Why is sdlc important

Lots of teams lack motivation or have poor morale because of projects whose scope constantly changes. With an SDLC in place, this problem can be greatly reduced. Developers have a roadmap they can refer to, so the management of scope is improved and development problems are less likely to happen. While there will always be unexpected issues during a software development process, adhering to a structured cycle will certainly minimize these occurrences.

The absence of an SDLC typically leads to several problems that will become more prevalent as the development goes on. For example, a lack of proper communication between the development team and customer can produce systems that do not meet the needs of the end-user. If there's mistrust in the customer management staff, there will be an impact on the development contractor maintaining a follow-on contract.

Another thing to consider is that without basic processes or methodology concepts, you will likely end up with defective deployments. Starting a new SDLC process with a simple meeting and discussing the shortcomings of a finished project can do wonders for future projects that have a similar scope.

Conducting a review helps the development team eliminate steps in the development process that did not provide any kind of value at all. Performing steps in a development process just for the sake of doing so can waste valuable effort and time. On the other hand, removing unnecessary stages provides teams with multiple benefits, such as early system deployment or flexibility to solve unplanned problems down the road. Following a well-defined methodology allows development teams to produce stable systems, ensure customers are informed, have a clear understanding of the task at hand, offer better estimates, and identify potential pitfalls early on in the project.

Over time, teams that adhere to a software development life cycle will become more effective at determining issues before they even occur. This will help them not only eliminate problems completely but also create better workarounds in case they happen. Regardless of the type of project, the process is the same. Everything starts by identifying stakeholders and their expectations from the project, before figuring out what is required to create and make sure the definition of what should be created is clearly agreed upon by all stakeholders.

Then, how the product will be built should be defined. The process continues to product design, building, and testing. This will be followed by deployment so the project will be useful to the stakeholders. The product is maintained for a while until they decide to retire the product. There are lots of ways to conduct the aforementioned steps: incrementally, iteratively, or sequentially.

Developers and project managers have many frameworks and models to choose from. The different SDLC methodologies refer to the various activities that go into the steps to allow an organization to create and maintain products. Having a clear understanding of the basic life cycle activities gives you the assurance that all the tasks that should be accomplished are appropriately accounted for.

When done right, the software development life cycle can provide teams with the highest level of documentation and management control. Developers are more efficient because they are informed and guided on what they should create and why. All concerned parties agree on the objective upfront and come up with a clear action plan for achieving that goal. Each stakeholder also understands the resources and costs required. The system development life cycle only works as a starting point of your efforts—it still needs to be tailored according to your unique needs.

For project managers using an SDLC, search for a model that works for you and stick with it. Doing so enables you to come up with an end result that perfectly suits your particular needs and situation. In this phase, some issues are discovered and it is important to resolve them to ensure smooth functioning of the software. Bug fixing if any , Upgradation and Enhancement of some new features are done in the maintenance phase.

Contact us: [email protected]. Inertial Nav Do you Know Home. Thursday, November 11, Sign in. Forgot your password? Get help. Password recovery. By Nidhi Sethi. It helps in evaluating, scheduling and estimating deliverables. It provides a framework for a standard set of activities. It ensures correct and timely delivery to the client.

The various types of feasibility Checks are: Economic Feasibility — Whether the project can be completed within the budget. Your message is received. Svitla's sales manager of your region will contact you to discuss how we could be helpful.

This site uses cookies. By using our site, you agree to our Privacy and Cookie Policy. Why is it important to have a system development life cycle in place? Main System Development Life Cycle Phases As we covered before, the SDLC is used as a conceptual model that includes the procedures and policies necessary to develop or alter a system throughout a life cycle.

Within this framework, these are the main system development life cycle phases: Planning: Initial phase of the SDLC process that sets out to discover, identify, and define the scope of the project to decide the course of action and specifically address the issues that are going to be solved by the new system solution.

This crucial phase sets the tone for the overall success of the project, which is why it is during this phase that thorough research is performed to determine resources, budget, personnel, technical aspects, and more. Analysis: The purpose of this phase is to understand the business and processing needs of the information system project. The end user requirements are determined and documented and a feasibility study is typically performed to determine if the project is feasible from a financial, organizational, social, and technological standpoint.

Design: After a comprehensive analysis phase, the design phase surfaces. In this third phase, the elements, components, security levels, modules, architecture, interfaces and data of the system are defined and designed to evaluate how the finished system will work and what it will look like. The system design is produced in detail to ensure the system will include the necessary features to meet all functional and operational aspects of the project.

Development : An approved design phase is the catalyst for the next and fourth phase: the development of the information system. In this phase, the development team is hard at work writing code and constructing and fine-tuning the technical and physical configurations necessary to build the overall information system. This is considered by many as the most robust phase in the life cycle as all the labor-intensive efforts are made here, signifying the real start of software production and installation of hardware as necessary.

Testing and integration : This phase involves the Quality Assurance QA team who is in charge of performing the overall system testing to determine if the system solution meets the set of business goals and if it performs as expected. Additionally, in this phase, all the different components and subsystems of the solution are brought together to bring the whole integrated system alive. Implementation: After the system is given a green light from the QA team, it is brought into a production environment.

Maintenance: In this final phase, end users can fine-tune the system as necessary to increase performance, add new features and capabilities, or meet new requirements brought to the table by the client. This phase ensures the system remains relevant and usable by replacing old hardware, improving the software, evaluating performance, and applying new updates to make sure it meets all necessary standards and includes the latest technologies to face cybersecurity threats.

System Development Methodology There are numerous SDLC methodologies available and the real beauty in this sea of options lies in selecting the best System Development methodology for a unique project. Waterfall : Known by many as the traditional methodology, Waterfall is a sequential and linear flow used to develop a system software application.

Maintenance This phase involves solving issues faced by the customers when they use the software. Software development process models SDLC models are the methodologies employed by organizations in the development of software. Waterfall model This model consists of various stages with inputs and outputs. Image Source: Wikimedia Advantages It is a simple model that can be followed by developers in developing software.

It is easy to implement this model. All the phases are clearly defined. It works well in short projects. Disadvantages It is not ideal for complex software development projects. It consumes a lot of time because each phase should be completed before moving to the next one. It does not enhance customer integration during the development process.

Iterative model In this model, software development is first done on a small scale. It is possible to produce working functionalities early in the process lifecycle. It improves risk management because high-risk sections can be handled first. It allows customers to change requirements easily. Disadvantages Following this model may require enhanced resources. It requires a lot of attention from the management. It is not ideal for small projects. V-Model This model is an extension of the waterfall model.

Image Source: Professional QA Advantages It is ideal for small projects where all the requirements are well-understood. It is a simple model that can be used easily by developers. Every phase consists of a review process and certain deliverables, which makes it easier to manage. It promotes high-discipline in software development since there is a step-by-step completion of phases one at a time.

Disadvantages It is not ideal for complex projects. It is difficult to change the functionality of an application once it gets to the testing stage.

It is characterized by high risk. Spiral model This model combines aspects of the iterative and waterfall models. It improves risk management because the risky sections can be handled first. In this model, prototypes can be used extensively. It allows the accurate documentation of requirements. Disadvantages Managing this model is complex. The completion time of the project is uncertain. It may require excessive documentation because of huge intermediate phases. Agile model This is a combination of incremental and iterative models with more of a focus on customer satisfaction and adaptability.

Image Source: Tutorials Point Advantages It provides a realistic approach to the development of software. It requires minimum resources. It provides greater flexibility to software developers. It requires little planning. Disadvantages The final product depends on the customer. If the customer is not clear on what is needed, the development team may move in the wrong direction. It does not generate adequate documentation.