There must be many times when you would have heard that software development is a tricky task. Software development company or software developers have to go through a series of planning, development, coding, delivering the software application and then, later on, looking to support and maintain the product. The process itself is quite lengthy and tedious for anyone to follow.
However, technology has evolved with time and it has granted many alternatives to almost all complex problems. To develop software in the most feasible way possible, there are various methodologies available that make the development process easier and flexible. All it takes in all the methodologies proper planning and chalking out goals and vision to pick the right methodology for the type of development that the company is looking for.
We bring to you the best software development methodologies and will compare them so that it becomes easier for you to decide which methodology would best suit your software development.
1. Waterfall Model
The most basic software development methodology is the waterfall model. This model follows the simple rule of a linear process. This is one of the most traditional methodologies found in the history of software development. The process involves the linear flow in a specified sequence. This is to help developers understand the process starts with one step and upon completion, only one can move to the next step.
Pros:
- The simplest methodology available to understand
- Time-saving
- Easy testing and analysis as the flow is linear
Cons:
- Does not give the pleasure to go back to the previous step for changes
- Good for specific need only
- Not good for big and long projects
2. Agile Methodology
Next methodology which is quite popular amongst software development companies is an agile method. It is the most innovative approach which follows the ground rule of the iterative process. Most software development companies use agile methodology as it allows developers to make changes in the step whenever needed. Agile methodology offer advantages like it minimizes the risk of bugs, cost overruns, and changing requirements during adding new any new functionality.
Pros:
- Follows iterative approach
- It becomes easier to fix bugs and improve efficiency with agile
- Best for big projects
Cons:
- It heavily relies on real-time communication, hence there is no documentation for new users to look at
- Require user's approval for any kind of small or big changes in the development process
3. DevOps Methodology
Another methodology that benefits developers in the latest software development is DevOps. Other than making the development process easy, it offers a set of practices to support the organizational culture. It is the collaboration of development team and operations team to increase the efficiency of development and such as development, quality assurance, and operations.
Pros:
- It focuses on improving time-to-market, minimize the failure rate of the releases and maximize the reliability
- It aims at automating continuous deployment
- Improved customer satisfaction, product quality, and employee productivity and efficiency
Cons:
- Multiple updates that annoy customers
- Company compliance and regulation, makes it time taking the process in cases like testing the application
4. Prototype Methodology
Another famous methodology that simplifies the development process is the prototype methodology. It allows developers to create only the prototype of the solution to representing its layout, functionality to the clients. It makes it easier for developers to make necessary modifications before developing the actual application. It solves all the possible challenges beforehand and then proceeds with the development.
Pros:
- A clear understanding of look and feel, layout and project representation to clients
- Minimized risk of failure of the development
- Transparent communication between the development company and the clients
Cons:
- Expensive as the prototype is chalked out using the development company's cost
- Multiple iterations due to client involvement
- Workflow is disturbed which may lead to delay in delivery
5. Rapid Application Development Methodology
For quicker development and higher-quality results than those achieved with the other software development methodologies, RAD methodology is preferred. RAD, as the name suggests, is used for software development when there is a need to accelerate the development process. Active users participate in the development process, which makes it easier to achieve the goal in less time.
Pros:
- Reduced risk and faster development
- RAD allows clients to take a quick review of the project
- It's also easy to avail customer feedback with RAD methodology
Cons:
- This methodology requires a strong and skilled team
- Not beneficial for small budget projects
- Quite expensive as all the designers and skilled developers are not cheap to hire for the project
Conclusion
Software development is not merely a development. It’s an effort put in by all the members involved in it. The methodologies help the team to achieve what they desire and develop software applications that fulfill the requirement of users and ascertain the growth of the businesses. While some methodology may fit one project model, it may not be suitable for other projects. Depending on the requirement, software development company may choose the best one and make progress on the development effectively and efficiently.
