The Waterfall Lifecycle Model

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Ans. 1.1 a) This is a diagram of a waterfall lifecycle model .

The waterfall model is the initial method of structured system development. It is so named because it employs an ascending/descending approach. Although it has been criticized in current years for being too impractical when it comes to rapidly meeting customer’s needs , the waterfall model is still commonly used. It provides the theoretical foundation for other process models , to be introduced and followed generally in software engineering to guarantee the success of the project , because it is most closely similar to a "universal" model for software development. In the waterfall model, the entire process of software development is separated into phases.

The phases in the model are:

System Conceptualization

It refers to the consideration of the aspects of the targeted business service or development, with the goal of determining how each of those aspects interrelates with one another, and which aspects will be integrated into the system.

System Analysis

This step refers to the gathering of system requirements, with the objective of determining how these requirements will be accommodated in the system. Extensive communication between the customer and the developer is vital.

System Design

Once the requirements have been collected and analyzed, it is necessary to identify in detail how the system will be constructed to perform necessary tasks. More specifically, the system design phase is focused on the data requirements (which information will be processed in the system), the software construction (how will the application be constructed), and the interface construction (what will the system look like / what standards will be followed).

Coding.

Also known as programming, this step involves the creation of the system software. Requirements and systems specifications from the system design step are translated into machine readable computer code.

Testing.

Testing is generally focused on two areas: internal efficiency and external effectiveness. The goal of external effectiveness testing is to confirm that the software is functioning according to the system design , and that it is performing all necessary functions or sub-functions. The goal of internal testing is to make sure that the computer code is efficient, standardized, and well documented.

All these phases collapse to each other so that the second phase is started as and when a defined set of goals are achieved for first phase and it is signed off. All the methods and processes undertaken in the model are more visible.

Although the waterfall model has been used extensively over the years in the production of many quality systems, it is not entirely flawless. The basic demerits associated with the waterfall model are :

making a system using the waterfall model can be an extensive, painstaking process that does not yield a working version of the system until late in the development.

actual projects on the odd occasion follow the sequential flow that the model proposes.

There is time and again a huge amount of uncertainty about requirements and goals, and it is as a result, difficult for customers to identify these criteria on a more detailed level. The model does not accommodate this natural uncertainty very well.

Ans. 1.1 b) Not a lot of people would think of using a strict waterfall model for their system development life-cycle (SDLC) as many modern methodologies have outdated this thinking. Models like the spiral model, rapid iteration, code-and-fix , agile manifesto , joint application development , extreme programming etc.

The spiral model, was intended to take the best aspects from the waterfall / prototyping models, and introduce a new component – risk -evaluation. The expression "spiral" is used to describe the process that is followed as the progress of the system takes place. An early version of the system , is developed, and then regularly modified derived from input received from customer assessment. Unlike the prototyping model, however, the development of each version of the system is cautiously designed using the steps involved in the waterfall model.

Risk evaluation is included as the next level in the development process as a means of evaluating each adaptation of the system to determine whether or not development should continue. In the midst of each iteration about the spiral (beginning at the centre and working outward), progressively, more finished versions of the system are put together. If the customer decides that any identified risks are too great, the project may be cut short. If an extensive increase in charges or project completion time is recognized during the beginning stage of risk evaluation, the customer, otherwise, the developer may come to a decision that it does not seem sensible to carry on with the project, since the increased charge or lingering time frame might make the continuation of the project not viable or unfeasible.

Due to the relative newness of the spiral model, it is complicated to assess its strengths and weaknesses. However, the risk assessment component of the spiral model provides both developers and customers with a measuring tool that earlier process models do not have. The measurement of risk is a feature that occurs everyday in real-life situations, but (unfortunately) not as often in the system development industry. The practical nature of this tool helps to make the spiral model a more realistic process model than some of its predecessors.

Ans. 1.2 a) A software development process, also known as a software development life cycle (SDLC), is a structure imposed on the development of a software product. It is often considered as a subset of system development life cycle. There are several models for such processes, each describing approaches to a variety of activities taking place during the process. A SDLC is a set of activities together with an ordering relationship between activities ,performed in a manner that satisfies the ordering relationship and produce the desired product at the same time.

The processes, activities and tasks can be modified according to the software project. The processes are usually classified in three categories : basic, support and organizational. The basic process are instantiated according to the circumstances . The support and organizational process must be present in parallel to the organization and the project being implemented.

The standard has the chief intention of supplying a general arrangement so that the maintainers, operators, managers, buyers, suppliers, technicians and developers occupied with the software development apply a general language.

The arrangement of the standard is anticipated to be visualized in a flexible, component method so it is adaptable to the requirements of whoever uses it. The standard is supported on two essential principles : modularity and responsibility. 

Prime lifecycle processes contain the foundation processes occupied in creating a software product. The progression of the system development process models has replicated the altering requirements of the customers.

As customers claim quicker results, more involvement in the development procedure, and the accumulation of procedures to establish risk and effectiveness, the method for emergent systems transformed. Additionally, the software and hardware apparatus used in the industry changed , and carry on changing, considerably.

Quicker networking and hardware maintained the application of smarter and more rapid operating systems that lined the path for novel languages and databases, and applications that are way more potent than any precursor. Multiple changes in the system development setting, at the same time, generate the progress of more practical novel progression models and the demise of elder models that are no longer functional.

Ans. 1.2 b) The software which I would prefer for university work , would have to be the prototyping model (keeping in mind its variations). The prototyping model was developed on the hypothesis that it is often complex to know all of the requirements at the beginning of a project. The prototyping model permits these conditions, and present an escalation approach that give way to the result not including initially needing all data straight out, which makes it ideal for a university’s level of work. Usually, users are on familiar terms with several objectives that they incline to deal with a system, but they don’t know all the fine distinctions of data, nor do they recognize the particulars of the system characteristics and capabilities.

There are some advancements that may be pursued when using the prototyping model- formation of the chief user interfaces without any coding in the backdrop in order to provide the users a "sense" for how the system will appear like, progress of an shortened version of the scheme that execute a partial subset of functions, development of a paper system, or use of an existing system or system components to demonstrate some functions that will be included in the expanded system.

A range of aspects of prototyping are:

• Requirements Definition/Collection.

• Design.

• Prototype Creation/Modification.

• Assessment.

• Prototype Refinement.

• System Implementation.

Troubles associated with the prototyping model, like other methods, prototyping is too having the following problems:

• Prototyping might give false expectations.

Prototyping might create a state where the customer mistakenly believes that the system is "done" ,when in fact, it is not.

• Prototyping might lead to a poorly planned system.

Because the primary goal of prototyping is speedy development, the plan of the system can go through a lot because the system is built in a sequence of "levels" without a universal consideration of the integration of all other mechanism.

The combination of all the features of the prototyping model with the its upper hand in speed, user interaction and more , is the basis behind choosing it as an appropriate model for university work , with the consideration of both its pros and cons.

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Ans. 2.1) In its simplest figure, a feasibility study stands for a description of a problem, or an opportunity to be considered, an examination of the present form of operation, a definition of requirements, the evaluation of alternatives, and a settled on guideline. The activities for setting up a feasibility study are broad and can be used for any sort of project.

There are mainly six parts to any effective feasibility study:

a. PROJECT SCOPE - which describes the business problem and/or opportunity to be dealt with. The scope ought to be definitive and concise; long-winded narrative serves no purpose and can actually perplex project partakers.

b. CURRENT ANALYSIS - is used to define the existing process of implementation, such as a system. Usually from this analysis , it is discovered that in reality, nothing wrong with the current system other than some misinterpretations as regards to it or possibly it needs some simple amendments rather than a major renovation . Furthermore, the strength and weakness of the current advancement are identified (advantages and disadvantages). Additionally, there might be an element of the present system or merchandise that might useful to its successor, hence, reducing time and charges in a while. Not including such an analysis, wouldn’t allow this to be exposed.

c. APPROACH - symbolizes the suggested solution or course of action to guarantee the necessities. Various alternatives are considered along with details regarding why the favored solution is chosen. On the subject of blueprint associated projects, it is at this point where whole raw blueprints are developed in order to establish practicality. A detailed analysis at this time is required in order to carry out the next step.

d. REQUIREMENTS - how requirements are identified, usually rely on the entity of the project's consideration. Each demonstrate completely dissimilar features and, as such, are distinct. Recognizing necessities for the software is as well, substantially unlike, as pointing them out for systems.

e. EVALUATION  - examines the cost efficiency of the approach selected. This commences with an analysis of the estimated full cost of the project. In addition to the possible solution, further options are anticipated to offer a financial contrast.

f. REVIEW - all of the previous fundamentals are then brought together into one feasibility study , a formal review is carried out with all parties concerned. The review provides two purposes; to authenticate the precision of the feasibility study, and to compose a project decision; either to approve it, reject it, or request that it be altered prior to making a concluding decision.

When to use a feasibility study : The capacity of the project expands, it turns out to be extra vital to note down the feasibility study mainly if a great amount of money is involved and/or the seriousness of the delivery. Feasibility studies symbolize a common sense approach to planning. Should the feasibility study contain adequate details to carry on to the next phase after that, in the project, it is supposed to also be used for relative analysis when preparing the final project review which examines the delivery in opposition to the proposal in the feasibility study.

Ans. 2.2) Planning to start a business such as a garment shop has its natural constrains like every other business out there. So, naturally, the impact of each feasibility criteria needs to be assessed in order to begin successfully, such as legal , technical and organizational constrains involved in this industry specifically.

Legal Factors: An amount of legal factors affect small business in the clothing industry. The industry was time after time been affected by topics for example, workers' rights and child labor laws. Workers in clothing manufacturing plants may protest against their employers, particularly if their income or medical benefits are less encouraging than recruits in corresponding industries. Workers striking against their clothing employers impacts production. This can be the source of setbacks for retailers in getting seasonal fashions in time. Protesters, who are not working in these companies, may also strike against retailers who obtain clothing from countries recognized for breaching child labor laws. Negative exposure as such, might harshly impact a small clothing retailer’s sales and earnings. Also, a trade restriction against another company's imports would oblige clothing wholesalers to find different suppliers.

Technological Factors: Availability of resources, demand and production are technological features affecting the clothing industry. For instance, insufficiency of particular materials, for example leather , might compel retail + wholesale clothing companies to trade additional artificial or alternate leather clothing. Retailers may add to the prices of wool clothing if they come across scarcity of this particular raw material, since they must pay their manufacturers more. The production of up-to-the-minute clothing fashion by a rival can shift demand away from older trends. For this reason, a small clothing manufacturer may call for withdrawing a quantity of clothing lines and produce original ones that meet the requests of clients. Furthermore, clothing companies may add more complex gear in their production plants, such as robots, which might oblige companies to discharge some workers.

Organizational Constraints: Factors consist of population changes, norms, lifestyle, demographics and cultures are all a part of organizational constraints. These factors affect the clothing industry in diverse ways. For instance, a small clothing manufacturer needs to produce styles that appeal to those of various cultures; especially if those cultural groups represent a big enough segment of its market.

Clothing manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers usually avoid creating too many clothing items that fall outside the norms of society.

Task-3

Opening a new garment shop-

Introduction

This is a step-by-step system investigation plan on the clothing retail store which I would start. The goal is to keep this specific arrangement in order to help understand and assess the criteria necessary for it to develop into a successful business strategy.

Description of the business

It is a clothing retail store (a garment shop)

Market consideration

Clothing items targeted especially for teenagers and young adults. This would be the starting point since it is a bit challenging , especially keeping up with each of the seasonal trends.

Management Team

Since it is a small-business, hiring staff increases costs significantly, both in taxes and salary. To hire someone, looking for part - time help beforehand of the opening day would be suitable. I would attempt to provide them with sufficient preparation on running the cash register, information on the merchandise and store policies and regulations.

Technical Specifications and Production plan

I recommend purchasing retail equipment for the store. This might contain display cases, counters, cash registers, clothing racks, telephones, credit card terminals, carpet, special lighting to highlight products, shopping bags dressing rooms, and gift wrap.

Marketing Plans

By adopting proper marketing strategies, I’d create a buzz in the market about my clothing retail store business. Marketing would be done in such a manner that it grabs the attention of my targeted customers. For example , the design of the store and the store’s website are made with the target customers in full consideration. Advertising would be done later since it needs to be well made in order to be successful and successful advertising can be costly.

Financial and Economic plans

A good spot is a great addition to the success of any retail business. Realtors would give estimates on traffic patterns near the store location. Convenience factors, such as handicap access and parking are important for the success of the garment shop. If the store was previously a clothing store, careful inquiries about the previous tenants are necessary.

Evaluation and conclusion

This system investigation provides a good outline and vision over the starting of the clothing retail store , committing to this plan would give a smooth start over the starting of a small business as such. However later on , modifications are necessary to keep up with new challenges introduced by this ever changing market.