What Is SDLC? 7 Software Development Life Cycle Examples

For software development teams, it can be difficult to improve and deliver software projects in an affordable and timely manner. To create a more organized and higher-quality project, development teams will often use a Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) method.

With an SDLC method that fits your team, you can easily outline your goals, plan the project implementation, and produce a well-made product on time. This article will cover what a software development life cycle entails, best practices and common challenges, and 7 popular software development life cycle examples.

WHAT IS A SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE?

The software development life cycle (SLDC) refers to the multiple phases included in custom software creation. SDLC provides a planned flow of phases that allows your software development team to stay organized and produce quality software that’s been properly tested in a timely manner.

SDLC is crucial for software creation because it provides a framework that lists the requirements and expectations for the development team, making it easier to plan and track the project from start to finish. This also increases the visibility for customers and various stakeholders throughout the entire software development life cycle.

SDLC PHASES

 The software development process is typically split up into 6 core phases: Planning, Design, Development, Testing, Deployment, and Maintenance. Some teams will make changes to this process, such as combining or splitting out steps depending on the project or the software development life cycle model used.

PLANNING

During the planning phase, the project team will evaluate the project and create a timeline that will allow them to meet the client’s goals. In this phase, all software requirement specifications and relevant information are gathered from the client to ensure the product meets their expectations. Needs and goals must be clearly defined and there should be no ambiguity early on in the development life cycle.

DESIGN

The design phase is when the project team defines how the software application will work and appear. The team will design the architecture, databases, user interface, and more. Teams will often create mockups of the various software features to give their client an idea of what the system will look and feel like.

In the design phase, clients and their key stakeholders will have the opportunity to review the plan and provide feedback before project development starts.

DEVELOPMENT

Once the details are confirmed, the development phase begins and the software developers get to start writing the program. The number of developers working on your project will depend on the size and scope of the product.

It’s important that all developers on your team follow the plan and guidelines to produce quality and uniform results in a timely manner. Out of all the phases, the development phase can take the most amount of time, as this is when the developers create the software itself.

TESTING

The testing phase starts once the development phase is complete and is a crucial step in the software development life cycle, as it directly impacts the product user’s experience. In this phase, the developed software is meticulously tested to find any errors, address them, and confirm they’re resolved. By undergoing numerous rounds of testing, the customer is delivered high-quality software that provides a seamless user experience.

DEPLOYMENT

Once the product has been thoroughly tested, it’s deployed to the production environment and made available to users. The deployment phase can be automated, or it can involve a more complex process including integrating the upgraded software into existing systems.

In some cases, this can be the last phase in the SDLC, and a separate team would be responsible for product maintenance.

MAINTENANCE

The last phase of the life cycle is maintenance, where users can discover bugs that were not discovered during the testing phase. How and when these bugs are resolved is dependent on the SDLC model being used. This can also be where the customer implements any additional features for future releases.

BEST PRACTICES

The most significant best practice that should always be incorporated into your SDLC is communication among your team. Effective communication will allow your team to stay on track, regardless of the software development life cycle model you use.

As mentioned in the planning phase, making sure all the requirements and expectations are clearly outlined for the development team is necessary in order to successfully complete the project. When there is ambiguity in your plan, you are setting your team up for errors and a longer development phase.

While it might seem like an obvious step, making sure your team is adequately prepared for the size and scope of the project will help minimize roadblocks and errors throughout the entire process.

COMMON CHALLENGES

There are several challenges that can cause hitches in your SDLC implementation. One of the more common challenges for software development partners is failing to consider and account for a client’s needs during the early stages, which can result in misunderstanding the requirements and having a different end-product than the customer envisioned.

Also, depending on how complex the project is and the software development life cycle model you work with, it’s easy for various requirements or details to fall from view. Knowing a project can easily go astray, it’s important to adhere to the requirements and coding guidelines for the project. Detailed planning can set your team up for success, leading you to make a final product that exceeds the client’s expectations.

7 software development life cycle examples

There are numerous SDLC models that can be utilized by a software development team. All the models offer different processes and approaches based on what works best for your development team and the project specifications. Here are 7 common software development life cycle examples and how they can be best applied.

AGILE MODEL

Designed by a team of software pioneers, the Agile model is a practice that follows 12 principles based on 4 key values with software product development in mind. This model takes a flexible approach to software development, making adjustments and improvements throughout the entire process and updating plans as needed.

This model is a great option for large software development projects, as it allows flexibility and adjustments over a longer period of time.

SPIRAL MODEL

The Spiral model was designed with risk management in mind, being comprised of four primary phases: planning, design, construction, and evaluation. Using this model, the software development team will rotate these four phases as many times as necessary to complete the product.

The Spiral model is an effective option for large and complex projects, as the progressive nature allows the development team to break down the project into smaller tasks and complete one feature at a time.

ITERATIVE MODEL

Rather than starting off with a complete plan and specific requirements, the Iterative model starts with a simple implementation of the software requirements. Then, the team iteratively enhances the product until the complete system is implemented.

With the Iterative model, your development team will break down large projects into smaller chunks, and make any updates to the design and features incrementally.

WATERFALL MODEL

The Waterfall model is known as the more traditional approach to software development. It’s a straightforward process that follows a step-by-step plan without deviation.

The Waterfall model is ideal for offering high-level insight into long-term projects, but doesn’t provide visibility into the specific process details. Since the Waterfall model is more rigid than others, it can cause frustration with delayed testing and additional costs.

V-SHAPED MODEL

The V-Shaped model, also referred to as the Validation and Verification model, is based on the association of having a testing phase lined up for each corresponding development stage.

This model is an extension of the Waterfall model and is best used for projects where there are ample technical resources and the requirements are all clearly defined and fixed.

DEVOPS MODEL

Built from the same mindset as the Agile model, the DevOps model focuses on the collaboration of the Development and Operations teams to improve the effectiveness of SDLC. DevOps practices allow your software development team to move at a quicker pace, through continuous iterations of improvement based on feedback. This is a model that can be applied to projects of various sizes and timelines.

BIG BANG MODEL

The simplest SDLC model, the Big Bang model, starts from scratch and requires little to no planning. This model utilizes time, effort, and resources to gradually build the product as the customer provides the requirements.

The Big Bang model works best for smaller projects where the customer’s requirements are not concrete, as there is no proper planning.

LEARN MORE WITH GENECA

Here at Geneca, we use our own unique variation of the Agile approach to bring our culture of commitment and innovation to the project, so we get the work done on time and within budget. Our ability to adapt the Agile method allows us to work directly with our clients every step of the way, keeping the developers, analysts, clients, and more up to date on project progress.

A common misconception with the Agile approach is that the team is working without a plan. While some companies with this philosophy end up racing to make deadlines at the last minute, we do things differently at Geneca.

We create a roadmap of the entire project that’s specific enough to provide visibility into our timelines. Because of this, our clients get real-time updates on the timeline and budget forecasts as we work through the software development life cycle.

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