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5 software development methodologies frequently used in 2022: How to choose?

04.07.2022 Katrin Bertano
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5 software development methodologies frequently used in 2022: How to choose?

Every great idea must be realized efficiently. Once you have decided to develop your own app or program, you need to learn how to bring your ideas to life.

An outsourcing software development company can help you achieve your goals and bring your concept to the market.

In this article, you’ll learn:

  • what a software development methodology is;
  • why it is important to be well-informed about software development methodologies;
  • 5 the most popular methodologies for software product development; and
  • how to determine which methodology suits you.

What is a methodology?

In order to meet client requirements and release a product with high-quality software, companies use special methodologies. These help to organize the work of their employees and the process of making their product better.

A software development methodology is a set of methods for managing the development process, including rules, techniques, and principles that make development as efficient as possible.

Why is it important to be well-informed about these methodologies? 

Every business has its own structure, management style, aims, and goals. All these factors affect the success of the business.

In order to manage the product and produce a satisfactory result, it’s important to understand the workflow and communication channels with an outsourcing software company during the development process. Otherwise, the final product will leave much to be desired.

Every methodology differs; each has distinct formats, approaches, and techniques. Each methodology has diverse goals as well as strengths and weaknesses. While choosing a methodology, it’s important to take the project type, budget, deadlines, and so on into account.

Different methodologies shine in different situations ©.

Let’s examine the most popular approaches used by software companies in 2022.

AGILE

What is it?

Agile is the culture of a workstyle formed by several methodologies. Apart from its main goal—to enhance productivity throughout the software development process—the ideas underlying Agile are flexibility, openness to change, and adaptability to client needs.

The antonym to Agile is a fixed, inflexible development process.

How does it work?  

The software development process is divided into smaller parts known as iterations. Each iteration lasts 2–4 weeks and is presented to the client. The owner of the project is free either to accept the iteration or to import new ideas. The next iteration of the development process depends on the previous one.

With Agile, software development involves close contact between the client and the developing group.

Thanks to Agile, it’s possible to control several projects simultaneously and to create high-quality software products in a short period of time.

Who can use it?

Yes: Agile has become widespread these days. Many big businesses use it, including IBM, Apple, Procter & Gamble, and even Microsoft.

Agile is suitable for various fields including aerospace, pharmaceuticals, engineering, construction, and content management.

Agile can be implanted in businesses of any size.

No: Agile is not suitable for small-scale projects.

The Pros and Cons 

It is always up to the client to decide whether or not Agile aligns with their business model. Here are some benefits and drawbacks of this methodology.

DevOps

What is it?

DevOps is a mindset; it’s a specific software development culture, the main principles of which are communication and collaboration.

Traditionally, the working teams of the Development, QA, and Operations departments are isolated, making it difficult for them to maintain contact during the development process. Therefore, significant time and effort are required to achieve a satisfactory result.

DevOps is an evolutionary approach that unites all departments involved. It simplifies and speeds up the release of the software product by removing barriers among working departments.

How does it work?  

The developers, QA, and operations teams collaborate directly in tandem throughout the lifecycle of the product, from design to testing and support. The groups have overlapping responsibilities and are aware of those of the other groups.

DevOps is advantageous in that it can be used to innovate quickly and to generate highly reliable software products. Big businesses have increasingly implemented this methodology in a wide range of domains.

Who can use it? 

Yes: The methodology is suitable for big enterprises and businesses that prefer to pay to quickly receive a top-quality product.

No: DevOps is rarely used by small companies. If the project in question is short, there’s no need to hire highly paid DevOps specialists and tools.

The Pros and Cons 

Other benefits and drawbacks are displayed in the table below.

 

WATERFALL

What is it?

Waterfall is a systematic and straightforward approach in which a product is created in a staged manner. This methodology is one of the basic, classic models in software development. Each stage of the product development process is organized sequentially.

How does it work? 

The software development lifecycle covers phases from idea generation and planning to development, integration, and maintenance.

In the Waterfall methodology, all stages are managed one after another. The next phase of the development process is started only after the previous phase has been completed. The process follows a cascading pattern and only moves forward. This means that there is no way to change a previous phase of the development process. The lack of flexibility is the main disadvantage of this methodology. Waterfall is used by plan-driven teams in companies with traditional workstyles.

Who can use it?

Yes: Waterfall is suitable for owners of projects with clear requirements who want to receive the final result without interfering in the development process.

This methodology is best for small businesses with a classic approach to work. Waterfall is also appropriate for short and simple software development projects.

No: The Waterfall methodology is not appropriate for project owners who expect rapid results or for businesses with a flexible mindset. The approach is also not suitable for large projects.

The Pros and Cons 

The advantages and disadvantages of the Waterfall methodology are displayed below:

What else?

Kanban and Scrum are two popular software development methods based on the Agile philosophy. Both can be included in any methodology or used separately.

KANBAN

What is it?

This method is based on the Agile philosophy, which emphasizes flexibility, high levels of communication, and concentration on client results.

This methodology involves visualizing the product’s development lifecycle on either a physical or digital board. Kanban can be used as an approach or as an additional tool in conjunction with a different methodology.

How does it work?

For every project, developers create a plan for the project development lifecycle.

All planned tasks are divided among the members of the development team.

A real or digital board is divided into columns titled “To do,” “In progress,” “Done,” and so on.

The quantity of the columns depends on the particular project and the size and structure of the team. Each member of the team places cards with their tasks in the appropriate column, meaning that team members are aware of one another’s workloads.

Every task should pass through all the columns (i.e., all the stages) of the lifecycle of the product, and a team member does not begin a new task until the previous task is complete.

The Kanban approach shows where project bottlenecks are and helps team members observe the process in its entirety.

Who can use it?

Yes: Kanban can be used for projects without strict time limits.

No: This methodology isn’t suitable for businesses that are dynamic by nature.

The Pros and Cons 

As for any other methodology, Kanban has benefits and drawbacks.

SCRUM

What is it?

Scrum is an evolutionary framework based on Agile. It emphasizes flexibility, close cooperation, and high-level teamwork. Scrum includes a set of tools, roles, and meetings that work together to smooth and facilitate the software development process.

How does it work? 

The Scrum work process is organized as follows:

  1. The product owner (the representative of the client or the customers) forms their requirements according to priority and balance in values/costs.
  2. The Scrum Master communicates with the product owner and uses all the client’s points to construct a project plan (the Product Backlog). They lead the Scrum team, manage all development process according to Scrum rules, and support communication among Scrum team members.
  3. The Scrum team is a group of 5–9 developers and testers who create the development process.

The whole development process is divided into smaller blocks known as sprints (equivalent to iterations in Agile). They range from 2–4 weeks and involve developing, testing, and analysis.

During each sprint, the Scrum team holds short 15-min meetings every day to identify any issues. At the end of each sprint, the product owner provides feedback or additional ideas. After that, the next sprint begins.

Who can use it?

Yes: Scrum is suitable for dynamic projects. The approach can be used not only in software development but also in all other business fields.

No: Scrum does not work for teams of more than 10 people; using Scrum with a large team would lead to a lack of engagement with the development process. Additionally, Scrum is not suitable for projects with strict deadlines or inflexible business management.

The Pros and Cons

How can you determine which methodology suits you?

Which methodology is appropriate for you directly depends on the result of the product. While choosing an outsourcing software development company, you must consider:

  • your budget and time limits;
  • your goals and expectations for the product;
  • your typical management style;
  • your workflow preferences; and
  • your personal leadership characteristics. 

All of these factors affect the quality of the final product. Thus, the development of a software product is not only the responsibility of the software development company but also that of the client.

 

In VironIT, we are an Agile-oriented team, and we primarily use Scrum and Kanban.

When we receive a request to develop a software product, we analyze the project type as well as the client’s goals, requirements, and expectations.

If you feel like balancing on the rope of what to do with your idea, feel free to contact us  for detailed guidance on which methodology would best suit your project. 

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