Today we are going to talk about software development methodologies and help you understand why they are so important.
Software development is not just about creating the best software with all the resources that you have but it is about balance whether it is in-house or outsourcing software development
When we talk about balance, we mean efficiency when you are able to balance the time needed to create the software along with the resources while also making sure the cost of the development process is within your budget.
This is where we come to the concept of software development methodology. This is because you can do software development in a number of ways.
It is actually quite fascinating to learn about all the different kinds of ways and their advantages and disadvantages so that you might choose the perfect methodology for your company and your software development needs.
But before we move into the different types of software development methodologies. We need to understand what is a software development methodology.
This will then help us unlock all the different types of software development techniques and methodologies that came into being through trial and error.
What Does Software Development Methodology Actually Mean?
If we need to understand software development methodology then we need to understand Software Development Life Cycle.
The Software Development Life Cycle is the entire process of software development that includes the front end as well as the back end and the organisation as well as the testing and the launch and much more.
Software development methodology is the process by which you conduct the entirety of the software or app development life cycle.
It is how you manage the workflow and make sure that the development time is reduced without compromising the quality of the software.
That is why when we talk about software development methodology, we mean different models and different techniques for running the software development life cycle.
If we have to compare this to making a cake then a company might prepare the flour and the eggs beforehand for a faster preparation experience and others might use a better oven for faster baking time.
This is the same thing with software development methodology.
12 Most Prevalent Software Development Methodologies
Waterfall Development Methodology
We have to start the list with a very traditional development methodology because the waterfall methodology is simply a linear methodology that is strict and rigid.
This methodology of development is such that you cannot skip any step up the development process and you need to complete the step before you want to move to the next.
This is easy to understand but it has its challenges as well.
– Pros
The pros of this method are simply that it is easy to understand and it is a very traditional technique of software development and ensures discipline as well as stability.
– Cons
Since this is not a very flexible method of software development, you cannot expect changes down the line and of course that also means client interaction is also very limited.
We must also talk about the fact that it is not very good when it comes to development time because it takes a lot of time to develop and you must also make sure that the planning and organisation are excellent because without that this methodology will crumble.
Agile Software Development Methodology
The name of the software development methodology is enough to understand what kind of development process we are talking about.
This kind of development methodology is the complete opposite of the waterfall development methodology simply because it is agile.
And it just means that the software development alterations are made according to the need of the moment which can be through client feedback as well as developer feedback.
This means you get small time boxes and very quick results. And it definitely has its pros and cons.
– Pros
You can expect the best kind of flexibility and you can also expect the best kind of delivery times if clients want any kind of changes. We talk about how the communication is also improved with the client. This methodology is also good for small teams.
– Cons
The client involvement factor can be challenging to some groups and this is not the ideal way to develop for big projects. That is also the reason why knowledge transfer can be a bit of a problem because documentation is not that great with Agile.
Lean Development
When we talk about lean software development methodology, it is one of the most economically efficient ways of creating software and has the best level of value efficiency.
It is centred around loss reduction and the priority of the hour. This means if some area of the software development needs attention then only that area will get the attention which is a good way of running software development for low-budget projects.
– Pros
You can expect the best kind of delivery times and you can also expect small teams of software developers as well as low budget to work well with this methodology. It is the best value when it comes to the utilisation of resources.
– Cons
Big corporations may not be happy with this technique because this is not really orthodox and this methodology can fail if the team does not have a good working relationship. It also needs a lot of documentation.
Extreme Programming Methodology
Extreme programming can also be attributed to the class of Agile methodology because it is excellent for continuous after-testing.
Extreme programming utilizes different practices like having a development process that moves forward with the help of testing as well as pair programming.
It also believes in very fast feedback and needs client-developer collaboration.
– Pros
If you want the best kind of flexibility when it comes to the development process and if you are alright with a feedback-based development process through continuous integration then this is the best option for you. You can expect high-quality results from this methodology.
– Cons
This kind of methodology is difficult for smaller teams because it requires a very high level of discipline and it is also difficult in terms of scalability.
Scrum Software Methodology
This is also a variation of the Agile methodology simply because it works in short sprints which means you can plan a series of changes at a single time and you can expect rapid changes with this kind of methodology.
This is quite a popular methodology and it involves a few new roles that are only found in this methodology such as the Product Owner as well as the Scrum Master. If you want to do software development then you should differently check out this methodology.
– Pros
If you want software development to be very quick and if you want a lot of changes at a single moment then this is perfect. This is also excellent from the point of view of the client because they can expect very fast changes from their feedback.
– Cons
Since this is not an orthodox way of software development or methodology, the project can go on indefinitely which means it is quite unsuitable if you have a smaller budget. This methodology relies heavily on team members because if you do not have the right team then you simply cannot pull this off.
Prototype Software Methodology
There are significant drawbacks to the waterfall model of software development and one of the biggest drawbacks is that it is very bad with prototyping.
This is a software development methodology that is specifically there to solve a very specific issue. Prototype methodology is excellent for software demonstrations just to show the working principle of the software.
– Pros
This is excellent from the perspective of the client because they get to see the software in action and it also helps in planning for the project. It also solves the issue of misunderstandings during the project.
– Cons
It is just a prototype and you cannot expect the final product from this methodology. It is just like Steve Jobs demonstrating the iPhone for the first time, if you know you know.
Feature-Driven Development Methodology
This is a methodology which we also call the iterative approach. This is basically software development in stages and in tiny increments rather than doing it in different phases.
This kind of development and methodology is easy to manage and domain modelling is excellent with this methodology.
– Pros
If you want the best kind of progress tracking and if you also want your project to be easy to work on by multiple teams in a big organisation then you should definitely choose this methodology. This is quite a very adaptable and recognised methodology that is reliable for big operations.
– Cons
The only problem with this methodology is simply that it is not ideal or even recommended for small projects. It is also a difficult methodology for smaller companies because we are talking about a sizable budget when it comes to domain modelling.
Joint Application Development Methodology
If you want everyone to get involved in the software development process then you should choose this methodology because it provides the stage for users as well as developers and designers to work on a project.
We have to think of this in the form of workshops where the project is laid down and jointly worked on in a very collaborative manner. While you can utilise this for technical issues but this is a much better system that is suited for business systems.
– Pros
This is a very efficient system because you can minimise costs regarding software development as well as save a lot of time while ensuring the achievement of project goals. If you have to work on a lot of information and make important decisions regarding that information then this is a great methodology.
– Cons
This is a very detailed process and needs a lot of time investment because the planning stage is a lot labour intensive which means if you do not have a project like that that needs collaboration then this is not for you. That can also be the issue of different people having different opinions about something that could have been solved easily with a different methodology.
Rapid Application Development
If you want the fastest and the best quality results then this is probably the best kind of software development methodology out there and it is quite evident from the name.
Software developers receive feedback and then get straight into the solution and the entire goal is to make sure results are obtained with minimal delay. It definitely has its advantages but also disadvantages.
– Pros
This methodology is excellent from the point of view of the developers but it is even better from the point of view of clients because it ensures limited risk during the initial stage of development. Speaking of development, the development time is also minimal.
– Cons
The disadvantage with this kind of methodology is that it is very difficult to implement for small projects and you need a really experienced team to pull off rapid application development. It is also very budget intensive which means smaller projects are out of the question.
Spiral Development Methodology
If you want the best kind of risk management and if you want to avoid risks before they become a big problem then this is the methodology you should utilise for software development.
This is based on an iteration of the Waterfall methodology where risk assessment takes place from the smaller bits to the bigger areas of the project. This methodology is actually very good when it comes to large-size projects.
– Pros
If you have a long-term project that is going to go on for eternity then this is a very good development model to follow as a methodology. It is also very good for the budget because you will get to know the spending threshold early on. If you have quality control in mind then again you should implement this model.
– Cons
However, this is a methodology that can only be applicable for extremely big projects and it is not at all suited for small projects. You also need some of the best developers who have specialised knowledge in order to pull off this methodology.
Dynamic Systems Development Model
At eleven we have the Dynamic Development Model and it is actually based on the Rapid methodology but is a little bit more advanced than the rapid model.
It has all the advantages of the Rapid methodology such as very fast delivery and also good budget consideration and is also iterative in its approach and needs user involvement. The fact that it is dynamic is just that it needs to constantly keep changing and improving.
– Pros
If you are having communication problems between the team and client then this methodology will solve everything and it is also excellent when it comes to control of the different elements of the software life cycle.
– Cons
The downside is that if you have a small company then it is very difficult to implement and it is relatively more expensive than other methodologies that can get the job done just as well.
DevOps Development Methodology
We come to one of the most impactful as well as one of the most popular methodologies out there. You can call it a methodology but you can also call it a work philosophy.
This is because it is all about the coordination between the operations part of the software development as well as the developer part and them working in synchronisation. If the operations as well as the development team converge together, half the problems with software development can be solved.
– Pros
This is one of the best ways to improve the efficiency of your workflow and it is also very good in terms of responsiveness to feedback. Is also excellent from the standpoint of customer satisfaction.
– Cons
Since it is a continuous process that means updates are also going to be continuous for the system to stay working properly but some clients might not like that. Not to mention the fact that it might be difficult to implement in a workplace with different methodologies.
We hope this blog will help you understand the most popular and relevant software development methodologies utilized by small, medium as well as large software development companies.
You might have a preference and so do we. However, we are among the very few companies that actually listen to the client as a team member and that is why we are ready to implement whichever methodology you want when we work on your project.
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