Stages in the software development process

Software development is more than just turning on a computer and starting to write code. A lot of advance preparation and timely planning is needed for the construction of a new software or platform to be carried out successfully.

That is why, when talking about software development, it is necessary to touch on the stages that this process comprises. In our life, many things can be spontaneous, but that does not apply when we are working with software.

Table of Contents

• Software development life cycle: What is it?
• Stages of the software development life cycle

Software development life cycle: What is it?

This life cycle perfectly describes each of the stages necessary for efficient software development. The function of this cycle is to organize all the requirements of the project so that the team can work efficiently, meeting deadlines and minimizing the appearance of errors.

Among the most used methodologies today is the Agile methodology, whose approach is iterative and dynamic. The work is agile, as the name indicates, with regular deliveries. The tasks are divided into sprints, whose duration can vary between 2 weeks and 2 months.

Stages of the software development life cycle

Analysis and Planning

Of course, at the beginning of a project, the first thing to do is to analyze the idea that has to be developed and that it has real justification. The idea of this new product must be aligned with the main objectives of the business.

Next, the company must check if it has the necessary equipment to carry out the project and, if not, look for the best software provider or dedicated software developers.

Read more: Are you going to hire e-commerce developers? They must have these skills

An unavoidable step in software development is cost estimation. After validating that the development is justified, verifying if there is enough equipment, then it is time to calculate how much the investment would be to create this new software.

The planning stage is essential to have a clear picture before starting the development of the project.

Requirements

“The next step is to understand the technical requirements of this project. Every piece of software, whether it's an app, a website redesign, or a new feature, has to solve a customer problem", commented in an article on the Planio portal.

To determine what those technical requirements will be, you must be clear about what problem the product will solve, who will use it and why, if it needs to integrate with other apps or APIs, among others.

Design and prototype

With the requirements clear, the team can then move on to the product design phase. 

• Understand the requirements of the software project
• Research and Analysis
• Software design
• Software Prototyping
• Software evaluation

The UX design is also created at this stage, essential to offer the user an exceptional experience within the platform.

Developing

So, officially, we entered the software development stage. Here the development team has clear technical requirements and design specifications, to go on to create the requested software product.

Tests

During software development, or at the end, various tests must be applied to verify that the software works according to the parameters established in the project. It also serves to detect errors and adjust them just before implementation.

Deployment

It is time to deploy the software product and make it available to the public. Here you can receive feedback from customers about the platform and its operation.

Maintenance and operations

Here the team is constantly monitoring the performance of the platform, making the necessary corrections to keep the software optimal.

At Rootstack, we have +10 years supporting companies in the development of their software. Do you have a new project in mind? Contact us!

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