What Is the Software Development Life Cycle?
Before we jump into the development phase, let’s discuss about what is SDLC and its importance in software delivery. SDLC is the process whereby industry best practices are applied to the construction of software applications. Planning, requirements, design, construction, documentation, testing, deployment, and maintenance are the typical six to eight steps that make up the process. Depending on the scope of the project, some project managers will choose to combine, split, or omit certain steps. These are the fundamental elements that are advised to be included in every software development project.
SDLC is a mechanism that may be used to monitor and improve the manufacturing process. It makes it possible to conduct an analysis of the process down to the granular level of each stage. As a result, this facilitates the achievement of the maximum potential levels of efficiency at each stage by companies. It is anticipated that, in line with the expansion of computing capacity, there would be an increase in the need for software and developers. It is absolutely necessary for companies to reduce their operating expenses, quicken the delivery of software, and live up to or exceed the expectations of their clientele. The SDLC helps to achieve these goals by identifying areas of inefficiency and increased costs and generating solutions to solve these problems. This contributes to the overall success of the project.
Why is the SDLC important in software delivery?
These days, the level of competition in the market compels businesses to release new software at a quicker and quicker rate. It is not easy to keep the high quality of a software product when you are racing against competitors in a market that has extremely high standards. How, then, can you ensure that the quality of the service you provide to your clients does not suffer while simultaneously retaining your position as the front-runner in the competition?
The process is of the utmost importance. Through this process, you will be able to assist your development teams in meeting their delivery deadlines while maintaining the quality and usability standards that were agreed upon. The software development life cycle (SDLC) enables teams by improving communication and fostering collaboration. In addition to this, it enhances both the clarity of the actions taken and the subsequent steps taken while the project is being developed. Your specialists will produce work that is seamless as a result of the transparent division of phases, frequent reviews, and closer cooperation, which reduces the risk of misunderstanding the project’s objective due to a lack of communication/comprehension.
What is SDLC Development Phase?
The actual act of writing the program is referred to as the Development Phase in the SDLC. It is an important role in the development of mobile applications. It’s possible that a single developer is working on a small project, but if you break it up into larger projects, a number of different teams can contribute to it. During this stage, one may also make use of an application for source code management or access control. It makes it easier for the developers to keep track of any changes made to the code. Therefore, making sure that all of the different team projects are compatible with one another and ensuring that the goals are met. The process of coding is comprised of a number of other tasks, and it is imperative that each and every error and glitch be located and corrected. Therefore, the developers need to improve their skills if necessary and work together as a cohesive unit. Tasks like waiting for test results or code compilation can take up a lot of time.
The instructions and explanations that are pertinent are always appreciated by software developers. The act of documenting something can be a very formal process, like wiring a user up for an application. As opposed to that, it is possible to use a conversational tone when referring to the comments within the source code that explain why a developer chose a particular method. Companies that develop software with the goal of being user-friendly and straightforward can benefit from the documentation as well. In addition, documentation consists of a brief walkthrough of the app’s fundamental capabilities, which is displayed upon the program’s initial launch. It may take the form of video tutorials for more involved activities. You can find solutions to problems or technical issues by consulting written documentation such as user guides, troubleshooting guides, and frequently asked questions.
Objectives/ Goals of SDLC Development Phase
The following is a list of the objectives that need to be accomplished during the development phase of the SDLC:
Objectives
The following are essential components that must be present in order to achieve a fruitful conclusion to the Development Phase:
- constructing the system.
- incorporating the units into larger components and testing them.
- setting up the system’s technical environment.
- Acceptance to continue on with the Testing Phase.
Goals
The primary objective of the Development Phase is to transform the system design prototype created in the Design Phase into a fully functional information system that satisfies all of the specified requirements for the system. The final step of the process is when the operating system moves into the Testing Phase.
Deliverables and Approvals
The SDLC deliverables provide a structure that makes sure all project components are defined, planned, and communicated in a consistent and acceptable manner, assisting state agencies in successfully planning, executing, and controlling IT projects. This makes it possible for the projects to be successfully planned, executed, and controlled. You will be provided with a crystal clear structure of the necessary content as well as boilerplate language agencies by the SDLC templates. If the final deliverables contain all of the required content, state agencies are allowed to use formats that are different from the templates.
The development and distribution of SDLC deliverables:
- Ensure that all members of the development team and the stakeholders have the same understanding of the situation.
- As the complexity of the projects increases, you should serve as a reminder of certain specific plans.
- Give the senior management of the agency and any other state officials insight into the risks associated with the project as well as its ongoing performance.
- Motivate people to carry out processes that are consistent and can be repeated.
- Contribute to the implementation of agency-wide best practices in project management and information technology.
- Produce some kind of detailed record of the performance of the project that can be used for many purposes (such as the knowledge transfer between staff members, the lessons learned, budgetary, and other assessment activities).
As they create the documentation, the development team must:
- Write thorough, simple-to-understand documents with no unnecessary details.
- Create a well-structured document repository for some important project data so that the development team’s members can quickly access, store, and refer to project documents and other deliverables from all phases of the project’s life cycle.
- Implement regular deliverable reviews to eliminate errors, ambiguities, and incompleteness.
- Recognize that the agencies can accept deliverables in a variety of formats as long as all necessary information is provided and that sample templates for deliverables are available. The scope, scale, and complexity of the project can all have an impact on these deliverables’ content, either favourably or unfavourably.
- Reuse the information from the earlier documents, or at least make a reference to it, wherever it is beneficial and possible.
During this phase, you will be expected to develop all of the deliverables, with the exception of the ones that have been identified as updates. It is necessary to review the deliverables that have been designated as updates and improve them as necessary. The deliverables that you create during this phase should be thoroughly reviewed, and the approval path that is required should be followed. Every deliverable that needs approval ought to be accompanied by either a signature page or a section for the approval process.
Roles in Development Phase in SDLC
During this phase of the project, the following personnel are involved in the work activities:
- Agency CIO
- Executive Sponsor
- Project Sponsor
- Project Manager
- Development Team
- Project Stakeholders
Keep an eye on how the project is performing.
The project manager is responsible for monitoring and observing the performance of the project by collecting status information regarding:
• any adjustments to the baseline data
• data on change management
• Activity development and status information
• List of deliverables, both finished and unfinished
• initiated and completed activities
• time anticipated for completion
• Resource usage information
• Changes to project scope
As part of the process of monitoring the performance of the project, the Project Manager is also responsible for organising and supervising systematic quality management reviews of the project work. When planning project tasks, the Project Manager is responsible for establishing timelines as well as metrics for success at each phase of the work. This allows the Project Manager to measure the amount of effort put into the project throughout its entirety.
Carry out the Activities of Risk Management.
The project manager is in charge of carrying out risk management-related tasks during the development phase. These actions consist of:
• Identification – identifying the initial risks that could affect the project as well as new risks and describing each risk’s characteristics
• Risk Analysis – carrying out quantitative and/or qualitative research on each risk that has been identified. In most cases, the methods of risk management that are most applicable for state projects are those that are qualitative.
• Response Planning – preparation of plans for developing strategies to reduce risks by avoiding, transferring, or mitigating those risks
• Monitoring and Control – a description of the processes that are used to keep track of risks, monitor residual risk, identify new risks, put response plans into action, and assess how effectively risk management is working
Beginning Development Activities
The development process is kicked off by the Development Team by:
• Verifying the choice of standards, procedures, and tools
• Executing Development Phase tasks in accordance with the precise Project WBS created during the planning phase
• Setting up configuration management and change control
• using an issue-tracking process to track down and fix issues and non-conformances found in system tasks and products.
Participants in the project who have a stake in its outcome should be consulted at regular intervals during the development phase. This will ensure that the development team fully comprehends the stakeholders’ objectives and that the system is built in accordance with requirements.
Build and Test System.
In accordance with the System Development Document that was developed during the Design Phase, the Development Team is responsible for establishing the hardware and network development environment, as well as building, installing, and documenting each component of the system. In addition to this, the development team is responsible for preparing the installation site for the hardware (including cabling and furniture if applicable).
The Development Team is responsible for developing test procedures in order to test every component of the system (e.g., mainCPU, work stations, network software, peripherals).
Unit tests are carried out on each component of the system by the development team, and the results are documented in the Test Analysis Report (s). Make sure that the various pieces of hardware are tested separately from one another in order to verify that their performance meets the requirements of the acceptance criteria.
Regular project reviews are carried out by the development team in order to keep track of both the progress and the quality of the work.
• the ability to trace back to the system’s original requirements and design.
• The scope of the units tested
• addressing issues with the testing process
• The adequacy of the procedures and criteria that were used
Integrate Hardware.
The Development Team is responsible for testing the aggregates as they are being developed and integrating the various hardware and network components. The Development Team is responsible for making certain that each aggregate satisfies the requirements of the item, and that the item is integrated once the integration activity has been completed.
Conduct Integration Testing.
The Integration Testing is carried out by the Development Team on the Fully Integrated Hardware and Network Components. In integration testing, previously tested individual hardware and network components are aggregated and put through their paces as part of a larger whole. Integration testing enables DevelopmentTeams to verify the requirements of major groupings of the system in a more comprehensive manner. In the Test Analysis Report, the Development Team provides a summary of the results of the testing (s).
Plan the System Integration.
An Integration Document is crafted by the Development Team in order to guide the process of incorporating the system’s various hardware and network components. The document describes the processes, responsibilities, and a timetable for integrating the individual components into a functional information system. The Project Manager and the Development Team review the Integration Document while taking the following into consideration:
• Tracebility with respect to the system prerequisites
• Consistency with the design of the system
• The quality of the units based on the results of the tests
The Integration Document is subjected to project-level and technical reviews that are carried out by the Project Manager.
Maintain an up-to-date version of the System Implementation Plan.
The development team makes any necessary adjustments to the implementation methods for the system in the target environment.
Conclusion
The Development Team is responsible for producing a fully functional information system at the conclusion of the SDLC Development Phase. The development phase is considered to have successfully concluded when the system has been finished, the development phase deliverables have been approved, the development project completion status review has been performed, and approval has been granted to move on to the subsequent phase.
References
https://codilime.com/blog/the-stages-of-the-sdlc/
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