DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

Keeping you involved at every stage of development

Producing software in short iterations is the common sense approach to software development. It minimises the planning at the initial stage with the realisation that a more fluid approach, with planning at each stage of the development, would guarantee the best results.

By constantly testing and integrating the results at each stage, the final product can be released earlier if it is ready, or changes can be made that will lead to an implementation that is both rapid and successful.

The traditional waterfall approach

The more traditional ‘waterfall’ approach to software development is a process-led approach. The stages of the project are well defined and the requirements are set in stone at the start by analysts – the design at the outset, followed by blueprint documents, then the construction, integration, testing and finally deployment to customers. As any software developer will know, this is the traditional way that software is developed. But the waterfall approach lacks the flexibility that would allow the project to evolve with the changing needs of the user.

The Agile Methodology

The agile approach is different; the philosophy is based on the idea that if projects are developed in short iterations (three to four weeks), at the end of which the user can see a working version of the software for signoff before progressing to the next iteration, then the overall project will be much more flexible.

The methodology advocates that the best way to measure progress is through the constant development of working software. At the outset of a project, everyone knows that the requirements will change.