Understanding the software development process is essential for creating software that is reliable, scalable, and easy to maintain. But what exactly are the steps of the development process for a software project?
Every project begins with an initial idea, which serves as the foundation for the entire software development process and shapes the direction of the project from the very start.
According to recent studies, nearly 70% of software projects face delays or budget overruns—often because critical steps are overlooked or rushed. By following a structured development process, teams can improve communication, catch issues early, and increase the chances of delivering on time and within budget.
In this article, we will break down each phase of a typical software development lifecycle process and explain why every step is important. From gathering initial requirements to providing support after launch, these stages help teams deliver successful projects while reducing risks.
Introduction to software development
Software development is the structured process of designing, building, testing, and maintaining software applications that solve real-world problems or meet specific business objectives. At its core, the software development process is about transforming ideas into high-quality software that is reliable, efficient, and user-friendly. This journey, known as the software development life cycle (SDLC), involves a series of well-defined steps—each playing a crucial role in ensuring the final product meets both user needs and business goals.
Careful planning is essential at every stage of the development process. By thoroughly gathering requirements and mapping out a clear project plan, development teams can avoid costly mistakes and ensure the software remains functional and adaptable as needs evolve. Thorough testing is another cornerstone of the development life cycle, helping to catch issues early and deliver quality software that users can trust.
Ongoing maintenance is just as important as the initial build. As technology and user expectations change, maintaining software ensures it continues to perform well, stays secure, and delivers value over time. In this article, we’ll explore each stage of the software development life cycle, highlighting why a thoughtful, step-by-step approach is key to building and maintaining successful software applications.
Overview of the software development lifecycle process
The software development lifecycle process (often called SDLC) is basically a clear set of steps that teams follow to plan, create, test, and maintain software. Think of it like a roadmap that keeps everyone on the same page—from developers and project managers to stakeholders and users. Having this structure helps manage things like time, budget, and resources much better, so the project doesn’t go off track. Project management methodologies and tools, such as Agile, Scrum, and Jira, play a key role in organizing and executing software development projects efficiently throughout the SDLC.
Even though there are different ways to use the SDLC—like the Agile method, which is more flexible and fast-moving, or the Waterfall method, which follows a strict, step-by-step approach—the main stages are pretty much the same in all of them. These approaches are known as software development models or SDLC models, and choosing the right model is crucial for different types of software development projects. These stages form a structured development cycle that ensures the software is built right the first time and can keep working well as needs change.
1. Requirements gathering and analysis
The first phase of the software development process is understanding the business needs. This stage is critical because everything that follows in the entire project depends on getting this part right, especially the accurate definition of user requirements. If the requirements aren’t clear from the start, the software can end up missing the mark entirely, causing delays, rework, and cost overruns.
At this point, development teams work closely with stakeholders to define what the software must accomplish. This usually involves holding interviews, conducting surveys, or running stakeholder workshops to gather input.
The goal is to capture both:
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Functional requirements – what the software should do (features, tasks, user interactions)
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Non-functional requirements – how the software should perform (speed, security, usability, etc.)
Clearly defining user requirements at this stage is essential for producing high-quality software that meets business goals.
The information collected is then used to create a Software Requirements Specification (SRS) or a set of user stories. These documents act as a reference for everyone involved—developers, designers, project managers, and clients—so there’s no confusion about what’s being built.
During this phase, the team also performs a feasibility study to determine whether the project is achievable given the available budget, timeline, and technology. This helps avoid investing time and resources into a project that might not be viable from the start.
Developers and analysts collaborate closely to clarify:
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Use cases that show how different users will interact with the system
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Acceptance criteria that define when each feature is considered complete
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Performance goals to make sure the software meets user expectations
Once user requirements are clearly defined, the planning phase can begin to establish the project scope, resources, and timeline.
2. Planning and feasibility study
Once the requirements are clearly defined, the next step is to turn those insights into a structured plan. This is known as the planning stage, or planning and feasibility phase, which serves as a crucial initial step in software development. In this phase, the development team creates a roadmap for how the project will unfold, from start to finish. It’s about translating the what into the how.
Planning involves estimating the effort required, assigning tasks, setting realistic timelines, and identifying key milestones. The project is broken down into manageable parts using a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), which helps teams understand what needs to be done and when.
To estimate timelines and effort, teams often use methods like bottom-up estimation (estimating individual tasks first) or parametric estimation (relying on historical data to predict effort). These techniques allow for more accurate planning and help identify areas that might require more resources.
A critical part of this phase is risk assessment. Project managers work to anticipate what could go wrong and put contingency plans in place. Whether it’s delays in approvals, unexpected technical issues, or scope changes, preparing for these risks early can save time and money later on.
At Devōt, we frequently highlight two major planning mistakes that should be avoided:
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Underestimating effort and resources can lead to burnout, missed deadlines, or poor-quality results.
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Neglecting risk management can leave teams unprepared for unexpected challenges.
This phase is also where staffing decisions are made, ensuring the right people with the right skills are assigned to the right tasks.
3. Software design
The design stage is a crucial and distinct phase in the software development lifecycle. With a clear plan and requirements in place, this is where the team figures out how the software will work under the hood and what it will look like to the user. It’s not about writing code yet—this stage focuses on building a solid blueprint that developers will follow in the next phase.
Design typically happens on two levels: high-level architecture and detailed component design. System design and software architecture play a central role here, as this phase involves planning the software's architecture, components, and interfaces to ensure the system meets both functional and non-functional requirements.
At the high level, teams decide how the software will be structured overall. This includes things like
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System architecture (e.g., client-server, microservices, cloud-based)
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Database design and data flow
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API structure and how different modules or services will communicate
Note: The software's architecture is critical in ensuring project success, as it defines how the system functions and interacts with other components.
At the detailed level, the focus shifts to how individual features will function. Teams create mockups of user interfaces, plan out user interactions, and map technical workflows. This ensures that both the user experience (UX) and the back-end logic are thoughtfully planned before development begins.
Some of the most common deliverables from this phase include:
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Architecture diagrams that show how different parts of the system connect
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UI/UX wireframes or mockups to visualize the user interface
Technical design documents that detail how features will be implemented, including logic, integrations, and any tools or frameworks to be used
The importance of modular design is emphasized at this stage. When a system is broken down into smaller, self-contained components, it’s easier to build, test, and maintain over time. The modular design also supports agile development because individual pieces can be developed and released more flexibly.
This phase also involves extensive collaboration among developers, UX/UI designers, product owners, and, occasionally, end users. That collaboration ensures the final design strikes the right balance between technical feasibility and business goals.
In short, this phase bridges the gap between abstract requirements and real-world functionality. A well-thought-out design helps reduce confusion during development and keeps the project moving forward smoothly.
4. Development / coding
This is the development stage, also known as the software development phase, where all the planning and design work comes to life. The development phase—also called implementation—is when developers start writing the actual code that powers the software.
Based on the design specifications, both front-end and back-end engineers begin building the application piece by piece. Software engineers oversee the development stage, ensuring that the coding process meets quality standards and aligns with business objectives. The work is usually divided into smaller units or features, which are either completed sequentially (as in the Waterfall model) or in sprints (as in Agile or Scrum). Each team member knows exactly what to work on, and progress is tracked closely to make sure everything stays on schedule.
During the development stage, software engineers also collaborate with QA testers and designers to ensure smooth integration and high-quality results.
A few key practices help ensure quality and consistency during this phase:
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Version control systems (VCS) like Git are used to manage changes in code, keep a history of edits, and allow teams to collaborate safely.
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Code reviews are performed regularly to catch bugs, improve performance, and ensure coding standards are followed across the board.
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Coding guidelines—such as naming conventions, formatting, and architectural patterns—are used so that all team members write code in a consistent style.
Modern teams often rely on Continuous Integration (CI) tools to streamline the process. CI automatically builds and tests the code every time a developer makes a change. This reduces the chances of errors going unnoticed and avoids what developers call “merge hell”—a messy situation where code conflicts pile up and become hard to fix.
It’s also during this phase that teams begin integrating APIs, setting up databases, handling authentication, and building user-facing functionality. Developers often work closely with QA testers and designers to make sure everything looks and behaves as expected.
Pro tip: One common challenge during development is setting up consistent local environments for every team member. Manual configurations can cause delays, mismatches, and frustration, especially for larger or distributed teams.
Tools like Daytona help automate and standardize development environments using one-click, ephemeral workspaces, so developers can get started right away without worrying about missing dependencies or misconfigured tools. By reducing these blockers, Daytona supports a smoother, more efficient coding phase and helps your team stay on track.
5. Implementation phase
The implementation phase is a pivotal part of the software development life cycle, where the vision and plans crafted in earlier stages are transformed into working software. During this phase, software developers dive into actual coding, translating design documents and requirements into functional code using programming languages such as Java, Python, or C++. This is where the software truly begins to take shape.
A major focus during the implementation phase is on writing clean, maintainable, and efficient code. Developers adhere to established coding standards and best practices to ensure that the software is scalable and easy to update in the future. To maintain high code quality and minimize technical debt, unit testing is performed as each component is developed. This helps catch bugs early and ensures that individual pieces of the software work as intended.
Integration testing is another key activity in this phase. As different modules or features are completed, they are combined and tested together to verify that they interact correctly and the system functions as a whole. This step is crucial for identifying issues that might not be apparent when testing components in isolation.
The implementation phase is not just about writing code—it’s about building a solid foundation for the entire software product. By focusing on quality, maintainability, and thorough testing, development teams set the stage for a successful deployment and long-term sustainability of the software.
6. Testing and quality assurance
Once the software is developed, it enters the testing stage, also known as the testing phase, to make sure it actually works the way it’s supposed to. That’s where testing and quality assurance (QA) come in. This stage is all about checking the software for bugs, performance issues, and anything else that could cause problems for real users.
To find answers, QA teams test the software in different ways and at different levels. Automated testing plays a key role in the quality assurance process, enabling continuous testing during development and helping to identify and fix bugs before deployment.
Thorough testing is essential for software products to ensure proper functionality and user satisfaction.
Testing helps answer important questions like:
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Does the software do what it was designed to do?
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Is it secure and stable?
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Will it hold up under heavy use?
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Are there any unexpected behaviors or broken features?
To find answers, QA teams test the software in different ways and at different levels. Here are the main types of testing usually involved:
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Unit testing: Developers test individual pieces of code—like functions or methods—to make sure each one works correctly on its own.
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Integration testing: Once parts of the software are combined, this testing checks that the modules interact properly with each other.
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System testing: This is a full end-to-end test of the entire software system. It simulates how real users will use the product.
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User acceptance testing (UAT): This happens at the very end and is often done by actual stakeholders or end users. It ensures the software meets business needs and performs as expected in a real-world scenario.
Depending on the project’s size and complexity, other types of testing may also be included:
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Performance testing to check how fast and responsive the software is under different conditions
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Security testing to find vulnerabilities or risks of data breaches
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Regression testing to make sure new changes don’t break existing features
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Compatibility testing to ensure the software works across different devices, browsers, or operating systems
As testing moves forward, QA teams track any bugs, errors, or unexpected behaviors by logging them into a defect-tracking system. These issues are then sent back to developers for fixing. This back-and-forth can happen several times, depending on how many problems are found and how complex they are.
This phase is critical for delivering high-quality, dependable software. Catching bugs early helps save time, money, and user frustration after launch. It also builds trust with stakeholders who expect a smooth, reliable product.
7. Deployment
Once the software has passed all the necessary testing and received final approval, it’s ready to go live. This stage—known as deployment—is when the application is moved from the development and testing environments into the production environment, which serves as the final stage where the software operates post-deployment and becomes accessible to end-users.
There are a few different ways teams might approach deployment, depending on the size of the project and how much risk they want to take:
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Full rollout: The entire system goes live all at once. This is common for smaller applications or internal tools.
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Staged deployment: The software is released to a small group of users first, and then gradually rolled out to a larger audience. This helps catch any last-minute issues before they affect everyone.
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Beta release: A limited version of the product is launched to a select group of users who agree to test it in real-world conditions and give feedback.
Most modern teams now use automation tools to handle deployment. This is often done through CI/CD pipelines (Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery) using platforms like Jenkins, GitLab CI, or GitHub Actions. These tools help make deployment faster, repeatable, and less error-prone.
Properly managing production environments is crucial, including the use of automation and monitoring tools to ensure smooth operation and rapid response to any issues.
But deployment isn’t just about pushing a button.
It usually involves several key steps, including:
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Setting up the right infrastructure or server environment
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Running database migrations to apply new schema changes or seed initial data
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Updating configuration files to match production settings
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Doing final pre-launch tests, sometimes called "sanity checks," to make sure everything still works right
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Monitoring the release after launch to catch unexpected issues quickly
Some companies practice DevOps, where development and operations teams work closely together throughout the process. This approach helps catch deployment challenges early and ensures smoother delivery.
8. Maintenance and support
After the software is deployed and used by real users, the work doesn’t stop there. Maintenance and support are essential to keep the software running smoothly, securely, and efficiently over time. Ongoing efforts to maintain software applications are especially critical for complex projects, where the intricacy of the system requires specialized approaches to ensure reliability and long-term success.
Software environments change—new devices, updates to operating systems, or evolving user needs mean that your software must be regularly maintained to stay useful and safe. This phase involves fixing bugs that weren’t caught earlier, applying security patches, and making improvements based on user feedback. Maintenance often includes performance improvements to optimize software efficiency and enhance the user experience.
In many cases, maintenance goes hand-in-hand with iterative development. This means teams use insights gathered from the software in production to plan future updates and enhancements. Sometimes, this cycle will even lead teams back to earlier stages of the software development lifecycle, such as revisiting requirements or redesigning features to better meet user needs.
Key maintenance activities usually include:
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Fixing issues and deploying patches: When users report bugs or security vulnerabilities are discovered, these must be addressed quickly to avoid disruptions or risks.
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Performance monitoring and tuning: Regular checks ensure the software runs efficiently, with adjustments made as needed to improve speed or reduce resource usage.
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User support and updating documentation: Providing help resources, answering user questions, and keeping manuals or online guides current helps users get the most out of the software.
Development methodologies
Development methodologies are structured approaches that guide how teams plan, organize, and manage the software development process. Choosing the right methodology is a crucial decision that can shape the success of a software project, as it influences everything from project planning to how teams respond to changes and customer feedback.
Among the most popular software development methodologies is the Agile methodology. Agile is an iterative and incremental approach that breaks the development process into smaller, manageable cycles called sprints. This allows development teams to deliver functional software quickly, gather feedback from users, and make adjustments throughout the project. Agile methodology emphasizes collaboration, flexibility, and continuous improvement, making it ideal for projects where requirements may evolve over time.
The Waterfall model is another widely used methodology. It follows a linear, sequential approach where each phase of the development process—such as requirements, design, implementation, and testing—must be completed before moving on to the next. Waterfall models are best suited for projects with well-defined requirements and minimal expected changes, providing a clear structure and documentation at every step.
Iterative models, such as the Spiral model, combine elements of both Agile and Waterfall. These methodologies focus on developing software in repeated cycles, allowing for regular reassessment and refinement of the product. This approach helps manage risks and ensures that the final product aligns closely with user needs and business objectives.
Ultimately, the choice of development methodology should align with the project’s complexity, team size, and business goals. By selecting the right approach, development teams can streamline the software development process, adapt to changing requirements, and deliver high-quality software that meets both user and stakeholder expectations.
Other considerations in the software development process
While the basic software development lifecycle process provides a solid foundation, many teams adopt different approaches and frameworks to make the process more flexible, efficient, or better suited to their project needs.
One popular approach is Agile, which focuses on breaking the work into smaller, manageable chunks called sprints. Teams work in short cycles, regularly reviewing progress and adjusting plans during meetings called retrospectives. This way, development can respond quickly to changes or new information, making sure the product evolves with user needs. Scrum is a well-known Agile framework that uses sprints, backlog refinement, and daily stand-ups to keep the team coordinated and moving forward. In addition to Scrum, agile methodologies and the agile model emphasize flexibility, adaptability, and an iterative, incremental approach to software development, allowing teams to continuously refine and improve their products.
Another important approach is DevOps, which integrates development and operations teams to automate deployment, monitor software performance, and quickly fix problems. DevOps encourages collaboration throughout the software’s entire lifecycle, not just during development but also after deployment. This helps catch issues early and keeps the software reliable and up to date. Iterative models, such as the iterative model and the V Model, focus on repeated development cycles and parallel validation and verification processes, enabling incremental improvements and early issue detection throughout the SDLC.
When considering different software development models or SDLC models, it's important to note that the iterative model focuses on incremental improvements and continuous feedback, making it suitable for projects that require ongoing refinement and adaptation.
When it comes to choosing the right SDLC model depends on the project’s nature and goals:
The Waterfall model is a more traditional, linear approach. It focuses heavily on upfront planning and documentation, making it ideal for projects with clear, fixed requirements and minimal expected changes. Since each phase must be completed before moving to the next, it works well when you know exactly what you want from the start.
Agile models offer a more flexible and user-focused approach. They work best for projects where requirements may change or evolve over time. Agile encourages regular user feedback and continuous improvement, making sure the final product truly fits the users’ needs.
Some teams prefer iterative or incremental models, like the spiral model, which combines the strengths of both Waterfall and Agile. These methods allow parts of the software to be developed and delivered early, with continuous refinements made over multiple cycles. This balance helps manage risks while still allowing flexibility.
Why following SDLC steps matters
Following the steps of the software development lifecycle (SDLC) is important for many reasons, and it can make a big difference in how smoothly a project goes from idea to finished product.
Adhering to each phase of the development cycle is essential for achieving successful software projects, as it ensures proper planning, process management, and the use of effective tools throughout the project.
It helps reduce risk
When teams spend time early on gathering clear requirements and carefully testing the software, they catch problems before they become expensive or hard to fix. For example, finding a bug during development is much easier than after the software is live. This early clarity saves time, money, and headaches down the road.
It improves quality and allows for future growth
Good design and modular coding make the software easier to maintain and scale over time. Instead of building something that quickly becomes outdated or too complicated to update, following SDLC steps encourages creating software that can grow as user needs change.
It keeps everyone on the same page
From the initial planning to the final user acceptance testing, each phase provides opportunities for stakeholders, like clients, users, and developers, to give feedback. This ongoing communication ensures the product meets expectations and reduces misunderstandings.
It boosts operational efficiency
Using modern practices like Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD), combined with DevOps, helps automate many routine tasks. This means software updates happen faster and with fewer errors, and the team can focus more on improving features rather than fixing issues.
In short, sticking to the SDLC steps isn’t just about following rules—it’s about making sure the software is reliable, fits the users’ needs, and is easier to manage over its lifetime.
Conclusion
Let’s recap the main stages of the software development lifecycle process:
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Stage |
Purpose |
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Requirements |
Define the problem and solution scope |
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Planning |
Estimate resources, schedule, and risks |
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Design |
Architect the system and user experience |
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Development |
Write, review & integrate code |
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Testing |
Validate functionality and performance |
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Deployment |
Release software into production |
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Maintenance |
Support, monitor & evolve the software |
By understanding what are the steps of the development process for a software project, you gain clarity on how software moves from concept to real-world tool—and why each step matters.
If you're looking for a trusted partner to guide you through every stage—from discovery to deployment—Devōt brings expertise in Agile, DevOps, and custom software solutions. Let’s build something great together.
