Software development methodology is a general term for the guidelines and principles that define the process of developing computer software. The process involves activities such as requirements analysis, software design, coding and testing and it often starts with a high-level description of what the final system should do.
Using a Software Development Methodology
Software development is a complicated process that requires a lot of time and resources. There are many different software development methodologies to choose from, but it can be hard to know which one will work best for your project.
Types of Methodologies
There are many types of software development methodologies as follows:
- Waterfall
- Iterative
- Evolutionary
- Spiral
- Incremental
- Concurrent/Parallel
- Agile, Scrum, XP
Each method has its own benefits and disadvantages that are often reflected in where it is best suited to be used or whether it should be used at all. Browse around this site to discover a full report on software outsourcing.
What is the Best Methodology?
Evolutionary is best applied to smaller projects where the requirements are not well understood or likely to change. It typically involves software being developed in an order that generally follows the system life cycle, with the first stages of development focused on producing prototypes for user evaluation and testing rather than fully fledged components.
How to Choose the Right One for Your Project?
The first thing you need to do when choosing a software development methodology is to identify the goals of your project. This step will help you to decide on the general approach that your software development team will be taking.
Scope
Do you have a small project with a specific purpose? In this case, you might want to use an agile methodology or maybe waterfall.
Do you have a long-term project with many interconnected actors and dynamics? If so, then waterfall might be the best choice for your project.
Cost
Software development can be done cheaply depending on what you’re looking for. Agile, for example, is often quicker and cheaper than waterfall due to its focus on quick iteration.
However, it is very important to set a minimum time required for each iteration in order to remain on schedule and avoid going over budget.
Project Management
This one’s definitely a matter of your own preference. There are no clear winners here, but people seem to either love or hate someone based on what they’ve heard about them.
Each methodology will have its own way of solving problems, and there’s no single answer to the problem of software development; it depends on what you’re doing and who your team is.
Having a high degree of flexibility in choosing how your team works together will result in better value for money spent.
Technology
Another thing to consider is if your project requires the use of new technologies, or if it’s so specific that no methodologies cover it.
New technologies might mean learning new skills and working with people who are more knowledgeable than you. This could lead you to try an agile methodology in order to get maximum flexibility (and value for money); you might even search for some mentors.
If it’s an entirely new type of project then your best bet is to choose the agile methodology, since its main focus is on quick iteration and development speed.
Choosing a software development methodology can be difficult most projects have their own unique properties that cannot be handled by a single system.
However, you can rely on certain principles of software development to guide your journey towards the perfect approach for your project.
Conclusion
Software development methodology is a general term for the guidelines and principles that define the process of developing computer software. The process involves activities such as requirements analysis, design, coding and testing which often starts with a high-level description of what the final system should do. This in-depth article has provided you with an overview on how to develop your own methodology or improve upon one that you already have in place.