Difference Between Agile And Waterfall Method

The agile and waterfall method are two of the most common methods when it comes to how to approach software development. Every company has a preference when it comes to the method they use and while there are some similarities between the two methods, there are also quite a few differences. In Subhajit Datta’s article, he mentions that the waterfall method identified core elements within the software development process that have since been adapted by other methods, including the agile method.
The similarities between the agile and the waterfall method stem from the core elements when developing any sort of software. The first of these elements is the gathering of requirements. In order to develop any type of software one needs to understand …show more content…
In the waterfall method, requirements are written out and everyone has something they can reference so there is not much need for collaboration since all work that has been done has been documented. Since the process is extremely linear, proper documentation is key as the work gets handed off to the next stage in the process. This is wildly different from the agile method where there is not much documentation. Instead collaboration comes to the forefront; weekly or daily calls are held with all stakeholders in order to ensure everyone is on the same page …show more content…
Each method has its advantages and disadvantages and, in most organizations, I feel, there is a process in place that adopts the best of both methods. In my company I was involved in a team that utilized the agile method; we had members from different areas of the organization discussing the requirements we wanted and what could be delivered by a certain time. This led to multiple roll-outs as we were focused on getting out some functionality quickly rather than waiting to have all of our requirements satisfied before rolling it out. I thought this method was effective because in this particular instance we were enhancing an online process. This allowed the development team to quickly get feedback as the process was very user interactive. While in this instance the agile method was effective, I do believe there is also a place for the continued use of the waterfall method. Chatterjee discusses a scenario where the agile and waterfall methods can coexist. The process starts off in an agile environment to ensure a software product can be delivered to the business quickly. Once the product has been refined and reaches a stage where it only needs routine maintenance, the agile team transcribes its requirements and transitions it over to a more organized team to ensure the product is maintained through its lifetime. I agree with Chatterjee that this scenario would combine the best of