Agile vs Waterfall Methodology | Difference between Agile and Waterfall | Intellipaat

Summary

This Intellipaat session explores the differences between Agile and Waterfall methodologies in software development. It outlines the Agile approach with its short cycles, customer feedback integration, and adaptability, as well as the Waterfall model's structured, sequential phases suitable for projects with clear requirements. The video discusses benefits, industry impacts, and when each methodology might be preferable, concluding that the choice depends on project needs and market dynamics.

Takeaways

• 😀 Agile and Waterfall are two distinct methodologies used in software development with different approaches to project management and execution.
• 🔄 Agile promotes shorter development cycles and prioritizes customer feedback, adapting the product through iterative cycles.
• 🔒 Waterfall is an older model characterized by a linear, sequential process from requirements to maintenance, suitable for projects with established and unchanging requirements.
• 📊 Agile offers transparency by involving customers in the development process, ensuring they are updated on the project's progress and can provide input.
• 💰 Agile can lead to predictable costs and schedules due to its shorter, more manageable sprints.
• 🔄 The flexibility of Agile allows for changes in direction based on market demands and customer feedback, accommodating the fast-paced nature of modern business.
• 🛠️ Waterfall's structured phases (requirements, design, implementation, testing, deployment, maintenance) are beneficial for projects with clear, predefined goals.
• 📝 Waterfall's emphasis on documentation makes it easy to manage and follow, with each phase building on the last in a clear progression.
• 🏢 Companies like British Telecom and Cisco have shifted to Agile, seeing increased profits and adaptability in their operations.
• 🏛️ Traditional and government agencies, such as the Ministry of Defense or NASA, may still use Waterfall due to the rigid requirements and established processes.
• 🔍 The choice between Agile and Waterfall should be based on the specific needs of the project, considering factors like market dynamics, customer involvement, and project scope.

Q & A

What are the two software development methodologies discussed in the video?

The two software development methodologies discussed in the video are Agile and Waterfall.

What does Agile promote in software development?

Agile promotes shorter development life cycles, prioritizing customer feedback, and making iterative changes based on that feedback.

What are the main phases of the Agile development cycle?

The main phases of the Agile development cycle include planning, designing, developing, testing, deploying, reviewing, and launching, which are repeated after receiving feedback.

What are some benefits of using the Agile methodology?

Some benefits of Agile include transparency, predictable costs and schedule, adaptability to change, and improved product quality based on customer feedback.

What type of projects is the Waterfall model best suited for?

The Waterfall model is best suited for smaller projects with well-defined and non-uncertain requirements.

Can you describe the Waterfall model's development phases?

The Waterfall model's development phases include requirements, design, implementation, testing, deployment, and maintenance.

What are the benefits of the Waterfall model according to the video?

The benefits of the Waterfall model include ease of management, suitability for smaller projects, clearly defined stages, and thorough documentation.

Which companies have shifted from traditional models like Waterfall to Agile and seen increased profits?

Companies like British Telecom, National Bank of Canada, Cisco, and Lego have shifted from traditional models to Agile and seen increased profits.

Why might government agencies still use the Waterfall model?

Government agencies might still use the Waterfall model because they have established requirements that need to be followed rigidly and do not face the same market pressures to adapt quickly.

What are the criteria used to compare Agile and Waterfall methodologies in the video?

The criteria used to compare Agile and Waterfall methodologies include lifecycle, planning, requirements, progress, team size, emphasis, and the goal of the methodology.

How does the video suggest deciding between Agile and Waterfall methodologies?

The video suggests deciding between Agile and Waterfall based on the specific requirements and context of the project, such as market dynamics, need for customer feedback, and the rigidity of requirements.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Introduction to Agile and Waterfall Methodologies

The video introduces the topic of comparing Agile and Waterfall software development methodologies. It encourages viewers to subscribe for updates and briefly outlines the agenda, which includes defining both methodologies, discussing their industry impact, comparing them based on set criteria, and concluding which might be considered superior. The session begins with an overview of software development, emphasizing its complexity and the importance of adopting a methodology to ensure efficient development. The Agile methodology is highlighted for promoting shorter development cycles, customer feedback integration, and iterative progress through planning, designing, developing, testing, deploying, reviewing, and launching.

05:03

💧 The Waterfall Model: Structure and Application

This paragraph delves into the Waterfall model, an early approach to software development characterized by a sequential phase progression resembling a waterfall. It is suitable for small-scale projects with clear requirements. The model involves stages such as requirements, design, implementation, testing, deployment, and maintenance. The video mentions that while Agile has become prevalent, Waterfall is still utilized by certain organizations, particularly government agencies with established, rigid requirements, like defense departments and space agencies.

10:03

🔍 Comparing Agile and Waterfall: Key Differences

The script compares Agile and Waterfall based on several criteria, including lifecycle, planning, requirements, progress monitoring, team governance, emphasis, and end goals. Agile is noted for its multiple shorter lifecycles, rapid planning, evolving requirements based on customer feedback, and daily progress reviews, with self-governing teams and a focus on customer satisfaction and business value. In contrast, Waterfall has a single, long lifecycle, extensive planning, clear initial requirements, weekly progress checks, centralized team governance, an emphasis on implementing the defined end goal, and a focus on delivering a complete, polished product at the end of the process.

15:04

🏆 Conclusion: Agile vs. Waterfall - Choosing the Right Approach

The final paragraph concludes the session by addressing the question of which methodology is better, Agile or Waterfall. It suggests that the choice depends on the specific context and requirements of the project. Agile is often preferred for its adaptability and customer-centric approach, suitable for dynamic markets and businesses seeking to innovate rapidly. Waterfall, however, may be more appropriate for projects with stable requirements, such as those in government or non-competitive sectors. The video also mentions the existence of hybrid methodologies that combine elements of both Agile and Waterfall. The session ends with an invitation for viewers to leave comments with any queries and a prompt to check the description for links to Agile training resources.

Keywords

💡Agile

Agile is a software development methodology that emphasizes flexibility, customer collaboration, and iterative progress. It is characterized by short development cycles, allowing for continuous feedback and adjustments. In the video, Agile is contrasted with the Waterfall model, highlighting its benefits such as transparency, predictable costs, adaptability to change, and improved product quality through customer feedback.

💡Waterfall

The Waterfall model is an early software development approach that follows a sequential design process, where each phase of software development is completed before the next one begins. It is noted for its structured and rigid nature, suitable for projects with well-defined and stable requirements. The video discusses its phases, such as requirements, design, implementation, testing, deployment, and maintenance, and its benefits like easy management, suitability for smaller projects, and clear documentation.

💡Software Development Methodology

A software development methodology is a set of practices used to structure and organize the process of developing software. The video discusses two such methodologies, Agile and Waterfall, explaining how they guide the planning, execution, and monitoring of software projects to ensure efficiency and effectiveness.

💡Lifecycle

In the context of software development, the lifecycle refers to the series of stages a software product goes through from its conception to retirement. The video explains that Agile has multiple shorter lifecycles, allowing for rapid iteration and customer feedback, while Waterfall has a single, longer lifecycle that follows a more linear progression.

💡Customer Feedback

Customer feedback is a critical aspect of the Agile methodology, where input from customers is sought and incorporated into the development process to refine the product. The video emphasizes the importance of this feedback in Agile for driving product improvements and aligning the product with customer needs.

💡Transparency

Transparency in software development refers to the openness and communication between the development team and stakeholders, including customers. The video mentions transparency as a benefit of the Agile methodology, where short development cycles and regular feedback loops keep all parties informed about the project's progress and direction.

💡Predictable Costs

Predictable costs are associated with the ability to estimate and manage the financial resources required for a project with a high degree of accuracy. The video explains that Agile's short-term development cycles allow for more predictable cost estimation, as opposed to the longer, less flexible lifecycle of the Waterfall model.

💡Change Management

Change management in software development involves the processes and strategies for dealing with changes in project scope, requirements, or direction. The video discusses Agile's capacity for change, highlighting its flexibility to adapt to shifting market demands and customer preferences, unlike the more rigid Waterfall approach.

💡Quality Improvement

Quality improvement in software development is the ongoing process of enhancing the product to meet or exceed customer expectations. The video notes that Agile's iterative cycles and emphasis on customer feedback lead to continuous quality improvements, aligning the product closely with user needs and preferences.

💡Hybrid Methodologies

Hybrid methodologies refer to the combination of two or more software development approaches to leverage the strengths of each. The video mentions that some organizations use a hybrid of Agile and Waterfall methodologies to benefit from Agile's adaptability and Waterfall's structured approach, depending on the project's specific needs.

💡End-to-End Training

End-to-end training refers to comprehensive educational programs that cover all aspects of a particular subject, from beginning to end. In the video, the speaker mentions that they provide end-to-end training in Agile, suggesting a complete learning experience for those interested in mastering the Agile methodology.

Highlights

Introduction to the session by Intellipaat discussing Agile and Waterfall methodologies for software development.

Agile promotes shorter development life cycles with a focus on customer feedback.

Agile's cycle includes planning, designing, developing, testing, deploying, reviewing, and launching, with continuous iteration.

Benefits of Agile include transparency, predictable costs, adaptability to change, and improved product quality.

Waterfall is an early software development model suitable for projects with certain requirements.

Waterfall model consists of phases like requirements, design, implementation, testing, deployment, and maintenance.

Advantages of Waterfall include ease of management, suitability for smaller projects, clear stages, and thorough documentation.

Impact of Agile methodology in the industry with companies like British Telecom and Cisco shifting to Agile for increased profits.

Waterfall's impact seen in older companies like Microsoft and government agencies where rigid requirements are necessary.

Comparison criteria for Agile and Waterfall include lifecycle, planning, requirements, progress, team governance, emphasis, and methodology goals.

Agile's lifecycle consists of multiple shorter cycles, while Waterfall has a single, long lifecycle.

Agile planning is short-term, while Waterfall planning is long-term due to the extended development lifecycle.

Agile allows for requirements to evolve, unlike Waterfall which requires clear requirements from the start.

Progress in Agile is reviewed daily, while in Waterfall it's reviewed weekly due to the longer development period.

Agile teams are self-governing, contrasting with Waterfall's single authority governance.

Agile emphasizes customer satisfaction and business value, while Waterfall focuses on implementing end goals.

The end goal of Agile is to deliver product features in sprints, while Waterfall aims to deliver a complete product after all phases.

Agile is often considered better in many scenarios, but the choice between Agile and Waterfall depends on the specific project requirements.

Hybrid methodologies combining Agile and Waterfall are used in some cases for optimal results.

End-to-end Agile training provided by Intellipaat for further professional development.

Transcripts

hey guys welcome to the session by Intellipaat in today's video we'll be

discussing the differences between agile and waterfall both methodologies that

are used to develop software okay before we go ahead please make sure that you

subscribe and hit the bell icon so you don't miss any for future updates okay

now let's take a quick glance at our agenda first we will talk about what

exactly agile is and what exactly Waterfall is and then we will discuss

the impact both of these methodologies have had in the industry after which we

will go ahead and set a few parameters that we will use as criteria to compare

both of them and finally we will conclude by deciding which one is better

also guys if you're looking for end-to-end training in agile we do

provide the same for any further details check out the links given in the

description below okay now let's start the session okay guys before we go ahead

and compare both of these methodologies let us first have an overview of what

software development is now we know software development is a very long and

arduous process why because there are lot of things you need to do when you're

working with software and when you're especially developing software there are

multiple components you need to take care of the deadlines you need to

perform different analysis like risk analysis cost analysis you have to

follow all the phases there are you have to plan it out you have to then develop

it you have to implement it deploy it and monitor it now to make sure that you

are able to develop a software properly and in time and efficiently you need to

follow a particular software development methodology now there are multiple ones

out there like for example you have waterfall model your spiral model as a

model scrum and lead now these software development methodologies basically help

to plan out the whole software development lifecycle now each of these

methodologies promote different things and in this video we'll be comparing the

two methodologies that are waterfall model and agile model so we will start

off by discussing what exactly Agile now we know that agile is a software

development methodology so agile basically promotes shorter development

life cycles it makes sure that the life cycle of a particular software that is

being produced is very short and this is because it needs to make sure that the

customer feedback is prior and the feedback is then used to make

the changes in the next cycle so if we looked at the cycle of agile we will see

that there is planning designing developing testing deploying reviewing

and launching so this process keeps on repeating after receiving the feedback

from the customers end or the clients end it may not be abie to see where you

are only interacting with the customer you may have a b2b where you have a

another business client and they give you a feedback and once you receive that

feedback you make the changes accordingly and then plan ahead for the

next sprint or the next development lifecycle even though you have very

short term development life cycles in agile you have multiple of them and it

keeps on continuing until the whole project is completely finished or the

support for the project has been closed or shut down so if we look at the

benefits of agile there are a few let's discuss them so the first benefit is

transparency so this benefit is basically for the customer or the client

now if you have shorter term development life cycles and you always show your

components to your customers and clients and you take the feedback from them then

the client and the customer know what's happening with your product or your

service and accordingly they can tell you about the changes that they need and

this way they are kept to date about what's happening since the lifecycle in

agile is so short developers can only develop a few things

at a time so in every sprint a few things are developed and they're shown

to the customer and they get the feedback this way the customer is kept

up to date with what's happening with the whole project now another benefit is

predictable costs and schedule so this comes towards the developers end other

producers end when you're producing the software you need to be able to predict

the costs that are going to be indulge with the project now if a project is

going to take a long time to develop then it's harder to predict the cost

because the variables over time increase and they're unknown with shorter time

you're able to predict the costs much more effectively and you're able to

schedule all the tasks much more effectively then the next benefit is

basically that it allows for change now we know that today's market is very

fickle the audience's demand changes from one thing to

and they keep on chasing new trends every other second so to cope up with

this change you need to use a modern methodology like agile which allows you

to change your direction or change the direction of your project as a whole

since you have very short term life cycles you can change your goal very

easily and the last benefit you are going to talk about is that it improves

the quality it improves the quality by basically getting the feedback from the

customer or the client and then making the changes it improves the quality from

the perspective of the customer since they are able to ask for changes and the

developers are allowed to make those changes the changes improve the quality

of the product all right now let's discuss the next methodology that is the

waterfall methodology what exactly is it so the waterfall methodology is one of

the early software development model ever created and put to practice and

it's also spilled on to other engineering products as well and not

just software engineering now this type of software development model is

basically used for the projects which are very small and for the projects

where there are no uncertain requirements so let's look at how it

works quick in for you guys if you're looking for end-to-end training in agile

we do provide the same for any further details check out the links given in the

description below now let's continue with the session so in waterfall model

we have a model which acts like a waterfall

so we first start off with the phases so the model basically consists of all the

different phases through which one has to go through during the software

development process now let's discuss them so one of the

first ones is requirements so in this particular phase an organization or

whoever is using this model has to decide what are the requirements for the

software they're going to develop they have to look at all the different types

of requirements is functional requirements it's non-functional

requirements and they have to make sure that this particular idea this idea of

having the requirements is very clear because since this is a very long term

software development lifecycle they need to be clear with the idea of what

they're going to be developing and what are the different things or the

requirements they need for this particular software so they need to be

clear about their requirements then comes the next phase in which they have

to start designing it that is basically creating the architecture assigning and

developing and in the next phase comes implementation in this particular phase

the design the architecture of the whole software development is taken and

implemented the code is developed and the test scripts are written etc etc and

then comes testing into the testing all the test scripts are then ran on the

code or the testing happens with the particular software components that have

been created and then becomes the deployment phase in this particular

phase the particular application that has been developed is deployed onto a

production environment or on a testing environment or on a staging environment

then finally comes the maintenance phase in which once your particular product

has been deployed it has to be monitored and maintained now with this particular

model you can develop multiple components of the software

simultaneously different teams can work on different components and at the same

time while using the waterfall model all right now let's look at some of the

benefits of waterfall model so one of the benefits is that it's easy to manage

since they run you know it's not a short term life cycle you already have

everything planned out it's very easy to manage it then you can see that it works

very well for smaller projects because with smaller projects you have

everything clearly defined you know what are the requirements and the time period

is very less so waterfall model will work for you and then the another

benefit is that it's clearly defined stages since the stages are so clearly

defined you can easily manage it and you can easily go ahead with following all

of these phases or stages and then you can see that it's very well documented

since with waterfall model you have only one software development lifecycle you

document everything properly you write down what are your requirements during

the requirement phase you talk about you design your particular software

architecture you implement it etc so why are you doing all of it you document

every single aspect of it properly so these are the advantages of waterfall

model now let's look at the impact of all of these methodologies so first we

look at the impact of agile methodology now since agile is used a lot most

of the companies these days are using agile if not agile they're using DevOps

but a lot of companies are you can use agile and some companies

that have been established for a pretty long time have also been making use of

it as you can see British Telecom or National Bank of Canada or Cisco or Lego

these companies have shifted from an traditional model like waterfall model

onto agile and they have increased the profits to a new height after changing

to agile now we look at the impact of waterfall so what if all is one of the

earliest methodologies if you come up with so all the different older

companies like you have your Microsoft IBM HP Cisco these companies used to

make full use of waterfall before now they are changed on two different

methodologies or they've changed to hybrid methodologies or waterfall and

agile together but they don't use waterfall alone but there are some

agencies like government agencies like Ministry of Defense like DRDO in India

and DOD in America or Israel or NASA these kind of government agencies do not

have to fight for their market they have already established requirements which

they have to follow and they have to be followed in a very rigid manner so in

their case waterfall model is still used they do not have the requirement of

using agile they don't have to keep on competing with other companies here and

there they are not part of the business market they have a set goals and they

just have to follow them so that's where they still use them if they don't use it

the user hybrid version of it now let's see the comparison of agile and

waterfall let's see what are the criteria we'll be using to compare both

of them so the first thing we'll be measuring them on is the lifecycle then

planning then requirements then progress then Dean then emphasis and finally the

goal of the methodology now let's look at all of them so our first one is

lifecycle as you can see agile has multiple shorter life cycles whereas

waterfall has a very long one and the benefit of having a shorter life cycle

is very evident you can have you can adapt to the market you have

transparency with the customers etc we saw all of it in the benefits of agile

and with waterfall model you have a very long process even though it's very long

it has its own benefits whereas it's easily managed and in places where you

don't have to compete in the market it's very useful now let's look at planning

with agile the play running is generally done for a very

short-term period since the Shaw the lifecycle is going to be very short

around two to four weeks that's the development lifecycle the planning is

also done very fast for this particular period whereas with waterfall the

planning takes a long time because the product is going to develop over a very

long time so the in planning agile does it fast whereas waterfall takes a lot of

time because it's going to be a very long development lifecycle also then

comes to the requirements if you compare the requirements of agile and waterfall

with agile all the requirements aren't clearly defined in the start because you

go ahead with one direction but you don't exactly know what are your

requirements you only get to know your requirements over the development of

your product whereas a waterfall you need to know or you already know all the

requirements clearly that you have an end goal in your mind and you have all the

necessary steps that need to be taken to achieve that end goal then progress so to

measure the progress and height of these waterfall or agile we can see that in

agile you have the review of the progress every other day whereas with

waterfall the progress is checked every other week because you know in agile is

a shorter development lifecycle that's why you need to check the progress every

day whereas with waterfall it's a very long term it can go to two months three

months six months so it's done every week okay if you look at the team size

in now if we talked about the teams and the governance of these teams in agile

you can see that all the teams are self-governing whereas in waterfall all

the teams are governed by a single authority so you can see that agile

teams a little bit more independent whereas the waterfall teams will not be

that independent then emphasis in agile the focus is on delivering the end

product and increasing the business profit increasing the value of your

business and making sure that your customer is very satisfied whereas with

the waterfall model the whole emphasis is on implementing the end goal you know

your requirements and you need to implement them whereas with agile it's

for the customer satisfaction and increase in the business value then the

end goal what is the end goal of either of them for agile the end goal is to

deliver the product features in Sprint's to the consumer and customer that is to

increase the business value and to make sure the consumer

customer is satisfied whereas in waterfall the aim is to deliver a

complete product only once it has been completed and gone through all the

phases to give the final polished product to whoever requires it so these

were the differences between agile and waterfall now if you looked at which one

is better agile a waterfall you could definitely

say agile in a lot of cases but again this is very scenario based you may have

to decide for yourself if you have to choose between agile or waterfall you

first have to look at what kind of software will you be developing will you

be developing a software where the markets need may change every time here

and there all the market or the audience may need to give you a feedback if

that's the case you need to choose agile or if you do not have any business

profits in mind if you are working with an NGO or if you're working with a

government where only your requirements have to be established then you can go

ahead with waterfall as you can see with government agencies like hospitals or

you know Defense Department's they do not have to satisfy anyone's needs like

at least they don't have to satisfy any customers needs their main goal is to

implement a very rigid and polished system that will help them to finish

their task or complete their tasks with DRDO of the Defense Department it would

be to make really good defence software's

whereas with the hospitals it will be to make really good Hospital software's

this is not the same case of agile so you have to choose based on yours

requirements which one is better agile or waterfall if you wanted to say

it objectively you can say agile is better but a lot of places agile and

waterfall are used in hybrid with each other they basically hybrid

methodologies quicken for you guys if you're looking for end-to-end training

in agile we do provide the same for any further details check out the links

given in the description below okay guys this brings us to the end of the session

if you have any queries leave them in the comment below and we could get back

to you at the earliest thank you for watching