The success of a software hinges on the methodology or strategy that was implemented. Software developers are all too familiar with their applications failing due to software errors. This has led them to be very particular about the methodologies they use to help them deliver flawless and high-quality software.
One such predecessor of the agile development methodology is called adaptive software development. It adapts to evolving requirements and specifications in order to foster cooperation, flexibility, and project improvements. Broadly speaking, ASD guides ongoing learning and enhancements, which are essential during the software development life cycle.
Read on to discover everything you need to know about adaptive software development.
What is Adaptive Software Development?
The word “adaptive” generally refers to the capacity to change in response to evolving conditions. Conversely, adaptive software development refers to creating products with minimal planning and continuous learning in order to effectively adapt to shifting market conditions or customer demands.
Adaptive software development is the preferred technique for creating complex systems with a minimalistic approach. Projects in ASD follow an iterative cycle. As a result, the adaptive process prompts the organizational teams to develop the software through the three phases of learning, collaborating, and speculating. This approach is very similar to agile development.
The Three Phases of the Adaptive Life Cycle
The spiral life cycle, also known as the evolutionary life cycle, began to take shape in the middle of the 1980s and can be considered the precursor of the adaptive life cycle.
The evolutionary life cycle is largely flawed because its practitioners relied too heavily on predictability. Despite the emergence of methodologies like RAD that utilize evolutionary life cycles in non-deterministic ways, numerous practitioners persisted with overly complicated planning and specifications.
These flaws are addressed by the adaptive life cycle, which takes into account the inherent uncertainty of creating sophisticated software systems. The three stages of the ASD process are speculation, collaboration and learning. The adaptive life cycle’s phases offer an iterative method for developing software solutions.
Speculation
The “planning” phase in other methodologies is replaced with speculation in ASD. Planning is a deterministic term that denotes certainty in the outcome. The ASD methodology, however, provides the scope for uncertainty and improvement. Adaptive software development is results-driven rather than task-oriented because of this openness to improvement.
Collaboration
During the collaboration phase, ASD places emphasis on uniting teams to leverage their combined experience and expertise. In this stage, enterprise applications start to take shape. The group strives to complete tasks that are predictive in nature while getting ready for changes brought about by emerging technologies, new stakeholders, or changing needs.
Learning
Teams run the design, build, and test cycles in brief iterations. By repeating these iterations and finding minor errors and fixing them, the teams are able to expand their knowledge.
This stage is comparable to other methodologies’ review or retrospect stages. Therefore, the product is reviewed based on both the technical and customer perspectives in order to assess it. In addition, the group’s performance also undergoes evaluation to determine whether there’s any scope for improvement.
The Characteristics of Adaptive Software Development
Mission Driven
ASD’s emphasis on goals or outcomes instead of completing a specific task is one of its primary characteristics. In fact, ASD is adamant about achieving the project’s objectives, and tasks are repeated until they are accomplished. Teams consider all options and make changes only after determining whether they will further the objectives.
Iterative
Iterative processes are the foundation of adaptive software development. With every iteration, new features are introduced. This adheres to the idea of ongoing modification and assessment. Instead of doing things precisely the first time, it repeatedly redoes the development by using input from feedback, improving upon it, and re-establishing the proper course for future development. Thus, it hinges on an iterative process of continuously adding features to develop complex software solutions.
Feature-Based
ASD focuses on offering particular features or functionalities that satisfy the needs of the user or client. The adaptive software development process starts off with building key features that are more crucial to users. After that, it gradually builds additional features around the initial ones. As a result, each feature is added in stages and the software product is developed in sprints. By using this method, the software is created with all the features and functionalities to meet the needs of all clients and users.
Time Boxed
Agile development uses a technique called timeboxing to allocate time to tasks. ASD was the first to possess those qualities because it is the precursor to agile methodology.
Agile refers to brief time-boxed intervals (1-4 weeks) as sprints, during which development teams must complete predetermined tasks. The timeboxed features of the ASD methodology are the same.
Risk Driven
Software projects fail because teams often overlook the risks that could arise from uncertainty. One of the main features of the adaptive software development (ASD) methodology is recognizing and mitigating risks. With ASD, teams identify risks that could lead to problems, such as technical difficulties, requirements gathering, shifting customer expectations, and more. This allows them to minimize risks and resolve issues quickly.
Change Tolerant
Because of the loose planning and learn-on-the-go approach of ASD, it is safe to say that Adaptive development is an extremely flexible methodology that can adapt to evolving project objectives, user demands, and requirements. Its feature-based, time-boxed, and iterative characteristics enable it to easily adjust to changes at any point.
The teams can effortlessly integrate any modifications as per requirements or user expectations with ease in the subsequent iteration of the development process. They then forward it to the client for assessment in order to ensure that they are proceeding correctly.
Benefits of Adaptive Software Development
Increased Agility: The software development process can be quickly modified with the help of ASD, enabling teams to quickly adjust to shifting market conditions and customer demands.
Higher Caliber: ASD ensures the highest-quality end product by enabling teams to react swiftly to customer feedback and modify the software development process.
Reduced Risk: ASD enables teams to promptly recognize and resolve possible issues before they worsen, lowering the risk associated with software development projects
Enhanced Efficiency: Teams can work more productively and complete more tasks in less time thanks to ASD’s assistance in streamlining the software development process.
Better Cooperation: ASD promotes teamwork, enabling them to work together to swiftly recognize and resolve potential concerns.
Challenges Posed By Adaptive Software Development
Finding the Perfect Team: To put out a successful product, adaptive software development methodology calls for a group of highly qualified and experienced professionals who can collaborate effectively.
Setting Clear Goals: To guarantee that an Adaptive Software Development project is successful, specific goals and objectives must be set. It can be challenging to track progress and make sure the project is on schedule in the absence of defined goals.
Handling Change: Since adaptive software development is an iterative process, modifications are made all the time. This requires the team to be flexible and quick to adjust to changes, which can be challenging to manage.
Quality Control and Testing: To guarantee that the final product meets all the necessary requirements, ADS necessitates rigorous testing and quality assurance. This can be challenging if the team is unable to recognize and resolve problems quickly.
Communication: To make sure that everyone is on the same page in adaptive software development, team members must effectively communicate with one another. Attaining this level of communication can be challenging.
The Wrap
Now that you have a better understanding of the adaptive software development approach, You can partner with an agile software development company or hire developers that utilize ADS to help you develop custom business applications and other custom solutions like app development services. These software companies can also provide your business with skilled professionals who offer QA consulting services.