Office 365 Asssinment 3 1

Waterfall Versus Agile Software Development Methods

Richard Lanier

12/14/2020

IGU

The waterfall method was developed by manufacturing industries and consists of sequential steps of Conception, Initiation, Analysis, Construction, Testing and Maintenance. Each phase must be completed before the next phase is begun. The waterfall development method puts a lot of emphasis on the conception phase. Project requirements are defined in-depth.

When one phase is completed, the project is passed on to the teams who will perform the next phase. This systematic approach works well for projects where there is a clear end result. Revisions or changes are difficult to incorporate after the conception phase. Definitive results, not speed of development and flexibility are characteristic of the Waterfall method. Budgets and scheduling are well-defined. Staffing continuity is not critical. If an employee leaves the project, another person can continue because documentation of the project is extensive.

Agile project development evolved in the 1990’s. It is an iterative method that produces results in small pieces called sprints. A sprint lasts from one to three weeks and for software projects, involves the entire development team of planners, designers, coders and testers, as well as the product owner. During a sprint the development team works on small sections of the project and delivers a finished piece. Then, the team selects another small section to work on. The advantages of the Agile method are speed, and flexibility. If requirements change or bugs are found in the code, they can be fixed in upcoming sprints. The speed of Agile development allows small pieces of the project to be released to the customer while the rest of the project is being developed.

Agile teams are self-supervising. They meet each day for a short time to discuss what was completed the previous day and what each person will do today. Since a team work so closely together, this can create a problem if a team member leaves. It can be difficult to find a replacement that can easily integrate into the team. Since the project scope can be changed, Agile projects sometimes run over time or over budget.

Today, software development projects often use the Agile method because it allows for changes in scope to be easily incorporated. Small sections of code are developed, tested and implemented quickly so the stakeholders can see the results and make changes, if necessary.