Software Development Process Explained: Key Stages and Methodologies

Did you know that nearly 70% of software projects fail to meet their original goals due to poor planning and execution??

The Standish Group's 2020 CHAOS report, shows the importance of a well-defined software development process.

Well, you all are quite aware of the pace at which the tech sector is growing. With that, it has become important for startups as well as established businesses to understand the insights and essentials involved in creating great software for their venture.?

From the initial concept to deployment and maintenance, there’s a lot that goes behind a software development process. So, in this article, we are going to discuss it all by starting from the different phases of development to the different methodologies you can use to build high-quality software for your business.?

Understanding the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

When it comes to building software for a startup, any entrepreneur would choose the best one. Now, to build the best software and stand out from the crowd of competitors, the entire development process needs to be strategically planned and executed systematically.?

This systematic execution is possible by following the Software Development Life Cycle(SDLC), a strategic roadmap guiding your team. It breaks the development plan into 6 phases. Let's understand these phases one by one.?

6 Phases Of Software Development Life Cycle

1. Planning
2. Design
3. Development
4. Testing
5. Deployment
6. Maintenance

1. Planning

The foundation of the development process starts with this stage.

It defines the software's goals and scope, conducts feasibility studies, identifies the requirements, and establishes the timelines. This is crucial in setting realistic expectations and boundaries for the project.

You can examine the project's viability from multiple perspectives:

• Technical Feasibility: Check whether the project can be successfully implemented using available resources and technology.
• Economic Feasibility: Analyze the budget against expected returns on investment (ROI) to determine financial viability.
• Legal Feasibility: Identify any legal or compliance issues that may impact the project.
• Operational Feasibility: Evaluate how the new software will integrate with existing operations and how scalable it can be.?

A risk assessment is a must at this stage to identify the potential risks associated with the project and the strategies to avoid them and maintain the momentum of the project.?

Remember, we had spoken about systematic execution. So, to implement that, break down the project into several key milestones that will consist of small tasks. With the help of a project manager and a project management tool, visualize the task and the timelines. Detailed planning will later on result in a smooth software development process and future success.?

2. Design

Once you are done with the complete planning and analysis, it is time to jump to the next phase of the software development process, i,e., design. Here, the information gathered from the previous step is transformed into a detailed blueprint that outlines how the software will function and interact with other systems. This will act as a guide for developers and consists of three different levels.?

• High-Level Design (HLD)

It outlines the system architecture with a Data Flow Diagram (DFD) that assists in visual representations of the flow of data within the system, helping to identify inputs, outputs, and storage. Furthermore, the selection of the tech stack is also done here.?

• Low-Level Design (LLD)

It mainly focuses on the implementation of each component identified in the High-Level Design (HLD). It creates visual representations of the user interface that guide developers in building the actual UI, along with defining how different components will work with each other, including APIs.?

• Software Requirement Specification (SRS):

This document contains:

1. Functional Requirements: detailed descriptions of the software's capabilities and features.

2. Non-Functional Requirements: Specifications regarding performance, security, usability, and scalability.?

3. Approval Process: The SRS is reviewed and approved by stakeholders before moving into the development phase, making sure it aligns with your startup’s business model and goals.

3. Development

This is the phase where the development of the software begins, and it is also known as the coding phase. All the planning, outlining, and blueprints are now implemented accordingly so that they align with the requirements.?

At this point, along with the coding, Integrated Development Environments (IDEs), compilers, and debuggers are also employed for efficient coding and debugging processes. The language, framework, and tools are already pre-defined. You just need to adhere to the best practices of coding and review them at every step of the development process to avoid any sort of bug.?

Integrations are also a part of the process of developing software, and thus, it must be ensured that the API and third-party services work together as planned. On-the-go testing, quick identification, and the solving of errors. will make the software development process smoother.?

4. Testing

You surely won’t want your customers to use software with errors and bugs. No entrepreneur would want that!?

It leads to customer dissatisfaction and, finally, uninstallation.?

So to avoid this, the software has to go through a rigorous testing phase to deliver an error-free and reliable product to the customers. Several kinds of tests can be done and they are as follows:

• Unit Testing: Testing individual components or modules for identifying errors and is typically performed by developers.
• Integration Testing: Verifying that all the software elements or services work together as planned
• Functional Testing: Analyzing the software by considering the functional requirements to ensure it works as expected.
• System Testing: Testing the complete and integrated software system to evaluate its compliance with the mentioned requirements.
• Performance Testing: Evaluating the software's responsiveness, stability, and scalability under various conditions.
• Security Testing: Identifying systems loopholes and ensuring that the software is protected against threats.
• Regression Testing: Re-testing existing functionalities after changes to confirm that no new defects have been introduced.

5. Deployment

It is finally the time when the software is made available to end users after all the analysis and testing. Well, it may sound pretty simple, but there are different strategies of deployment, that you can consider according to your business needs.

• Big Bang Deployment: Launching the entire software at once.
• Rolling Deployment: Gradually updating the software, allowing for a smoother transition and minimal downtime.
• Blue-Green Deployment: Maintaining two identical environments (blue and green), where Blue is already live while the Green is a new version that is tested. This allows for quick rollbacks if any issue arises.
• Canary Deployment: Releasing updates to a limited segment of users first, to monitor performance before a complete rollout.
• Phased Deployment: introducing the software in stages, which helps in managing user adaptation and feedback.

6. Maintenance

If you think that once the software is deployed, things are complete, then you are wrong. You need to work on its regular maintenance, updates, and user support to keep the software running smoothly and address the technical issues.?

Over time, you can provide updates to provide new features in the software and improve its UI and functionality. This will keep the platform competitive in the market.?

Users may also have queries or concerns that must be addressed to maintain a positive user experience. An AI chatbot or help Center can do the job while significantly reducing the overhead cost involved in having a dedicated team for it.?

All these are a part of the life cycle of the software development process. The SDLC has several methodologies too, which we are going to discuss next, so stay tuned.?

Top 4 Software Development Methodologies

Well, the SDLC might seem to you like a systematic step-by-step process of developing software. But, with the rise of the tech sector, several software development process methodologies were formed, to manage the entire development project. By the time you know them all, you’ll also have an idea of which is best suited for your project.?

1. Agile development

The agile software development process is the most popular among all and works on an iterative approach. It breaks the development process down into small phases, known as sprints. This approach allows on-the-go testing and changes, making the software more reliable and efficient.

This methodology includes various frameworks such as Scrum, Kanban, and Extreme Programming (XP).

2. Waterfall Development

This model is a bit more linear, following a sequential approach. Here, each phase has to be completed before proceeding to the next. This model is easy to understand and manage, and even those with less experience can also work easily on this model.?

3. Rapid Application Development (RAD)

RAD focuses on quick development and iteration of prototypes rather than rigorous planning and testing. This approach is particularly useful for projects requiring rapid delivery and user feedback.?

This method consists of four phases: requirements planning, user design, construction, and cutover. Until the user confirms that the product meets all requirements, the user design and construction phases are repeated.? For time-sensitive projects, this is the best method.

4. Scrum Development?

This approach is based on the Agile methodology and involves the Product Owner, Scrum Master, and the Development Team. The product owner manages client input, while the Scrum Master facilitates the team's understanding of the Scrum process.?

Scrum is ideal for fast-paced environments due to its sprint-based execution, allowing teams to identify issues, bring in solutions, test, and gather feedback quickly. It makes tackling fast-paced projects much easier.

Wrapping Up

Looking at the current digital landscape, there is no harm in saying that software product development has become an important element for the success of businesses. By understanding the software development processes, methodologies, and phases, startup founders can make informed decisions and drive innovation within their organizations. With effective software development practices, organizations can improve efficiency, enhance quality, reduce costs, and ultimately deliver better products and services to their customers.