Which Life Cycle Is Best for Your Project?

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When choosing a development life cycle, don't just trust your feelings !ecide "ased on factors that really matter Which life cycle will work best for your project? This is n i!port nt str te"ic #uestion bec use ! kin" the wron" choice coul$ le $ to $is strous results of c t strophic proportions% Think bout $el ye$ $eliveries& unh ppy clients& project overruns& n$ c ncelle$ projects% Durin" the '()s n$ e rly *()s& the w terf ll !o$el w s the $e+f cto in project $elivery% With the r pi$ p ce in softw re $evelop!ent n$ popul r use of the ,nternet& ! ny co!p nies st rte$ shiftin" to !ore flexible life cycles such s the iter tive& incre!ent l& spir l& n$ "ile% These new life cycle !etho$s provi$e !ore flexibility n$ support f st+p ce$ $evelop!ent& "ivin" co!p nies the e$"e in $eliverin" -the first- in the in$ustry% To $ te& there re $o.ens of life cycle !etho$s v il ble to choose fro!& e ch h vin" its own $v nt "es n$ $is $v nt "es% /ere re so!e of the !ore popul r life cycles0

Waterfall
This tr $ition l life cycle !etho$ h s been roun$ for $ec $es n$ h s proven its bility to $eliver% ,n f ct& the 12 Dep rt!ent of Defence w s ctively pro!otin" the use of this !etho$ in ll its projects when it publishe$ 2t n$ r$ 34567 in 4**'% W terf ll is $efine$ s se#uenti l $evelop!ent !o$el with cle rly $efine$ $eliver bles for every ph se% 8 ny in$ustry pr ctitioners re strict in perfor!in" u$it reviews to ensure th t the project h s s tisfie$ the input criteri before continuin" to the next ph se% The st n$ r$ ph ses of w terf ll re shown in the $i "r ! below0

Iterative, Incremental
The ! in objective of iter tive $evelop!ent is to buil$ the syste! incre!ent lly& st rtin" fro! b sic p rti l syste! fe tures n$ "r $u lly $$in" !ore fe tures until the entire syste! is co!plete$% 9o!p re$ to w terf ll& iter tive $evelop!ent llows flexibility in cco!!o$ tin" new re#uire!ents or ch n"es thereof% ,t lso provi$es roo! for i!prove!ent in succee$in" iter tions b se$ on lessons le rne$ fro! previous iter tions% The $i "r ! below& courtesy of 8icrosoft)s 82F& cle rly shows how iter tions re sche$ule$ n$ $elivere$0

#gile
7"ile !etho$olo"ies rose fro! the nee$ to $evelop softw re pplic tions th t coul$ cco!!o$ te the f st+p ce$ evolution of the ,nternet% 7"ile is& in so!e w y& v ri nt of iter tive life cycle where $eliver bles re sub!itte$ in st "es% The ! in $ifference is th t "ile cuts $elivery ti!e fro! !onths to weeks% 9o!p nies pr cticin" "ile re $eliverin" softw re pro$ucts n$ enh nce!ents in weeks r ther th n in !onths% 8oreover& the "ile ! nifesto covere$ $evelop!ent concepts si$e fro! the $elivery life cycle& such s coll bor tion& $ocu!ent tion& n$ others% The $i "r ! fro! 8icrosoft 82F shows the v rious co!ponents of n "ile life cycle0

$ther %ariants
There re !ore life cycle !etho$s n$ !etho$olo"ies bein" pr ctice$ inclu$in" Test Driven Develop!ent& :1P& 9le nroo!& n$ others% /owever& ll these life cycles c n be "ener lly cl ssifie$ into w terf ll& bein" se#uenti l& with cle r n$ strict cut+off between ph ses; s well s iter tive or "ile& bein" repetitive with flexible cut+off rules% /ere re so!e #uestions you nee$ to "et nswers to before $eci$in" on which life cycle !etho$ to use0

&o' sta"le are the re(uirements?

<ne of the bi""est f ctors th t $ict te your choice of life cycle !etho$ is the cl rity n$ st bility of the project re#uire!ents% Fre#uent ch n"es in re#uire!ents fter the project h s st rte$ c n $er il your pro"ress " inst the pl n% ,n such c ses& choose "ile or iter tive ppro ch bec use e ch provi$es n opportunity for you to cco!!o$ te new re#uire!ents even fter the project h s st rte$% <n the other h n$& if you re en" "e$ in !ore tr $ition l project $evelop!ent where there is stiff rule on ensurin" co!plete set of re#uire!ents before "oin" on to the next ph se& w terf ll woul$ be your choice% /owever& such tr $ition l projects re beco!in" less n$ less co!!on s co!p nies re lise the benefits of usin" !ore "ile !etho$ of ! n "in" projects%

Who are the end)users of the system?

2pen$ so!e ti!e to know the users n$ st kehol$ers% Who re they? 7re they $isperse$ or controlle$ "roup? /ow c n they influence the project? 7 controlle$ "roup of en$+users who

"re tly influence the project c n help you $efine re#uire!ents n$ ! n "e ch n"es% This !e ns you c n chieve st bility on project re#uire!ents n$ llow you to use the w terf ll ppro ch% <n the other h n$& if the en$+users re $isperse$& you re likely to h ve wi$e r n"e of re#uire!ents& which you c n)t $efine until the en$+users h ve use$ the syste! n$ st rte$ re#uestin" new fe tures% This situ tion is typic l in pro$uct $evelop!ent% For ex !ple& Goo"le st rte$ G! il n$ ll its pro$ucts such s Goo"le Docs& 9 len$ r s BET7 bec use they w nte$ to know the re ctions of the en$+users n$ i!prove the fe tures b se$ on their fee$b ck% 8icrosoft& the $eveloper of the worl$)s !ost popul r softw re& Win$ows n$ <ffice& lso pplies "ile in their $evelop!ent !etho$olo"ies% :ecently& the 8icrosoft 2olution Fr !ework =82F> $opte$ the "ile ppro ch% 7ccor$in" to 82F for 7"ile 2oftw re Develop!ent& -s! ll iter tions llow you to re$uce the ! r"in of error in your esti! tes n$ provi$e f st fee$b ck bout the ccur cy of your project pl ns% E ch iter tion shoul$ result in st ble portion of the over ll syste!%- 8icrosoft n$ Goo"le choose to be !ore "ile bec use they h ve very $isperse$ "roup of en$+users%

Is the time line aggressive or conservative?

Experience$ ! n "ers will solve ""ressive ti!e lines by ne"oti tin" n$ cuttin" $own project $eliver bles% 7n iter tive ppro ch helps chieve this by "ivin" opportunities to $eliver p rti l function lities e rly% This "ives n i!pression th t the project is $eliverin" $espite n ""ressive ti!e line& "ener lly referre$ to s -#uick wins%- While the over ll project $elivery is not shortene$& there is n opportunity for you to s tisfy your st kehol$ers by $eliverin" key fe tures th t re necess ry% ,f your project is not ti!e sensitive n$ en$+users c n w it for the rele se of the syste!& w terf ll woul$ be work ble ppro ch%

What is the si*e of the project?

? r"e enterprise projects "ener lly re#uire l r"e nu!ber of project te !s to work on cle rly $efine$ $eliver bles% The sc le of the $eliver bles is proportion l to the si.e of the project te ! ssi"ne$ to $o it% Thus& l r"er project te !s re ssi"ne$ l r"er set of $eliver bles which nee$ to be cle rly $efine$% With this kin$ of scen rio& lon" iter tions or w terf ll woul$ be !ore i$e l%

Where are the project teams located?

,f you h ve sever l project te !s loc te$ in $ifferent "eo"r phic loc tions& co+or$in tion of work nee$s to be !ore $et ile$ n$ strin"ent% Work ssi"n!ents nee$ to be well+$efine$ to voi$ confusion n$ re$un$ ncy of work% ,n such c ses& W terf ll is likely !ore benefici l s it provi$es cle r+cut $eliver bles n$ !ilestones% 7pplyin" the "ile ppro ch on "eo"r phic lly sep r te te !s ! y intro$uce new ch llen"es% 7s note$ by 8 rtin Fowler& well+known "ile ev n"elist& -Bec use "ile $evelop!ent works best with close co!!unic tion n$ n open culture& "ilists workin" offshore feel the p in !uch !ore th n those usin" pl n+$riven ppro ches%-

What are the critical resources?

2o!e projects re#uire involve!ent of uni#ue& skille$ resource or inte"r tion with hi"hly speci lise$ e#uip!ent% ,n c ses where such resources re not i!!e$i tely v il ble n$ re#uire pl nnin"& the project te ! !ust ensure th t the resource is fully utilise$ $urin" its sche$ule$ use% 8oreover& tests !ust be perfor!e$ on ll possible scen rios $urin" the resource)s v il ble ti!e% <therwise& re#uestin" for nother sche$ule of the resource ! y ent il project $el ys% ,n such c ses& w terf ll ! y be better ppro ch where e ch !ilestone !ust be co!plete$ before procee$in" fro! one st "e to the next n$ you re ssure$ th t the critic l resource is well utilise$%