Choosing the right software development methodology adds more structure to your software development workflow. Several factors are taken into account when it comes to which methodology to use and how to offer great application development services.

Much of it depends on the size of the project, your target audience, project-specific requirements, the size of your team and their experience, and most of all, project’s deadline.

There are three common types of application development methodologies:

1. Waterfall
2. RAD
3. Agile

Waterfall

In the waterfall application development process, the entire project revolves around the planning and analysis stage. 

The client comes with a list of features and functionalities they want in the app. The project manager is responsible for mapping out there entire project by consulting with his team, of course. The name waterfall implies that once you move down the waterfall, you can’t go back. 

It all starts with designing the architecture and then the construction begins. The project is divided into phases which include initiation, analysis, design, development, testing, and then deployment. One cannot move to step 2 without completing step 1. The phases cannot be overlapped. 

Benefits of Waterfall 

• It’s a simple and easy to comprehend approach.
• Determining the deliverables and managing the model’s rigidity becomes easier because the app development phases are processed one step at a time.
• It gives a clear estimate and even breaks down the app development cost and timeline
• The procedure involves documentation as well. 
• Throughout the process of development, different members of the team can involve in any phase of the project. 
• Since the scope of the project is defined in advanced, it’s easy to measure the progress. 
• After the requirement phase, customer presence is not necessary. Their presence is only necessary for reviews, approvals, and status meetings.
• Since the design of the project is completed in the early phase, this approach lets you design multiple software components for integrations within the external systems.

RAD (Rapid Application Development) 

Some Application development services takes a long time than usual to create a final product. Large teams are required to accommodate the requirement of the project. This could raise tension and make the customer unhappy with the end product.

Here, RAD works well. Rapid application development, as the name implies emphasizes the fast development of the app. it’s mostly based on prototypes. The goal is to produce a working version of the app ASAP. The app development team and customer work closely throughout the process. In case requirements of the project change, RAD can easily accommodate it.

The process starts with defining the requirements of the project. But these requirements are set loosely. The key principle of this type of development is there’s permission to change the requirement of the project at any point in time throughout the cycle of the product.

Benefits of RAD

• There is a reduction in risk. You can easily create and share a prototype of the project, which allows the business to review the app’s functionality earlier in the life cycle. This avoids all the rework required to make the project a success.
• RAD involves rigorous testing throughout the life cycle of the project. This improves the quality of the software. The requirements can always be validated and defined based on the feedback of the user.
• RAD is used for creating production-ready apps. This means a business can benefit from the app earlier even if the app is being updated or new versions are released. 
• Since RAD reduces the risk by building a system a client requires exactly, this reduces the cost of developing the app.
• In RAD, the client is involved in every step of the way. Developers have the opportunity to work with the customer. This gives them confidence that the final product delivered will be worthy of appreciation. In other words, the developer will be satisfied. 

Agile 

Last but not least is the agile approach for robust application development services. Agile is also a rapid app development methodology. But it follows a time-boxed approach. This strategy involves creating a minimum viable product in a particular period and keep on enhancing its iteration.

The complete development process is divided into sub-modules known as mini-projects. Each sub-module is assigned to an individual team which makes the app development project faster. 

Benefits of Agile 

• The entire project is divided into small modules. Independent teams take care of these models with little to no dependence on each other. Everyone is clear about their contributions, requirements of the project, and deadlines. This accelerates the process of development. Each developer puts his best to complete the project faster without compromising on quality.
• At times, the market data considered while developing the app gets outdated when the time to launch the product is near. This could result in poor ROI. But you can avoid that with the agile approach. It allows you to improve the market scope of the project. The company offering application development services can change any sprint without disturbing the code of the previous ones. This way, you can make your app more suitable and updated with the market trends.
• The app is not tested at the end of the development phase. Rather, every single module is tested at the primitive level. This reduces the risk of errors and by the time the project is completed, everything is in great shape and quality. 
• Dividing the project into multiple modules gives you the ability to manage the project easily. Each module is assigned to a different team and there are reduced dependencies. You can also keep a record of the activities performed on each project. This allows the project managers to check the productivity of each team.
• Having Agile Scrum Master certification will help you learn the various popular Agile methodologies that introduce best practices in agile.

Summing Up

Which application development services or methodology to use depends on the client largely. The decision is made depending on the scope of the project and multiple other factors. There is no cookie-cutter criteria that could which approach to follow. Take the time to learn more about each method. Sit with the project manager for recommendations and choose the best approach for your app.