Software development is a complex task that require certain level of skills and the use of right technology. But did you know it is possible to use a methodical approach with the use of software development methodologies to ensure that you can minimize defects and increase value for the project within a relatively short delivery time. A methodology can therefore be best defined as a selected process of techniques intended to improve your software development effort and the quality of its product.

Choosing software development methodologies does not readily guarantee success. There is a challenge on your part when it comes to choosing the best method available and following its recommendation. Your goal must therefore be to employ the processes recommended to improve business processes while curtailing common problems such as wasting time, lack of productivity, and demoralized developers. All of these efforts are recommended as risk management procedure for the business.

There are two top software development methodologies available for developers to employ in their project. Each model has their own set of pro’s and con’s such that project managers are advised to examine them closely to determine which model suits you best.

Waterfall Methodology

This is the perfect epitome of software development methodologies. According to those who developed this model, a project can achieve better management if segmented into various stages and adapt a step by step process.

This methodology works based on a few principles: all work are done in stages – each stages require content review to be conducted – reviews help ensure that all work is completed within the same quality points expected of the project.

This particular methodology is therefore all about following an orderly sequence for the project, which is what software development methodologies are all about in the first place. Each stage involves proper documentation that can be used later on for content review to ensure that the development process is maintainable, reliable, and of superb quality.

Although there are certain benefits to the Waterfall Methodology, a lot of clients dislike its slow and cumbersome approach at software development. Indeed, the elaborate steps can result in reduced time-to-market deliverance. It therefore inspired the development of a new methodology, which is known as the Spiral Method.

Spiral Methodology

This is an evolutionary software development method that work best when the project is incremental and iterative. This was developed in an effort to overcome the disadvantages offered by the Waterfall Model which basically adapts some of the common approaches to the Waterfall software development methodologies while eliminating some of the known risk factors.

There are four phases under the Spiral software development methodologies, namely Planning, Evaluation, Risk Analysis, and Engineering. It therefore reiterates the objective of the Waterfall Model although each phase will iteratively follow one another such that you can effectively rid of the problem once the same phase is repeated.

Each phase of the Spiral Model is discussed in brief below:

*Planning – You must determine and document the objectives and alternatives for the software development project. Make sure to fix the order for the specifications to decide on the best approach you can use for the project’s life cycle.

*Risk Analysis – This is one of the most distinctive phase for the Spiral Model. All potential alternatives are listed down to determine the most cost-effective approach for the project in case the original approach is not plausible. It also aims to identify and resolve risks to come up with a possible solution, or when there is a need to change the requirements of the project.

*Engineering – This is where the actual development process is carried out. The output then undergoes through each of the phase to see if there is a need for certain improvements.

*Customer Evaluation – Once the finished product has been completed, it is passed on for customer evaluation wherein the developer aims to gather feedback or suggestions. It is comparable to the testing phase for the Waterfall Methodology to determine whether the software program is workable.

The progression of the project follows in a spiral sense with the Spiral software development methodologies. All four phases are iterated to ensure that all risks are eliminated and to deliver a complete software system. The only downside to the Spiral Model though is that you need highly skilled individuals to perform each phase of the method and could be somehow expensive.