What is Software Development?

In today’s era, the term “Software” has become exceedingly commonplace, and almost everyone understands its reference to products or problem-solving solutions. Moreover, software is increasingly prevalent across diverse fields, industries, and our daily lives. Interestingly, everyday items like coffee makers, washing machines, refrigerators, etc., are now integrated with basic software for functionality.

But do you know how to create a software? And who are the individuals responsible for its creation? It’s not merely developers typing lines of code; it’s a more intricate process than one might think. In this article, we’ll delve into software development, and utilizing the software development process.

1. The Basic Concept of Software Development:

Essentially, it’s a process where programmers construct code for software based on technical requirements from Business Analysts (BAs). BAs translate customer or company requirements into a language understood by developers. This process is viewed as a Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), incorporating several phases that offer a method for building products meeting technical specifications and user requirements.

2. Software Development Methodologies – Finding the Best Fit:

Numerous models are employed for software development, each with its pros and cons. Traditional models like waterfall, spiral, or Prototype Model coexist with modern ones like agile, scrum, lean model, etc.

To determine the best fit for your team, read this article: Explore the trending software development methodologies.

3. Key Steps in the software development process

There are six key steps that you need to pay attention to throughout the software development process:

1. Needs Identification:

Identifying needs is a crucial stage that involves market research and brainstorming. Before a company embarks on software development, extensive market research is essential to determine the viability of the product. Developers must identify the functions and services the software should offer to ensure it meets the needs of the target consumers. Feedback from potential and existing customers, as well as surveys, are valuable sources of information. Additionally, discussions within the IT teams and other company divisions are necessary to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities of the product. The software development process begins only when the product satisfies all parameters necessary for its success.

2. Requirement Analysis:

Requirement analysis, the second phase in the software development life cycle, involves stakeholders agreeing on the technical and user requirements of the proposed product. This phase outlines every component, the scope, developer tasks, and testing parameters necessary to deliver a high-quality product. Developers, users, testers, project managers, and quality assurance are all involved in this stage. It is also where the software development approach, such as the waterfall or V model, is chosen. The outcomes of this stage are recorded in a Software Requirement Specification document, which serves as a reference during project implementation.

3. Design:

The design stage, the third phase of software development, entails architects and developers creating advanced technical specifications based on the requirements. Stakeholders discuss factors such as risk levels, team composition, applicable technologies, time, budget, project limitations, method, and architectural design. The Design Specification Document (DSD) specifies the architectural design, components, communication, front-end representation, and user flows of the product. This step provides a template for developers and testers, reducing the likelihood of flaws and delays in the final product.

4. Development and Implementation:

This stage involves coding based on product specifications and requirements agreed upon in previous stages. Developers follow company procedures and guidelines as front-end developers build interfaces, back-end developers create relevant data in the database, and programmers test and review each other’s code. After coding is complete, the product is deployed to an environment in the implementation stage, allowing for testing of a pilot version to ensure performance aligns with requirements.

5. Testing:

The testing phase checks the software for bugs and verifies its performance before delivery to users. Expert testers verify that the product functions according to the requirements analysis document. Testers use exploratory testing or test scripts to validate the performance of individual components, notifying developers of any defects in the code. Developers then improve the program, and the testing process is repeated until the software is bug-free and behaves according to requirements.

6. Deployment and Maintenance:

Once the software is defect-free, it can be delivered to customers. After the software’s production version is released, the IT software development company establishes a maintenance team to address issues encountered by clients while using the product. Maintenance may involve hot fixes for minor issues, while severe software failures require an update.

In Conclusion:

I hope this article has given you a clear understanding of what software development entails and how to begin the process. And if you are in need of a partner for software development, we at ITC Group, a provider of software development services, are at the forefront when it comes to driving a successful digital transformation marked by clearly defined component differences. We ensure the delivery of high-quality software to meet your diverse needs across various sectors, including banking, financial services, insurance, and IoT solutions. Feel free to contact us to embark on your journey.