When it comes to accomplishing anything of value, it is ideal to develop a structure to ensure that you can plan every step of the way. It will not just prevent confusion, but it also enables you to brace yourself mentally for the responsibilities at hand.

The software development cycle (SDLC) is a process for designing, developing, and testing software since the 1960s. In general, it will always lead you through development phases that follow a logical order until a final product is created.

Pulling off a project can be intimidating at times. When you get a bit of software into the mix, things can easily spiral out of control in an instant. Problems can happen out of nowhere—from disinterested stakeholders to scheduling issues.

The V-Model is a linear methodology used during a system development life cycle (SDLC). This method primarily adheres to a strict, step-by-step process—similar to a waterfall methodology.

Based on the cosmological theory of the same name, the Big Bang is one of the simplest methodologies in the system development life cycle. It is designed around the notion that starting from nothing, fast growth, and expansion of code will emerge—creating a finished software product in an instant.

The system development life cycle (SDLC) is an iterative, structured, and multistep process that is used by teams to create high-quality information systems. It involves the activities of planning, analysis, designing, building, testing, deploying, and maintaining a system that meets or exceeds client expectations.

Like all products, any type of software starts as an idea before becoming a product that provides value to its end-user. The software development life cycle (SDLC) is a process that is used to explain how software is delivered to the customer in a series of steps.

When dealing with project management, software development life cycle (SDLC) is a term that often comes up. SDLC is a conceptual model that lays out the stages in a software development project—from the initial planning through maintenance of the finished application.  It’s widely considered as the software industry’s spellcheck as it flags errors before they are discovered in much later and more costly stages.

When it comes to software development, there is no universal method that can be applied to every type of project. Therefore, team leaders make use of different software development life cycle (SDLC) methodologies according to their unique budget, goals, timing, and other factors.

This Article was updated November 2019