As the world evolves, businesses face different challenges they must overcome to continually attract customers and remain competitive. One of the most complex – and pressing – challenges in the current climate is software development.
Software development comes in many different shapes and forms. With that said,the main types of software development are:
- System software (operating systems, hardware management, disk management, etc.)
- Programming software (tools used to create code)
- Application software (applications to perform specific tasks)
The importance of software development is simple: it provides the platform for businesses to better compete and innovate their offerings. What’s less simple, however, is the development process. This article will take a quick look at the main steps involved.
Project requirements
Before any programming begins, the first step is understanding what is required from the software you plan to develop. As well as deciding on aspects like functionality and features, you have to account for the wants and needs of users.
The bigger the project, the more complex the plan. Yet it’s important you cover every base – otherwise this can lead to serious problems down the line.
As part of this stage, companies will often also find an external software developer to work with on the project. This is particularly the case if their in-house development team is limited or non-existent. By working alongside an expert, acclaimed provider like ScrumLaunch (www.scrumlaunch.com), a businesses’ vision and requirements can be realized.
Deciding on a methodology
With any software development, you need to settle on a methodology before you start writing code. This allows you to put together a framework to apply the rest of the steps required for software development.
There are various methodologies available with this task. Popular options include:
- DevOps
- Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe)
- Agile development
- Rapid Application Development (RAD)
- Waterfall
Build an architecture/design
In software development, the architecture acts as the underlying structure. This is the framework that ensures everything links together and functions as expected. If there are errors with the architecture, it can cause the software functionality to crumble.
The design is about taking the problems identified during the planning stage and coming up with solutions that resolve them successfully.
Building and testing
A prototype model of the software is built. This is done to see how the software is functioning, what errors exist, and what needs to be done before it’s publicly released. Modelling tools like UML or SysML will be used for prototyping/simulation.
Deployment
Once the software is ready to go, the next step in the process is deployment. This is when the software is released for public consumption.
While you might think that’s the end of the process, the work is continual for as long as the software is available. You’ll have to respond to any user problems, provide patches, and constantly refine the software during its lifecycle. If you fail to do this, its quality and relevance will disappear over time, and it can even end up being a security risk.
