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Software Development: Traditional or Alternative?
Michael R. Wood is a Business Process Improvement & IT Strategist Independent Consultant. He is creator of the business process-improvement methodology called HELIX and founder of The Natural Intelligence Group, a strategy, process improvement and technology consulting company. He is also a CPA, has served as an Adjunct Professor in Pepperdine's Management MBA program, an Associate Professor at California Lutheran University, and on the boards of numerous professional organizations. Mr. Wood is a sought after presenter of HELIX workshops and seminars in both the U.S. and Europe.
Observing a discussion on which approach to software development projects is best can be like watching a “Smack Down” cage fight. The debate can be endless--those committed to traditional approaches square off against Agile Enthusiasts, Extreme Zealots and Scrum Loyalists.
The truth is that each has its strengths and weaknesses, good points and bad. Instead of standardizing on an approach, why not become proficient in each and let the natural nature of each project drive the method to be used? In this way, the answer to the question “Which method is best?” is simple: “It depends.” Just like there isn’t one best tool in a tool box, there is no one best SDP method or framework.
So how do you align the method to the natural attributes of a project? First, you have to understand the various SDP approaches--what they have in common and what makes each unique. Once that understanding is in place, it is relatively easy to see which approach best serves a specific project’s needs. This article provides an overview of several popular SDP approaches and identifies some basic criteria for selecting one approach over another for any given project. These approaches are:
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Traditional/Waterfall
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Agile/Extreme
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Scrum
A quick review of each approach will set the stage for the …
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