Agile Waterfall Methodology: Right Development Approach

Introduction

Choosing a suitable Agile and Waterfall methodology for the development process is the very first important step every software development process must take. It will influence how you plan the activities, manage the risks, handle communication, and determine what will be the final outcome of the process. In addition, there are many methodologies in use nowadays, but experts have selected the two most famous ones as Agile and Waterfall Methodology.

What Is Waterfall Methodology?

Waterfall methodology is a sequential and systematic approach. Teams complete all phases of the project one after another. The common phases are planning, requirement analysis, designing, development, testing, and maintenance.

For example, because teams document all phases well, Waterfall methodology works well for projects that do not have any changes in their requirements. Sectors such as healthcare, banking, and governmental prefer it.

Agile vs Waterfall: Understanding the Waterfall Methodology

The greatest disadvantage of Waterfall model is its inflexibility. In case of any changes in client requirements after the commencement of development phase, it will be very expensive and time consuming to modify the whole project. Another drawback is that testing is done at the later stage.

Agile vs Waterfall: Understanding Agile Development

The agile method is a kind of iterative development where projects are split into small development cycles called sprints. Developers do not wait till the end of the project and offer functional software on a regular basis, which allows the client to check the progress and give his feedback during development.

Difficulties of Agile

Agile methodology demands effective communication skills as well as disciplined teamwork. In case of lack of proper planning, projects may face change in priorities, lack of proper documentation or delay in project completion.

Agile VS Waterfall the Differences

While both methods strive to deliver quality software, there are some differences between them that must be taken into account.

How to Choose the Right Development Approach?

Your approach will depend on the requirements of your particular project.

Choose the Waterfall approach when your project requires clear objectives, strict regulations, and minimal changes. With Waterfall approach, you will have a certain structure, confidence, and comprehensive documentation.

Choose the Agile approach in the case of evolution of the software, feedback of the customer, and an advantage in fast deliveries.

Many firms use both approaches, namely Waterfall in planning and Agile in development.

Conclusion

When making a decision whether to implement an Agile approach or a Waterfall model in your company, there cannot be one universal recipe for success since everything will depend on your business objectives, team expertise, project peculiarities, and customer demands. This way, you will avoid the development risks and achieve success in your software projects.