What is Software Development? | A Detailed Guide to Custom Software Development Life Cycle
With the custom software development, you can enable your business to adopt a better-organized roadmap which helps to make business operations advantageous and resource-efficient.
Custom Software Development - A Brief Overview
However, custom software is developed by the software developers for a particular set of requirements, such as:
- A manufacturer requires field service equipment for maintenance
- Banks or customers require a unique functionality in an online booking app
A study says, there are 26.9 million custom software developers globally who can skyrocket your development part.
Custom software development is usually conducted by in-house software developers or outsourced to a third party. It is the same process and methodology for developing custom software as it is for developing any other type of software.
As with any other software project, a custom project would go through similar steps such as requirements gathering, code development, testing, and deployment, as well as follow similar methodologies.
What is the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)?
In software development and maintenance, the Software development process refers to a structure that includes all activities, tasks, and processes. The structure covers the whole process from the definition of the requirements to the end of the system’s life cycle.
By accomplishing the 7 easy stages, you can swiftly create and deliver a product that serves the needs of the business. Moreover, these stages are properly aligned with your project budget, demands that it has, QA testing, and finally the deployment time. However, these stages might fluctuate subject to the development model preferred by the software development company UK for conducting its operations.
Custom Software Development Life Cycle Stages
#1 Determining the idea & planning through it
Every project requires solid planning and ideation. For that, brainstorming effectively will make you implement that project.
So, the first stage of each project is strategic planning. In this stage, you have to primarily focus on the methodologies to adapt, determine resource availability, and ascertain the possible challenges associated with the project. Moreover, you are required to determine the scope of the project, and the cost it will incur.
Besides that, the planning phase helps us to determine the potential obstacles and the right measures to eliminate those barriers.
It is necessary for the custom software development company UK to learn about the customer’s problems and expectations during this stage. In order to optimize workflow operations, developers must understand customer expectations and problems.
#2 Defining & Analyzing the Requirements
In this stage, you can determine the feasibility of the project and the requirements associated with it.
Requirement defining basically involves what the application software will do and how to move forward with the requirements. Let’s take an example: a social media app should have the basic requirement of connecting with a friend. Whereas a project on stocks might need a search feature to enable easy searching of inventory.
These requirements also include the resources specifically needed for developing this project efficiently. Take an example: to develop software for controlling a custom manufacturing machine, you will require a machine.
#3 Designing & Modeling
This phase of the SDLC models the way an application software will work. Some facets of the design phase comprise:
- Architecture – An architecture identifies how the application should be developed, what programming languages should be used, industry practices, and how any templates or boilerplates should be used.
- User Interface – The user interface of the software describes how users interact with it, as well as how it responds to what they enter.
- Platform – A platform defines what type of software runs on what type of computers.
- Programming – The process of creating application software that solves problems and performs tasks is referred to as programming.
- Security Measures – Defining the security measures for the application software, which include encrypting SSL traffic and securing passwords is one example of security measures.
As part of the Design phase, prototyping can be conducted. An iterative software development model uses prototypes to create early versions of software.
It is possible to show stakeholders this “hands-on” design. Make improvements to the application based on feedback. It is cheaper to alter the prototype phase rather than make changes to the codes in the developmental phase.
#4 Software Development
With this phase, your actual program code starts. A single person can handle a small project but you require a team of experts to accomplish a complex project.
This stage basically involves working with access control or SCM applications. Using these software systems, the developer would be able to track the code modifications easily. It will also help easily ensure congruity between the different team projects and to guarantee that the intended objective is achieved.
Many more functions like polishing the skills and working as a team, error finding, waiting for the test results, compiling the code to let the application software run etc is involved in this developmental phase of the custom software development life cycle. With the help of SDLC, these delays are easily estimative, so the developers can be enrolled with other duties.
#5 Bug Finding
It is crucial to try & test an application thoroughly before launching it in front of users. Testing like security testing is automated in nature. If the deployment involves complexities, consider testing it in a particular setting.
The main reason for testing an application is to guarantee that each & every functionality involved in it is true to its operations.
Moreover, this phase of the SDLC should also ensure that each part of the application software is working flawlessly together. Consider doing the performance test in order to remove errors that users face. Doing this will significantly help with increased and better usage rates as well as user satisfaction.
#6 Deployment
The deployment phase includes making the application available to the general public. A lot of companies are automating the deployment phase. It can be easier this way just like a payment portal. This can also be installing an app on a smartphone.
Don’t get bewildered by the complexity of this stage. One such example can be to update the database of a whole company’s newly-designed application. This can take a long time as integrating the new upgrade is time-consuming.
#7 Operations and Maintenance
Here, we arrive at the last stage of our custom software development life cycle. You have completed the application and now the users are using it too.
Still, it is crucial to take care of the operation & maintenance part. Here, the users are in charge of finding the errors and glitches. As they find it, you can resolve it which invites a new software development cycle.
Furthermore, you can have a software development process for the new release that you offer. It will go on in each of the future releases.
Bottom Line
Custom software development & software development life cycle gives you a clearer picture of what is happening with your software development process as well as where it can be improved.
Similarly to many business processes, SDLC analyzes and improves the software development process. Managing production dates and day-to-day coding are streamlined by it.
A custom software development company UK can skyrocket your SDLC in no time. With this, they can also be your development partner. So what are you waiting for? Grab the service at affordable prices now.
