What is System Development Life Cycle

System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) refers to the structured, iterative, and multi-step process done methodically. This is used and serves as the foundation or framework of non-technical and technical processes to provide a high-quality system that will satisfy more of a particular business's expectations and decision-making strategy.

The SDLC traditionally consisted of five stages or phases, but now, the number of phases has increased to seven. The new and additional phases of SDLC will help the system analysts to achieve their vision of a particular goal.

Every step does its own unique process and highlights their differences. It all contributes in specific ways to clearly and adequately develop and improve a system. The system development life cycle approach provides and serves as a guide for the analysts in every step they take. This way, they can know when to rework or repeat a particular step to improve and adequately develop a system.

What are the seven phases of SDLC?

The seven phases of SDLC are:

Planning

In every process to take, planning is a vital component of it. The planning process illustrates and decides if there is a need for a new system to achieve a specific business's goal. This is the starting plan for any business to know the reason behind their inquiry about resources to build new infrastructures or improve their business process. The company seeks to achieve the expectations needed. This stage aims to find the problem's scope and, eventually, possible solutions. Some terms that must be considered in this stage are time, resources, benefits, costs, etc.

System Requirements and Analysis

After the planning process, the following stage is the requirements and analysis of the system. The next stage involves the problem source and the actor solution they need to overcome this. Various ways and solutions are given and, eventually, undergo analysis to gather ideas for the possible and final solution to achieve a business's goal. Analyzing a system is essential to provide potential solutions, what tactics are needed to achieve the expectations, and the people responsible for doing this.

System's Design

This stage involves considering every part of the system, such as the (software, hardware, and structure) for its function correctly to achieve improvement and the goal.

Development

This stage involves the actual work needed to achieve the goal. Network engineers, programmers, and others work together to do the project. This is also considered the start of production, vital to finishing the project on time. A flowchart is used as a guide for the smooth flow of every process.

Integration and Testing

The fifth stage involves the testing and integration of the project. Quality Analysts do their job of testing and checking the finished project. Repetition is possible if errors and bugs are seen in it. Validation of the project is also involved in this stage to ensure the capability of the project to help a business achieve its goals.

Implementation

This stage involves implementing the newly developed system into the old system through a cut-over. This stage is considered the riskiest, especially during installment and implementation.

Operations and Maintenance

The final phase of SDLC is involved in regular updates and maintenance. In this stage, the final user will use and boost the system. Additional features and capabilities can also be done by the end user.

All of these seven phases play their own unique ways to meet a business's expectations, enabling it to achieve its goals. All of these must be considered, and proper application should be made for an excellent outcome. The SDLC gives way to a practical and functional new system that can bring change and development to a particular business and its processes. It is worth to use and provides a quality outcome.