As a business owner, outsourcing software development work to a software development company can be a cost-effective and efficient way to bring your technology vision to life. However, it’s essential to have a comprehensive understanding of the software development life cycle (SDLC) to ensure the success of your project. Understand that you need to check the understanding of your remote development company regarding SDLC. This is because top software development companies have a robust SDLC process. In this blog, we will take a closer look at each phase of the SDLC and show you what you need to expect from your software development team.
Why Does the SDLC Matter for Software Development?
Here are a few reasons why SDLC matters
- Helps define and manage project scope, goals, and deliverables.
- Ensures software is developed to meet customer requirements and expectations.
- Facilitates clear communication and collaboration among stakeholders.
- Provides a structured and systematic approach to software development, reducing the risk of failure.
- Facilitates continuous improvement and continuous delivery of high-quality software.
- Helps manage resources and schedules more effectively.
- Enables early identification and mitigation of potential risks and problems.
- Facilitates testing and quality assurance throughout the development process.
- Helps maintain the integrity and security of software systems.
Understanding the Phases in SDLC
Planning
The planning stage, which is also known as the feasibility stage, is exactly what it sounds like: it is the time when developers plan for the project. It helps them figure out what the problem is and how big it is, as well as what their goals are for their new systems.
By making a good plan for the next development cycle, they should be able to spot problems before they hurt development. And help them get the money and resources they need to carry out their plan. The software project schedule is set during the planning stage, which may be the most important part. This is especially true if the project is for a commercial product that needs to be on the market by a certain date.
Analysis
During the analysis stage, all the details needed for a new system are gathered, and the first ideas for prototypes are thought up.
- Software developers can list the needs of any prototype system
- Look at alternatives to the prototypes you already have.
- Do research and analysis to find out what end-users need.
Also, developers often make an SRS document, which stands for software requirement specification. This includes everything they need to know about the software, hardware, and network for the system they want to build. This will keep them from using more money or resources than they have when they work in the same place as other development teams.
Design
The software design stage happens before the main development stage.
First, the developers will describe the details of the application as a whole, along with specific parts like:
- Interfaces for users
- System interfaces
- Network and the needs of the network
- Databases
Then usually, they will turn the SRS document they made into a more logical structure that can later be used in a programming language. Plans will be made for operation, training, and maintenance so that developers know what they need to do at each stage of the SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) going forward.
Once everything is done, the development managers will make a design document that can be used in the next steps of the SDLC.
Development
During the development stage of the Software product, developers write code and build the product based on the design documents and specifications that were made earlier.
The design document is used to build the program code for the product. In theory, all of the planning and outlining done before the development phase should make it pretty easy.
Software programmers will use tools like compilers, debuggers, and interpreters, as well as follow any coding rules set by the organization.
Standard programming languages include C++, PHP, Python, and more. Software engineers will choose the right one for a project based on its requirements and specifications.
Testing
Understand that building the software is not the end of the story.
Now, it needs to be tested to make sure there are no bugs and that the end user’s experience won’t be hurt in any way.
During the software testing stage of SDLC process, developers will go over their software with a fine-tooth comb, noting any bugs or problems that need to be tracked down, fixed, and then retested. It’s important that, in the end, the software meets the quality standards that were set out in the SRS document.
Testing of software can take a very short amount of time or a very long amount of time, depending on how good the developers are, how complicated the software is, and what the end user wants.
Implementation
After testing, the software’s design will come together as a whole. Developers will work to add different modules or designs to the main source code. This is usually done by using training environments to find more bugs or errors.
The information system will be put in place and connected to its environment. After this step, the software is, in theory, ready.
Maintenance
In spite of what most people think, the procedure of SDLC doesn’t end when the software is on the market. Software developers must now switch to a maintenance mode and start doing the things they need to do to fix problems that end users report.
Also, they are in charge of making any changes to the software that may be needed after it has been released. This can include fixing bugs that couldn’t be fixed before the game came out or fixing new problems that users find and report. Maintenance steps may be longer for larger systems than for smaller ones.
Conclusion
The Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is a systematic method for creating software that allows for clear communication, effective teamwork, and the possibility of continual improvement. A successful software project can be ensured by open communication and collaboration with the software development team at every stage of the software development life cycle process.
To get the most out of their software development outsourcing experience, business owners must have a firm grasp of the different phases of the software development life cycle. If you take the time to gain some knowledge of the SDLC, you can guarantee that your project will be tailored to your needs, completed on schedule, and will far surpass your expectations.