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1. Agile vs Waterfall: Which Is Best for IT Project Management?
Diving right into the development phase of your project, but have you given a
thought of which approach will be the perfect fit for your entire project development
cycle? The two major development methodologies; Agile and Waterfall are into the
play, and it’s up to you which among these you choose for your software development
project.
Survey shows that ​Agile is the new norm​, and most IT professionals are
embracing this new methodology. The Agile process stepped into the development
phase 15 years back, leaving the waterfall model at the back seat.
54% of agile users use agile methodology over the waterfall because it enhances
collaboration and teamwork. Here, I will discuss some of the pros and cons of both
the approaches so that you can make a fair choice between the two.

2. Know the difference between Waterfall and Agile methodology
Agile means “something that can move easily and quickly”. This approach involves
sudden adaptability and involvement. It helps in the continuous iteration of
development and testing in the software development process.
This methodology uses an interactive and incremental approach to ensure the fastest
delivery of the project. However, if the project does not get completed in the present
cycle, the work is reprioritised, and the information is used for sprint planning.
The Agile process allows accessible communication between developers, managers,
testers, and clients as it is one of the easiest models to manage.
Advantages of Agile Process in software development:
Quick ​- This process enables speedy delivery of the project since there is continuous
engagement between the development team and the clients.
Flexible Deliverables - ​It allows the customers to release the necessary software
before the full suite. Stakeholders within a company can set deliverables by order of
importance.
Adaptability - ​It is one of the most flexible approaches in the software development
process where the developers can change the design, requirements, architecture and
deliverable during the development cycle.

3. Customer involvement:
Clients are just part of the project; they knew about the minor changes in the design
and deliverable units. Hence, the team can deliver the project in precisely the same
way as the customer needs it just because there is a close collaboration between the
development team and customers.
Lean development
Lean Development Process also known as ​MVP (Minimum Viable Product)
strategy, is an agile framework where the resources and development time are best
utilised. The ultimate goal is to deliver what precisely the product needs, thus
eliminating the waste during the development phase.
Teamwork
As I mentioned above, agile values teamwork almost above all else. Teams must
continually assess how they can become more effective and adjust the agile project as
they go. Extreme Programming (living up to its name) insists that developers work in
pairs on the principle that two heads are better than one.
Time
The Agile development process involves the “time-boxed sprints” methodology in
which the project is divided into very small units of time.
Testing
Agile approach emphasises the distinct testing phase where the testing is done
through every phase of the project.
Well, every approach comes with a set of cons and you must be aware of it.
Drawbacks of Agile Methodology:
Like any single approach to ​software ​development​, agile may have drawbacks for
certain settings or teams. With planning and a dedicated team, these added
challenges can be overcome.

4. ● Intense commitment: Unlike waterfall, agile development only works well
when the entire development team is committed to the project for the
duration. This may be a challenge for some development companies that have
a lot going on at once, and may even prove challenging for individual
developers.
● Potential for a higher cost and longer deadline: While time-boxed sprints
allow for planning, it is always possible that some deliverables will not be
completed on time. It’s a simple truth of development projects. Creating the
necessary additional sprints may mean a higher project cost for the customer.
● Communication: Since agile requires a high level of collaboration,
development projects using this methodology will also require a high level of
communication.
Now, let’s delve into the pros and cons of the waterfall approach.
Waterfall Methodology

5. Waterfall methodology involves breaking down the process into several distinct
phases and a fixed plan of work. Another phase cannot be started until the previous
phase is completed.
Look at the steps involved in the Waterfall approach:
Discover - At this stage, the developers decide the business requirements and hence
plan what they want to design and why.
Initialisation and Analysis - In this process, the development team will gather
the documents related to system and software requirements of the project.
Design - Here, the designing and the development team decide how they want their
piece of software to work and determine which pieces are necessary to code.
Construction and Coding - Here, the developers code each unit of software and
test it simultaneously before moving to the next phase.
Testing - This involves testing the entire software and reverting to the stage where
any bugs come out. Testing includes user testing, bug testing, functional testing,
acceptance testing, regression testing, ad-hoc testing and cross-browser testing.
Implementation or Launch - At the end, the team delivers the deliverable to the
client and rolls out the system-wide software.
Benefits of Waterfall Methodology
● Clear framework: The scope of the project is well defined, and the
development team and customers know this in advance before the project
begins. It helps in meeting the delivery deadline.
● Documentation​- The documentation is done precisely to eliminate any
misunderstandings and shortcuts.
● Shared load​: The load is shared equally among the team members so that
they can focus on other aspects of the work.
● Hands-off approach​: This approach allows for a more hands-off approach
from the customer. Once the initial design and project plan is in place, there is
little requirement for ongoing customer presence until the review phase.

6. Cons of Waterfall Methodology
Potential Drawbacks
No single approach to software development will work every time for every team.
There are a few drawbacks to the waterfall approach.
● Less customer involvement​: A hands-off approach is not suitable for
every type of product. Some customers will want more involvement as the
project proceeds. If there isn’t a framework for that involvement, the waterfall
approach could lead to frustration on both ends.
● Changes can be difficult​: The whole point of the waterfall methodology is
that it follows exact steps and a set timeframe. Once these elements are in
place, it can be challenging to make changes once the development team
encounters a roadblock. Adaptability is a crucial part of software development
to consider, particularly since it can be challenging for customers to have a full
grasp of the project before it begins.
● Last-minute testing​: Again, one of the drawbacks of waterfall vs agile is
that it is not time-bound. While this can often make for a significant project,
more often than not, development projects start to run behind schedule. The
final testing phase consequently gets rushed, which could lead to a very buggy
code.
Comparing Project Traits along with Development Methodologies
Parameters Agile Waterfall
Client Availability Demands customer
availability throughout
the project
Prefers customer
involvement at
milestones.
Scope/Features Accepts changes at any
point of the project. This
approach works well
when the scope is not
Works well when the
scope is defined because it
does not involve testing in
between the process.

7. The Bottom Line
Majority of primary organisations have reported that they use an Agile approach for
the software development cycle. Since 2008 this methodology has seen incremental
growth in its adoption. Being a multi-generation approach, developers between 24 to
34 are more likely to report agile as compared to other age groups.
Early adopters of agile over waterfall hesitated to adopt this new style of
development as the agile approach is slow to start but quick to dominate. However,
at the very end, it’s up to you which approach you would love to lean towards.
In case, you are still confused about the right approach to follow for your software
development, consult the top ​software consulting company in India who will
defined.
Feature Prioritization Allows partial success by
prioritising the most
valuable products and
pushing the unusable
products at the bottom.
Everything is planned
before the projects start.
Either it is “all” or
“nothing”. However, it
increases the risk of
failure.
Team Hires a small and highly
dedicated team with good
coordination and
synchronisation among
them.
Team Coordination is not
given that much
importance.
Funding Fits best into the “Time
and Material” Model but
increases stress in the
fixed price scenario.
Reduces risks in fixed
firm contacts. It becomes
challenging for the
development team when
the scope is not known in
advance.

8. guide you through the pros and cons of both the methodologies as per your project
needs.