Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Analysis
Requirement
seeking
Design
Test
Implementation
Leadership
Responsibility
Management of
Resources
Measure,
Analyze, Improve
Fig. 1.1
A formal model of the software development process
a quality assurance mechanism that aims to ensure the production of quality
software. Figure
1.1
provides an overview of the formal model of the software
development process.
1.5.2 Evaluation of the Waterfall Model
The waterfall model, the oldest commonly used software life cycle, is a linear
approach to software development that was first suggested by Royce in 1970. This
development and maintenance paradigm, also known as the classic life cycle, lays
out a set of development phases which are to be completed in order. A new phase
begins only when the previous phase has been fully completed, which includes the
finalization of all documentation from that phase, as well the approval of com-
pletion by the software quality assurance group (Schach
2008
). The intent is to
create an efficient development process by ensuring that all of the activities
involved in a certain stage of development receive the singular attention of the
software engineering team, and that as each new stage begins, all of the pre-
requisite work has been completed. In short, the waterfall model seeks to ensure
efficiency by enforcing adherence to a strict development sequence. Figure
1.2
illustrates this sequence.
Today we know that the waterfall model represents an idealized version of the
software life cycle. If all clients were able to read and fully understand technical
documentation, communicate in a complete and 100 % effective manner, and if
everyone involved in the software engineering project performed perfect work
