The success of any project depends on several factors including the proficiency of your dev team, sufficient buy in and budget, good QA and ultimately, good process. This makes it critical to select the right approach from the top software development methodologies. Assessing the organization, project goals, current state and team skills will help you pick the best project management methodology to ensure its success.
Whatever works for one project might not work for another. Thus, there are several popular methodologies that allow a team to operate the most efficiently and effectively for them.
So, let’s take a look at these options and see which approach might best suit your project.
Waterfall methodology is considered by many to be the most straightforward approach to software development, yet it actually is relatively rigid as it consists of sequential phases that follow one another in a strict order.
In most cases, the waterfall model goes through the following phases:
All of these stages are performed in sequential order, the next step is started after the previous one is over. It is a relatively comprehensive model, so it is essential to have clear objectives and stable project requirements.
Agile is an alternative development methodology that offers an entirely different experience from the Waterfall model. The idea is to break the development process down into bite-size pieces, increments, allowing the developers to make fast gradual changes to create a perfect end product.
Here at Intersog, we leverage the benefits of Agile to deliver progress on flexible projects and ensure visible progress. For example, the project managers can map out a set of small milestones throughout the SDLC called sprints, and each developer would work on their respective tasks that lead to the final project delivery.
Agile development also implies constant cooperation and communication within the team as well as frequent reviews and feedback gathering. Such close cooperation strengthens the team and creates trust between the vendor and the client.
The idea behind Rapid is to repeat the user design and construction phase as often as needed to satisfy the client’s requirements. Rapid Application Development (RAD) aims to produce great results quickly and at a low cost. Being a popular alternative to agile in software development, it allows the developers to adjust to the changing requirements to meet the needs of a changing market.
There are four main stages in the Rapid SDLC:
So, as much as agile, this approach suits dynamic projects in volatile markets and allows for rapid changes at a low cost.
The rapid methodology relies on the skills of the developers who can implement changes and develop new solutions fast. If you are unsure of your developers’ expertise, the RAD approach might not fit you best. Intersog, however, can offer you a selection of the industry’s best dedicated developers to compose a truly professional development team.
Lean methodology is meant to do precisely what the name says – pare down and cut all the redundancies and inefficiencies to maximize the performance. Maximizing the output of the project and the individual contributors. The idea is to eliminate all the processes that bring no value, deliver quick results and emphasize efficiency over process.
Some of the core ideas of the Lean software development life cycle (SDLC) can be employed in other methodologies. Lean SDLC is also a rather versatile model that leaves allows space for experimentation. At the same time, it also has certain unique features and requirements, such as the focus on reducing effort while maximizing the efficiency of the processes.
The fact is that professional software development teams already use a Lean approach to some extent throughout the development process. This approach works best when it complements another methodology, as basically any project can be made Lean by reducing waste and emphasizing top-priority tasks.
This is not a disadvantage per se, but it means that you can get the benefits of the Lean model while using almost any other model simultaneously. However, this also means that you should be careful when choosing the development team. There is always a risk of getting entangled with a group of rookies, losing on the innovation potential, and failing against the competition. That is why you need a team of developers who can adapt their approach to your needs.
Extreme Programming, or XP, is one of the branches of Agile methodology that is rather radical and fast-paced. The idea of XP comes from the criticism of the Waterfall model, which is considered too rigid.
XP is aimed at tailoring software to the client’s needs every step of the way and delivering results fast. Similar to the Agile methodology, it follows the iterative processes model that involves breaking the development life cycle into many small milestones or sprints.
The main difference between classic Agile and XP is that the latter follows a strict priority order. You set the priorities for the project delivery, and the developers follow your list to the tee. Additionally, the XP offers a clear and precise framework for meeting the client’s requirements, so all the processes and milestones are clearly defined and trackable.
Finally, the developers deliver results and reports upon each milestone so that the client can review and monitor their performance to give feedback and implement necessary changes.
When software developers work on large projects requiring months and months of backend coding, implementing the Feature-Driven Development (FDD) model might be the right idea. The methodology is based on five steps that ensure a simple and comprehensive development cycle:
As you see, the whole approach is centered around individual features. Unlike Agile or XP, where the development process is broken down into sprints, with FDD, your development process is broken down into small parts. Usually, each feature takes a couple of weeks to finish following the five steps above, and by the end of the development cycle, you get yourself a fully functional end product.
Of all the alternatives available, you must choose the one that fits your project. At Intersog, we leverage different software development methodologies, including the ones mentioned above. This helps us adapt to account for our clients’ varying needs.
However, we prefer Agile as the most commonly used approach that fits most projects and allows for greater flexibility, especially regarding long-term development cycles. In addition, our 18+ years experience enables us to adapt to the client’s needs and deliver regardless of the project’s complexity.
If you are working on a large and dynamic project, Agile and XP might be better choices for you. If your requirements are set in stone and would stay the same over time, Waterfall might be the way to go. You can also take advantage of the Lean model, implementing some of its ideas in your base model. The Feature-Driven Development would fit large projects, too, so you have plenty of choices here. There are, however, more methodologies out there to go with, and we’ve only touched on the most popular ones. If you are unsure which one to go with, do not hesitate to contact our consulting experts, who will put some good ideas on your table.
You've made it through all the necessary considerations and are now choosing between different agile software development methodologies.
Here is a quick checklist of everything you need to keep in mind:
At Intersog, we have worked with most of the development methodology options expressed in this overview. Our most common method is Agile with a splash of test driven and feature driven development drivers. We are adept at building from scratch and producing leading edge technology solutions. Also, we provide just the right skill set at the exact moment you need it! Reach out to us if you need product or people support with technical prowess necessary to get the job done!
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