The Software Development Life Cycle [Infographic]

Project managers and software engineers employ various methodologies to ensure that quality software products are created both effectively and efficiently, and additionally meet the end-user’s needs as best as possible within the allocated time frame, and budget parameters of the project. Project management allows software projects to be delivered on-time and on-budget.

There are six primary software development activities. The first, planning, includes gathering requirements for the software and analyzing the scope of the development. The second is implementation, which is the part of the process where software engineers actually program the code. Testing, the third development phase, is an integral part of the software development cycle. The testing process ensures that defects are immediately recognized, and the resulting software is reasonably bug-free.

Documenting is the fourth phase of the development cycle, and is done for the purpose of future maintenance and enhancement throughout the course of its development. The fifth, deployment, occurs only after the software has been tested and approved for release, and may entail installation, customization and software usage training. Finally, maintenance is the final phase, and involves receiving user feedback/making improvements to the design or the code of the software. It may further include consultation, re-installation, and some possible training.

Next, we come to the software development models, which is a process by which the creation of complex software is achieved through a systematic approach. There are a variety of software development life-cycles, but there are several main ones that remain most prevalent. Many methodologies can be adapted and combined to accommodate the project at hand.

There are several common models you can use to streamline the software development process, for which the development team is responsible for utilizing the methodology most appropriate for their project. Sometimes combinations of the models may work best. Our latest infographic shows the most commonly-employed models and methodologies that make up the full circle of the software development cycle.

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Sources:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_development_process
2. https://airbrake.io/blog/insight/what-is-the-software-development-life-cycle
3. http://istqbexamcertification.com/what-are-the-software-development-life-cycle-phases/
4. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/71151/System_Development_Life_Cycle
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incremental_build_model
6. https://cio.gov/software-development-life-cycle/
7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:DSParillo/Drafts/Software_development_process_models