The topic of software development methodologies is often discussed. Unfortunately, these methods are more often forgotten or are not used to their fullest extent than we would like. Sometimes, people are caught up in deciding which software development methodology is best for their unique situation.
There is one thing that is true, however, and that is that it is better to have some type of methodology than none. It is apparent that every methodology for developing software for information systems has its foundation in the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), whether it is the classic Waterfall model, Evolutionary, Agile SCRUM, Kanban, or another. Regardless of the timeframe or variation, SDLC will always be present.
Let’s examine these stages in the life cycle to see how they alter the development process.
What is System Development Life Cycle?
Software development life cycles break the process of creating an application or a software system into discrete stages. With this framework, the development teams and stakeholders are able to complete and evaluate each stage individually and only advance when they are confident that the product is ready.
1. Planning
In the early stages of your project, brainstorming might be an option if you are not quite certain of the scope or scale. To work out the limits of the project, you might choose to use a visual tool such as a concept map or mind map (try our own Gleek.io – we couldn’t find the right design tool, so we created our own). You will also be able to identify individuals and departments that might need to be involved as you become more knowledgeable about what needs to be done. Be sure to get their input. Planning entails determining the business objectives, budget, timetable, and who is accountable for the project.
Planning carefully beforehand will save you a lot of time and pain later on, so don’t skimp on determining exactly what you need to build, why you need to build it, and how it will interact with all the other systems and processes in the company.
2. Requirements
Formally documenting the requirements becomes much easier once you have a clear idea of the project scope. Now you’ll be able to determine the project’s scope, goals, risks, and feasibility.
To ensure that the project meets all stakeholders’ expectations, you must work with them to understand their expectations. Documentation is crucial. The documentation needs to be easily accessible in case the project starts to go off the rails in any of the subsequent steps.
3. Design
In the aftermath of defining what should be built, the team can move on to design the architecture, technology stack, and UI/UX – including the database design and workflow. You may create a proof-of-concept prototype or mockup, discuss alternatives, and ensure that hardware and software are appropriate.
4. Development
Here’s where the coding begins. Although this phase can be slow, if an agile approach is used and prior phases have been explored and documented in detail, a minimum viable product (MVP) should emerge and be available for all stakeholders to evaluate. This stage is risky because there is a danger of feature creep if extra functionality is added that did not belong in the original requirements. The development team should succeed in completing this phase and move on to testing if the temptation to go beyond the design documents is avoided and milestones are clearly defined.
5. Testing
A test like this puts the MVP to the test. Data might be handled incorrectly, there could be bugs, slowdowns, or security holes. This is the place where these problems should be discovered. All stakeholders should have the opportunity to engage with the product and it might even be advisable to bring in user groups to find issues that aren’t obvious to people closely involved with development. On top of this, the developers will be running automated unit tests, integration tests, and generally trying their best to find any flaws.
6. Deployment
The product works as expected and the problems have been fixed. It’s time to send it into the real world to do what it was made for. The deployment of an application can be relatively painless, depending on the application’s complexity and the deployment method being used. No matter how it is deployed as part of a standalone application or as part of a service implemented alongside other systems, the product is currently available for use and abuse by end-users.
7. Maintenance
Although the software has been rigorously tested during the testing phase, it can still behave in unexpected ways in the wild. Customers have a knack for finding bugs that nobody could have predicted. Monitoring and maintaining the code will be carried out by the development team or a support team. The need for fixes, new functions, or changes to the technology underpinning the platform will inevitably result in new versions and updates.
Conclusion
Last but not least, the system development life cycle is essential for an organization as it allows it to build a system from scratch. System development cycle stages play an important role in the successful development of the system. You can reach out to us if you are looking for a custom software solution.
If you want to develop a new system for your organization then should develop the system using the 7 stages of SDLC. Hope this post will be helpful for you.
If you think you need a custom software solution, contact us today to set up a call.
