What is the best way to develop a software product? Is it better to use an off-the-shelf package, or should you write all of your own code? What about Agile development, waterfall model, or scrum? These are some of the questions that every business owner needs to ask themselves. There is no one answer for what works best, and different types of businesses have different needs.
The goal is always to find a solution that meets your unique set of circumstances without spending more money than necessary. In this post, we will discuss three common models used in software development: Waterfall Model, Agile Development and Scrum, as well as things to take into consideration when choosing one.
Waterfall Model
The goal of the waterfall model is to create a system that works in accordance with specified requirements and constraints. It has been popular for many decades because it can be applied to almost any type of project, from designing an office building or app, so there is a lot of versatility, though your process is mostly fixed to what you've planned.
The waterfall model is often a good choice if your requirements are well-defined and you do not want to have the risk of making changes as you go. The downside is that it can be slow, rigid and difficult to make changes or account for unforeseen circumstances.
Agile Development
Agile methodology is a great way to create a system that can be worked on iteratively, and it is popular for many reasons. One of the main benefits is that you have relative flexibility in terms of scope because requirements may change as your product evolves.
The downside with agile development is that it requires good communication between stakeholders to ensure things are going smoothly – which can sometimes lead to issues when projects are large, with many people involved.
Scrum is a method that is often used to facilitate agile development. It is a process that has been adopted by many organisations and can be more effective for large projects because it centralises the decision-making power in one person, which helps streamline communication.
The downside of this type of model is that there are no formal specifications or requirements set out at the beginning, so not everybody knows what they are working on until the beginning of a project.
Now that you know the differences let's jump right into what you should take into consideration when choosing a specific model.
1. What is the purpose of the software?
The purpose of the software will dictate which development model you choose. For instance, a mobile app may be best suited for agile or scrum development because this type of project is typically completed in small increments and has a shorter design cycle. In contrast, an enterprise application should probably use waterfall because it requires more planning and strategy upfront to ensure timely delivery.
2. Who will use it?
Depending on what kind of users your software will have, you may want to choose a model that's more familiar to them. For example, if your app is for children, then an agile development cycle might be best because it allows the team of developers and designers to quickly adapt based on feedback from users.
At the same time, if you're building an application meant for power users, then they might be more comfortable with a waterfall process because it's less iterative, and they'd want a more complete product instead.
3. How often will it be used?
The more often an application will be used, the more likely it is that you'll want to use agile development. It can handle feedback and updates better than waterfall because of how iterative it is.
If your app only needs minimal changes or updates occasionally, then using a waterfall process might make sense since you won't need as many revisions due to the fact that such a method needs to be planned out way more meticulously.
4. What type of data does it need to handle?
The more complex the data handling needs, typically, the more likely it is that you'll want to use an agile process. Agile can handle feedback and updates better because of how iterative development is. For a simpler app with no major logic behind it, waterfall might work just as well since there's less complexity involved, so fewer revisions are needed.
5. Is there a specific industry or niche that you're targeting?
Some markets work best with waterfall models, such as the medical field, where accuracy is a top priority.
On the other hand, if you have a company that's working with the latest and greatest technology, then an agile process might be more beneficial.
6. How much time and money do you have available for development costs, maintenance, and training needs?
This is perhaps the most important question that you have to ask yourself.
If you're looking to build a new project from scratch, then agile development is probably the way to go. The biggest thing with waterfall models is that they cost more money upfront in order for your team to create all of the documentation and requirements before beginning any actual work. This can be hard if there's not an allocated budget available or you lack workforce resources.
Conclusion
Software development needs to be a collaboration between the business and its development team. There's no one-size-fits-all approach to developing software, but small businesses are often better off with agile models because it costs less upfront. The best thing you can do is figure out what your needs are before deciding on a model for your company.
