Factors To Consider When Choosing A System Development Methodology

Evaluation of System Development Methodologies

There are many different system development methodologies being adopted by different business organizations according to their needs. This business report presents a concrete analysis on the determinant factors that needs to be considered when choosing a certain system development methodology for suitability and optimality in a particular business model. It evaluates the micro and macro environmental factors that influences the decision of a particular system development methodology.

Moreover, it analyses two existing system development methodologies in terms of their characteristics, advantages and suitability in implementation and their drawbacks. The report proposes a well thought guideline to help assist in the selection process of an appropriate system development methodology.

Developmental Approach Determinants

1. System Complexity

The evaluation process should take into account system technicality and project management complexity. A system that require highly integrated functional modules with variety of stakeholders involved might require a more concrete well defined methodology with clear guidelines in execution of processes. However, a small-medium level system might require a more direct methodology for system delivery (Cristina Venera GEAMBA?U, 2011).

2. Size of the development team

The more complex a methodology is, the more the number of system development team is required. An iterative methodology that divides the team in smaller groups to accomplish a certain task might require more members compared to step by step development process.

3. Software Criticality

The criticality of a system in terms of the contextual data it handles such Government data, financial data, the risks involved in the development process, the urgency of its implementation and the security implication will highly influence the decision of a methodology. A more critical system will require proper planning and organization and frequent monitoring.

4. Budget

The project scope during the initial stages of a project needs to put some factors into consideration such as the size of the development team, the hardware requirements, time frame of the project and other factors that will require financial aspect. A complex methodology requires more financial investment compare to a simple one.

5. Documentation

One of the vital tool of a framework is the existence of a well written and clear explanatory documentation. A step by step guideline on how to execute tasks and coordinate between different parties involved is key.

6. Frequency of communication

The user and the system developers needs to be in frequent communication in order to develop a system that meets the user specifications in terms of quality and functionality. Some agile methodologies require the development team to have daily meetings to evaluate the work done.

Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a System Development Methodology

System Development Methodology Review (Scrum, RUP)

1. Scrum

It is an agile based software development methodology that divides the entire project into time frames called Sprints with a scrum team composed of a Product owner, Scrum master and a development team with user stories to complete tasks.

Characteristics

1. It focusses mainly on team level where every system developer is in control of the expert domain he is conversant with
2. The project development is divided into smaller iterations called sprints of between 2-4 weeks.
3. It uses a product backlog as a daily control system which contain the project specifications and the prioritized log of complete and pending tasks.
4. It divides the system development team into roles which include the product owner that maintains the product backlog, the scrum master and the small development teams in groups of 7(+/-) two members.

Benefits

1. Responding to changes

The scrum development team evaluates the project scope on daily basis hence respond to changes that may be introduced to the project at any stage appropriately.

1. User Involvement

It involves a product owner that represent the needs of the end user. They define the product requirements and features and provides information to the system team pertaining the product.

1. Better Team collaboration

The composition of integrated smaller development teams enhance easy and efficient collaboration which enables quick resolving of raised issues (Overhage, Sebastian, & Dominik, 2011).

1. Increased Productivity

Every small group handle a particular system module which are reviewed on regular basis before being merged to the master branch. This increase the productivity of the developed system.

1. Improved Customer Satisfaction

The regular interaction with the end user through the product ensures that the product satisfies the user’s specific requirements.

Drawbacks

1. It does not support a clear end-result and entire software development life cycle.
2. The autonomy of the scrum teams needs regular monitoring and supervision for fully effectiveness.
3. Frequently restructuring of the scrum team disorients the assigned tasks hence reducing efficiency and productivity (AdminStepShot, 2017).
4. High focussing on tools rather than implementation. The scrum team may be distracted by certain software tools of operations hence unproductivity.

Appropriateness

1. When the project require constant and frequent feedback on the status of assigned tasks, challenges and suggestions.
2. When there is need for frequent user or client involvement in the project, to define and clarify the product features.
3. In the case of frequent enhancements, many change requests during the development process, Scrum methodology will be appropriate for such a case.
4. When the final solution is not clearly defined hence the project works is majorly driven by the given requirements(Krishnan, 2016).

It is a web-enabled and object-oriented software development methodology that divides the phases of development into four distinct phases, Inception, Elaboration, Construction and Transition that have specific iterations that have to be completed before proceeding to the next stage.

Characteristics

1. It is divided into four distinct phases. The inception phase it the initial stage that define the project vision, Elaboration phase is the stage that defines the planning of the execution processes and activities, the construction phase that is the execution stage and the transition phase that delivers the product to the client.
2. It is iterative and incremental – each phase is composed of iterations that results into a deliverable into the nest phase.
3. It is architecture-centric – the core focus of this methodology is the emphasis in the architecture as the sole foundation of the system development.
4. It focuses on Risk management – it analyse, evaluate and address critical risks in the early stages of the project life cycle.

Benefits

1. It has a higher level of reuse and has reduced integration time and effort.
2. The ability of the methodology managing the change of requirements of the customer has added more value for selection.  
3. It is well documented allows for easy and efficient future upgrading of the system.
4. This methodology helps the development team to see what might happen in the future and makes some remarks for the anticipated attitudes.
5. It allows the management of change of requirements of the customer and integrate them.(Geche, 2010)

Drawbacks

1. It relies on expert and proficient team members to deliver set target in order to complete a stage to facilitate the nest stage.
2. During the development process, it emphasizes on integration hence can suppress other key phases such code review, testing and other key phases.
3. It is a fairly complicated methodology that require mastery of the process models hence pose a challenge in its implementation. (Powell-Morse, 2017)

Appropriateness

1. It is appropriate when the organization has a clear and well defined execution of tasks that follow step by step execution of the project scope.
2. When there is a clear defined end result of the developed product.
3. When developing a critical system that require analysis of the risks that may be involved in the project execution.

Step 1 – Familiarize with existing methodologies

The first step of selecting appropriate development methodology is to analyse the characteristics of the existing methodologies, their benefits, appropriateness, drawbacks and disadvantages.

Step 2 – Understand user requirements

The clarity of the user requirements is key to the formulation of the project scope. It helps in the initial planning and organization of the project resources and specifications.

Step 3 – Define a contextual criteria

After gathering the user requirements, it is the crucial step of detail design, evaluation and mapping them into the required output (Sami, 2012).

• Access the project complexity, reliability and complexity in order to make an appropriate model selection.
• Evaluate the user involvement to the project, whether frequent or initial complete requirement definition.
• Access the frequency and possibility of making changes into a project under development.
• Evaluate the budget that the user is willing to give into the project.
• Evaluate the current system team size and the need to increase its size.
• Access the project timelines and project milestones.

Step 4 – Make a decision

After analysing the contextual facts, involve the software development team and make a unison decision of the software development methodology that will be used to execute the project.

Conclusion 

The process of selecting an appropriate system development methodology is key to any organization productivity. An appropriate methodology enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of the project execution. The consideration of the end user in mind is a major role of a methodology model in order to satisfy the user requirements. Moreover, meeting the project specified timelines is highly influenced by a decision of a methodology.

However, choosing the wrong methodology might jeopardize the functionality, productivity and functionality of both the end product and the organization at large. Therefore it is very important to choose a methodology that suits both the needs of the client and the organization

Cristina Venera GEAMBA?U, I. J. (2011). INFLUENCE FACTORS FOR THE CHOICE OF A SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT METHODOLOGY.

Geche, F. A. (2010). Selecting Appropriate System Development Methodology to Develop Human Resource Management System for Ethiopian Center for Disability and Development .

Overhage, S., Sebastian, S., & Dominik, B. (2011). What Makes IT Personnel Adopt Scrum? Proceedings of the 44th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, (p. 10). University of Augsburg, Germany.

Sven Overhage, S. S. (2011). What Makes IT Personnel Adopt Scrum? Proceedings of the 44th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, (p. 10). University of Augsburg, Germany.

Documentation in the Scrum Agile Development Methodology – StepShot. (2017). Retrieved from https://stepshot.net/documentation-scrum-agile-development-methodology/

Krishnan, N. (2016). How to choose the right software development methodology – Blog | Asahi Technologies. Retrieved from https://www.asahitechnologies.com/blog/how-to-choose-the-right-software-development-methodology/

Powell-Morse, A. (2017). Rational Unified Process: What Is It And How Do You Use It?. Retrieved from https://airbrake.io/blog/sdlc/rational-unified-process

Sami, M. (2012). Choosing the right Software development life cycle model. Retrieved from https://melsatar.blog/2012/03/21/choosing-the-right-software-development-life-cycle-model/