For well-defined software development, you must be careful when planning strategies to develop high-quality software for business. Utilising Software Development Life Cycle models can be a crucial strategy to reduce time delays and costly project failures. SDLC aims to minimise the potential risks by making a full-proof plan for designing, testing, and building applications that meet customer expectations. This blog explores everything you need about the software development life cycle, methodologies, definitions, importance, and phases.
Software Development Life Cycle Definition
SDLC includes the steps developers take to make an analysis and design software that appropriately matches the demands of today’s customers. It is defined as planning, designing, testing, and continuously maintaining the software by adhering to SDLC methodology to eliminate future risks. The purpose remains to undertake proactive steps to ensure the quality of software developed to exceed software outcome expectations.
Why is Software Development Life Cycle Important?
Software developers who rely on SDLC phases ensure that the product they are producing is developed systematically and disciplined. It is a structured approach followed by the software organisation wherein developers and the project manager can identify future risks early to make proactive planning. This includes building prototypes and identifying deliverables so that you and your client are partly aware of the scenarios.
Further, another reason for the importance of the software development life cycle is that systematic project handling makes everyone aware of the responsibilities so that the right activities are executed at the right time. This will consequently improve the deployment speed and improve client relations. This systematic and structured approach will provide an opportunity for stakeholders to put in more input and you can get a clear idea of your business needs. You can ensure lower bugs in UX as the software has gone through typical stages before deployment. Additionally, you can improve the team culture by improving collaboration while working on SDLC-based projects.
Software Development Life Cycle Stages
Businesses are looking forward to the benefits of mobile app development, and with the importance of SDLC in software engineering, let’s look at SDLC stages which might vary from business to business:
1. Planning and Requirement Analysis
An agile software development life cycle begins with understanding the resources and tools required for implementing software development. This stage is the requirement analysis where business objectives, goals, and functional/ technical specifications are identified priorly. It is accompanied by realising potential risks and making sub-plans for fighting the threats. The purpose remains to determine the project’s feasibility and implement the planned strategy by keeping low risk in mind. A practical requirements gathering involves conducting interviews, workshops, and surveys with end-users and stakeholders to capture functional and non-functional requirements.
2. Define Requirements
After you have identified the requirements, it’s time to analyse them with defined criteria for examining the feasibility of the product. An agile methodology is followed by preparing Software Requirement Specification (SRS), containing all the requirements constructed and developed during the software development life cycle. Outlining different requirements in a structured manner deeply ensures that the final product meets customer expectations.
3. Designing Architecture and Mockups
The next phase is the design phase where engineers apply their knowledge to develop architecture that meets business requirements. Generally, a software development life cycle business analyst designs wireframes and mockups for the intended product. It breaks down the schedule, creating a blueprint of the software solution. Developers utilise the right technologies, frameworks, and tools for the project while system design is underway. When designing the software, they consider scalability, performance, security, and maintainability factors.
4. Code Implementation
Code implementation is the operation phase in SDLC, where the actual development occurs. Developers must follow the required coding guidelines for implementing code and utilise programming tools that can help complete the smaller tasks. Continuous integration and version control technologies are frequently employed in this stage to manage code changes and ensure collaboration among development teams. The early detection and correction of errors during development are made possible by frequent code reviews and testing.
5. Testing
Depending upon the project’s requirement, developers’ teams test the code for quality assurance through manual testing or automation. Before releasing the mockups, the product is tested to identify bugs or inefficiencies in the development stage. Also, you must examine the scenarios where the system compatibility is checked with the existing systems or processes. The purpose is to ensure each application part interacts correctly with other functions without errors. Bugs, when encountered, are resolved with the help of extensive knowledge of testing processional.
6. Implement and Launch Product
Once the testing is completed for the software, project managers attempt to launch the project in the market. The deployment phase necessitates meticulous planning and cooperation to minimise disruptions and ensure a seamless transition from development to production. Automated deployment methods and continuous integration /continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines significantly stream the deployment process. The stakeholders get a fair chance to check the product and view it from different angles to rectify mistakes before releasing the effect on the market.
7. Maintenance
Your project plan is perfect when it meets reality. Along with solving bugs and system issues, it is pertinent to manage software changes. The developer team of the web and app development agency will look for ideas to work on system performance and security to ensure quality software development. During this software development life cycle stage, developers and support staff track the application’s performance and locate and fix problems while offering ongoing assistance and upgrades. Also, IT services and support engineers carry out backups and take care of system vulnerabilities to resolve issues occasionally.
Software Development Life Cycle Models
SDLC models are the descriptive representation of developing software. Each model has its approach to building software that assists enterprise application development. You can choose the model which is enough to meet your business needs. Let me highlight some prominent models for you:
1. Waterfall Model
One of the earliest and most simple SDLC models is the waterfall model. The process is linear and sequential, and each stage must be finished before going on to the next. The Waterfall Model works best for straightforward, simple projects with predictable requirements.
2. V-Shaped Model
V model is an extension of the waterfall model, also known as the verification and validation model, which will undertake steps sequentially but relies on a V-shaped approach. There is no single phase for testing, as each development phase goes through its own QA sequence. It is an excellent approach for small projects where changes do not occur frequently.
3. Iterative Model
In an interactive model, the development cycle is broken down into smaller segments and involves delivering a miniature software version. After iteration proceeds, the changes and feedback from stakeholders are prioritised. The final product is released once the interactions are completed.
4. Spiral Life Cycle Model
The Waterfall Model and the Iterative Model are combined in the Spiral Model. Custom software development firm suggests that It is appropriate for complicated, large-scale projects with changing requirements. Planning, risk analysis, engineering, and evaluation are repeated cycles or spirals in the paradigm.
5. Agile Model
The Agile Software Development Life Cycle Model is an iterative and incremental approach to software development. It strongly emphasises customer input, collaboration, and ongoing improvement. Agile involves the development of software in short bursts, or “sprints,” with each sprint producing a functioning portion of the program.
Mobile application development consulting services rely on SDLC in software engineering to complete projects on time with ease and top-notch quality. This blog has explored the stages in the software development life cycle and methodologies which can help project managers streamline the operational processes and improve collaboration within the team. When you have used a well-defined method for software development, you can reduce the complexities by navigating them early.
Fastcurve, a custom software development services company, helps throughout the complete cycle of SDLC. For more information, contact us.
