The Importance of a Software Development Process
There is a big heap of software being developed in a rather callous fashion without following any proper procedure these days. Now why is it that disorder exists in a process like software development, where success depends on following a rather strict order? My guess is the evident break between knowing how to develop software and actually doing it is the reason behind such foolhardiness. In such a scenario, an introduction into the actual software development process is very important to avoid the spread of wrong practices. Actual software development process: It goes without saying that application software development needs to have a process. And in here, the process would imply an instruction manual prescribing a recurring course of action for your organization to follow in developing software. Now there cannot be a common process for all organizations, since the process that would be ideal for your organization may not be suitable for another organization. So, the process would actually tell you how your organization should develop software since it looks at how your organization works and offers unique measures. A process just doesn’t include stages like requirements, design, implementation, testing, documentation and maintenance. That would leave us with a whole bunch of questions waiting to be asked by both the customers and the developers and the set of questions would always be different for different organizations. And if a potential customer approaches you asking you about your software development process, you would already have one to show. What makes a Process so important?
A process will help you walk the right path through a web of interrelated activities and help you from getting bogged down by pressures that could otherwise lead to the Software Development (India) that is of inferior nature. One thing you must always remember that any process is never absolute and is subject to changes. So your process will keep you prepared for future changes as well. Now comes that nagging thought. When the significance of software development process is already known to developers, why do many of them ignore it and develop products erratically? Now there are generally three kinds of developers – ones working without a process, ones following a process and ones that are aware of their process but ignore it straightaway. And the ones in the last category are quite a lot in number.
The break between knowing and doing: The act of developers actually not doing what they know as the best practice is quite common in the software development industry these days. What writers Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert Sutton have to say about this is that failure to convert knowledge into practical implementation, and not ignorance is the biggest obstacle in the way of progress. What we analyze is usually acted on and therefore you have to make sure that what you’re analyzing reflects on the objectives for your organization.