Adoption and Suitability of Software Development Methods and Practices

Intakhab Alam Iram Noreen Nadeem Sarwar

1 April 2022

Software Development Process Model (SDPM) develops software according to the needs of the client within the defined budget and time. There are many software development models such as waterfall, Iterative, Rapid Application Development (RAD), Spiral, Agile, Z, and AZ model. Each development model follows a series of steps to develop a product. Each model has its strengths and weaknesses. In this study, we have investigated different software development process models using the six-pointed star framework. Six-point star is a framework of project management industry standards maintained by Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). A survey is designed to evaluate the performance of well-known software process models in the context of factors defined by the six-point star framework. The survey is conducted with experienced users of the software industry. The statistical analysis and comparison of results obtained by the survey are further used to examine the effectiveness of each model for the development of high-quality software concerning lightweight and heavyweight methodologies for small, medium and large scale projects. After exploring the results of all factors of the six-pointed star model, we conclude that lightweight methodology easily handles small-scale projects. The heavyweight methodology is suitable for medium and large-scale projects, whereas the AZ model, which is one of the latest models, works efficiently with both small-scale and large-scale categories of projects.

Svea Urlić Z. Car

22 Mei 2023

Selection of project management methodology in development of software systems is very challenging, especially taking into consideration that every project is unique. In this paper hybrid approach as a combination of traditional plan-driven and agile methodologies of project management, with emphasis on applying Scrum in waterfall project management, in development of web-applications is analyzed. This paper provides results of seven qualitative researches done through interviews with project managers and statistical data analysis of survey respondents (n=47). Results of qualitative research show that most projects follow a pattern in which waterfall methodology of project management is combined with agile practices -agile was used in almost all projects which were the subject of research in project phase of Development. Results of quantitative research conducted through a survey confirmed that Scrum and waterfall are the most frequently used methodologies in web application development projects and also indicated the frequency of overlapping of Development and Testing project phases. Paper provides guidelines for combining waterfall model with agile models and emphasizes the importance of planning, analyzing user requirements and defining software architecture at the beginning of the project, as well as delivering multiple minor development versions to users for testing.

Ezequiel Scott Stephan Krusche Stefan Sauer + 44 lainnya

23 September 2021

Together with many success stories, promises such as the increase in production speed and the improvement in stakeholders’ collaboration have contributed to making agile a transformation in the software industry in which many companies want to take part. However, driven either by a natural and expected evolution or by contextual factors that challenge the adoption of agile methods as prescribed by their creator(s), software processes in practice mutate into hybrids over time. Are these still agile? In this article, we investigate the question: what makes a software development method agile? We present an empirical study grounded in a large-scale international survey that aims to identify software development methods and practices that improve or tame agility. Based on 556 data points, we analyze the perceived degree of agility in the implementation of standard project disciplines and its relation to used development methods and practices. Our findings suggest that only a small number of participants operate their projects in a purely traditional or agile manner (under 15 percent). That said, most project disciplines and most practices show a clear trend towards increasing degrees of agility. Compared to the methods used to develop software, the selection of practices has a stronger effect on the degree of agility of a given discipline. Finally, there are no methods or practices that explicitly guarantee or prevent agility. We conclude that agility cannot be defined solely at the process level. Additional factors need to be taken into account when trying to implement or improve agility in a software company. Finally, we discuss the field of software process-related research in the light of our findings and present a roadmap for future research.

A. Mishra Y. Alzoubi

12 Juni 2023

The use of agile methodology has become widespread in organizations that previously relied on traditional or structured software development methods, such as the waterfall approach. Successful completion rates for agile initiatives are at 40%, whereas only 15% of waterfall projects were successfully completed. To take advantage of the benefits of each method, many organizations are using a hybrid approach that combines Agile with Waterfall and structured software development methodologies. Rather than asking which methodology is superior, it is more productive to determine which one is most effective for a particular project. Agile projects have a failure rate of 10%, while waterfall projects fail 30% of the time. This study aims to compare and contrast agile and waterfall methodologies in order to create a decision tree for selecting the most suitable method for a software development project. Several cases and scenarios are examined using the hybrid development approach. Despite many advantages of Agile methodologies, a combination approach may be necessary, as Waterfall may be required for certain projects or development phases. This study explores the feasibility of combining Waterfall and Agile methodologies in software development management.

M. Fahmideh M. Akbar Javed Ali Khan + 2 lainnya

2 Mei 2023

Context Software practitioners adopt approaches like DevOps, Scrum, and Waterfall for high-quality software development. However, limited research has been conducted on exploring software development approaches concerning practitioners’ discussions on Q &A forums. Objective We conducted an empirical study to analyze developers’ discussions on Q &A forums to gain insights into software development approaches in practice. Method We analyzed 13,903 developers’ posts across Stack Overflow (SO), Software Engineering Stack Exchange (SESE), and Project Management Stack Exchange (PMSE) forums. A mixed method approach, consisting of the topic modeling technique (i.e., Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA)) and qualitative analysis, is used to identify frequently discussed topics of software development approaches, trends (popular, difficult topics), and the challenges faced by practitioners in adopting different software development approaches. Findings We identified 15 frequently mentioned software development approaches topics on Q &A sites and observed an increase in trends for the top-3 most difficult topics requiring more attention. Finally, our study identified 49 challenges faced by practitioners while deploying various software development approaches, and we subsequently created a thematic map to represent these findings. Conclusions The study findings serve as a useful resource for practitioners to overcome challenges, stay informed about current trends, and ultimately improve the quality of software products they develop.