The software development lifecycle is a collection of business rules and practices that helps to synchronize all members of the project team to develop a software product or solution.

Specifically, it organized and defined the tasks performed at each step of the software development process, allowing members to meet deadlines, project requirements, and stay on budget.

The life cycle stages vary depending on the software development process that the company chooses.

So, let’s take a look at the most adopted software development process steps.

1.Planning

For every project, planning is extremely important because it is the stage where the foundation for effective development is laid.

Various meetings take place at this stage with the aim of defining the customer's requirements. Data is collected such as: what the client wants to build, what is the objective of the product, and who will be the end-user. As well as the planning of the quality and guarantee requirements, and the definition of risks associated with the project.

Everything is done with the purpose of defining in an organized and logical way the scope that the project will have.

2. Feasibility Analysis

After obtaining the information on the customer's requirements, the next stage is to actually write these requirements down. So that developers can gain a deeper understanding of the technical and economic aspects of the project, as well as time estimates, resources, and budget.

In the same way, this document will contribute to the cooperation and understanding between the developers and the client.

3. Design

During this stage, the software architecture is created in correspondence with the specific requirements of the project that were defined in the previous stages.

This is where the work of software architects plays the main role, it is where the workflows are established, the final prototype is built and the models that will be used in the next stages will be defined.

This stage is characterized by being visual and representing the functionalities, capabilities, and structure that the software will have.

4. Development

The development phase consists of converting all the compiled design documentation into the software through code writing.

This stage is considered the backbone of the process as well as being the longest stage.

Software developers must write the code that meets the requirements defined in stage 2. The development release cycle begins by releasing the alpha, beta, and then the actual production version. 

5. Testing

Once the software is built, it goes to the testing phase of the system and the integration, which may vary depending on the test processes adopted.

Among the tests carried out are systems integration, interoperability, functionality, and user acceptance tests.

Testing is carried out to assess the quality of the code and ensure that it meets the objectives of the software. Once the software is bug-free then implementation begins.

6. Deployment

In this stage, the solution designed according to the implementation plan is installed. The newly created and tested software or application is put into production. Depending on the size of the project, a simple version can be released, or in the case of complex projects, a staggered version.

7. Maintenance

And last but not least, this is the stage of periodic updates and maintenance. This phase is of great importance because it is the moment to improve the product. Based on customer feedback, developers should work to improve the performance of the product or modify it according to user needs.

In conclusion, the software development life cycle varies from one company to another, and can also be adjusted according to the needs of each project.

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