CST438 - Module 7

What did I learn in the seventh week of CST438?

An Agile process and a Plan & Document process are two distinctly different approaches that lead to different outcomes. An Agile process uses short iterations that allow for flexibility when adding, changing or removing requirements at the start of each cycle. On the other hand, a Plan & Document process follows a sequential phase structure, illustrating what each phase does based on requirements, design, coding, and testing that must be completed in each phase before moving to the next one, which makes it difficult to change any requirements for the phase after everything begins. 

Furthermore, the Plan & Document process requires that SRS and SDD are complete before any real implementation dealing with code begins, allowing stakeholders to understand the stakes involved and the timeline for completion, while an Agile process can re-estimate at the start of each iteration rather than committing to a fixed schedule, as each iteration is simply made to resolve a customers wants or needs or the budget runs out. Also, an Agile process relies heavily on communication within small teams, while a Plan & Document process depends exclusively on the initial documentation that was created, which is meant to keep new or rotating teams to align with long term projects instead of relying solely on the original team.