with the associated criteria used, and then one is chosen. Reasons are given for the selection and additional questions are asked, if necessary. This exercise gives the students a real-world look at application software through the lens of the SDLC.

While some SAD professors are able to engage local businesses to provide more of a “real-world” application by allowing students to literally develop a system, such an endeavor was not possible at the time of this study. The benefits of such an approach are, or course, that it provides students “real world” experience and applying concepts learned in school to practical uses. The drawback is that it requires a substantial commitment from the business and oftentimes the proprietors pull back from the project if they get too busy with other things. Thus, the decision was made to allow students to pick an application domain, under the assumption that they had been contracted by the owners to acquire a system for them.

Such an exercise enables students to engage in what Houghton and Ruth (2010) call “deep learning”. They note that such an approach is much more appropriate when the learning material presented involves going beyond simple facts and into what lies below the surface (p. 91). Indeed, this particular exercise for the SAD students was not rote memorization of facts at a surface level; it forced them to perform critical thinking and analysis at a much greater depth of understanding. Although the students were not able to complete a “real world” project to the extent that other educators have reported (e.g., Grant, Malloy, Murphy, Foreman, and Robinson (2010), the experience did allow students to tackle a contemporary project and simulate the solving of it with real-world solutions. This gave them a much greater appreciation for the task of procuring software than just reading about it in textbooks. The educational benefits of using real-world projects are well established both in the United States (Grant et al., 2010) and internationally (Magboo and Magboo, 2003).

From an IS curriculum standpoint, this form of exercise by SAD students helps bridge the well-known gap between theory and practice (Andriole, 2006). As was shown in this monograph, the SDLC is a theory that has widespread application in practice. The project performed by students in the SAD class reinforces what Parker, LeRouge, and Trimmer (2005) described in their paper on alternative instructional strategies in an IS curriculum. That is, SAD is a core component of an education in information systems, and there is a plethora of different ways to deliver a rich experience, including the one described here.

Insights for IS Courses, SAD and non-SAD

Other insights gained, by the SAD students as well as the core MIS course, have to do with what the author teaches during the requisite chapter on software. In class, I present this topic as “the software dilemma”. This description is tantamount to the recognition that when acquiring software, businesses must make one of three choices (in general). The options are “make” versus “buy” versus “outsource” when it comes to acquiring software. (There is also a hybrid approach that involves customizing purchased software.)

Briefly explained, the “make” option presupposes that the organization has an IT staff that can do their own, custom, programming. The “buy” alternative relates to what was described in this paper, in that General Hospital did not have the resources to devote to developing software for their Home Health segment, and as such enlisted the researchers to assist in that endeavor. The “outsource” choice alludes to several different options available, under this umbrella, on the modern-day IT landscape. The decision to outsource could range from an application service provider (ASP) delivering the solution over the internet (or the “cloud”) to complete transfer of the IT operation to a hosting provider or even a server co-location vendor.

Thus, a project like this one could be used in the core MIS course to further illustrate problems and potential pitfalls faced by businesses, small and large, when it comes to software acquisition. Instructors could use the features of this case study to focus on whatever portion of it they thought best: project management, budgeting, personnel requirements, marketing, etc. It could even be used in a marketing class to investigate the ways in which vendors, offering similar solutions to standard problems, differentiate themselves through various marketing channels and strategies.

Furthermore, the case study is ripe for discussion pertaining to a plethora of business school topics, from economics and accounting to customer relationship management. The case is especially rich fodder for the MIS curriculum: not only systems analysis and design, but programming and database classes can find useful, practical, real-world issues surrounding this case that can be used as “teaching tools” to the students.

Finally, a case study like this one could even be used in an operations management, or project management, setting. The discovery of issues, such as those raised in this paper, could be fruitful research for both undergraduate and graduate students alike. A team project, along with a group presentation as the finale, would also give students much-needed experience in public speaking and would help prepare them for the boardrooms of tomorrow.

Two business school professors, one an MIS scholar and the other retired from the accounting faculty, were called upon by a local hospital to assist with the procurement of software for the Home Health area. These academics were up to the challenge, and pleasantly assisted the hospital in their quest. While both researchers hold terminal degrees, each learned quite a bit from the application of principles taught in the classroom (e.g., the SDLC) to the complexities surrounding real-world utilization of them. Great insights were gained, in a variety of areas, and have since been shown as relevant to future practitioners (i.e., students) in the business world. It is hoped that others, in both academe and commerce, will benefit from the results and salient observations from this study.

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The 7 phases of Agile software development life cycle: Agile SDLC explained

In 2001, in Snowbird, Utah, a group of forward-thinking IT professionals gathered to discuss the complexity of software development. They defined the core values and principles that they believed could improve the quality of products and workflow standards.

They highlighted that team collaboration and interactions should take precedence over tools and sophisticated processes, and that small batches of working software are way more important than documentation. The group pointed out that being able to adapt to changes is superior to adhering to the plan and declared that customer satisfaction can only be achieved through active client involvement in the process.

Likely, none of them suspected then that their Agile Manifesto would become an industry Bible and remain relevant in the decades to come.

What is Agile SDLC?

Agile software development life cycle (SDLC) is a methodology that relies on cooperative decision-making and product development in short cycles, or sprint mode. It is an iterative and incremental development model that has been designed to overcome the shortcomings of conventional linear models, such as Waterfall.

Agile SDLC contains a set of principles and practices that refer to flexibility, collaboration, and customer-centricity to deliver top-notch software that meets the ever-changing demands of clients.

What advantages does Agile offer your business?

Let’s start with some statistics. Approximately 71% of US companies are Agile-oriented . After implementing it, businesses have seen an average increase of 60% in both their revenue and profits. Moreover, projects developed using this methodology have achieved a 64% success rate.

Agile has become immensely popular in the software sector for a number of reasons, many of which might be of great importance to your startup.

Advantage #1: Increased software quality

Agile divides a project into many smaller, more manageable bits. By doing so, the team can focus on high-quality development and team collaboration.

The code is integrated regularly and undergoes continuous testing. This ensures that the product is stable and functional throughout the whole process. Any defects or mismatches are identified right away.

Agile teams also conduct retrospectives regularly to evaluate their workflows and pinpoint potential areas for improvement. This method promotes the idea of ongoing development.

Advantage #2: Customer collaboration

Agile strongly emphasizes the involvement of customers and stakeholders at all stages of the development process. Their feedback and input play a significant role in setting the team’s priorities and decision-making.

Advantage #3: Adaptability

Thanks to Agile methodology, teams involved in software development are more responsive to change. As customer needs, market conditions, or project goals evolve, Agile teams can correct course and priorities more rapidly.

Advantage #4: Cross-functionality

In Agile software development life cycle, teams are composed cross-functionally and comprise experts in different fields and with various skillsets: product owners , developers, testers, designers, business analysts, stakeholders, and technical and domain experts. Thanks to this diversity, teams can handle tasks and problems more creatively and effectively.

Advantage #5: Readiness

Agile is focused on delivering operational software increments at the end of each iteration.

This gives stakeholders the opportunity to view progress and provide feedback at an earlier stage in the project. It may come as a surprise, but Agile teams can provide functional and tested software every two weeks.

Advantage #6: Prioritization

In Agile methodology, teams work on product backlogs, which contain prioritized lists of functions to be developed, improvements and fixes to be introduced. The work starts with items at the top of the backlog, so that the most important features are addressed first.

According to the Annual State of Agile survey , the top five reasons for adopting this methodology are to:

• accelerate software delivery (71%)
• enhance the ability to manage changing priorities (63%)
• increase productivity (51%)
• increase business/IT alignment (47%)
• enhance software quality (42%)

The Standish Group CHAOS REPORT reveals that only 9% of Agile projects fail, and this is a perfect summary of the paragraph on its benefits.

Top Agile methodologies in software development

The Agile software development is a methodology whose principles can be applied in numerous ways. We have collected the most popular Agile frameworks below.

This is probably the most widely adopted Agile framework in software development. It is highly iterative and incremental, and usually operates in 2-week units, called “sprints”. Each sprint in Scrum brings together cross-functional teams to deliver potentially shippable increments. Daily meetings, sprint planning and reviews are vital in the Scrum methodology to adapt to the ever-changing requirements of the project and deliver the most value to customers.

This Japanese word can be translated as “signboard” or “visual board”. In this Agile framework, visual elements are used to manage the project and developing software.

The central part is the Kanban board, with columns that represent different stages of project workflow, such as “To Do,” “In Progress” and “Done.” Work units are represented here as cards, and they move through the columns as they are handled. All columns are visible to team members so that there is a shared awareness of what has been accomplished and what tasks are upcoming.

Scrumban is a hybrid that combines the best principles and practices of the two above-mentioned methodologies. It incorporates Scrum’s defined roles (Scrum master, product owner, development team), ceremonies (sprint planning, daily Scrum, sprint review, sprint retrospective) and iterations, along with Kanban’s visual boards and optimized workflow, allowing teams to work with greater flexibility and adaptability.

Lean software development

Lean is inspired by manufacturing principles. It was introduced in the Japanese automotive industry to maximize efficiency and value in production, and minimize waste. It has been adapted to software development and is based on the following principles:

• Defining value
• Mapping the value stream
• Creating flow
• Using a pull system
• Pursuing perfection

Simply put, Lean is about delivering what clients need when they need it, without unnecessary features and processes. Work is “pulled” into the process based on customer demand, as opposed to being “pushed” in accordance with a predetermined schedule.

Dynamic systems development method (DSDM)

This Agile framework is focused on delivering software on time and within budget. In DSDM, strong emphasis is put on clear communication and requirements, collaboration, iteration and user engagement. The work is performed in short cycles, called “timeboxes.”

The 7 DSDM principles comprise:

• Focus on business needs
• On-time delivery
• Cooperation and collaboration
• Clear communication
• No compromise for quality loss
• Incremental and iterative approach
• Control demonstration

XP (eXtreme Programming)

XP is well-suited to small and medium teams. It gained popularity for its focus on rapid delivery of high-quality software. There are several unique practices in this Agile methodology: programmers work in pairs, tests are written before coding even begins, and both developers and customers should be deeply involved in the process. A strong emphasis is put on frequent releases and regular integration. XP promotes simplicity in design, persistence in feedback, early delivery and responsiveness to changing requirements.

This is not a single method, but a family of methodologies named after gemstones. They are constructed to be flexible and lightweight so that teams have the comfort of selecting the variant that is best suited to their specific project requirements.

There are three priorities within Crystal:

• project safety
• development efficiency
• habitability of the resulting conventions

The author of this methodology also enumerates three compulsory rules:

• frequent delivery
• reflective improvement
• osmotic communication 

While the remaining four rules can be applied to improve a team’s sense of security:

• personal safety
• easy access to expert users
• technical environment
• strong focus on one’s tasks

Feature-driven development (FDD)

FDD is especially suited to complex projects with a wide range of functional requirements. It is an Agile development methodology that centers on the process of dismantling a large project into a series of smaller, more manageable components. These elements, which stand in for pieces of functionality, form the basis of the software. FDD emphasizes design sessions, feature lists, feature teams, iterations, and increments. The FDD approach to software development focuses on client involvement while arranging work around features.

7 key stages of the Agile software development life cycle (SDLC)

The Agile development life cycle is usually made up of a few stages, each of which is meant to make the development process easier. These stages might be slightly different depending on the chosen Agile methodology.

Phase 1: Concept

The concept phase, also known as project initiation, is the first stage in Agile software development. It involves the product owner, business analysts, the development team and future users, who establish a vision of the project, and define its scope, objectives, and goals. The concept phase often includes an initial list of features and a product backlog.

At this stage, the objective is to get all the involved parties to agree on the overall goal, and ensure that everyone has a common understanding of the tasks that need to be completed and the reasons behind them.

Phase 2: Inception

The inception phase of an Agile project refers to the early stages of planning and envisioning how the finished product will look. Teams go into greater detail when it comes to plans and analyses, with the end goal of refining the project vision that was established during the Concept stage. They might also define initial requirements, conduct feasibility studies or run risk assessments.

The purpose of inception is to establish the project’s course and guarantee that it will satisfy both business objectives and customer requirements before moving on to the more iterative and execution-oriented phase.

Phase 3: Iteration

This phase involves cross-functional teams who implement prioritized features from the backlog. Depending on the Agile methodology, this takes from one to four weeks (usually two). During each iteration, teams design and develop features, then test and integrate them.

Iteration encourages stakeholders to provide regular feedback and fosters a continuous focus on delivering working software. It also makes it possible to quickly adapt to shifting requirements. The iterative stage allows for frequent corrections and ensures that product is delivered in small, regular increments.

Phase 4: Testing

Agile puts strong emphasis on testing. This includes test-driven development (TDD), automated testing, and manual tests, run incrementally and iteratively. Testers collaborate closely with developers to establish approval criteria for users and develop test cases. They also make sure that each feature complies with the specified requirements.

Because of continuous integration and frequent deployments, testing is always done on the most recent code. As a result, issues can be identified and addressed early in the process.

This method enables quick feedback, aids in maintaining product quality, and guarantees that the software will continue to be dependable and error-free.

Phase 5: Release

During the release phase, end-users or customers receive working and potentially shippable increments of the software. Iterative features are integrated, tested, and prepared for deployment.

This stage also usually involves final performance testing, security assessments and documentation updates, as well as user acceptance testing (UAT) to ensure that user needs are met and the software is successful. Once the software is ready, it is released to production or made available to users.

Phase 6: Maintenance

Following the release of the software product, support and upkeep are required. This Agile development life cycle stage goes beyond development. Tasks include addressing flaws, improving existing features, and accommodating changing requirements in response to user feedback and evolving needs.

Maintenance teams prioritize and implement improvements in iterative cycles. To ensure the software keeps providing value, it is updated to fix bugs and incorporate user feedback.

Phase 7: Retirement

In Agile, the retirement phase represents the end of the software’s life cycle. The goal here is to safely shut down software that is no longer used or supported. Teams perform data migration and archiving. They ensure a seamless transition for users to new or alternative versions and products. To achieve a smooth exit of the software from the organization’s portfolio, careful planning and communication with the relevant stakeholders are essential.

Most common Agile software development approaches

Agile software development can be approached in a variety of ways. Here is a list of the most preferred models.

V-model SDLC

The V-model SDLC is a structured and sequential approach to software development and testing. The V-model gets its name from the V-shaped diagram that it uses to depict the relationship that exists between different phases. Each phase of development corresponds to a testing phase, and both progress simultaneously. The V-model prioritizes validation and verification in order to find bugs early in the development cycle.

On the one hand, the V-model is easy to comprehend and apply. Each phase is completed one by one, guaranteeing high development discipline. On the other hand, it is associated with higher risk and uncertainty. Generally, the V-model is considered to be more suitable for smaller projects than complex and long-lasting ones.

Iterative SDLS

With iterative SDLS, software is incrementally developed through a number of repeated cycles, or iterations. In each iteration, a set of features is designed, developed, tested and integrated. Iterations are short, often lasting two weeks.

Iterative SDLS has numerous advantages: quickness, flexibility, ease of testing, debugging and risk management. Early on in the process, a partially ready product is delivered, which enables stakeholders to provide feedback more rapidly. This iterative evaluation facilitates continuous software improvement and adjustments based on shifting requirements.

Appealing as it may sound, this method has its drawbacks too. The process may require more resources. Each stage of an iteration is rigid and does not overlap with the preceding phase. Furthermore, design or architecture issues can arise because not all of the requirements are collected at the start of the project.

Spiral SDLC

The Spiral software development life cycle is a model that combines the best components of iterative and incremental approaches. The work is broken up into so-called “spirals.” Each spiral represents a stage in the development process and consists of four main activities: 

• risk analysis
• engineering

The Spiral SDLC provides clarity for developers and test engineers​​. It works best for complex and potentially risky projects where rapid risk assessment, continuous improvement and adaptation are crucial for success.

Waterfall SDLC

Waterfall is a traditional methodology characterized by a logical progression of linear and sequential stages. The structure and requirements are defined at the beginning and the process is carefully documented. The requirements and goals are defined once and for all.

Teams involved in one task do not participate in others.

This methodology is appropriate for easier projects that are developed under more predictable conditions.

How do Agile methodologies fit into the remote work era?

Agile has proven to be highly effective for software development and project management in the age of hybrid or remote work. After all, Agile principles, such as collaboration, communication, and flexibility, do not interfere with the idea of “working from anywhere.”

The daily stand-up meetings and sprint planning that characterize Agile make it easier for teams to communicate openly and keep groups aligned and focused.

It is worth noting that remote work also emphasizes Agile’s values of incremental delivery, self-organizing teams and trust among employees.

Why choose RST as your trusted Agile software development partner?

At RST, we have been using Agile for 15 years and follow its rules on an everyday basis. We will gladly share our expertise with you while developing your software. Simply use the contact form on our website and leave us a message. We will respond right away, as quick reaction time and client-centricity are not only Agile, but also core RST principles.

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SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) Phases, Process, Models

Edited by Swati

What is Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)? Learn SDLC Phases,  Process, and Models:

Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is a framework that defines the steps involved in the development of software at each phase. It covers the detailed plan for building, deploying and maintaining the software.

SDLC defines the complete cycle of development i.e. all the tasks involved in planning, creating, testing, and deploying a Software Product.

Table of Contents:

Software Development Life Cycle Process

#1) requirement gathering and analysis, #3) implementation or coding, #4) testing, #5) deployment, #6) maintenance, #1) waterfall model, #2) v-shaped model, #3) prototype model, #4) spiral model, #5) iterative incremental model , #6) big bang model, #7) agile model, was this helpful, recommended reading.

SDLC is a process that defines the various stages involved in the development of software for delivering a high-quality product. SDLC stages cover the complete life cycle of a software i.e. from inception to retirement of the product.

Adhering to the SDLC process leads to the development of the software in a systematic and disciplined manner.

Purpose of SDLC is to deliver a high-quality product which is as per the customer’s requirement.

SDLC has defined its phases as, Requirement gathering, Designing, Coding, Testing, and Maintenance. It is important to adhere to the phases to provide the Product in a systematic manner.

For Example ,  A software has to be developed and a team is divided to work on a feature of the product and is allowed to work as they want. One of the developers decides to design first whereas the other decides to code first and the other on the documentation part.

This will lead to project failure because of which it is necessary to have a good knowledge and understanding among the team members to deliver an expected product.

SDLC Cycle represents the process of developing software.

Below is the diagrammatic representation of the SDLC cycle:

SDLC Phases

Given below are the various phases:

• Requirement gathering and analysis
• Implementation or coding
• Maintenance

During this phase, all the relevant information is collected from the customer to develop a product as per their expectation. Any ambiguities must be resolved in this phase only.

Business analyst and Project Manager set up a meeting with the customer to gather all the information like what the customer wants to build, who will be the end-user, what is the purpose of the product. Before building a product a core understanding or knowledge of the product is very important.

For Example , A customer wants to have an application which involves money transactions. In this case, the requirement has to be clear like what kind of transactions will be done, how it will be done, in which currency it will be done, etc.

Once the requirement gathering is done, an analysis is done to check the feasibility of the development of a product. In case of any ambiguity, a call is set up for further discussion.

Once the requirement is clearly understood, the SRS (Software Requirement Specification) document is created. This document should be thoroughly understood by the developers and also should be reviewed by the customer for future reference.

In this phase, the requirement gathered in the SRS document is used as an input and software architecture that is used for implementing system development is derived.

Implementation/Coding starts once the developer gets the Design document. The Software design is translated into source code. All the components of the software are implemented in this phase.

Testing starts once the coding is complete and the modules are released for testing. In this phase, the developed software is tested thoroughly and any defects found are assigned to developers to get them fixed.

Retesting, regression testing is done until the point at which the software is as per the customer’s expectation. Testers refer SRS document to make sure that the software is as per the customer’s standard.

Once the product is tested, it is deployed in the production environment or first UAT (User Acceptance testing) is done depending on the customer expectation.

In the case of UAT, a replica of the production environment is created and the customer along with the developers does the testing. If the customer finds the application as expected, then sign off is provided by the customer to go live.

After the deployment of a product on the production environment, maintenance of the product i.e. if any issue comes up and needs to be fixed or any enhancement is to be done is taken care by the developers.

Software Development Life Cycle Models

A software life cycle model is a descriptive representation of the software development cycle. SDLC models might have a different approach but the basic phases and activity remain the same for all the models.

Waterfall model is the very first model that is used in SDLC. It is also known as the linear sequential model.

In this model, the outcome of one phase is the input for the next phase. Development of the next phase starts only when the previous phase is complete.

• First, Requirement gathering and analysis is done. Once the requirement is freeze then only the System Design can start. Herein, the SRS document created is the output for the Requirement phase and it acts as an input for the System Design.
• In System Design Software architecture and Design, documents which act as an input for the next phase are created i.e. Implementation and coding.
• In the Implementation phase, coding is done and the software developed is the input for the next phase i.e. testing.
• In the testing phase, the developed code is tested thoroughly to detect the defects in the software. Defects are logged into the defect tracking tool and are retested once fixed. Bug logging, Retest, Regression testing goes on until the time the software is in go-live state.
• In the Deployment phase, the developed code is moved into production after the sign off is given by the customer.
• Any issues in the production environment are resolved by the developers which come under maintenance.

Advantages of the Waterfall Model:

• Waterfall model is the simple model which can be easily understood and is the one in which all the phases are done step by step.
• Deliverables of each phase are well defined, and this leads to no complexity and makes the project easily manageable.

Disadvantages of Waterfall model:

• Waterfall model is time-consuming & cannot be used in the short duration projects as in this model a new phase cannot be started until the ongoing phase is completed.
• Waterfall model cannot be used for the projects which have uncertain requirement or wherein the requirement keeps on changing as this model expects the requirement to be clear in the requirement gathering and analysis phase itself and any change in the later stages would lead to cost higher as the changes would be required in all the phases.

V- Model is also known as Verification and Validation Model. In this model Verification & Validation goes hand in hand i.e. development and testing goes parallel. V model and waterfall model are the same except that the test planning and testing start at an early stage in V-Model.

a) Verification Phase:

(i) Requirement Analysis:

In this phase, all the required information is gathered & analyzed. Verification activities include reviewing the requirements.

(ii) System Design:

Once the requirement is clear, a system is designed i.e. architecture, components of the product are created and documented in a design document.

(iii) High-Level Design:

High-level design defines the architecture/design of modules. It defines the functionality between the two modules.

(iv) Low-Level Design:

Low-level Design defines the architecture/design of individual components.

(v) Coding:

Code development is done in this phase.

b) Validation Phase:

(i) Unit Testing:

Unit testing is performed using the unit test cases that are designed and is done in the Low-level design phase. Unit testing is performed by the developer itself. It is performed on individual components which lead to early defect detection.

(ii) Integration Testing:

Integration testing is performed using integration test cases in High-level Design phase. Integration testing is the testing that is done on integrated modules. It is performed by testers.

(iii) System Testing:

System testing is performed in the System Design phase. In this phase, the complete system is tested i.e. the entire system functionality is tested.

(iv) Acceptance Testing:

Acceptance testing is associated with the Requirement Analysis phase and is done in the customer’s environment.

Advantages of V – Model:

• It is a simple and easily understandable model.
• V –model approach is good for smaller projects wherein the requirement is defined and it freezes in the early stage.
• It is a systematic and disciplined model which results in a high-quality product.

Disadvantages of V-Model:

• V-shaped model is not good for ongoing projects.
• Requirement change at the later stage would cost too high.

The prototype model is a model in which the prototype is developed prior to the actual software.

Prototype models have limited functional capabilities and inefficient performance when compared to the actual software. Dummy functions are used to create prototypes. This is a valuable mechanism for understanding the customers’ needs.

Software prototypes are built prior to the actual software to get valuable feedback from the customer. Feedbacks are implemented and the prototype is again reviewed by the customer for any change. This process goes on until the model is accepted by the customer.

Once the requirement gathering is done, the quick design is created and the prototype which is presented to the customer for evaluation is built.

Customer feedback and the refined requirement is used to modify the prototype and is again presented to the customer for evaluation. Once the customer approves the prototype, it is used as a requirement for building the actual software. The actual software is build using the Waterfall model approach.

Advantages of Prototype Model:

• Prototype model reduces the cost and time of development as the defects are found much earlier.
• Missing feature or functionality or a change in requirement can be identified in the evaluation phase and can be implemented in the refined prototype.
• Involvement of a customer from the initial stage reduces any confusion in the requirement or understanding of any functionality.

Disadvantages of Prototype Model:

• Since the customer is involved in every phase, the customer can change the requirement of the end product which increases the complexity of the scope and may increase the delivery time of the product.

The Spiral Model includes iterative and prototype approach.

Spiral model phases are followed in the iterations. The loops in the model represent the phase of the SDLC process i.e. the innermost loop is of requirement gathering & analysis which follows the Planning, Risk analysis, development, and evaluation. Next loop is Designing followed by Implementation & then testing.

Spiral Model has four phases:

• Risk Analysis
• Engineering

(i) Planning:

The planning phase includes requirement gathering wherein all the required information is gathered from the customer and is documented. Software requirement specification document is created for the next phase.

(ii) Risk Analysis:

In this phase, the best solution is selected for the risks involved and analysis is done by building the prototype.

For Example , the risk involved in accessing the data from a remote database can be that the data access rate might be too slow. The risk can be resolved by building a prototype of the data access subsystem.

(iii) Engineering:

Once the risk analysis is done, coding and testing are done.

(iv) Evaluation:

Customer evaluates the developed system and plans for the next iteration.

Advantages of Spiral Model:

• Risk Analysis is done extensively using the prototype models.
• Any enhancement or change in the functionality can be done in the next iteration.

Disadvantages of Spiral Model:

• The spiral model is best suited for large projects only.
• The cost can be high as it might take a large number of iterations which can lead to high time to reach the final product.

The iterative incremental model divides the product into small chunks.

For Example , Feature to be developed in the iteration is decided and implemented. Each iteration goes through the phases namely Requirement Analysis, Designing, Coding, and Testing. Detailed planning is not required in iterations.

Once the iteration is completed, a product is verified and is delivered to the customer for their evaluation and feedback. Customer’s feedback is implemented in the next iteration along with the newly added feature.

Hence, the product increments in terms of features and once the iterations are completed the final build holds all the features of the product.

Phases of Iterative & Incremental Development Model:

• Inception phase
• Elaboration Phase
• Construction Phase
• Transition Phase

(i) Inception Phase:

Inception phase includes the requirement and scope of the Project.

(ii) Elaboration Phase:

In the elaboration phase, the working architecture of a product is delivered which covers the risk identified in the inception phase and also fulfills the non-functional requirements.

(iii) Construction Phase:

In the Construction phase, the architecture is filled in with the code which is ready to be deployed and is created through analysis, designing, implementation, and testing of the functional requirement.

(iv) Transition Phase:

In the Transition Phase, the product is deployed in the Production environment.

Advantages of Iterative & Incremental Model:

• Any change in the requirement can be easily done and would not cost as there is a scope of incorporating the new requirement in the next iteration.
• Risk is analyzed & identified in the iterations.
• Defects are detected at an early stage.
• As the product is divided into smaller chunks it is easy to manage the product.

Disadvantages of Iterative & Incremental Model:

• Complete requirement and understanding of a product are required to break down and build incrementally.

Big Bang Model does not have any defined process. Money and efforts are put together as the input and output come as a developed product which might be or might not be the same as what the customer needs.

Big Bang Model does not require much planning and scheduling. The developer does the requirement analysis & coding and develops the product as per his understanding. This model is used for small projects only. There is no testing team and no formal testing is done, and this could be a cause for the failure of the project.

Advantages of Big Bang Model:

• It’s a very simple Model.
• Less Planning and scheduling is required.
• The developer has the flexibility to build the software of their own.

Disadvantages of the Big Bang Model:

• Big Bang models cannot be used for large, ongoing & complex projects.
• High risk and uncertainty.

Agile Model is a combination of the Iterative and incremental model. This model focuses more on flexibility while developing a product rather than on the requirement.

In Agile, a product is broken into small incremental builds. It is not developed as a complete product in one go. Each build increments in terms of features. The next build is built on previous functionality.

In agile iterations are termed as sprints. Each sprint lasts for2-4 weeks. At the end of each sprint, the product owner verifies the product and after his approval, it is delivered to the customer.

Customer feedback is taken for improvement and his suggestions and enhancement are worked on in the next sprint. Testing is done in each sprint to minimize the risk of any failures.

Advantages of Agile Model:

• It allows more flexibility to adapt to the changes.
• The new feature can be added easily.
• Customer satisfaction as the feedback and suggestions are taken at every stage.

Disadvantages:

• Lack of documentation.
• Agile needs experienced and highly skilled resources.
• If a customer is not clear about how exactly they want the product to be, then the project would fail.

Adherence to a suitable life cycle is very important, for the successful completion of the Project. This, in turn, makes the management easier.

Different Software Development Life Cycle models have their own Pros and Cons. The best model for any Project can be determined by the factors like Requirement (whether it is clear or unclear), System Complexity, Size of the Project, Cost, Skill limitation, etc.

Example , in case of an unclear requirement, Spiral and Agile models are best to be used as the required change can be accommodated easily at any stage.

Waterfall model is a basic model and all the other SDLC models are based on that only.

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A Case Study on Identifying Software Development Lifecycle and Process Framework

This paper analyzes and determines which software development lifecycle and process framework would be appropriate in the following case studies: Microsoft office business unit, Denver Baggage, Avionics development, and Department of Transportation. The analysis for decision takes into consideration the stakeholders involved, the targeted audience, technology, business drivers, culture, time/schedule, resources, scope, and quality.

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Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE)

Computer-aided software engineering (CASE) is the implementation of computer-facilitated tools and methods in software development. CASE is used to ensure high-quality and defect-free software. CASE ensures a check-pointed and disciplined approach and helps designers, developers, testers, managers, and others to see the project milestones during development. 

CASE can also help as a warehouse for documents related to projects, like business plans, requirements, and design specifications. One of the major advantages of using CASE is the delivery of the final product, which is more likely to meet real-world requirements as it ensures that customers remain part of the process. 

CASE illustrates a wide set of labor-saving tools that are used in software development. It generates a framework for organizing projects and to be helpful in enhancing productivity. There was more interest in the concept of CASE tools years ago, but less so today, as the tools have morphed into different functions, often in reaction to software developer needs. The concept of CASE also received a heavy dose of criticism after its release. 

What is CASE Tools?

The essential idea of CASE tools is that in-built programs can help to analyze developing systems in order to enhance quality and provide better outcomes. Throughout the 1990, CASE tool became part of the software lexicon, and big companies like IBM were using these kinds of tools to help create software. 

Various tools are incorporated in CASE and are called CASE tools, which are used to support different stages and milestones in a software development life cycle. 

Types of CASE Tools:

• Diagramming Tools:  It helps in diagrammatic and graphical representations of the data and system processes. It represents system elements, control flow and data flow among different software components and system structures in a pictorial form. For example, Flow Chart Maker tool for making state-of-the-art flowcharts.  
• Computer Display and Report Generators:  These help in understanding the data requirements and the relationships involved. 
• (i) Accept 360, Accompa, CaseComplete for requirement analysis. 
• (ii) Visible Analyst for total analysis.   
• Central Repository:  It provides a single point of storage for data diagrams, reports, and documents related to project management.
• Documentation Generators:  It helps in generating user and technical documentation as per standards. It creates documents for technical users and end users.  For example, Doxygen, DrExplain, Adobe RoboHelp for documentation.  
• Code Generators:  It aids in the auto-generation of code, including definitions, with the help of designs, documents, and diagrams.
• Tools for Requirement Management: It makes gathering, evaluating, and managing software needs easier.
• Tools for Analysis and Design : It offers instruments for modelling system architecture and behaviour, which helps throughout the analysis and design stages of software development.
• Tools for Database Management: It facilitates database construction, design, and administration.
• Tools for Documentation: It makes the process of creating, organizing, and maintaining project documentation easier.

Advantages of the CASE approach: 

• Improved Documentation: Comprehensive documentation creation and maintenance is made easier by CASE tools. Since automatically generated documentation is usually more accurate and up to date, there are fewer opportunities for errors and misunderstandings brought on by out-of-current material.
• Reusing Components: Reusable component creation and maintenance are frequently facilitated by CASE tools. This encourages a development approach that is modular and component-based, enabling teams to shorten development times and reuse tested solutions.
• Quicker Cycles of Development: Development cycles take less time when certain jobs, such testing and code generation, are automated. This may result in software solutions being delivered more quickly, meeting deadlines and keeping up with changing business requirements.
• Improved Results : Code generation, documentation, and testing are just a few of the time-consuming, repetitive operations that CASE tools perform. Due to this automation, engineers are able to concentrate on more intricate and imaginative facets of software development, which boosts output.
• Achieving uniformity and standardization:  Coding conventions, documentation formats and design patterns are just a few of the areas of software development where CASE tools enforce uniformity and standards. This guarantees consistent and maintainable software development.

Disadvantages of the CASE approach: 

• Cost: Using a case tool is very costly. Most firms engaged in software development on a small scale do not invest in CASE tools because they think that the benefit of CASE is justifiable only in the development of large systems.
• Learning Curve: In most cases, programmers’ productivity may fall in the initial phase of implementation, because users need time to learn the technology. Many consultants offer training and on-site services that can be important to accelerate the learning curve and to the development and use of the CASE tools.
• Tool Mix: It is important to build an appropriate selection tool mix to urge cost advantage CASE integration and data integration across all platforms is extremely important.

Conclusion:

In today’s software development world, computer-aided software engineering is a vital tool that enables teams to produce high-quality software quickly and cooperatively. CASE tools will probably become more and more essential as technology develops in order to satisfy the demands of complicated software development projects.

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