10 Best Software Development Methodologies

Over the past decades, we have seen many software development methodologies emerge and be introduced to the market. What is the purpose? To optimize the software development process and make it as efficient as possible.  

Software development methodology refers to a framework that is used when delivering a software project and includes processes to plan, structure, and execute software delivery.  

Custom software development companies use many software development methodologies for their day-to-day operations.

Let’s take a look at the most modern and popular software development methodologies used by software development teams. 

Agile Software Development

Agile software development is a set of practices by which we increase the speed of our team's productivity so that our teams can deliver value faster.

Pros:

1. It gives the developer and user a lot more control over the development, making them feel much more confident in what they are doing.
2. It's a lot easier to create software, and you will produce high-quality applications while having flexibility in your designs.
3. Since it's very dynamic, there are a lot of opportunities to learn and grow professionally as an agile team member.

Cons:

1. It's a lot harder to plan how something will turn out since you don't know what the changes in the future might bring.
2. The team's communication level must be higher than standard waterfall methodologies.
3. It can sometimes be easier for a developer to get lost in the crowd with agile teams.

Scrum 

Scrum is a widespread project management practice that emphasizes teamwork, flexibility, and responsibility. It usually involves breaking work into small parts, engaging in regular team collaboration, stepping back from one's work frequently, and providing feedback to others to help them succeed.

Pros:

1. It enables teams to adapt quickly to changing requirements.
2. It helps developers and other team members overcome complications during development.
3. It structures work to lead to more productive and efficient use of resources.

Cons:

1. Managers often feel they need to micromanage the project, which inhibits agile teams from engaging in active collaboration.
2. Scrum doesn't work well when multiple teams work on different parts of the same product or service since each group will prioritize their tasks rather than the whole project.

3. The concept of self-organizing teams can help to justify poor performance.

Waterfall Development

A Waterfall model is a sequential design process where the user problem is first defined. Then the solution created means that user feedback does not need incorporation into later stages of development. 

Pros: 

1). The waterfall model does not require much documentation since it does not involve much code changing in the software development process. 

2). It also has a low risk for error since testing starts at a late stage of development. 

Cons: 

1). User feedback does not get incorporated into later stages of development, which could lead to inadequate solutions or solutions that do not produce the desired results. 

2). The lack of feedback can take longer to implement changes. 

3). This model delays the testing and debugging of a software project since the testing stage in this method begins later on.

Prototype Methodology

A prototype methodology focuses on discovering and simplifying the necessary details for completing a project to the developer's satisfaction. 

Pros: 

1). Using this methodology, a company can deliver a better quality product within a shorter time frame. 

2). It also allows better collaboration between employees, teams, or departments. 

3). Many companies use prototypes through their digital platforms to reduce lead time without losing quality. 

Cons: 

1). This methodology requires a strict process that may be too rigid for companies new to product development. 

2). It requires that teams or departments work as a single unit to deliver the product on time. 

3). The company will also have to streamline its processes if it wishes to follow this methodology.

Rapid Application Development

Rapid application development allows for software creation without lengthy data gathering and designing processes, ultimately saving the customer and the company time. 

Pros: 

1). Creating a product that Kapsys can deliver quickly and efficiently to the customer saves time. 

2). It is also less expensive, as it requires fewer resources to develop the program than creating it from scratch. 3). Furthermore, it allows for more flexibility in software customization. 

Cons: 

1). Rapid application development can make users feel that they have little involvement in the creation process. 

2). Rapid application development is also prone to errors because it involves more factors than full-scale development. 

3). It is also more limited in functionality.

Spiral Method

The spiral model focuses on learning, prototyping, and debugging in the earliest stages of the project. 

Pros associated with the spiral model include:

1). It emphasizes constant feedback. 

2). It also allows you to build your software in small increments, making it easier to ensure that each feature is fully functional without debugging anything. 3). It is also time-efficient. 

Some of the cons of the spiral method include:

1). Longer lead time is an inherent risk. 

2). Higher cost 

3). Exposure to more risk

Lean Software Development

A lean development methodology is a culture-changing approach through a cycle of experimentation, research, and implementation; it has been found that this process can reduce costs associated with new products or services by 30%. 

Pros: 

1). It allows a strong culture of quality to be maintained as long as the culture does not in any way 

2). It allows for constant improvement and innovation, which is essential when millions of people worldwide use one's products or services. 

3).it can help with scalability -lean will allow the company to utilize more resources such as programmers, designers, marketers, etc. 

Cons: 

1). It is more complicated. The attitude towards management and leadership has to change to allow constant problem-solving and innovative thinking. 

2). It can also be time-consuming. Lean methodologies require a new mindset and constant experimentation. 

3). It is hard to quantify the benefits. Because lean methodologies create problems in organizations, it can be hard to quantify the benefits, and there are no commonly agreed metrics.

Feature-driven Development

Feature Driven Development is a software development process that focuses on delivering features instead of building software. 

Pros: 

1). The team can start development quickly and with a small amount of code 2). The team can get feedback from clients early on in the process 

3). The team has less upfront design and development work to do, which means they will have more time to focus on smaller tasks such as bug fixing Cons: 

1). It can be hard to make clear-cut, sensible, and valuable features for the end-user. 

2). Having lots of features early on can cause lots more testing and bug fixing later on in the project 

3). Having lots of small, inconsequential features could lead to a loss of business, as the product is less appealing.

Extreme Programming Development

Extreme programming (XP) is a methodology used to design, develop, and test software within a very unstable environment. It allows greater flexibility within the modeling process.  

Pros: 

1). The ability to continuously release new and improved software into existing customers' systems 

2). Self-dogfooding and unit testing to ensure a quality product 

3). A focus on customer happiness with continuous feedback 

Cons: 

1). The cost of the training and time to learn it 

2). The need for dedicated developers who are skilled in extreme programming 

3). The inability to quickly get results from development because of continuous feedback and unit testing.

DevOps Methodology

DevOps is a set of practices that combines software engineering, computer networking, and information technology best practices. DevOps methodology combines the work of the Development and Operations departments under one umbrella, so they are not functioning in separate silos any longer in the entire life-cycle of the software development process.  

Pros: 

1). It is a more efficient way of developing software. 

2). The development process is not just for coders but also for non-coders

3).DevOps methodology makes sure that one can use risk management both before and during the development phase. 

Cons: 

1). It's challenging to coordinate and put all the components together for one application. 

2). It takes a lot of effort to implement and instill this practice into the workplace. 

3). The benefits can not appear at the beginning of the project. Here at Kapsys, we have a range of technology services suitable for SMBs and enterprises, including custom software development, IT consulting, SalesForce integrations within business IT infrastructure.    

Some of the reasons you may want to speak with Kapsys include fast response times to your IT needs, affordability, and reliability. Kapsys has everything you need to keep your computer running smoothly and its hardware in good shape.