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The systems development lifecycle is a method for creating, using, and disposing of hardware and software. There are many different methodologies that follow the same basic pattern, with the most common being the waterfall method. The four main areas are design, construction, implementation, and disposal. Design has the most sub-phases, while construction involves building and testing. Implementation is when users start using the product, and disposal involves extracting the project from users’ systems.
A systems development lifecycle is the method for organizing the creation, use, and disposal of new hardware and software in the computer industry. A systems development lifecycle follows the same pattern as most new inventions: find a problem, design the solution, and then implement the solution. The term is a call for a large number of different methodologies and processes, all of which follow the same basic pattern.
There is no single process called a systems development lifecycle, rather, there are many different methodologies and models that all fall under the term. The most basic model, often called the waterfall method, consists of seven steps. These steps are performed in a specific order, each building on the last. While this makes the Waterfall one of the more fully featured models, it also makes it the slowest and most expensive.
Other development methods work on similar but different principles. Other systems development lifecycle methods skip, mix, or rearrange basic steps. Generally, this is done to speed up the creative process or reduce development costs. Additionally, there are models for leveraging alternative processing styles and business structures.
The fundamental phases of a systems development lifecycle are divided into four areas. The first three, design, construction and implementation, are common parts of many new systems and inventions. The fourth, disposal, is relatively rare. Most of these four areas have “underpasses” that make up the entire loop.
Design is the first step in almost all models, because without an idea there is nothing to build. The design phase has the most sub-phases of any area. Initiation requires that a project be brought to the design team to begin the process. The systems conception and design phases focus on internal accounting and feasibility studies for the design company. Requirements analysis is all about focusing on user needs and design is the initial creation of the software or hardware model.
The build phase in a software development lifecycle is often one of the longest. During these sub-phases, hardware or software is actually built and tested. The first step, development, is actually building the system and, depending on the project, this can take anywhere from days to years to complete. The second step, testing, involves non-developers using the product to generate feedback. Based on that feedback, the project will return to development or move to the next stage.
Implementation occurs when users actually use the software or hardware. During the first sub-phase, also called implementation, the project is integrated into existing systems and user training takes place. Operations and maintenance constitute the second phase. During this time, its target audience uses the project normally and performs regular maintenance of the system.
The last area, the disposal, has no byways. In this phase the project is extracted from the users’ systems. If it is hardware, it is disposed of normally. Software is migrated and existing data is converted to a newer system that is entering the deployment phase.
