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Over the years of work, our software product development company has come across all the major software development methodologies. We applied each of them separately, tried to combine different methods, and used the best aspects of different approaches to meet the needs of our customers.
In this article, we review the main IT methodologies and outline the pros and cons of each.
When a business faces a need for software development, contracting with the right software development team is only half the battle. It is also important to take into account many factors that will affect the success of the project. These factors include the interaction model, project size, frequency of requirement changes, desired level of development team involvement, required resources, allocated budget, and more. Most of these issues can be effectively addressed with an appropriate software engineering methodology.
There are various software development methodologies and it is easy to get confused when choosing the right one for a particular project. In this article, we’ll overview different IT methodologies and explain when to choose each one to make a software development process successful.
A software development methodology is a set of strategies, approaches, and techniques that help development teams effectively manage the process of building applications. Various methods of software development predetermine the style of work and the structure of the project, addressing the following issues:
When a software development team has a defined action plan and established procedures that they should follow, it greatly facilitates the development of projects, including:
All the methodologies can be divided into more and less popular, however, this does not mean that one software development model is better than another. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, and choosing the best software methodology depends on the requirements of the project.
Here are the 4 main software methodologies that are currently most commonly used to deliver various types of solutions, including web applications, mobile applications, desktop applications, and many more.
Agile is a highly flexible software development methodology. It is based on the idea of evolutionary product development through short cycles called iterations.
One iteration usually lasts from one week to one month. During one iteration, the software development team must create a piece of code or functionality and add it to the overall product. The progress of work, as well as the implementation of functions, are discussed at regular meetings and brainstorming sessions.
This approach to software development works well on projects with frequently changing requirements or where user/client feedback is essential for a successful application release. This allows you to fully tailor the developed product to business and user requirements, effectively avoid critical and major errors due to frequently performed testing procedures, and minimize any cost issues.
When Agile methodology first appeared, it was used mainly by game and interface developers. Among them are Google, Netflix, Microsoft, Spotify, Ericsson, Dell, Adobe, Accenture, WordPress, Riot Games, CH Robinson, Intronis, and others.
Now the scope has expanded: a good Agile methodology example is the solution that Saab has created for the production of new fighters, or that of John Deere, a leading American manufacturer of agricultural equipment.
The Waterfall is a longstanding software development method. This remains relevant for building applications that have specific requirements in the beginning. These can be digital solutions for medicine, energy, housing and communal services, complex engineering systems and other areas that require accurate and detailed documentation before launching a development project.
When implementing the Waterfall methodology, the development team gradually moves from one stage to another without the possibility of making any changes to the requirements in the previous stages. Therefore, documentation, timeline, resources, team structure and budget must be determined in advance.
DevOps is a compound term that includes Dev – “software development” and Ops – “IT operations”. The main idea of the method is to combine the two sides of creating an application – software development and improvement of development processes into one.
In DevOps, development teams build applications in iterations while focusing on process automation, data transparency, and rapid feedback. This allows them to speed up the delivery of products while maintaining high quality, reliability, and consistency.
Rapid Application Development (RAD) is another software development methodology that aims to bring the requested product to market quickly while maintaining its high quality and accurately meeting user and customer requirements.
When working with RAD, the development team rapidly prototypes the application and releases it to the public, collects valuable feedback, and refines the prototype. The team repeats the prototyping and presentation steps until the solution satisfies all requirements. The team then develops the entire application based on the improved prototype.
The method allows for minimizing the risks associated with the development, release and promotion of the product, and also ensures high compliance with user requirements. RAD is best suited for small to medium-sized projects where time is of the essence.
Each of the types of software development we’ve overviewed above has its strengths and weaknesses and is suitable for different development projects. Combining the best software engineering practices and a decade of experience in the field of software development, NEKLO experts have prepared a short table to help you decide which development methodology to choose for your project:
Building a custom software solution is a rather complex process that requires a lot of time and budget. Thus, enterprises seeking to develop their digital solutions must take into account a wide range of aspects to meet the budget and deadlines of their projects.
A carefully selected methodology can help enterprises and their development teams approach the development process effectively. NEKLO applies various methodologies to create custom software solutions. This allows our development team to achieve remarkable project results, create outstanding products, and save clients’ time and budget.
If you also want to find a reliable software development services provider, fill in the form on our website – and NEKLO experts will gladly answer all your questions.
US-based and operating globally, NEKLO spearheads digital transformation initiatives for businesses worldwide. We deliver software solutions complying with your market and legislation.
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