A Guide to Iterative Software Development

Historically, in the manufacturing and construction industries for example, the development process followed a waterfall model – from top to bottom. A decision was made to design a product based on certain needs, that decision was implemented, and the final unit emerged to be sold and used.

It’s a system that works well in strict, controlled environments, where the costs of redesigning and modifying a product based on new information are prohibitive. In modern software development, however, it’s of little use: changes happen too often, the learning process is ongoing, and updating happens at every stage of implementation – even after the product’s been sold and used.

That’s where iterative software development comes in: it’s a circular, incremental model for designing complex, ever-changing products that allows the developers to continuously modify and improve their work.

Benefits

The iterative process permits backtracking at every stage, so problems can be solved as they’re discovered. The designer can respond to feedback or user experience and alter the product based on the discovered needs. This means the best possible efficiency is constantly being achieved and re-achieved.

An organic development method also allows the project team to deploy the product early on, so that the payoff stage is advanced. You can be enjoying the fruits of your labor much earlier, with much-needed funds and feedback entering the process at a stage that will permit faster growth.

Ambitions for the eventual success of the product can be set much higher than with a traditional project management strategy. What won’t be achieved by this year might well be by next – and that’s the kind of long-term validation you simply can’t reach when your project has a fixed end date.

Pitfalls

You’ll need a sophisticated and committed project team that’s willing to adapt and grow with the demands of development. There’s certain to be unexpected elements cropping up at every stage of the process, and it’ll be necessary for your staff to thrive on that kind of change. If you’re not energized by the ever-changing requirements of the system, you’re likely to find it frustrating and lose interest. That can only mean deprecation of your software’s effectiveness and of your professional reputation.

Conclusion

Iterative software development is an important systemic tool for managing your designs, and should be carefully understood and implemented by dedicated managers. It’s a vast improvement over past methods, but it asks a lot of your team – so make sure you’re willing to give your all.