Agile or Waterfall development methods--Which one to choose?

Always we could not get the detailed requirement before starting the project. So waterfall method is not better for good practice

Agile methods always for medium level industry. I am also working in this methodology. Waterfall method may not suit for this.

Agile is better than waterfall.

Waterfall is the thing of the past. Agile is always better because

1. Each cycle is short. You have enough scope to fix a problem.

2. Each target is short and thereby achievable.

3. One shortfall in any cycle can be solved in the next cycle

.. And many many more.

Agile is realistic and appropriate in everyday changing technologies and tools and requirements, releases.

100%, the Agile. With out any doubt. Can't even compare.

Hi Saurabh,

How will you address if the requirements itself change due to business needs change?

Agile is the way going forward. According to Project Management Institute (PMI), a cost of repairing or changing is much more expensive at later stages of project than at the earlier stages.

If the time to develop or deploy a business application is much less than the the time, business scenarios are changing probably water fall method can be used. But it is not the case despite RAD tools and other so many developments in technology like re-usable components have evolved.

Since, these days business processes are much more interwoven and interdependent, its always better to go for agile methodology and perform a gap fit analysis at every stage, keeping integration in mind.

Agile is the game most companies are adopting. With the customers being so dynamic and so as the requirments your requirments keep on changing continously which can be better addressed in Agile as compared to waterfall methodology.

You may have small requirments delivered and also a sense of satisfaction that yu have delivered something rather than wait for months years before you make your actual delivery to the customer.

so GO AGILE , LIVE AGILE.....   

Venus I agree with you because agile method is a low-overhead method that minimizes risk by making sure that software engineers focus on smaller areas of work. It emphasises values and principles rather than processes. Agile methods work in cycles, typically of a week or a month, and at the end of each cycle, the priorities of the project are re-evaluated. This is similar to iterative methodologies which also re-evaluate at regular intervals.Moreover Agile methods try to keep overheads such as rationale, justification, documentation and meetings as low as possible.

Because of all these positives its better to choose Agile method over waterfall method

Waterfall model is a methodology defining the stages of development, not to track projects.

Though on the plus side, waterfall’s defined stages allow for thorough planning, especially for logical design, implementation and deployment, Agile methodology is a sound choice for software development and web design projects.  More and more firms are becoming Agile because of the following reason

• In waterfall method if some problem occures there is no going back u have design a new system. it does not change with time and users requirements, but agile is apapt to the changes, with agile if some problem occure the u can modify it at any stage w/o rewriting the complete programme.
• Agile is cost effetive as it saves over heads in the form of rework costs.
• Agile gives the freedom of change as per the customers requrements and change in the specification but waterfall its not possible to change according to the specs and customers requirement.

Organisation needs to have expertise in both Agile and Waterfall. Agile has eveloved in a decade time and after seeing the shortcoming of watercfall. Agile certainly handles some of these or almost all shortcoming of Waterfall, at the same time it does have its own issues, so one cannot go totally with agile. That totally depends on the nature of project, customer and team, which methodlogy we should follow. If it is defence system, I would recommend to follow Waterfall, spend maximum time on scope, requirement freeze and design, a small mistake can cost high. Whereas in business application, one should adopt Agile, Agile evolved around the philosophy of better changes management, it welcomes change and software are developed on the concept of show and build, show and build, defeintely we get a better product out and mapping to the exact needs and flow.

With the growing experince in agile, i feel agile is better than waterfall.

From my point of view Agile can be more successful than Waterfall methods.

AGILE can  be successful with high performance, tightly coupled, highly automated/adaptable tests. Where does PM fit in? You adapt and organize the game into short, manageable releases - delivering x features at each release. Forecasting costs/schedule + or -. The more you work with the group. The better you get at forecasting. You only know high level features maybe more for first release, you let them start to code and it evolves. You move obstacles and let them do their thing. Works best, small software companies/groups. I'm confounded in the IT world how agile could fit in. The concepts of tightly coupled, highly automated dev/test seem impossible.

Agile increases the chances of software acceptibility from it's owners, as agile based sofware development cycle is completely driven by busines/client. Again 1-4 weeks sprints make sure that software development is heading in right direction; thus brings the confidence in business, addressing their ever changing requirements to gain competative advantage

Agile Practices and Principles definately helps softare design and development. I totally prefer to have Agile from all the aspects - be a Developer, Company Or Customer. It helps each and every individual in one or the other aspects.

Agile developement practices are based on the premise that requirements  are not static and software systems are not built,rather they evolve over a period of time. Hence instead of capturing all the requirements at the start of the project, the entire system is devided into number of subsytem and the requirements for each subsystem is taken up in phases.i.e. each iteration has a mini software development cycle - requirement workshop,design workshop,design overview,development,testing and bugfixes and outcome of each iteration is a workable software which satisfies the requirements taken  within the scope of the iteration. In my opinion,Agile methodologies have a lesser risk since all the stakeholders and the developers participate in each step of development ,there are less chances of they getting surprises or expectation mismatches when the final version of software is delivered.Also any deviation or change can be accomodated quickly in the development cycle itself either in the current or next iteration whereas in the traditional waterfall model it is difficult and cumbersome to accomodate change as it is known only after the development is complete and hence requires a seperate change management process.

Agile development practices attempt to increase the throughput of business value, maximizing client ROI through the rapid release of usable functionality while providing the ability to adapt to changing requirements.

I will vote for Agile coz in current context we know that if we go in for the traditional waterfall approach and spend good time in writing the req and design it is very much possible that all those efforts need to be changed as the req may change after these phases and we come back to point zero so why not opt for Aglie ....

You need not to have any tool for the same you can very well manage it with excel. Obviously tools can help you but they are not mandatory :)