Waterfall Methodologies

7 Stages of Waterfall

1. Conception 2. Initiation 3. Requirement gathering and analysis 4. Design 5. Implementation/Coding 6. Testing 7. Maintenance

Phases Waterfall Methodology

1. Requirements 2. Design 3. Implementation 4. Verification 5. Maintenance

Requirement gathering and analysis Stage

A feasibility analysis is conducted for the project and documented in the requirement specification document.

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a visual tool used to create, define, and track a project deliverable and all of its subsequent components. A WBS is a decomposed visual of a total scope of work that determines the project objectives, the steps needed to complete the objectives, and the desired outcome or product. By focusing more on the individual deliverables as opposed to the method to achieve these tasks, unnecessary work, risk, and wasted time is eliminated from the equation. The focus is shifted from a large project towards a deconstructed task list, helping teams accomplish their goals faster and more efficiently.

Testing Stage

After the coding is completed, testing is performed to ensure that there are no errors before the software is delivered to the customer. An optional user acceptance test (UAT) can also be performed, where users try the software before distributing it to the greater public

Design Stage

Design specifications are created, studied, and evaluated in an effort to understand what the final product should look like, along with the actions needed to get there

Initiation Stage

Once the idea is created, the project team is hired and objectives, scope, purpose, and deliverables are defined

The Phases of Waterfall Methodology

The Waterfall methodology is broken into seven stages, and each stage is completely dependent on the previous ones. This process can be planned using a Gantt chart, which is a linear bar chart that shows the start and end dates for each task. Before a team can advance to the next step, the previous stage must be completed, reviewed, and approved. This method originated in industries where change is too costly or time consuming to run into, so the Waterfall methodology gives tight structure to these projects to ensure the most efficiency.

Implementation/Coding Stage

The coding of the software actually begins. All previous planning is put into action during this phase.

Maintenance Stage

This phase relies on the customers to report on any additional issues that may have been encountered in the real world. The development team works to solve and modify the software based on this feedback

Conception Stage

This stage starts with an idea and a baseline assessment of the project, its cost analysis, and its benefits