Building software in iterations translates to building it through repeated cycles (iterative) and in smaller portions at a time (incremental). This allows software developers to take advantage of what was learned during development of earlier parts or versions of the system.
There are numerous benefits of following this methodology:
Continuous improvement
Which each iteration, as the software solution is expanded, we can learn from both the development, and use of the system. Collaboration with the client provides good feedback which enable us to make design modifications, and additional functional capabilities are added.
As key parts of the system is added, the related existing parts are improved to match the functionality required in the iteration.
Image Source: Blockchain Enabled Smart Contract Based Applications: Deficiencies with the Software Development Life Cycle Models – Scientific Figure on ResearchGate. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/SDLC-Iterative-Model-2_fig4_338710620
Increased development efficiency
Dividing development work into small deliverables that are shipped as soon as possible decreases the risk of miscommunication and misspecification. Teams can work together to identify and fix issues in a collaborative environment, which improves communication, minimizes mistakes, and reduces errors.
A real-world feature is always different from the initial sketch on the drawing board. A traditional development process starts with a long specification phase that is expected to produce a reality-proof result. In practice, the more complex the initial specification, the less likely that it is accurate.
In contrast, frequent releases force the development team to expose their work to reality much sooner, helping sort out misspecifications early on and making it easier to respond to change requests. By iterating, teams can better understand what is working and what is not to improve the efficiency of the overall system.
Faster delivery of implemented changes
Short release cycles allow the earlier release of a feature as soon as it can solve a customer’s problem and implement further improvements, i.e., to optimize the user experience, later. This helps our customers – especially power users – to address the core challenge a feature solves as soon as possible and to provide feedback early on, which helps us to better tailor our products to the needs of our customers. Not all iterations depend on previous steps, so team members can work on different elements in parallel, thereby speeding up development and shortening the overall project timeline.
Instead of waiting until the final product is available, problems are identified and solved early and at each stage of development. This allows faster problem-solving, reduces risk, and prevents issues from escalating and causing bigger issues later.
Better software quality
Software quality refers to the degree that a system, component, or process conforms to specific requirements or expectations. In many instances, end users know “quality” software when they see it. This software is easy to use and error-free.
Through iterative development, finished work is repeatedly evaluated to ensure that quality standards are met. This facilitates crucial inspection of the system to filter out possible issues, concerns, and limitations which will negatively affect the quality of the software, and should be rectified at the earliest, and most logical, opportunity.
Any difficulty in designing, coding, and testing a modification or new feature should signal the need for redesign or re-coding. If the feature is not straightforward, it should be broken down into isolated and easy-to-find modules.
Modifications to tables should be especially easy to make. If any table modification is not quickly and easily done, a redesign might be needed.
As the iterations progress, modifications to the software should become easier to make. If they are not, there is a basic problem such as a design flaw or a proliferation of patches. Patches should normally be allowed to exist for only one or two iterations. Patches may be necessary to avoid redesigning during an implementation phase.
In every iteration, analysing the existing implementation will aid to determine how well it measures up to project goals. This ensures that the implemented features satisfy the business goals and improve the ROI of the project.
Probably the most important of any software system is to ensure the end user will be satisfied. The most complex and impressive software will fail if you cannot get the end user to buy in to the software. For this reason, user reaction should be solicited and analysed for indications of deficiencies in the current implementation.
By developing software in iterations, we can not only develop good software – we can make it great.
