Waterfall Standard Methodology
Waterfall development is not a new method of development
, its in existence since 1970 and still most of the developers are unaware about what exactly it is and how it works. They just have a vague idea about it. It is actually referred as a
Software Development framework in which development work is done in a sequence and goes through series of phases. There is a loop for feedback which exist between every phase for uncovering of the new information and discovering the problems. In this method the progress of development moves from one stage/phase to the next. As the development flows in stages like a waterfall, it was given a name Waterfall Model.
There are many other models like this or we should sat there are no of variants, Difference is with the labels that are given to the stages of development. However, in this model there are six distinct stages in which the development process is divided or described.
Lets discuss about these stages in detail to know how exactly the development process takes place using the Waterfall model-
1. Requirement Analysis- Now this is the first and actually the most important step for any development process as it deals with gathering the information or requirements of what the customer is looking for and then defining the problem to be solved in clearest and the best possible terms. It deals with analyzing the business context of the customer, the functions that are to be performed by the product and the performance levels to which the product should adhere.
2. Design- Here comes the design part which includes the designing of the product architecture. Design Stage cover the area related to design such as
Hardware and Software Architecture
Performance and Security Parameters
Constraints and Data Storage Containers
IDE and Programming Language
Resource management, Interface Connectivity and Exceptional Handling
This stage is also concerned with user- interface, accessibility, navigation etc.
3. Implementation- After the design stage comes the implementation stage where all the designing work done in design stage is implemented and coded by the development team. This development team involves designers, programmers etc. Different tools are used in this process such as debuggers, compilers, media editors and interpreters. If we talk about output from this stage, then we look at the product components that are built keeping in mind the predefined coding standards.
4. Testing- Now this is the stage where every individual or integrated component is tested to ensure that they are bug free and matt the overall requirement gathered by requirement analysis. There is a testing team for testing all the components to ensure that the product satisfies all the requirements.
Typically, there are three types of testing-
Unit Testing
System Testing
Acceptance Testing
After the testing task, if there are bugs or defects found in the product, then a report is sent to the implementation team so that corrections can be made accordingly for better quality of product. Work for product documentation is also done at this stage, such as User Manuals, Training Kits etc.
5. Installation- This stage comes into to action once the product is tested and it is certified that it is ready to use. This is the stage where the system or product is prepared or installed so that it can be used by the customer. Delivery medium may be internet or physical delivery, the important thing is deliverables are tagged with the no of revision that will be facilitated at the later stage.
6. Maintenance- This is the last or we should say is the on-going stage which involves alterations and modifications to the component for improved and better performance. These modifications may take place due to different reasons, such as defect that are uncovered or may be due to any change request initiated by the customer. Typically, all the changes that are made under the maintenance stage or cycle are recorded and customer is provided with the new release so that customer can take advantage of the update done.
These were certain important steps or we should say the whole process that is undertaken by a company which adopt Waterfall model as a process of development.
After having a clear understanding of what Waterfall development method is, the main thing we need to discuss is how it actually helps a firm as well as the end customer. So now I would like to discuss some of the advantages of this model which will help us in understanding it with more clarity
Advantages
Enforces Discipline for Software Developers.
Clear and better understanding of requirements
Identification of progress by both developers and the client
Minimum Wastage of Time(Coding only after requirements & design is complete)
Reduced Risk of delayed deliveries
Satisfied Customers
Quality product(Testing)
Despite of these advantages of the model, it also brings some critical areas which cant be neglected.
Critics
It actually fails where requirements are not specific.
Estimation of cost and time becomes difficult due to uncertainty.
Designs May not be feasible to be a real product every time.
It talks of division of labor which is not actually feasible and realistic in most of the software firms.
After all the understanding of this model including their advantages and critics, I would like to conclude that despite of all the critics this model has it is best suited for certain types of project. For projects where the customer needs and requirements are specific and defined, if properly implemented it can produce a high quality product with significant cost and time savings. It basically depends on the volatility of the project and the understanding of customer needs.
by: OTS Solution
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