Waterfall Model

Waterfall model is the most common version of Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) for software development. It is called Waterfall as it defines a rigid and linear development method where each phase is completed before the next one is started and there is no loop back. It follows the principle of Doing things right the first time & every time.

Rightway have been doing application and product development based on waterfall models for a long time and has been key role players in all stages of SDLC. Our expertise and experience have helped our clients in clearly laying down their requirements in understandable format using advanced tools and managing project execution to ensure definite end results.

Iterative Waterfall Software Development Model

An improvement of the waterfall model is Iterative Waterfall Development Model. It involves less risk than traditional waterfall approach. In this method, the complete project is divided into various phases. And each phase is executed based on traditional waterfall method. Dividing big projects into identifiable phases reduces the risk involved as scope of work is less and there are deliverable at the end of each phase that can be reviewed and improved upon before moving to next phase. It is generally chosen over the waterfall approach for large, expensive, and complicated projects.

The shortcoming of this model is that you are forced to estimate each phase separately and sometimes this is not possible as phases are not separate but intertwined.

Waterfall Software Development Model

This model is preferred where the requirements are clearly and un-ambiguously outlined. Complete project execution is divided in to well defined stages of analysis, design, development, testing & QA, release & user acceptance followed by maintenance and support. A schedule is typically set with deadlines for each stage of development at the start of the project. In theory, this model leads to the project being delivered on time because each phase has been planned in detail. Practically this model involves high risk as it does not embrace the inevitable changes and revisions that become necessary with most of the projects. Once an application is in the testing stage, it is very difficult to go back and change something that was not thought of in the analysis stage.