Software development is divided into phases that are nothing short of complicated matters. Creating an application can be tricky, but there is a term that explains the entire process. The term is Software Development Life Cycle – SDLC, and it explains the entire process from an idea to the delivery phase.
The 7 Phases of SDLC
1. Planning
Before the program goes into production, there are a few things that the developing team must do. Each phase starts with planning. This includes:
• Resource Allocation
• Capacity Planning
• Project Scheduling
• Cost Estimation
• Provisioning
Each planning phase requires the project managers and development staff to collaborate with operations and security teams to ensure that each part of the planning phase goes as intended.
2. Requirements
The second phase is the requirements phase, in which software architects, development teams, and project managers work with subject matter experts (SMEs) to document which part of the business process needs automation through software. The requirement phase usually ends with documentation of all requirements.
3. Design and Prototype
As soon as Phase 1 and Phase 2 are completed, according to echoua.com, software architects and development teams start designing the app. Architects work on the framework, and they can eighter start from scratch or use existing components, while the developers work on design patterns.
4. Software Development
The 4th phase is the development phase, where the program needs to be produced as soon as possible. This phase can be executed in one of two ways, Agile or Waterfall. The former is a time-boxed method, while the latter is a single block of effort method.
In this phase, it is considered wise to include the business stakeholders, as their feedback can ensure that expectations are met.
5. Testing
Ask any software developer and he will tell you that the testing phase is the most important one in SDLC. Without testing the product, a company cannot be certain about bugs or errors prior to release. Testing is done to ensure quality, and it includes a few methods, such as:
• Ensuring the quality of code
• Unit testing through functionality tests
• Integration testing
• Performance testing
• Security testing – arguably the most important
One way that a tester can ensure all tests run smoothly is to automate them. This can be achieved through software that is specialized in automating using Continuous Integration tools. The output of such an application cannot be overstated as the results come in the form of fully functional software.
6. Deployment
This phase is mostly invisible as it is fully automated, in most cases. This process is performed the moment the testing has come back with an all-clear. Although this process might involve some manual approvals, the deployment phase is mostly fully automated to meet business stakeholder’s needs.
7. Operations and Maintenance
SDLC doesn’t end with the last phase, dubbed Operations and Maintenance. Since software constantly requires maintenance to make sure everything runs properly, the last phase is simply an “end of the beginning” phase. In Operations and Maintenance, the program is monitored for bugs and defects. These bugs and defects must be reported and fixed as soon as possible. And while bug fixing isn’t really a part of SDLC, it is important to mention since bug fixing prevents other problems related to the software.
So, with that, good luck and be aware of all the things that need to be taken care of. To go a bit deeper you could also read on startnearshoring.com some more tips on what 10 elements you should pay attention to also!
