SDLC. All you need to know about it

Any software is developed in order to fulfill the requirements of the product. To create and run high-quality software, you must strictly follow a certain plan. According to experts, the goal of the developer should be a comprehensive analysis of the project and careful control of each step in the process of its development. What to start first?

Let’s get started!

What is the essence of SDLC and why is it so popular?

Generally speaking, the SDLC is a six-stage closed loop, each stage of which affects the course of the next and provides important indications for the future.

In order for the entire development process to be consistent and not a single question left unanswered, all six stages must be consistent with each other.

Let’s abstract from too complicated concepts and try to consider general examples that will be clear even to beginners. For example, if you want to create an application that will be useful for hourly workers, or a time management application, similar to Zoomshift, the initial step is to analyze the requirements.

Here it is worth understanding what requirements are imposed on employees in matters of accounting for time and labor. To find out, it would be a good idea to interview both the workers themselves and their senior managers. In addition, you can better understand the problems of existing applications by bringing your solutions to market. And creating graphic expressions (diagrams) and systematic records will help you get a deeper understanding of consumer opinion about your product. And only after you have a complete understanding of these critical functions, you should proceed to another stage of the SDLC, during which plans will be made.

Requirements analysis can be very tiring, however, thanks to this stage, you will achieve an excellent result: the product will get to the market faster, will be more productive. In addition, this way you save the budget and increase the likelihood that the product will gain a foothold in the market.

You need to mentally go beyond the usual time management software. You need to think about what exactly should happen in the end. This will be your start.

All about SDLC stages

Moving from one stage to another, you should conscientiously perform each step, so you need to understand well why you are doing all these actions. Therefore, in the first three stages you get answers to the verification questions, and in the last three already directly the results.

• Requirements analysis allows you to create the most accurate idea of what problems the application will solve;
• Planning allows you to understand exactly what needs to be done;
• Engineering and design allow you to find ways to achieve your goals;
• Software development allows you to regulate the creation of the product;
• Testing allows you to improve the quality of the product;
• Deployment allows you to define the use of the end product;

The description of these six stages is probably familiar to you. With SDLC, you can standardize and formalize your workflow. You will immediately determine which part of it you are in and tell the team where you are moving to.

Next, we will go through each step in detail.

Requirements analysis

This phase of the SDLC involves getting feedback and support from everyone who is interested in building that particular piece of software. Referring to the example of developing a time management application described above, you need to create a “portrait” of a potential user. You will need to think about who your potential users will be. For some steps, you will need input from your clients, designers, your boss, or other members of the technical team. In general, the main question of this stage is: “What problems need to be solved?”. Approach this process with all your attention and don’t forget to take notes.

When the answers you receive are satisfactory, you can move on to the next phase.

Planning

The purpose of this stage will be to find the answer to the question: “What do you want to do?” This will likely inspire you to understand your plan’s unit economics (costs and benefits), risk mitigation factors, and expected costs. Similar to planning a vacation, you will need to sort out your belongings and think about what you should take with you.

Engineering and design

Getting to this stage, you should already have an idea of what the requirements of your product are and, in general, understand what you want. Before you start writing code, answer the question: “How will we achieve our goals?” That is, you must decide what exactly you need to optimize and “fit” your design process to it.

Software development

The main goal of this stage is not to answer questions, but to get a result. That is, here it is necessary to act: to create a prototype or a system that others can test. At this stage, your task is to gain the trust of stakeholders through the implementation of the developer’s mindset. To meet the expectations, it is critical to follow the first three steps when starting development.

Testing

It is impossible to create a final version of a product without testing it. After you pass this stage, you will be able to ensure the working condition of the product. Find all the errors and inaccuracies, pay attention to other people’s opinions and dive deep into the issue in order to find errors hindering the release of the final product. You just need to provide a solid foundation.

Deployment

It remains only to take the product and use it.

Take your product and wink it. Allow survey participants to conduct their first event under special conditions. Keep track of how actively the product is being sold. Be sure to research user opinions by conducting surveys and reading reviews. This way you can return to the first step to complete the requirements. Be sure to celebrate the exit.

Summary

To recap: what is the SDLC approach?

The main goal of the SDLC platform is to minimize the time to market, increase productivity, reduce development costs and provide higher value to potential users of the released product. SDLC is one of the most suitable systems that is required to streamline the software development process.

That is, thanks to the SDLC, you will know exactly what to do and strictly follow the specific steps. Let SDLC be your blueprint for success!