What is a Software Development Strategy?
A software development strategy is a set of decisions that allows you to build a practical guideline for design, development, and deployment. Every successful project begins with a well-planned strategy that allows the development team to progress successfully through each software development step.
An effective software development strategy is essential for a successful project. In the software industry, development speed and reducing time to market are priorities for a client when planning a project. Unless the client holds a substantial market dominance, they are under pressure to progress faster to gain a competitive advantage.
Without an effective software development strategy, development teams can become overwhelmed with workloads and narrow deadlines. This kind of work environment can lead to burnout and high employee turnover. Implementing a strategy can improve the final product, client experience, and employee satisfaction.
The Software Development Process
To create an organized and quality project plan, software development teams typically use a software development life cycle (SDLC) method. Using an SDLC method that fits the project will provide the development team with a framework of the requirements and expectations. With an SDLC method and software development strategy, it will be easier to plan and track the project’s progress through the entire lifecycle.
An SDLC includes the phases or steps of the custom software development process. The software development process is typically split up into the following steps:
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Planning
– The project management team will determine the project’s scope and create a timeline for the entire project. This is when all software requirements, goals, and relevant information are gathered from the client.
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Design
-The project team will work with the client to determine how the software application will function and appear. It’s common for mockups of the software features to be created and shared with the client to get feedback before the development begins.
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Development
– The software product development process can begin once the requirements are defined, and the design is approved by the client. This step typically takes the most time since this is when the development team creates the software.
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Testing
– Once the software is developed, it undergoes extensive testing to identify and resolve any bugs. This phase is significant as it directly impacts the user’s experience and contributes to delivering high-quality software.
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Deployment
– After thoroughly testing, the software product is ready for deployment to the production environment. In some cases, this can be the last step in the process, and a different team will be responsible for maintenance.
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Maintenance
– When users identify bugs in the production environment that were not discovered during the testing phase, the development team will resolve the bugs to ensure a smooth user experience. This step would also include any additional features the client would like to implement in future releases.
5 Tips for Effective Software Development
Utilize DevOps Culture
Quickly gaining popularity, DevOps is an SDLC model that brings together the development and operations teams to build quality software at a faster pace. DevOps practices promote a culture of collaboration between the two teams and encourage experimentation and improvement.
Even without implementing DevOps as an SDLC model, any organization can benefit from the cultural shift it can have on teams. DevOps unites the development and operations teams, increasing their communication as they work together throughout the entire development process. This environment will allow the teams to develop a higher-quality software product with open communication through each phase of the process.
Outsource or Use a Vendor
Software development companies typically specialize in industries or markets, as these concentrations allow development teams to build their expertise. These companies provide clients with years of experience in similar projects, including navigating challenges throughout the development process. When searching for a software development company, examine the technologies the company works in and the Intellectual Property (IP) policy.
Outsourcing to a custom software development company allows your team to focus on core business strategy and operations. Utilizing a company with industry expertise lets your business partner with experienced software developers who can bring your project to life.
Define the Project Scope
Defining the project’s scope is essential in software development, as it defines its expectations and limitations for the project. This is typically done during the planning phase to ensure significant changes or updates are not being made during the middle of the project. To determine the project’s scope, the project manager will gather the stakeholders’ requirements, including the project’s:
- Goals
- Deliverables
- Tasks
- Cost
- Deadlines
Clearly Define Requirements and a Roadmap
One of the essential components of an effective software development strategy is to create a project plan to work from. Once the project’s scope and requirements are determined with the client, creating a roadmap for the project’s duration will set the development team up for success. A project manager with industry experience can help build a practical roadmap without unrealistic expectations.
Due to the nature of uncertainty in software development, it’s common for a software development project to fall behind schedule. Building a roadmap with the tasks split up will create a timeline, giving the development team and the client insight into the project’s progress and projected delivery date. A project manager who tracks the development team’s progress and maintains deadlines is vital to making the roadmap effective.
Utilize an Agile Approach
The software development methodology plays a significant role in the rate at which software is developed. Agile is an SDLC method that approaches software development with a flexible strategy, choosing to make adjustments and improvements through the project’s life cycle.
This is a popular method as it’s easy to provide clients with progress updates and allows development teams the flexibility to make updates based on client feedback without throwing the project off schedule.
The Agile methodology builds cross-functional teams that work together, setting the project up for success with an open communication framework. Agile works in iterated cycles ranging from two to four weeks, commonly referred to as sprints. This allows project managers to review the project timeline and incorporate any changes to the project.
Optimize Your Software Development
Having a software product development strategy can ease the team’s stress and provide them with structure when working on a project. Some of the tips mentioned can be easily implemented into an existing strategy or be used to improve a current one.
Here at Geneca, we use our own unique variation of Agile to bring our culture of commitment and innovation to your project, getting the work done on time and within budget. If you’re ready to take the first step on your software development project, reach out to Geneca today for a commitment-free consultation!
FAQs
Which Method is Best for Software Development?
DevOps is an SDLC method that’s quickly gaining popularity, focusing on the collaboration of the development and operations teams. This structure allows projects to progress faster by combining different steps and working through continuous iterations. This method also inspires a culture of communication, experimentation, and improvement.
Deciding which method is best depends on the project and the team involved. Some factors to consider when deciding on an SDLC method are:
- The project’s scope
- The type of work required
- The client’s involvement level
- The team’s structure and work style
What are the 6 Steps of Software Development?
- Planning
- Design
- Development
- Testing
- Deployment
- Maintenance
What is the Basic Software Development Process?
Agile and Waterfall are two notable SDLC methods that serve as the basis for many other methods.
- Agile takes a flexible approach, allowing teams to make adjustments and improvements through the project’s life cycle. Agile software development allows for quick status updates to the client while preserving the time and flexibility for developers to make quick updates to accommodate client feedback.
- Waterfall is regarded as the traditional approach to development, using a straightforward process following a step-by-step plan that does not allow for deviation. There are typically five steps in the Waterfall method, and each step must be completed before you can move on to the next one.