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“Software is not just an isolated artifact. Software is history, organization, and social relationships made tangible.” – Frank P Lambert

Truly, the software is an important aspect of a company’s organizational framework and ecosystem. It is an asset that is the most valuable to a company and thus, every aspect regarding its development process is to be determined with caution. You may think that you can simply hire a Software Development Company and handle out all the responsibility to them should be enough, but I would strongly disagree. Other wise you may simply end with causing dissatisfaction between your customers as well as staff, both of which is dangerous. So, what are the things to be considered when you are choosing the development process for your business? Let’s take a look.

Your company’s software development process should be taking into consideration the factors including the Software Development lifecycle to be utilized, the features as well as functionalities to be included; and finally the development company to be selected.

First of all, let’s begin with the Software Development Life Cycles i.e. SDLC that you can choose from.

Types Of Software Development Lifecycle:

Of the various SDLC’s we’ll take a look at those which are the best choices present in the market right now.

Waterfall Method:

This methodology or approach to the software development process was developed way back in the 1970s. This approach is a traditional one and follows a logical progression of steps which cascaded down like a waterfall. Thus, initially, the required documents are gathered, the design is created, its implementation i.e. software development is done, it is verified by testing for bugs and then debugging is done, after which the product is deployed or released, and finally support and maintenance is provided as an when required.

Iterative Method:

In this method, software development is done in several small parts or increments. Thus, the development starts partially with the gradual integration of features and changes. With every next iteration, there will be new implementations and improvements, and thus the final complete product will be developed.

Agile Method:

Agile method is the most preferred methodology which derives from the iterative methodology. It was developed in 2001 and focuses on flexibilittty, adaption to change, and engaging the customers. Thus, the agile method is an iterative approach where the development is done in the progression of short phases, cycles, or sprints. In agile, there is continual planning, collaborations, interactions, feedbacks, and changes – all resulting in customer-oriented and quick results.

Kanban, Scrum, And Extreme Programming Methodologies:

While Waterfall and Iterative methods have been applied in software project development. Agile was introduced as an approach. Further, Agile framework was developed too. Thus, over time, various agile methodologies were developed. We’ll take a look at the  important ones here. They are – Extreme programming, Scrum, and Kanban. Extreme Programming is best used when the customers want to have a complete decision making authority in the whole project development process. Scrum and Kanban on the other hand are more flexible agile methodologies. They make use of an Agile framework; however, both have their differences, while still being compatible. Scrum is focused on getting more amount of work done in less time and requires a constant panning review (almost within every two weeks); while Kanban is focused on process improvements.

Now that you know what are the various Software Development methods/ process, you need to understand which approach you should choose for your Industry or project. Here are some tips to help you make the choice.

Tips To Choose The Right Software Development Process For Your Industry:

Firstly, you need to understand that not all development companies develop software using all the methodologies. This is because the Agile approach requires the service providers to adopt their process, proper training of the employees, approval of the stakeholders to implement this approach, continuous co-ordination between all the teams and departments, and in general flexibility within the management. So, if you want a software project developed with agile methodology, make sure the software development service providers you hire do make use of the agile approach of development.

If you want to be included in the process of development of your product and wish for the process to be transparent and dependent upon the feedback of the end-users, try hiring the agile approach providing company. On the other hand, if you do not have time to spare and simply want the final product in your hand, the traditional waterfall development method is the right approach.

To decide which development process or approach is good for you, you should consider the flexibility of your requirements. If you require to develop software with is rather well defined and specific with no uncertainties, it is best to go for the waterfall approach. However, in contrast, if you need to develop a product that requires frequent changes to be made, then iterative or agile methods are best put to use.

Similarly, if your product’s end-users belong to a controlled group, theirs and in turn, your reuirements will be fixed and would develop well with the waterfall process. However, for diversified users, their requirements will be different and you’ll need to get continuous feedback from them and the software will have to be developed accordingly and hence agile or iteration methods should be utilized.

The agile approach lets you develop software in a rather lesser time, giving a good speed to the development process and rather quick delivery of the product.

These are the tips you need to consider while deciding on which Software Development Process you want to adapt for your Industry. Think about the tips and choose wisely. The best option would be consulting with the development of service providers with what are your requirements and mutually come to a conclusion.