Agile Vs. Waterfall – Which is the Best Methodology for Your Project
One of the most common questions that experts often discuss during project management is the development methodology because it allows dividing the work into smaller, sequential, or parallel steps or subprocesses to enhance the design and the overall product.
The important thing you need to know about both agile methodology and waterfall methodology is that technically, they are not project management methodologies. Now you may be in doubt about what agile & waterfall models are & how they differ from each other.
To help you know about both terms, we explain the introduction of agile & waterfall below, along with the difference between agile and waterfall in detail. In the end, we will also help you know the best methodology for your project.
What You Will Learn
- What is agile in project management?
- What is waterfall methodology in project management?
- The key difference: agile versus. waterfall (the hottest debate in project management)
- What are the issues with the agile model or methodology?
- What are the issues with waterfall methodology?
- Which is a better methodology for your project management – agile or waterfall?
- Advantages of agile model
- Advantages of waterfall model
- Wrapping Up
What is Agile in Project Management?
Agile in project management services is an iterative approach that companies use for software development projects and ensures that the feedback will be taken instantly from stakeholders and clients to make changes at each stage of a product cycle or sprints.
In other words, agile is a mindset, principles, and a set of beliefs. It is also a way of thinking to approach projects with complete flexibility.
Moreover, this practice allows project teams to work with collaboration and make it effortless for them to complete the project within the proper timeframe and budget.
What is Waterfall Methodology in Project Management?
Waterfall methodology is a traditional approach in project management for developing engineering systems. It also helps perform specialized tasks and review and verify one phase before moving to another. Initially, it is based on construction and manufacturing industry projects.
Moreover, it is suitable for projects with well-defined deliverables and concrete timelines, which means if you have an understanding of your project and have documented plans, you can choose this methodology to compare to its alternative.
The Key Difference: Agile Versus. Waterfall (The Hottest Debate in Project Management)
- Agile is a constant iteration of development, and it allows you to test the software during development. In contrast, the waterfall is a linear sequential life cycle model.
- Agile is an ideal choice for having flexibility and following an incremental approach. However, waterfall is a structural and time-consuming software development methodology that one can leverage in a sequential design process.
- One of the biggest benefits of agile is that it allows you to test concurrently with software development and make changes in projects as per the development requirements. On the flip side, once the “Build” phase is over, you can only perform testing in the waterfall methodology. Another drawback of using waterfall is that there is no scope for changing the requirements after starting the project development process.
What are the Issues with Agile Model or Methodology?
- It is not the best option for small development projects and requires specialists to make important meeting decisions.
- The cost of execution of an agile method is high compared to the waterfall and other development methodologies.
- Having the clarity of the project is necessary for project managers. Otherwise, it would be challenging to meet the actual requirements, plus the project can go off track. That’s why when it comes to building customized mobile applications in Saudi Arabia, companies from GCC countries choose Alareeb ICT because we assist governmental organizations and firms with digital transformation and have first-class agile methodologies to help our clients experience transparency in all our software development processes. To boot, we have leading technical-minded people to offer you a faster release experience and meet your unique business requirements.
What are the Issues with Waterfall Methodology?
- Due to no scope of changing requirements, it is not a great option for large-size projects. Also, you may face difficulty while moving from one phase to another.
- It is necessary to understand the requirements carefully. In a different way, it can become a less effective method.
- Conducting testing after the development process is vital; otherwise, fixing the higher number of errors/bugs that occur in the development process later becomes painful.
Which is Better Methodology for Your Project Management – Agile or Waterfall?
Above, we discussed the bottlenecks of agile and waterfall methodology. Now, you must also know the benefits of both to get an idea of which method can work well for your project.
Here are the advantages of agile & waterfall models that you can consider before moving to the conclusion.
Advantages of Agile Model
- The agile model is a client-centric process, enabling the client to be involved during each stage.
- Due to the flexibility with agile development, experts of digital transformation and digital marketing promise to produce better outcomes.
- Quality is the plus point in agile software development because all processes are performed based on incremental progress. Due to this, fewer risks happen in the development process. Besides, it helps both clients and the team know what gets completed and what is needed to implement. All in all, you should choose the agile Methodology, especially if you want to gain the flexibility to make changes during development. Agile methodology is also beneficial to empower teams to manage projects and boost customer satisfaction.
Advantages of Waterfall Model
- Managing the agile model is easy for shifting teams because each phase has particular deliverables and a review process. It also helps you get a faster delivery experience.
- It is a perfect fit for smaller size projects and allows you to understand the requirements with ease.
- Moreover, it assures easy documentation of processes and results, as well as being helpful in managing dependencies.
Wrapping Up
In this article, we’ve learned the exact meanings of agile & waterfall methodologies for your project. We’ve also discussed the difference between the two of them, the pros and cons of each model, and the reason why Alareeb ICT is in demand in GCC Countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman. Now the point is which one you should choose – agile or waterfall.
Well, it entirely depends upon the nature of your project, niche, budget, and timeframe that you’ve decided to launch your application. For your information, you need to know that 71% of companies adopted Agile in 2020. To boot, the failure rate of this methodology was around 8%, and 60% of companies experienced high profits after adopting the agile approach.
Therefore, if you have an urge for a faster software development life cycle and want to build great knowledge, increase productivity, and address problems quickly and efficiently, you must go with an agile methodology for your project. However, if your project is small and doesn’t require any changes, the waterfall can become the right option.
In the age of digital transformation, if you want to outrank your competition and launch your mobile application from years to weeks, there will be no better choice than agile because this practice is suitable for improving the customer experience that impacts your business.
Take Your Time Before You Start
Before discussing your project with the agile software development company, you must discuss your project goals and business requirements. Similarly, you should engage with the team to understand planning, frameworks, approaches, or the mobile application strategy they leverage during the whole software development process. By doing this, you can easily ensure that you will get a bug-free solution at the end and generate a handsome revenue to take your business to the next level.
Give a read to our latest article: mobile application strategies that work in Saudi Arabia 2022.
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