{"id":70414,"date":"2019-02-20T09:30:21","date_gmt":"2019-02-20T09:30:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/?p=70325"},"modified":"2021-03-17T06:45:42","modified_gmt":"2021-03-17T06:45:42","slug":"agile-vs-waterfall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/agile-vs-waterfall\/","title":{"rendered":"Agile Software Development vs. Waterfall Software Development"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p1\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">Are you in your mid-career as a senior associate or project manager in software development? Then you must have faced the most hurdle step of decision making which is nothing but how to choose an approach for the development? And here comes the big debate over selecting among the two software development approaches agile vs waterfall.<\/span> <span class=\"s3\">Though agile has made a storm over the decade, <\/span><span class=\"s1\">which development method should win over the game \u2013 agile vs waterfall that depends very much on many factors.<\/span><span class=\"s2\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/pmi-acp\/online-course\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-69791 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Agile_Certified_Practitioner.gif\" alt=\"PMI-ACP Online Course\" width=\"728\" height=\"90\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s3\">We all know that mass adoption of the agile process is a common scenario in enterprises nowadays but a proper evaluation for <\/span><span class=\"s1\">Agile vs Waterfall should be done before making the final decision considering their pros and cons. Moreover, organizations find the best results when they proceed for the transition to a hybrid agile approach which is nothing but the combination of agile and waterfall and commonly known as agile waterfall hybrid.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">So, if you are interested to uncover agile vs waterfall factors then you are in the right place. In this blog, we have discussed over few factors on agile vs waterfall which may help you to understand the fundamental differences between Agile Software Development vs Waterfall Software Development and also differences between agile vs waterfall project management.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_76 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #ea7e02;color:#ea7e02\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #ea7e02;color:#ea7e02\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/agile-vs-waterfall\/#Agile_Software_Development_vs_Waterfall_Software_Development_%E2%80%93_Basics\" >Agile Software Development vs Waterfall Software Development \u2013 Basics<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/agile-vs-waterfall\/#What_is_Waterfall_Software_Development_Approach\" >What is Waterfall Software Development Approach?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/agile-vs-waterfall\/#What_is_Agile_Development_Approach\" >What is Agile\u00a0Development Approach?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/agile-vs-waterfall\/#Agile_vs_Waterfall_Comparison_Table\" >Agile vs Waterfall Comparison Table<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/agile-vs-waterfall\/#Agile_vs_Waterfall_%E2%80%93_Which_One_has_More_Advantages\" >Agile vs Waterfall \u2013 Which One has More Advantages?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/agile-vs-waterfall\/#When_to_Use_the_Waterfall_Model_and_When_the_Agile\" >When to Use the Waterfall Model and When the Agile?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/agile-vs-waterfall\/#Waterfall_and_Agile_Project_Management_%E2%80%93_A_Comparison\" >Waterfall and Agile Project Management \u2013 A Comparison<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/agile-vs-waterfall\/#A_Negotiation_between_Agile_and_Waterfall_%E2%80%93_Agile-Waterfall_Hybrid\" >A Negotiation between Agile and Waterfall &#8211; Agile-Waterfall Hybrid<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"p5\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Agile_Software_Development_vs_Waterfall_Software_Development_%E2%80%93_Basics\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\">Agile Software Development vs Waterfall Software Development \u2013 Basics<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Agile software development and waterfall software development are software development approaches. But to differentiate both of these, it is important to learn the basic concepts of these approaches first. So, let&#8217;s understand first what is waterfall software development approach and what is an agile software development approach.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p6\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_Waterfall_Software_Development_Approach\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\">What is Waterfall Software Development Approach?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p7\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">Waterfall development follows a sequential process where the entire project is broken into different stages and executed sequentially to complete the project. Here each stage is dependent on its previous stage. Hence, it is like a steady downward flow as the name suggests &#8220;waterfall.&#8221;<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p7\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">Waterfall approach consists of eight consecutive steps. <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\" style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li class=\"li8\"><span class=\"s5\">Conception<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li8\"><span class=\"s5\">Initiation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li8\"><span class=\"s5\">Analysis<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li8\"><span class=\"s5\">Design.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li8\"><span class=\"s5\">Construction.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li8\"><span class=\"s5\">Testing<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li8\"><span class=\"s5\">Implementation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li8\"><span class=\"s5\">Maintenance.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p9\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">From a software development point of view the above eight steps are combined in a linear sequential life cycle model and follow the below stages:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-70341 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/waterfall_model-1.png\" alt=\"Waterfall Model\" width=\"802\" height=\"484\" \/><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p6\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_Agile_Development_Approach\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\">What is Agile\u00a0Development Approach?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p7\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">Agile development follows iterative methods where the project is divided into small chunks of deliverables which are called sprints. Unlike the waterfall model, it is a continuous development approach where planning, development, testing, integration goes hand in hand. This is a better approach for development as it gives better risk evaluation and control over the project and reduces the chances of complete project failure. Interestingly each sprint of agile can adapt the steps of the waterfall model as mentioned above.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p11\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">Agile sprints always pace up with requirements. Once a sprint is completed, it is reviewed and based on that, decisions are taken which can be used to update the existing requirements. Furthermore, this updated information can be used for the next iteration.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Preparing for an agile interview? Go through these top 25 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/agile-interview-questions-answers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Agile Interview Questions<\/a> and get ready to ace the interview.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3 class=\"p3\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Agile_vs_Waterfall_Comparison_Table\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\">Agile vs Waterfall Comparison Table <\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">Agile vs waterfall development follow different strategies. We can compare the two project processes based on several parameters. Let\u2019s have a look in below<\/span><b> <\/b><span class=\"s1\">Agile vs waterfall comparison table<\/span><span class=\"s6\">&#8211;<\/span><\/p>\n<table class=\"t1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"td1\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p14\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Parameter<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"td2\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p15\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"s1\"><b><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>Agile<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"td3\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p15\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"s1\"><b><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>Waterfall<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"td4\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p16\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Quality<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"td5\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p18\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">Agile is a continuous and iterative development approach. Thus it provides the scope of iterative testing throughout the process which helps to improve the deliverables throughout the process and ensures quality. Backed by open communication between the teams and clients it assures quality deliverables.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"td6\" style=\"text-align: justify;\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p20\"><span class=\"s1\">In Waterfall development testing is an entirely separate phase after development and all the testing like unit testing, functional, non-functional, integration, and system testing happen sequentially and takes place near the end of the project life cycle. Thus fixing bugs sometimes become an overhead for the development team.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<td class=\"td7\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p21\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Communication<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"td8\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p18\"><span class=\"s1\">Agile manifesto principles stress over face to face communication rather than documentation. Thus agile gives quick turnaround time for resolving any issue than the waterfall process. However, communication should be effective rather than aimless. It should be aligned with the teamwork.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"td9\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p18\"><span class=\"s1\">Waterfall method highly dependent on documentation and charts like Gantt charts. This is very helpful in case of government projects which are strictly regulated. As the waterfall method follows a rigorous documentation process if the existing team discontinues for some reasons, the new team can take over the remaining task easily.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<td class=\"td10\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p21\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Flexibility<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"td11\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p18\"><span class=\"s1\">Agile is so popular, and one of the main reasons behind it is its flexibility. The iterative delivery model of agile allows both the project team and customers to foreseeing the shape of the product gradually before it is finalized. Furthermore, the flexible nature of agile considerably prevents scope creep. An agile project is a contract with the flexibility of modifications.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"td12\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p18\"><span class=\"s1\">The steps of the waterfall depend sequentially on each other. If one step is not finished successfully, you cannot start the next step. Moreover, if anything goes wrong at any step post-execution, you need to reiterate all the previous steps. This enhances the possibility of scope creep. Besides, in the waterfall, a contract is inflexible as the project team, and stakeholders agree upon the final product beforehand. Thus any significant change or introducing new requirement in the project is a hiccup for project management.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"td13\" style=\"text-align: justify;\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p22\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Customer Satisfaction<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"td14\" style=\"text-align: justify;\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p18\"><span class=\"s1\">Customer involvement is a critical criterion in an agile project. As a result, they can actively participate in development. From a developer\u2019s perspective, it is an advantage as they can get clarification promptly due to the onsite availability of the customers. Whereas, it gives cost benefit from a project management perspective as any additional requirement from client end during development will cost the client.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"td15\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p18\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">Waterfall model is advantageous for clients. As the entire contract is signed off at the upfront, any change during the project it is an overhead for the project management because the client expects to get the final product within budget and on time.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3 class=\"p25\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Agile_vs_Waterfall_%E2%80%93_Which_One_has_More_Advantages\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\">Agile vs Waterfall \u2013 Which One has More Advantages?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p26\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">Agile vs waterfall has its own flavors in terms of advantages.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-70340 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/agile_vs_waterfall-1.png\" alt=\"Agile vs Waterfall\" width=\"655\" height=\"438\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/agile_vs_waterfall-1.png 655w, https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/agile_vs_waterfall-1-300x201.png 300w, https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/agile_vs_waterfall-1-628x420.png 628w, https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/agile_vs_waterfall-1-537x360.png 537w, https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/agile_vs_waterfall-1-640x428.png 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 655px) 100vw, 655px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4 class=\"p28\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">Advantages of Waterfall Development<\/span><\/h4>\n<ul class=\"ul1\" style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li class=\"li29\"><span class=\"s5\">A waterfall is sequential hence it is a well-structured process.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li29\"><span class=\"s5\">As work for each step of the waterfall process is predefined and agreed, so it is consistent and easy to manage.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li29\"><span class=\"s5\">It follows a simple and conventional development model.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li29\"><span class=\"s5\">Requirements are clear and predefined and less likely to change during development. Hence, it is easier for a development team to continue their work based on the design.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li29\"><span class=\"s5\">The project timeline is usually more extended, and each team gets enough time to finish their tasks.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li29\"><span class=\"s5\">Waterfall model follows a linear pattern. Hence, project implementation is straightforward.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li29\"><span class=\"s5\">Waterfall model does not require many resources to execute the project.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li29\"><span class=\"s5\">Waterfall model maintains proper documentation. Thus anybody can take charges easily even in the mid of the project.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li29\"><span class=\"s5\">In Waterfall model project team size, cost and timeline are predefined.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li30\"><span class=\"s5\">This approach is ideal for government regulatory projects.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote><p>Also Read: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/best-agile-certifications\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Top Agile Certifications in 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h4 class=\"p6\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">Advantages of Agile Development<\/span><\/h4>\n<p class=\"p31\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">Agile means \u201cmoving quickly\u201d indicating the dynamic approach of Agile.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\" style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li class=\"li29\"><span class=\"s5\">Agile is a dynamic approach<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li29\"><span class=\"s5\">Agile is a flexible<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li29\"><span class=\"s5\">Agile is very adaptive to changes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li29\"><span class=\"s5\">Agile approach synchronizes with ever-changing requirements.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li29\"><span class=\"s5\">Agile delivers rapidly which helps to satisfy customers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li29\"><span class=\"s5\">Onsite availability of customers eliminates guesswork in case of issue.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li29\"><span class=\"s5\">Face to face communication among the teams and clients ease the process<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li29\"><span class=\"s5\">It is collaborative.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li29\"><span class=\"s5\">Agile gives the scope of continuous improvements due to prompt and frequent reviews.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li29\"><span class=\"s5\">Agile gives the scope to include new requirements and accepting change requirements during the process.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li29\"><span class=\"s5\">Testing for an agile process is more rigorous and also opens up scope for automated testing.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li29\"><span class=\"s5\">The progress of the project is easily measurable in this Agile by the amount of completed work.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li29\"><span class=\"s5\">Due to the continuous improvement process, agile process meets the clients\u2019 expectation at a higher rate.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li29\"><span class=\"s5\">Sprints in the agile process are executed based on priorities set by the clients. Thus clients can quickly evaluate and provide their feedback about the development status and product.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li29\"><span class=\"s5\">Bugs are resolved In Agile in each sprint, so there are very fewer chances that you face any error at the end of the development cycle.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li29\"><span class=\"s5\">Agile encourages self-motivated team and cross-functionality.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li29\"><span class=\"s5\">Quality control is also easier in an agile process.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li29\"><span class=\"s5\">Using backlogs, progress monitoring is also easy in this process.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li29\"><span class=\"s5\">Agile helps to save time and reduces waste of workforce by less documentation process.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"p32\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s7\"><i><b>Note:<\/b>\u00a0<\/i><\/span><span class=\"s1\"><i>Though in Agile vs Waterfall race agile is ahead in the game, but getting the true essence of agile in reality is a challenging task. Thus in most of the cases, agile waterfall hybrid model is used in reality.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3 class=\"p3\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_to_Use_the_Waterfall_Model_and_When_the_Agile\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\">When to Use the Waterfall Model and When the Agile?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">In one sentence it depends on the project requirements, size, and capability of the team. Besides, waterfall vs agile factors is not the best answer for this. However, here are some of the common scenarios that tell you when to use the waterfall model and when you should go for agile.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 class=\"p14\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">Waterfall<\/span><\/h4>\n<ul class=\"ul1\" style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li class=\"li33\"><span class=\"s5\">If the project and client have a clear vision of the final product.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li33\"><span class=\"s5\">When fast turn-around is not required.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li33\"><span class=\"s5\">When the project is a large project.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li33\"><span class=\"s5\">Government projects which maintain strict regulations.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 class=\"p14\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">Agile<\/span><\/h4>\n<ul class=\"ul1\" style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li class=\"li33\"><span class=\"s5\">When there is a need for rapid delivery.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li33\"><span class=\"s5\">If the clients have the ability to change the scope of the project in between.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li33\"><span class=\"s5\">When there isn\u2019t a clear picture regarding the final product.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li33\"><span class=\"s5\">When you have skilled developers, who are adaptable and able to think independently.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li33\"><span class=\"s5\">If the product has the possibility to change the standards frequently.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/pmi-acp\/free-test\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-69569 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/pmi-acp-681x84-1.jpg\" alt=\"PMI-ACP Free Questions\" width=\"681\" height=\"84\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/pmi-acp-681x84-1.jpg 681w, https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/pmi-acp-681x84-1-300x37.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/pmi-acp-681x84-1-640x79.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 681px) 100vw, 681px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p25\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Waterfall_and_Agile_Project_Management_%E2%80%93_A_Comparison\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\">Waterfall and Agile Project Management \u2013 A Comparison<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p35\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">Iteratively, managing detailed work is much effective than managing it for the long term. Thus effectiveness in agile project management is higher than traditional waterfall project management. One of the main reasons behind it is the sprints in agile development as it brings a rhythm in the whole process. Additionally, project managers often fail to prevent the chances of scope creep in the waterfall method due to less flexibility and involvement from clients.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p35\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">On the contrary, as agile project management allows stakeholders, product owners, and the development team to communicate openly, assessing the progress of the project along with risk analysis to become easier. This also helps in budgeting and scheduling the project more accurately.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p26\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">However, the efficiency of the project manager in an agile project matters a lot if you consider the waterfall vs agile point of view. The project manager in an agile project works as a middleman between the developers and customers. Thus making open communication effective between the two parties, the project manager must play a key role. Additionally, the project manager must keep an eye on the project length and make sure that it should not consist of a large series of sprints and within budget. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p26\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">An efficient team is a must for an agile project, and the project manager must be ready to handle the unpredictable nature of the project as agile does not define the final product during the planning stage. Though frequent communication makes the process more manageable, it has an inherent possibility to bring up complaints and pressure from clients due to frequent reviews. No such overheads are there in waterfall project management.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p26\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">Hence, overall if you compare the complexity between waterfall and agile project management, then a waterfall project is much easier to manage than an agile project. As it strictly follows deadlines and budget, so total planning of a waterfall project happens at the upfront which makes a waterfall project management much structured than the agile one.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p25\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Negotiation_between_Agile_and_Waterfall_%E2%80%93_Agile-Waterfall_Hybrid\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\">A Negotiation between Agile and Waterfall &#8211; Agile-Waterfall Hybrid<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p35\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">Though agile is an excellent development process in the ever-changing business world but making a project truly agile is a real challenge. And the final answer for the agile vs waterfall is agile waterfall hybrid which is the combination of the best of waterfall and agile. The result of the long debate on agile vs waterfall gathers the key features of both the methods and concludes in agile waterfall hybrid. Some of these are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\" style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li class=\"li20\"><span class=\"s5\">The agile-waterfall hybrid approach follows the agile approach where the entire task is broken into several stories based on the planning and requirement and then prioritize them as per the client need.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li20\"><span class=\"s5\">Though the overall process follows an agile approach, however, the hardware aspects of the project can be followed using the traditional waterfall method.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li20\"><span class=\"s5\">This model increases the speed of project execution maintaining the quality of the product but decreases the cost.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li20\"><span class=\"s5\">The agile waterfall development model follows agile principles.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li20\"><span class=\"s5\">The agile waterfall hybrid approach is ideal when the requirements frequently change within a limited timeframe.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li20\"><span class=\"s5\">To make this model a success both the agile and waterfall team must collaborate properly. Otherwise, the emergence of the two processes at the later stage can create a problem in the project.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"p35\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">To know more on agile waterfall hybrid, please refer to our previous blog on\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"s10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/hybrid-agile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Hybrid Agile used in Various Industries<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h4 class=\"p35\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s11\">Final words<\/span><\/h4>\n<p class=\"p35\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">Agile vs waterfall is a continuous debate, but the ultimate goal is to deliver a stable and maintainable product which can meet the goal of customers and business. Thus, certification in agile project management matters a lot that proves one&#8217;s expertise in the domain. If you are an agile practitioner, validate your skills now with the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner certification. Join our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/pmi-acp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">PMI-ACP training course<\/a> and <span data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;PMI ACP Practice Exam&quot;}\" data-sheets-userformat=\"{&quot;2&quot;:14849,&quot;3&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:1},&quot;12&quot;:0,&quot;14&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:1},&quot;15&quot;:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;16&quot;:11}\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/pmi-acp\/practice-tests\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PMI-ACP Practice Exam<\/a> and <\/span>get yourself ready for a bright career.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p35\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em><span class=\"s1\">If you still have any doubt about Agile and Waterfall development approaches, just write in the comment section below. We&#8217;ll revert in no time to resolve your query.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are you in your mid-career as a senior associate or project manager in software development? Then you must have faced the most hurdle step of decision making which is nothing but how to choose an approach for the development? And here comes the big debate over selecting among the two software development approaches agile vs waterfall. Though agile has made a storm over the decade, which development method should win over the game \u2013 agile vs waterfall that depends very much on many factors.\u00a0 We all know that mass adoption of the agile process is a common scenario in enterprises [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":70732,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[1769,1770,1771,4012,1772,1773,1774],"class_list":["post-70414","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-agile-and-scrum","tag-agile-software-development-vs-waterfall-software-development","tag-agile-vs-waterfall-comparison-table","tag-agile-waterfall-hybrid","tag-pmi-acp-practice-exam","tag-waterfall-and-agile-project-management","tag-waterfall-vs-agile","tag-when-to-use-waterfall-model"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/agile-vs-waterfall-2.png",600,315,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/agile-vs-waterfall-2-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/agile-vs-waterfall-2-300x158.png",300,158,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/agile-vs-waterfall-2.png",600,315,false],"large":["https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/agile-vs-waterfall-2.png",600,315,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/agile-vs-waterfall-2.png",600,315,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/agile-vs-waterfall-2.png",600,315,false],"profile_24":["https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/agile-vs-waterfall-2.png",24,13,false],"profile_48":["https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/agile-vs-waterfall-2.png",48,25,false],"profile_96":["https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/agile-vs-waterfall-2.png",96,50,false],"profile_150":["https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/agile-vs-waterfall-2.png",150,79,false],"profile_300":["https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/agile-vs-waterfall-2.png",300,158,false],"tptn_thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/agile-vs-waterfall-2-250x250.png",250,250,true],"web-stories-poster-portrait":["https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/agile-vs-waterfall-2.png",600,315,false],"web-stories-publisher-logo":["https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/agile-vs-waterfall-2.png",96,50,false],"web-stories-thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/agile-vs-waterfall-2.png",150,79,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Dharmalingam N","author_link":"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/author\/dharmalingam\/"},"uagb_comment_info":78,"uagb_excerpt":"Are you in your mid-career as a senior associate or project manager in software development? Then you must have faced the most hurdle step of decision making which is nothing but how to choose an approach for the development? And here comes the big debate over selecting among the two software development approaches agile vs&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70414","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70414"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70414\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":71453,"href":"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70414\/revisions\/71453"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/70732"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70414"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=70414"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=70414"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}