Software development constitutes a billion-dollar industry worldwide and software development life cycle has become one of the most common practices for big billion sectors, SMEs, entrepreneurs, etc. Its immense benefits combined with ease and convenience attracts investment from diverse industry verticals.

However, most investors lack the information necessary to gain insights and advanced control over the project. The software development life cycle involves tons of aspects and crucial decisions. Although most of them are done by the development team, you as an investor can save cost and ensure sky soaring success when actively involved with the project.

This article will discuss the following aspects of the software development life cycle to clear your queries.

Definition and reasons for choosing SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle).

• 7 stages of SDLC
• Each stage in detail
• Best SDLC models to follow
• Let us begin with our first point.

What is SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle)?

software development life cycle can be best defined as a systematic process and protocols that ensure the development of smooth working software with all the necessary additional features and an intuitive user interface.

The cycle ensures that the ultimate digital product fulfills the client’s & development team’s expectations by executing planned functionalities, speed, performance, etc., during the different SDLC phases.

The cycle starts with collecting ideas for the final product and ends with deploying the absolute software. However, the maintenance phase continues for its entire life to keep it updated with the latest technology and tools.

Have a look at the 7 Stages of Software Development Life cycle (SDLC)

• Ideation/Requirements Collection Stage
• Feasibility study of the project
• Designing Stage of the software
• Coding of the software
• Quality Assurance & Testing of the software
• Deployment of the final software
• Maintenance stage

Here’s a list of the top 5 SDLC models

1. The Waterfall Model for Well-defined projects

The waterfall is the oldest and one of the most widely used Software development lifecycle model. Also called the linear sequential model, it is the simplest in form. The end result of each phase in the waterfall model acts as an input for the next stage.

Pros of the Waterfall Model

• The model involves documentation in every phase, and thus integration of new members in the team is smooth.
• Monitoring progress is convenient as the end results of the individual phase are pre-determined.
• The overall cost of development suffers from little to zero variation.
• What you plan is what you get in this model as the final software is predefined with basic and additional features.

Cons of Waterfall Model

• Any modification may require additional efforts as flexibility is less in this model.
• Comparatively slow model and requires more extended time in development.

Ideal for: Projects with zero ambiguity and well-defined outcomes.

2. V-Model for saving testing time

Like the waterfall model, the V-model follows the same phase execution method, except the testing phase is conducted in parallel at completing each stage. Thus, it helps in the project’s rapid development as one of the steps continues in parallel.

Pros of the V-Model

• Simple to use model.
• Requires lesser time for project completion.
• Flaws/bugs get eliminated in each phase.
• Enhances the success rate of the project.

Cons of the V-Model

• This model is more rigid as compared to the Waterfall model
• Midway modification requires re-testing.

Ideal for: Small to Medium size projects.

3. Agile Model for quick implementation of modifications

The agile model involves breaking up the project into smaller builds and divide them into different teams. Each team builds up the smaller builds, which follows the complete SDLC path and releases them. Thus, it has features similar to the incremental model, except here, each release is built on the previous functionality.

Pros of the Agile Model

• Delivery of the software into smaller units.
• Open to quick modifications based on the user’s response.
• An intuitive user interface can be achieved even for totally new projects.
• Less time is required in project completion.

Cons of the Agile Model

• Lack of documentation.
• Difficult for the team with novice engineers and coders.

Ideal for: Projects that need to be built on user’s response/feedback or final outlook is not clear.

4. Spiral Model for in-depth risk Analysis

The spiral model is like the incremental model but has a greater focus on the software development project’s risk analysis. The model has four main phases (planning, risk, development, and evaluation) through which the software passes repeatedly, and thus the term spirals.

Pros of the Spiral Model

• Greater addressing of risk elimination.
• Easy to integrate modifications.
• Significant control over the project documentation.
• Saves time in overall project delivery.

Cons of the Spiral Model

• Requires significant expertise in the domain.
• Costlier option.

Ideal for: Projects with complicated features that pose risks.

5. Prototype Model for Complicated Systems

The prototype model is based on the idea that software development projects require user feedback to offer users a wholesome feeling. In this model, a simple prototype with the software’s planned outlook is offered to a target audience. From the feedback of the users, the software is then modified.

Pros of the Prototype Model

• Active participation of the target audience of the software.
• Quick detection of flaws.
• A high UI is convenient to achieve
• Can easily integrate the additional features.

Cons of the Prototype Model

• It increases the cost of the project.
• May complex the ultimate solution.

Ideal for: Projects looking to achieve high UI

Final Words

That was all about the software development life cycle and its popular models. If you are looking for amazing custom software development services, connect for a free consultation at your convenience.