Guide to Iterative Development
What is Iterative Development?
Iterative development is a process of software development where the product is continuously improved and extended in iterations. Each iteration is a complete software project: including planning, requirements analysis, design, coding, testing, and documentation. It's a part of the Agile Project Management.
Importance of Iterative Development
Iterative development allows teams to prioritize the most critical or risky features first, which helps to deliver a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) in the early stages. It encourages feedback from users and team members early and often, and enables teams to react and adapt to changes quickly.
How it works
At the start, a simple version of the software is developed. Feedback is then gathered and used to improve the next version of the software, in a new iteration. This cycle repeats until the final product meets all the necessary requirements.
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Iterative Development
1. Understand the key principles: Familiarize yourself with why and how the Iterative Development method is used in project management.
2. Refer to specific methodology: Examples from the Agile methodology such as Scrum or Extreme Programming can be helpful.
3. Use case studies: Demonstrate your understanding by providing practical examples or case studies.
4. Highlight advantages: Explain why it's beneficial by mentioning its capability to accommodate changes and risks easily.
5. Explain process: Make sure to describe the process of Iterative Development, its stages and cycles.