SDLC stands for software development lifecycle. Software development lifecycle is a set of steps that a project must go through from beginning to end and refers to the entire process of getting a software product completed and out on the market. There are different software development life cycle models, but they all share certain stages such as initiation, design, prototyping, testing, and implementation, among others.
What is Software Development Lifecycle Policy?
SDLC policy is a set of rules and procedures that guide the steps in the software development process. It regulates the parameters for what needs to be achieved and when it must be done, who should be involved, as well as what tools and technologies are required.
The purpose of the software development lifecycle policy is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your development process so that you can build high-quality software more quickly. It will help your company save money in the long run because it won’t have to pay developers for their time or spend extra cash on bug testing, etc.
This policy ensures everyone follows the same system and has access to all relevant information when developing an app or program. This way, the process is more efficient and less prone to mistakes because a lot of data is gathered together in one place. By having a policy in place, developers can have a better understanding of what they need to do before beginning any work on a project. You should update the SDLC policy periodically as new strategies are developed so that the document becomes as accurate as possible. It should also be updated as technology changes or as you introduce new team members to become useful for those joining your company.
What does SDLC policy cover?
SDLC policy documents vary depending on the company. Still, they typically include structuring projects, planning, scheduling, managing resources (workers), reporting progress (metrics), and supporting the development process. It’s not uncommon for companies to come up with their own policies to suit their specific situation.
It is vital that your company’s software development lifecycle policy covers each step of the process and lists any parameters that are relevant to the work being done. For example, suppose you are developing a website. In that case, it will include how often you should make code updates, what permissions are needed to access certain pages, how many failed login attempts are allowed before the account is locked, etc.
The SDLC policy also needs to specify who is responsible for overseeing the different steps in the process. The organization may have separate teams for different stages of development, or it could be one person who manages all aspects of development.
Companies that have their own policies for managing the software development lifecycle typically implement them as a way to enforce company-wide best practices. A firm software development lifecycle policy can help your organization meet its goals and stay within budget and on schedule while avoiding common pitfalls such as lost data and delayed completion due to poor communication.
Why Have an SDLC Policy?
An SDLC policy helps to prevent inconsistencies, which could lead to bugs or security issues. It also puts all team members on the same page by clearly stating how they should do things. The policy serves as a living document that can be updated if needed.
The underlying purpose of all software development lifecycle policies is to support your company’s goals and make sure everything runs smoothly. Employee productivity should always come first, but it can be challenging to focus on the task at hand without clear guidelines. An SDLC policy will help establish a relationship between each stage of the development process and the completion of necessary tasks that employees must carry out to meet deadlines on time.
Suppose your company is taking an agile approach (i.e., breaking down projects into small parts that can be completed quickly). In that case, it should have a clear policy for how each piece will get finished and the roles involved, so everyone has a general idea of what they’re working toward.
The 5 Most Important Elements of a Successful SDLC
There are many components of an SDLC policy, but there are five essential parts:
- purpose;
- requirements for software development;
- design standards;
- development standards;
- the potential for new policies in the future.
If you’re creating a new policy, these components will help you develop solid guidelines for yourself and your employees.
The purpose is an apparent, concise reason for having a policy and should be written before determining the other parts. For example, “The purpose of this SDLC policy document is to provide guidelines that will help us produce high-quality software products that meet both our customers’ needs and expectations.” This part of the policy gives your employees context as to why you have it in the first place.
Requirements for software development include what must be included in apps or programs being developed by anyone who follows this rulebook. That also makes it easy to communicate with those developing apps or programs, so they don’t miss anything important. If you’re creating a new app yourself without using a template, these requirements are the pre-made specifications you’ll need to include.
Design standards are all about how an app or program should look when it’s being created. When creating design standards, you have to think about what your target audience will be using this app for and give them a user-friendly screen that pops out at them. For example, if you’re trying to make a game for kids 4-12 years old, your design needs to match that demographic – meaning bright colors, easy shapes/fonts/pictures to understand what’s going on, etc.
Development standards are all about how an app or program will function once it is finished. These are more complicated than design standards because you have to consider every possible error your employees could encounter when making this app or program. For example, if you’re creating a game, your development standards might include creating an error page that pops up if a user tries to click the “play” button while their Internet browser is down.
The potential for new policies in the future is a brief section of your policy that will inform employees what they should do if a new policy emerges from management. This part ensures everyone knows how to handle these types of situations properly and keeps them from panicking over it.
There are many components of SDLC policy that need to be considered. However, these five essential parts will get the job done well enough until you need more specific guidelines set out by yourself or other management.