The software development industry is growing briskly, and it is becoming challenging for developers to keep up with all the latest approaches. A similar case happens with everyone who is handling any software development project on their own, they must go through a complex development process in order to develop desired software solutions. They also apply different stages to cover everything right from ideation to design to development.
Continuing this, various top software development companies in the USA apply the best software development lifecycle (SDLC) models and practices to write readable, easy-to-understand, and clear code.
They take help with version control, conducting code reviews, testing completely, and automating tedious tasks. In the current time, it is most common that firms are using over 50 SDLC models to simplify the development process and deliver exceptional results.
Here are some significant points to look at related to the market size of software development-
- Talking about the size of the engineering software market, it was valued at $20.95 billion in the year 2020.
- The product lifecycle management market size worldwide was estimated at $26.86 billion in 2021 and is projected to grow at 8.6% CAGR from the year 2022 to 2023.
- The global market size of software development tools is forecasted to reach US$9944 million by the year 2027, which was recorded at US$3827 million in the year 2020 at a 14.5% CAGR during 2021-2027.
All these market statistics depict that there is an enormous market for software development growing at a rapid speed. Applying SDLC models makes the process of software engineering easy and automated but dwelling on appropriate software development lifecycle models can be much more challenging at times.
Therefore, having an all-inclusive understanding of what is SDLC model along with different types of software development life cycle models has become crucial. Explore this succinct guide to SDLC models to get immense expertise in this field-
Table of Contents
What is SDLC?
The SDLC (software development life cycle) is a structured and systematic approach followed by software development teams to design, develop, test, and maintain software applications or systems. SDLC helps software developers with a framework that directs the complete software design & development process.
The SDLC model also includes how the software will be developed as per the business understanding and current requirements. This entire process is followed to develop a software project by creating a detailed plan mentioning how to develop, maintain, replace, and modify the specific software.
There are several software development life cycle methodologies and phases to propose different approaches to accomplish the desired outcomes such as production at the lowest rate, short delivery time, proper planning, and many more. This is the reason why most software development companies are embracing different types of SDLC models.
Process of SDLC
Though we know there is a wide range of software development life cycle models but the common thing among them is they follow a set hierarchy of clearly defined development processes. Each of these phases of the SDLC model adds value to the software creation method. Here are more details on the SDLC process-
- Step 1: Requirement Gathering and Analysis
- Step 2: Designing the Product Architecture
- Step 3: Building or Developing the Product
- Step 4: Testing
- Step 5: Deployment
- Step 6: Maintenance
Step 1: Requirement Gathering and Analysis
The first step of the software development life cycle process starts with the requirement gathering and analysis comprising thorough planning to provide ideas about every essential aspect to project managers and stakeholders.
It is significant that all the process participants or teams have a proper understanding of tasks and how they will execute them. Various factors such as time frame, SWOT analysis of competitors, required team members, challenges, added features & functionalities, resources, and estimated budget.
This stage will also include the creation of documentation that sets project expectations and outline common goals. Also, there are some questions to be asked-
- Who are the target audiences?
- What are the ultimate goals?
- What are the functional & non-functional requirements?
- Why the software is being developed?
Step 2: Designing the Product Architecture
This phase entirely belongs to the software design process involving the creation of overall system architecture. Software designing comprises stating the software components, user interfaces, data structures, and other system elements to lure the audiences. Prototyping and wireframing also have important roles, when it comes to software designing as they will define the navigation and flow structure of software.
The output of the software designing phase will be a described blueprint or design document that is provided as a guide to software development process. It typically includes flow charts, diagrams, data models, and other artifacts describing the implementation of software.
Step 3: Building or Developing the Product
The guide to the software development process now comes to the main phase of the entire procedure. In this, the role of a software development company and assigned developers is to accumulate all the gathered details into one appropriately working infrastructure by writing the code. This is where you get to know why it is important to hire dedicated developers who assist you throughout this phase.
Your chosen developers write code based on the given designs and follow suitable coding standards and best practices while considering custom software development trends to outshine the competitors.
They can also look for which SDLC model is best to make the process faster and easier. Throughout the process, system administrators and programmers communicate to manage front-end, back-end, databases, APIs, and other integrations.
Step 4: Testing
The testing phase is all about debugging the software so that it can perform well after launching. If there is missed any error or code flow that will be identified in this stage. We have expert QA specialists at SemiDot Infotech who will help you to analyze and test the software to meet the specified requirements.
Different types of testing can be applied in order to sort critical issues- Acceptance Testing, Unit Testing, Integration Testing, White-box Testing, Black-box Testing, and Grey-box Testing.
QA testers examine the software on different parameters such as speed, performance, scalability, compatibility, and others. The testing goes on a loop until the software gets error-free. And QA team also gets feedback after the release of the demo version or MVP version that they have to correct.
Step 5: Deployment
When the software testing is done, it will be ready to deploy in the production environment. If your chosen software development company provides a different build and production environment, it will be good as users can use the software even if it is in its changing or updating phase.
This stage will comprise activities like installation, configuration, data migration, and system integration that guarantees the software is ready to use for users. Then, the technical team collects the user feedback for further improving the software.
Step 6: Maintenance
The maintenance phase ensures that the software is well-monitored, maintained, and updated as required. In this, other enhancements, bug fixes, and advanced features will be added based on users’ feedback and changing requirements.
Before implementation, the project manager analyzes all the feedback and occurred issues while assigning dedicated developers to fix them. Some essential updates will be made as per the specific schedule.
Also, support is provided to sort out any issues or inquiries from users. So, if you delegate both support and maintenance to one service provider, it will have no timeframe.
List of Top SDLC Models
Discussing the top software development lifecycle models and methodologies, each of them is intellectualized with different purposes. The field of software development has been evolving continuously and it is no longer restricted to Waterfall or Agile method only. The software development model guide is incomplete without mentioning the extensive range of different models of software development, let’s dive in-
- Waterfall Model
- Prototype Model
- Spiral Model
- RAD Model (Rapid Application Development)
- Rational Unified Process (RUP) Model
- Incremental and Iterative Model
- Lean Model
- V-model
- Agile Model
- Extreme Programming (XP) Model
- Kanban Model
- Scrum Model
- DevOps Model
1. Waterfall Model
The SDLC waterfall model is a linear sequential cascade SDLC model representing the development process comprising steps like analysis, analytical, conceptualization, development, testing, launching, and support. It was originally termed by Winston W. Royce in the year 1970.
Every phase in this model only starts when the previous one is complete, and experts are not allowed to go back to the previous stage to make any required changes. This model also indicates strict documentation and is considered one of the most established models to manage complex projects. As per Statista, the Waterfall model is applied 26% worldwide in 2022.
The waterfall model required a large team including business analysts, designers, developers, testers, etc. and they all work within their vicinity. If anything goes wrong during the process, the whole team will have to wait until the whole process gets finished to return to the starting phase for making changes to that one particular stage.
If you are wondering where the waterfall model can be used, then let us tell you that you can use it with projects that have steady requirements and clear vision with instant development.
Advantages & Disadvantages of Waterfall Model
Have a look at the below table to know about the advantages and disadvantages of the Waterfall model-
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2. Agile Model
Agile is one of the different SDLC models preferred by most agencies for bespoke software development. It was officially launched on February 11th, 2001, by 17 scientists who created the Agile Manifesto. Agile is a conventional methodology used in the latest processes of software development. It has existed in the market for two decades now and is deemed the most popular SDLC model.
It is a perfect blend of an incremental and iterative approach that fits with all the flexible requirements of businesses, that’s why the Agile model was being practiced by 37% worldwide in 2022. Also, as of early 2018, there were 91% of software development firms in the USA have embraced Agile methodology, on the other hand, 88% applied continuous integration.
The Agile methodology allows experts to divide the whole process into subparts or iterations. These small parts are called sprints that are assigned to different team members to perform within a set timeframe.
The iterations comprise phases like research & planning, designing, programming, testing, and launching. Unlike the Waterfall model, developers can make alterations in between the projects. The development team also uses Scrum (a form of implementation or framework) to manage complex project requirements. The Scrum team prefers to work in Sprints to easily accomplish tasks.
The whole team manages & monitors the progress, and if there are increased iterations, the development team re-evaluates the project and lines up the backlog to ensure the product launch. The Agile methodology can be used for projects with higher customer involvement, a frequently changing environment, and rapid functionality execution (within 3 weeks).
Advantages & Disadvantages of Agile Model
Check out the below table to know about the advantages & disadvantages of the Agile model-
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3. Spiral Model
The Spiral Model is counted among the best software development life cycle models that was proposed by Barry Boehm in 1986 combining aspects of both design and prototyping-in-stages. This model functions by the early identification and drop of project risks. Starting on a small scale, it incorporates risk exploration and the anticipation of plans to alleviate such risks.
Spiral methodology adopts different elements from different models such as Waterfall, iterative, and incremental. There are four primary activities to do in this model that are risk planning, risk analysis, building prototype, and assessment of deliverables.
The project starts with a risk assessment to define the work of the team and after completing the first iteration, the team will evaluate how it can improve in the next step. Hence, this model lessens the inherent risks of development.
It is more appropriate for projects without any clear requirements, enterprise software development, and research projects with any product or service, you just need to choose the right software development company which can help you execute it rightly.
Advantages & Disadvantages of Spiral Model
Following are the advantages & disadvantages of the spiral model you must know about-
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4. RAD (Rapid Application Development) Model
The rapid application development (RAD) model functions according to its name, it delivered rapid results with better quality. James Martin termed RAD in the 1980s for the first time and introduced it officially in 1991. This methodology is countered by the involvement of active users in the development procedure.
This model reflects the grouping of iterative and prototyping models with no or bare minimum planning. It is known as one of the best SDLC models in software engineering for businesses. The needed primary data in RAD is curated via focus groups, workshops, and prototypes.
RAD has different phases such as business modeling, data modeling, process modeling, development, testing, and turnover to provide software product development services. The functional modules in this model are created parallel to the prototype and then combined to create the final product.
RAD model is best applicable for the projects where system is flexible enough to deliver it steadily, if they have the budget for automatic code-generation tools, and if they have designers available for modeling.
Advantages & Disadvantages of RAD Model
Check out this further down table comprising advantages and disadvantages of the RAD model-
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5. Rational Unified Process (RUP) Model
The RUP (Rational Unified Process) model was developed by Rational Software in the 1990s and since then, it is known among the top SDLC methodologies. It is based on object-oriented and web-enabled program development.
In this approach, the whole workflow gets divided into varied segments called analysis, designing, business modeling, release, and execution. The major development phases comprise inception, elaboration, construction, and transition.
As a business, you must hire software developers who are experts and skilled if you are thinking of going with this SDLC model. RUP is mostly pursued for high-risk projects or for those who need rapid development with premium quality.
All phases included in the RUP model follow an iterative process that appears together with distinct intensity. Hence, the inception phase will be focused on requirement collection, on the other hand, the construction phase will be all about covering other activities such as design, implementation, and testing.
Advantages & Disadvantages of RUP Model
The below table will give you an idea about the advantages and disadvantages of the RUP model-
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6. Incremental and Iterative Model
The incremental and iterative software development model is based on a recurring pattern of launch & update for a stable rise in the feature additions. The early use of the iterative model was a part of NASA’s project ‘Mercury’ in the 1960s.
The basic idea behind this model is to create a system via repeated cycles (iterative) and a smaller part of time (incremental) enabling top software developers to leverage previous versions or parts of the system. Every iteration or phase in this SDLC model generates a new and improved version of the software. It also consists of various mini waterfalls or mini-V-shaped models.
Overall, this model emphasizes reiteration to create a new version quickly with less cost, that’s why weighed as the top model of the software development life cycle. With the incremental and iterative model, every iteration can be accomplished parallelly or sequentially.
It includes phases like initial planning & requirements, design, development, testing, and deployment. It is suitable to use for large-scale projects with various moving parts, and projects depending on web services, or microservices.
Advantages & Disadvantages of Incremental and Iterative Model
Get to know about the advantages and disadvantages related to the incremental and iterative models below-
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7. Lean Model
Lean is one of the finest models of software development life cycle that was first termed in a book written by Mary Poppendieck and Tom Poppendieck in the year 2003. Based on Statista report, 29% of firms were using the Lean model in the year 2022. The Lean model is highly concentrated on alleviating the consumption of resources and time, optimizing workflow, and decreasing inventory.
It rejects non-productive tasks at the time of development process which makes it more appropriate for software development services. It includes different steps that are identifying value, mapping the value stream, creating flow, establishing pull, and making improvements.
This SDLC model is extremely similar to the Agile methodology but has some dissimilarities too. The most noticeable difference between them is prioritizing customer satisfaction.
The Agile model takes customer satisfaction as the topmost priority whereas the Lean model is more focused on waste elimination. Lean is the best SDLC model to choose when it comes to having less custom software development cost. The reason behind it is fast development speed and no wastage.
There are seven principles the Lean model is driven through- waste elimination, learning refinement, making decisions as late as possible, fast delivery, empowering the team, focusing on conceptual integrity, and entire project optimization. While organizations need to be successful while using the Lean model, they must hold a set of strong skills and expertise in Lean principles and the Agile SDLC model.
Advantages & Disadvantages of Lean Model
Learn about the interwove advantages and disadvantages of the Lean model that will help you to understand the model better-
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8. V-Model
V-model here denotes the verification and validation model that works as an extension of the Waterfall model involving equivalence implementation of designing & testing phases. In this, the sequential path followed by SDLC takes the form of a V-Shape.
V-model SDLC comprises two phases- verification (requirement analysis, system design, architectural design, and module design) and validation (unit testing, integration testing, system testing, and user acceptance testing).
In this model, the process doesn’t go straightway like the Waterfall method but escalates upwards after coding and execution. Every development process must go through a testing phase to get verified and validated before proceeding further. It is one of the top SDLC models that can be used with projects that have explicit requirements and goals along with the availability of technical requisites.
Advantages & Disadvantages of V-Model
Check out the below-defined advantages and disadvantages of the V-model that you must know about-
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9. Extreme Programming (XP) Model
Extreme Programming (XP) was introduced by Kent Beck in 1996 that acted as a lightweight Agile framework using 12 practices. It enables experts to do alterations even after the iteration has started. It takes around 1-2 weeks to finish one iteration.
The extreme programming approach is based upon Agile development methodology with the vision of creating and handling projects with utmost flexibility, efficiency, and control. The XP software development life cycle phases include planning, encoding, testing, and launch.
Reasons why XP is most suitable for custom software development are pair programming, consistent communication, and unit & functional testing. Mainly, XP is used to develop a fully functional and high-quality product efficiently.
The methodology is flexible somewhere in the middle of Kanban and Scrum models. XP can be applied to projects that have better communication between the development team and client, changes are required immediately, uses a flexible activity calendar, and so on.
Advantages & Disadvantages of XP Model
Let’s talk about the different advantages and disadvantages related to the extreme programming SDLC model-
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10. Kanban Model
The Kanban SDLC model was created by Taiichi Ohno in the late 1940s at Toyota Motor Corporation. Kanban functions as another realization of Agile methodology or a scheduling system framework that helps in software integration services. As per Statista, 34% of agencies were applying the Kanban method in the year 2022.
At first, Kanban started with Lean manufacturing and even after having a less extensive range of statuses, it is capable of carrying out the software development process as well. The main phases included in Kanban are- requested, in progress, and done. It has lots of benefits when used with Agile.
It is one of the flexible SDLC methodologies of visual work management that changes simultaneously if the team requirements change. Kanban is more focused on visualizing and optimizing workflows for the betterment of productivity and efficiency.
In the Kanban framework, the team generates a visual presentation of the tasks and stages using viscid notes on a whiteboard or with the help of a dedicated software app. All the tasks will move via predefined statuses, right from to-do, in-progress, and in-review to complete. Jira, Trello, Zoho, etc. are some popular Kanban productivity apps.
Advantages & Disadvantages Kanban Model
A few advantages and disadvantages of the Kanban model are here below-
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11. Scrum Model
Scrum is one of the outstanding software development life cycle models that was created by Jeff Sutherl and Ken Schwaber in the early 1990s to make complex development processes easier. This model is best applicable for medium-sized projects with non-clear requirements. As per the Statista reports, almost 28% of respondents used the Scrum model in 2022.
Scrum is based on the Agile methodology and recognized by frequent deliveries, consistent collaboration, and particular development cycles or iterations named ‘Sprints’. These sprints are followed by regular meetings, updating progress highlights, and concluding with a final review. There are different phases of this software development life cycle which are Sprint planning, Sprint execution, Sprint review meetings, retrospective, and Release.
Scrum is all about working with an idea to break down the whole process into short-term goals to complete them in a short period for more productivity. Collaboration and communication are two essential aspects. Whenever a sprint is completed, the entire team submits the report in the meeting. Throughout the process, a scrum master monitors all the aspects and ensures everything is going flawlessly.
Advantages & Disadvantages of Scrum Model
Here are the advantages and disadvantages of the Scrum model you need to check out-
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12. DevOps Model
The term ‘DevOps’ was first devised by Patrick Debois in the year 2009. This model shares the common goal of achieving a successful outcome by applying a set of practices combining software and IT operations along with Agile-inspired concepts.
According to Statista, 47% of software development companies have applied DevOps in 2022. The reason behind these intensified statistics are numerous benefits provided by DevOps methodology including better credibility, quicker bug fixing, faster failure recovery rates, and more.
Overall, the DevOps methodology has developed emerging two trends, one is applying Agile & Lean models to project operations, and another is the shift in business to identify the effects of cooperation between the development team and operations throughout the development procedure. There are 3-5 specialists to manage the process and other experts are for controlling release management, automation, and security management.
In this, developers can also take the help of programming software to edit code and make changes faster and more efficiently. As a dynamic SDLC method, developers can also choose a wide variety of tools and techniques for project execution with utmost flexibility.
Due to this, they combine methods like Scrum with Kanban for project optimization. Different development stages of the DevOps model include continuous development, continuous integration, continuous testing, continuous deployment, and continuous monitoring.
Advantages & Disadvantages DevOps Model
Look below to get knowledge about the advantages and disadvantages of DevOps-
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13. Prototype Model
This SDLC model is now used by very few software development agencies in the USA as earlier it served the purpose of being an alternative to the Waterfall model. This methodology spins around a low-fidelity prototype to gather early feedback from users to develop the final product.
It is best fitted where customers have no stable project requirements as this model helps them in creating, testing, and filtering the concept until getting the desired final product.
Though there are some similarities, but prototype model should not be confused with MVP. The prototype model provides a great way to obtain input on functionality, needs, and operability to get the outcome easily.
This process is best used to make all the required adjustments before development and it comprises stages like determining goals, implementation, refining, demonstrating, testing, and executing.
Advantages & Disadvantages Prototype Model
The below table has defined some advantages and disadvantages of the prototype model, have a glance-
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How to Choose the Best Software Development Model?
Seeing the ongoing market competition, it has become an important task to choose one appropriate software development life cycle model even before knowing how to start a software business. Among over 50 SDLC methodologies, each of them has its own advantages & disadvantages that you should consider as per your project requirements and other significant factors.
Here we have penned down some tips to choose the best software development life cycle model, have a look at them –
- Timeframe
- Conditions
- Project Size
- Engineer Skill Level
- Project Scope
- Purpose
- Programming Language
1. Timeframe
There is a specific timeframe allotted to each specific process of project development, hence businesses must consider it while choosing the suitable SDLC model. If they find the one that can fulfil the time constraints of the project, they must go for it. While taking a longer timeframe and clear requirements into consideration, V-model or Waterfall model is the most suitable model.
2. Conditions
While talking about conditions, the factor comprises various aspects such as project restrictions, tight budget, expertise & skills, complexity, and many more. By evaluating all these conditions, you should go for the one that best aligns with the specific project needs. If there is a project with evolving or uncertain requirements, an iterative and flexible model like Agile would be more right.
3. Project Size
The overall project size involves how big the project is, how many members are there in the team, the project scale, what are their assigned roles, and many more. If the project is small-scale with fewer resources and limited scope, going for an Agile model with Kanban or Scrum will be good, and if the project is large-scale with intricate requirements, conventional SDLC models like Spiral or Waterfall will be the best fit. To be more specific, you can compare SDLC models to get the best one.
4. Engineer Skill Level
The success of the project highly depends on the skill set and expertise of your hired specialists and engineers. For the future scope, you must go for experts who have hands-on experience in Agile methodology with adaptive and collaborative skills. The team skills will also impact your decision-making about the SDLC model exceedingly.
5. Project Scope
It is important to align the chosen SDLC approach with the volatility and complexity of your project scope. The involved industries, future scope, vision, etc. are aspects you should consider addressing different characteristics and challenges included in your project. Applying the V-model or Agile will be appropriate.
6. Purpose
Whatever the goals and objectives of the project, they play an important role in choosing the appropriate SDLC model. Go for the V-model or Waterfall model if the purpose is to deliver a premium-quality and high-tested product. The Agile method is also well-suited when the purpose is to have faster development and continuous customer feedback.
7. Programming Languages
First, you must decide what programming languages you want to go for. Then, obtaining Software consulting services will help you to evaluate the compatibility and support of your selected languages with different models. You can choose from Agile, V-model, etc. SDLC models can be applied to several programming languages.
Conclusion
After going through the SDLC models guide, you have learned that you should choose the SDLC model according to your project requirements including scope, complexity, programming languages, time-to-market, budget constraints, and many others. Choosing the wrong SDLC model can take your whole process and efforts several steps back or can even make it worse which will be irrecoverable.
Talking about the SDLC methodologies, the segment has been through drastic changes since a decade of Waterfall method supremacy in the market. The arrival of Agile made everyone think twice before choosing the SDLC model as it was better in comparison to other models.
Still, we would recommend businesses go for one that perfectly fits their requirements. Considering the ever-changing demands of customers, different models were introduced at the time of SDLC evolution. At present, when the entire world is proceeding towards flexibility in the project instead of extreme regularity and orderliness, Agile still stands at the top among all SDLC models for successful project management.
FAQs
Following is a list of questions and answers related to the Software development life cycle you must look at-
What is SDLC?
SDLC stands for software development life cycle which is a structured method to develop software. The involved activities in SDLC are planning, designing, development, testing, deploying, and maintenance performed according to project requirements.
What are SDLC models?
SDLC models function as systematic methods or frameworks to guide the entire software development process. They comprise a structured sequence of phases, activities, and deliverables to guarantee effective software development. Every model has its own characteristics, methods, and phases to follow while catering to evolving project requirements.
What is the most common software development methodology?
Agile methodology is considered the most common SDLC methodology that emphasizes collaboration, flexibility, and iterative development. With the Agile model, Scrum & Kanban are the most widely embraced frameworks.
What is the main process in software development?
The main process in software development includes different stages like requirement gathering, analysis & design, coding, testing, launch, and maintenance. Apart from that, there are comprised data and process flow, preparing technical documentation, etc.
Which SDLC model is best suited for small projects?
The Agile SDLC model is most suitable for small projects as it has iterative and flexible nature. This method has short iterations called sprints that take around 1-4 weeks to get completed. It also allows for efficient planning & execution and leaves room for improvement.
When is the Agile model used?
The Agile model is creating a software application where adaptability, flexibility, and frequent changes are required. It also encourages collaboration between cross-functional teams, allows incremental development, promotes fast feedback cycles, and delivers good-quality software.
Why choose the Scrum methodology?
Scrum methodology enables the development team to deliver working software ensuring quick customer feedback and adaptability to evolving needs. This framework also provides transparency while permitting shareholders to have visibility into the software development process. Overall, Scrum augments efficiency, and ability to deliver value-driven software products with better customer satisfaction.
What are the Steps to choose the Best SDLC Model?
To choose the best SDLC model, you can follow steps like understanding project requirements, evaluating team capabilities, identifying project size and complexity, time-to-market, customer involvement and feedback, risk tolerance, technological factors, and expert consultation.
