Every application development follows a certain methodology. A software development methodology is the stepwise development of a software application, spanning requirement capture, programming, testing, deployment and maintenance done systematically through software design, implementation, and verification.

At Asahi Technologies, we consider the various merits and limits and then choose an appropriate approach that will surpass or match our client requirements. The Waterfall life-cycle Model is one of the methodologies (but not the only methodology) we follow for software development.

Theoretically, this method follows a certain sequence or phase and there is no iteration in the activities. The approach begins with capturing the business requirements from the customer, gathering system specification details, and passes through system designing, component designing, software development, system testing, user acceptance testing, support and maintenance. Importantly, each phase has its set of deliverables before the next phase begins to help the client assess the work progress.

 

 

• Simple and easy flow
• Each phase lays out its deliverable, followed by a validation process
• Excellent work progress tracking system
• Best option for smaller projects where business requirements are captured in advance
• Simple and feasible
• Includes a verification process to monitor and resolve errors.

The biggest drawback with this model is that once a phase is completed, there is no going back. The only option if one wants to go back to a previous phase in the life cycle is by going back to the drawing board and designing from scratch. Therefore, this makes the water fall model a good fit for smaller open source projects using Magento, Joomla, WordPress (where the requirements can be clearly defined upfront), but not for Custom Programming requirements where the business needs are constantly changing.

However, when you have crystal clear software requirements specification well ahead of time, there is no substitute for Water fall methodology as it is a highly structured, linear approach to software development.