Software Development Life Cycle | Microsoft Power Automate

Overview of the software development life cycle

Although the process of building, deploying, and maintaining software may differ from one project to the next, adopting a clear framework for development helps organizations manage resources—such as time and budgets—and create exceptional solutions more consistently. The software development life cycle (SDLC) is a methodology that systematically outlines how to make software that meets quality standards and security needs.

Key takeaways

The software development life cycle (SDLC) guides teams through the software development process by outlining how to deliver high-quality software.
Phases of the software development life cycle include planning, analysis, design, development, testing, deployment, and ongoing maintenance.
Organizations use the SDLC to boost the overall efficiency, consistency, and effectiveness of their software development processes.
The SDLC helps you meet regulatory requirements and safeguard data by incorporating robust security measures within each stage of the cycle.
Consider your specific projects and business needs when choosing a software development methodology and model for your organization.

Benefits of the software development life cycle

The SDLC provides a roadmap for software development by breaking the entire process down into seven distinct phases—planning, analysis, design, development, testing, deployment, and maintenance. Following the software development life cycle helps overcome challenges and mitigate risks associated with development, enabling various benefits such as:

More visibility. Keep stakeholders informed and involved throughout the entire development process.
Greater efficiency. Demystify each step of software development, making it easier for teams to meet project deadlines and system requirements.
Higher consistency. Ensure that every team member adheres to the same processes and practices.
Extra time. Avoid confusion and misunderstandings by defining clear requirements at the start of the development process.
Lower costs. Minimize wasted time and budgets by reducing the likelihood of unexpected software errors and reworks.
Better risk management. Detect and address software issues and security vulnerabilities early in the development process.

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Software development life cycle phases

Planning

The first phase of the SDLC lays the foundation for your entire project by defining clear goals and identifying what’s needed to achieve them. During this initial stage, teams must consider stakeholder needs and expectations—in addition to the overall feasibility of the project—to decide how to build your application and when it will be deployed.

Project planning ensures everyone involved understands exactly what your software should offer while confirming that all the necessary resources, such as time and budgets, are available. This phase of the SDLC is crucial because it helps prevent technical issues and unexpected costs from delaying or derailing your project.

Analysis

After establishing a comprehensive project plan and allocating necessary resources, your team should begin analyzing each software requirement to determine how the solution should function. Based on this analysis, developers can create a detailed list of system specifications that help guide later phases of the SDLC.

Consider visualizing how your solution functions within use-case diagrams and data-flow diagrams to provide teams with easy-to-understand representations of the software’s functionality and structure. This helps validate whether the software will meet stakeholder requirements, reducing the likelihood of costly misunderstandings and rework later down the line.

Design

At this point, your team should decide the overarching architecture your software will have and define how any key components might interact with each other. Making detailed system designs and models is essential to help identify potential issues early and make sure that the final product will meet all user needs and stakeholder expectations.

Design patterns speed up this phase of the SDLC by providing proven, reusable solutions to common software design problems. Plus, prototyping tools help you visualize user interfaces and system functionality by streamlining the creation of design mockups.

Development

Throughout this stage, teams translate design specifications and system requirements into actual code. The goal is to build a complete and functional software solution ready to be tested and deployed. The development phase is usually iterative, with developers frequently revisiting and refining their code to address technical issues or changes in requirements.

Development teams often collaborate closely to help ensure that every software component is integrated properly and functions correctly together. Consider setting coding standards and guidelines to keep your code clean and easy to maintain—and adopting version control systems to better manage every change made. Plus, help your organization save time and lower development costs by using low-code tools to build your software.

Testing

Once you’ve written code, your team should run comprehensive tests to make sure it’s ready for deployment. This stage assesses whether your solution meets stakeholder expectations, security requirements, and user needs—but the specific tests you’ll run may differ from one project to the next. Common tests include:

Unit testing. Evaluate the functionality of each specific module and feature across your software.
Integration testing. Determine how the various components of your software interact with each other.
System testing. Design testing environments and see how your solution performs across different systems.
User testing. Select beta testers to assess your software’s performance, provide feedback, and identify bugs.

Begin by developing a plan with specific test cases that your team can follow. Your strategy should define elements such as the scope, schedule, and objectives for each of your tests. This helps structure the entire process, keeping it focused and efficient from start to finish.

Deployment

After tests confirm your software meets all necessary requirements and standards, your organization is ready to offer the solution to end-users. Start by compiling a final build of your software and preparing the production environment, including servers, databases, and network configurations. Next, coordinate resources and schedule tasks—and implement rollback strategies that help you revert your system to a previous, stable state should any issues arise—to ensure a smooth deployment.

Maintenance

The final stage of the SDLC is continuous and begins immediately after deployment. Software maintenance helps ensure your software will function correctly, stay secure, and meet evolving user needs over time. Key activities include:

Performance monitoring. Track the performance of your software to identify and address potential issues. Plus, gather user feedback to identify areas for improvement.
Fixing bugs. Collect and analyze error logs to find and prioritize bugs—and develop patches to fix them.
Providing updates. Add new features, enhance existing ones, and address security vulnerabilities across your software.
Offering support. Give users information and guidance that helps them use and understand various features and updates.

SDLC management tips and best practices

Enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of your software development process by adopting various tools and techniques, such as:

Establishing clear communication. Ensure all stakeholders and developers are aligned on the scope and objectives of your project to reduce the likelihood of costly reworks.
Implementing AI and low-code tools. Provide innovative tools that help teams speed up development while remaining compliant and secure.
Creating detailed documentation. Maintain a collection of records describing various aspects of your project to help onboard developers and meet regulatory standards.
Using modular designs. Break your software design down into different components and define specifications for each one to help streamline the development process.
Defining coding standards. Establish a set of strict development guidelines that help ensure the consistency and readability of your code.
Using design tools. Adopt prototyping tools to efficiently model your software, validate design concepts, and gather stakeholder feedback.
Automating tasks and processes. Offer automation capabilities that help speed up software development, testing, and maintenance using tools like Microsoft Power Automate.

The role of AI in the software development life cycle

AI tools and agents offer innovative capabilities that help organizations speed up software development and drive efficiency throughout the SDLC. For example, these solutions can integrate data from multiple sources—such as user feedback, performance metrics, and testing results—to provide a more comprehensive view of your projects. AI-powered analytics capabilities also make it easier to uncover valuable data insights, empowering your team to identify potential issues earlier and make more informed decisions.

Automation is another key AI capability that transforms software development to help organizations save time and reduce errors during each phase of the process. By automating tedious and repetitive tasks, teams can focus on more complex and creative aspects of software development. Plus, AI tools and agents can streamline the SDLC by generating a detailed development plan based on your specific needs and objectives—including the code and pull requests your team will need to make that plan work.

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Software development life cycle models

Throughout the stages outlined in the software development life cycle, different models can be applied to guide how each step is performed. Examples include the:

Waterfall model—a linear approach to development, requiring teams to finish each phase before moving on to the next one. Waterfall models are simple and easy to understand but also inflexible, making it difficult to accommodate changes after a phase is completed.
Big Bang model—a flexible approach that enables developers to start coding immediately. When your project’s scope and software requirements are in flux, the Big Bang model empowers your team to get started and adjust code as plans evolve. Although this model can be inefficient due to the lack of structure, it also allows for new requirements to be met and additional features to be added whenever necessary.
Agile model—an iterative approach that breaks software development down into smaller, more manageable units called sprints. Each sprint involves planning, coding, testing, and review—enabling teams to continuously improve their solutions and add new features throughout the development process. While agile models provide additional flexibility, they often require more involvement from stakeholders and team members than other models.
DevOps model—a collaborative approach that integrates your development and operations teams together to streamline software delivery. This model helps organizations speed up software development and deployment processes—all while incorporating security checks at every stage of the SDLC.

Alternative life cycle management methodologies

Although your team can tailor the SDLC to suit your unique needs and objectives, other software development methodologies may be a better fit depending on your specific project. Alternative software life cycle management methodologies include:

Application life cycle management (ALM). This framework encompasses the entire life cycle of a software application from initial conception to eventual retirement. While the SDLC is relatively broad and can be applied to a variety of solutions like operating systems and AI tools, ALM comprehensively outlines the tools, processes, and teams needed to manage apps specifically.
Product development life cycle (PDLC). This approach is a variation of the SDLC that defines how to successfully build, market, and support new products. The PDLC helps organizations make products that generate revenue and meet customer needs, whereas the SDLC helps teams create software that meets stakeholder requirements and end-user needs.
Systems development life cycle management (SDLCM). This methodology guides organizations throughout the process of building entire IT systems. Unlike the SDLC—which only involves software components, SDLCM refers to the creation and management of all the hardware, software, and operations that comprise entire IT systems.
Software testing life cycle (STLC). This strategy focuses solely on the testing phase of the SDLC by defining how to detect and address bugs and defects before software deployment. It typically consists of test planning, case creation, execution, and analysis stages to help teams increase the quality and security of their solutions.

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