Looking to feature more structure to your software development workflow? Selecting the correct software development methodology for your product organization depends largely on your team size, goals, and other factors. Here is an outline of the foremost widely utilized and recognized software development methodologies to assist you to opt for what is true for your team.
1. Waterfall
When it involves software development, Waterfall is the most traditional and sequential choice. Although it’s usually viewed as an ”old school” or outdated method, it’s helpful to know the history and structure of Waterfall to be raised to appreciate the flexibleness of more modern methodologies. First created in 1970, Waterfall was one of the foremost prominent methodologies for several decades due to its plan-driven approach.
Waterfall requires lots of structure and documentation upfront. it’s divided into self-contained stages or steps. the primary stage is significant, requiring a full understanding by both developers and customers of the project’s demands and scope before anything begins. The stages are relatively rigid and infrequently follow this sequence: determine the project’s requirements and scope, analyze those requirements, design, implement, test, deploy, and eventually, maintain. There’s an absence of flexibility with this approach, meaning what’s decided by the customer and developer at the start must be seen through. Should any changes must be made or mistakes addressed toward the top stages, the Waterfall method generally requires a full restart.
2. Feature-Driven Development
An iterative and incremental approach to software development, Feature-Driven Development (FDD) springs from the Agile methodology and is taken into account as a way to implement it. Kind of like Waterfall, FDD is usually viewed as an older methodology, a form of precursor to modern Lean/Agile implementations. FDD still focuses on the goal of delivering working software frequently and is an especially client-centric approach, making it an honest suitable for the smaller development teams.
Features are a foundational piece of FDD. Features are client-valued pieces of labor that, consistent with the FDD approach, should be delivered every time period. to provide tangible software often and efficiently, FDD has five steps, the primary of which is to develop an overall model. Next, build a feature list and so plan by each feature. At each step, status reporting is inspired and helps to track progress, results, and possible errors. Although the efficient response to alteration is one of all FDD’s better attributes, and understanding of the client’s requirements and therefore the overall model at the start of the project can reduce any surprises during development.
3. Agile
This approach is meant to accommodate change and therefore they have to produce software faster.
Agile values individuals and their relationships and interactions over tools; it features customer collaboration throughout the event process; it responds to vary rather than following a set-in-stone plan; and it focuses on presenting working software, instead of documentation. Using the Agile approach, teams develop in brief sprints or iterations, each of which incorporates an outlined duration and list of deliverables, but in no particular order. During sprints, teams work towards the goal of delivering working software (or another tangible, testable output).
4. Scrum
With Scrum, the software is developed using an iterative approach within which the team is front and center—experienced and disciplined workers on smaller teams might find the foremost success with this method because it requires self-organization and self-management.
Team members break down end goals into smaller goals at the start and work them using fixed-length iterations—or sprints—to build software and showcase it often (which usually lasts two weeks). Meetings play a vital role within the Scrum approach, and through each sprint, daily planning meetings and demos happen to follow the progress and gather feedback. Scrum incorporates the structure and discipline of more traditional software development methodologies with the flexibleness and iterative practices of contemporary Agile.
5. Extreme Programming (XP)
Another Agile framework, Extreme Programming (or XP) focuses on producing higher quality software using the most effective practices in software development. In general, XP follows a collection of values, instead of steps, including simplicity (develop what’s required, nothing more); communication (teams must collaborate and work together on every bit of the software); consistent feedback; and respect.
6. Lean
Lean is directly a workflow methodology and a mindset, incorporating principles and practices from the manufacturing space and applying them broadly to a spread of industries, including software development. While Agile is a wonderful methodology for the sensible application of development best practices, it doesn’t include instructions for scaling these practices across the organization or applying them outside of development-type work.
This is why many organizations that practice Agile at the team level begin to include Lean philosophies, practices, and tools to assist in innovation at scale. Lean’s basic principles—optimize the entire, eliminate waste, build quality, create knowledge, defer commitment, deliver fast, and respect people—can help to guide decision-making across the organization in an exceedingly way which will help to unearth potential issues and maintain a healthy organizational culture.