A Quick Guide to the Software Development Process

Software development has steadily been gaining traction due to the increased demand for technological advancements. It is now expanding across various industries, and why not? It offers countless benefits for businesses everywhere. 

The software development process is simply a structured approach to designing, building, testing, and deploying software applications. This method helps to build efficient, secure and reliable software. By following a well-defined software development lifecycle, companies and solution providers can deliver high-quality software that goes well with business needs and goals. 

One widely used framework for software development is referred to as the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC). It offers systematic software development planning from designing to deployment and maintaining software with new updates. The core development stages remain the same for software development but its methodologies can change like Agile, Waterfall, or DevOps. 

This article aims to quickly guide you about software development and what’s involved in it. Let’s dive in. 

Key stages of the software development process

1. Requirement analysis & planning

The first stage consists of requirement analysis and software development planning, wherein project managers and developers try to get a deep understanding of your business goals, requirements, complexities, and budget. This stage helps to set clear goals and expectations regarding the software that will be developed. It involves identifying any business challenges, defining business objectives, identifying target users for the software, and assessing business needs to make a roadmap that would further help in the development process. 

2. Software design 

Once the requirements are clear for the software, the next stage is software design. Here the aim is to create the software’s architecture, design its interface, define components, add features, and apply desirable security measures. In architecture selection, businesses get the choice to either go for a monolithic or microservices structure, depending on their scalability needs. Then a UI/UX design process is started to create an interface that can strengthen the user experience. 

3. Development (coding & implementation)

In this stage, we pick and choose from the development methodologies mentioned previously – such as Agile, Waterfall, or DevOps. Developers write the code for the software with the help of various programming languages and frameworks to turn a static design into a fully functional software application. 

Moreover, frontend and backend development occurs at this stage to make sure there is smooth communication between the user interface and server logic. By far, this stage is the most crucial to building reliable, high-performing software as there is plenty of execution and many bottlenecks can be identified at this point if not earlier. Due to these reasons, it is also considered the longest stage of the software development lifecycle.

4. Testing & quality assurance

The fourth stage i.e. testing & quality assurance is all about testing and making sure the software is of decent quality and is scalable, secure, and ready to be released. To identify and resolve any potential issues missed in the development process, various testing methods are implemented. Let’s take a look at them. 

• Unit testing → Focuses on testing individual features or components of the software.
• Integration testing → Verifies that different components and modules work together effortlessly.
• System testing → Checks the entire software system to see if the software fulfills all the requirements.
• Acceptance testing → This is where they give the final go-ahead and where real users can finally test the software to ensure it performs as expected. 

Testing can be done manually and automatically – it depends mostly on the developers’ preference. Automatic testing speeds up the whole process, while manual testing usually takes more time but helps in catching the UX/UI errors and usability problems.

5. Deployment & release management

In this stage, the software is officially made available for the target audience and goes live on servers and devices. Usually, deployment takes place in two phases.

• Phased rollout → Here the software is available for a smaller audience. It’s a gradual release so that the developers can get it tested. Based on the feedback they get, they make important changes. 
• Full deployment → Once the required changes are made, it is ready to be released for the larger audience. 

Even after the software is deployed and in the market for the users, it is continuously updated with new releases to stay ahead of any advancements in tech. Monitoring user behavior and feedback helps resolve any post-launch issues and optimize performance.

6. Maintenance & continuous improvement

Ongoing maintenance and improvement are continuously required to keep the software competitive and at par with advancements in the industry. Since it is a “continuous” improvement, it means that there would be pretty much no end to it unless the software is shut down. Hence, the cycle keeps on running and the software development process just doesn’t end after its release. Instead, it involves the following: 

• Bug fixes for stable software
• Feature updates to keep up with tech and user needs evolving.
• Performance optimization for smoother functionality. 

Choosing the right software development management methodology

With the advancement in development, many new methodologies have been introduced and used for software development management. You may choose the one that best suits your business needs and goals. Let’s look at a few of the most used and popular methodologies.

1. Waterfall 

Waterfall is one of the oldest and most structured ways to develop software. It’s preferred if you require a structured and predictable development approach wherein each phase must be completed before moving towards the next phase. This project is best suited to large-scale software development with clear goals, scope, budget, and a timeline. 

2. Agile 

Agile is another very popular methodology for projects that require more flexibility, adaptability, and continuous improvement. It follows an iterative approach, which means breaking down development into smaller, more manageable units called sprints. After completion of each sprint, it is reviewed, tested, and refined based on the feedback.

3. DevOps

DevOps is a modern methodology centered around making software development management easy. It integrates software development with IT operations, making communication and collaboration between the teams much better. This helps enable continuous deployment (CD), makes way for scalability, leads to faster releases, and strengthens the security of the software. DevOps is considered ideal for businesses that require automated workflows with IT integration and sped-up delivery cycles. 

If you struggle to choose which of these methodologies is the right one for you, here’s an easy way to figure it out. Consider the following:

1. What are you aiming to achieve in terms of goals?
2. How complex is the development process of your software?
3. Do you need instant iterations or a more structured timeline?
4. What are the financial limitations, if any?

Evaluating these factors and deciding on one of these methodologies can ensure you build your software with the right approach that satisfies the needs of your business.  

Conclusion

A well-planned software development process provides efficiency, lessens security risks, and results in high performance. Each of the 6 steps of the software development lifecycle are interconnected meaning one cannot move to the next phase without completing the previous one. 

It is advised to collaborate with only experienced and professional custom software development services companies like Pixelette Technologies providers to maximize your software and business’ chances at success.