Software Development Methodologies

Software development methodologies are made up of interrelated phases or steps that embody the life cycle of the development process. This cycle represents the levels that the development phases of a project passes through, sometimes repeating one or more steps, from concept to development to completion and implementation.

Software development projects with medium to larger application scopes require a structured framework that keeps the project focused on its objective, helps reduce “scope creep,” and allows the development team to track the progress of the project. Software development, at one time, generally referred to the creation of large applications for in-house use of one or more companies. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, it was common for a project of medium to large scope to have a project time span of 18 months. Since that time, several “rapid” and “hybrid” application development methodologies have emerged.

There are several variations on the following software development methodology approaches to the management and tracking of a software project:

• System Development Life Cycle (SDLC)/Waterfall

• Agile software development methodology

• Joint application development (JAD)

• DevOps (Software Development and IT Operations) deployment methodology