The Software Development Life Cycle refers to the phases of work involved in producing software applications. Each
Question:
The Software Development Life Cycle refers to the phases of work involved in producing software applications. Each phase corresponds to a role or responsibility that contributors make to the project. Contributors must understand, manage, and optimize to deliver their services with speed and performance.
STAGE 1: REQUIREMENTS GATHERING
Before the team of software developers can conjure the general idea for any software project it is essential for the team to gather the requirements. At this point the prime focus of the stakeholders and project managers is to define what the product will be.
The requirements of the software are determined at this stage. Discussions are held between the various stake holders, managers, and users to find out what the software will be used for. Who will use it and how will they be using it? Information regarding what kind of input is required and what output is expected is collected during this stage. Once the information is collected, it is analysed to see if the requirements can be incorporated into the software that is to be developed. After which, a Scope of Work document is developed to be used as a guide for the next stage.
STAGE 2: DESIGN
Once you validate your need for custom software, set your goals and outcomes, and agreed upon the scope of work with your development team, it’s time to get into the design.
Developers will first outline the details for the overall application, alongside specific aspects, such as:
• User interfaces
• System interfaces
• Network and network requirements
• Databases
STAGE 3: CODING/DEVELOPMENMT
After receiving the design guidelines for the software to be created, the tasks in the design stage are divided equally into various units and modules. This is the stage where actual coding begins. The development stage is the part where developers write code and build the application according to the earlier design documents and outlined specifications. Furthermore, it is the longest stage as it’s the backbone of the whole process and there are a few vital things to pay attention to. In the development and coding stage, remember:
With the wireframes of the software laid out the coders are free to dive into the nitty-gritty. This is the bulk of the project where the heart of the software is built! In other words: this is where the ideas laid out in the first 3 steps become reality as a team of programmers bring them to life. Coding tasks are allocated as delegated by the scope of work created during steps 1 & 2 in a process called “task allocation”. This subdivision of labour ensures all programmers know what areas of code they are responsible for which will maximize efficiency.
STAGE 4: TESTING
After the development of the code, it is tested to see if it meets all the requirements that were determined in the first stage. Various testing such as system testing, unit testing, acceptance testing, and integration testing are carried out. During the testing stage, developers will analyse their code with a fine-tooth comb; noting any bugs or defects that need to be tracked, fixed, and later re-tested. Quality assurance teams test the software against the requirements to make sure that the software is solving the needs addressed and outlined during the planning phase. It is important to remember:
Once every test can be passed without error the software is sent to be implemented.
Towards the end of the project, user acceptance testing should be performed to make sure the system has met the goals that were expected. If something unexpected were to occur the team can go back and redesign and rework their coding and perform additional analysis.
STAGE 5: IMPLEMENTATION AND MAINTENANCE
After testing, this is the stage when the actual installation of the crafted solution takes place. It’s done step-by-step according to the implementation plan. The newly built and tested application is moved to production including data and components transfer while during the next releases only the specific changes will be deployed. It is important to remember:
The software is opened in a beta phase which involves real use by the clients and companies which will be adapting it upon launch. If any error is experienced, it is reported to the quality assurance team members who work with the programmers to patch a repair. After a prearranged amount of time during which the software can be operated error free, it is ready to officially launch to all users.
When the software passes through all the stages without any complications, a maintenance cycle is to be performed in which it is updated and modified from time to time to adapt to changes. Many models of system development life cycle came from the idea of saving effort, money, and time
Questions
1) Using the information provided in the scenario, create the tabular form work breakdown structure (WBS) for the software development project.
2) Identify any five stakeholders that can be part of a software development project.
Dynamic Business Law The Essentials
ISBN: 978-0078023842
3rd edition
Authors: Nancy K. Kubasek, M. Neil Browne, Daniel J. Herron, Lucien Dhooge Sue