Difference Between Agile Vs Waterfall Vs Scrum In SDLC

A well-projected model and proper plan are the keys to any project's success in the long run. There is a debate about Agile vs Waterfall vs Scrum methodologies. Which one is good and budget-friendly? All of those models have advantages and also limitations. Remember, the budget is also essential when choosing any model in the software development life cycle.

At the end of the day, everyone always prefers the best one that suits their budget and requirements. No worries !!! We got you there. In this blog, we will get a total overview of each model and learn the Difference Between Agile Vs Waterfall Vs Scrum in SDLC.

Let's get start.

What Is Agile 

The agile methodology is also known as the Agile model. It's basically based on the incremental, iterative approach. You can easily change the requirement for the time being, and you are encouraged to give constant feedback. In this model, customer satisfaction and continuous delivery of high-quality products are the best principles. It promotes the sustainable development of the project. 

What Is The Purpose of Agile Framework

The Agile Manifesto was introduced in 2001.The four key purposes of this Project 

• Individuals and interactions 
• Customer collaboration 
• Software development
• Frequently change over the following fixed plan.

Apart from that, the project's primary purpose is to maintain high-quality products or services efficiently at the end of the development. It's also mandatory to maintain customer satisfaction with each of the projects. Every project has some principle. In that sense, agile project management also has some principles. The main principles of this model are satisfaction, simplicity, and regular updates according to customer feedback. According to the state of Agile, 49% of business owners use this model for their project management, and most of them get continuous productivity.

The Best Use case of this project 

• Software development 
• Website development 
• Startup and personal project 
• Product design 

Suppose you want to learn what is agile alternatives. Then, waterfall might be the option, and some of the principles and definitions of the waterfall model should be checked.

What Is Waterfall Model

Waterfall methodology is the combination of linear and sequential project management. In this model, one of the best things is that each phase must be completed before moving on to the next one. This Waterfall Project management frameworks follows a structured path. If the project goal is continuously changing, then it's not the right project to cope with. Indeed, it is a consistency of 5 different phases 

• Requirements
• Design
• Implement
• Verify
• Maintenance

A well-defined budget, deadline, and scope are the main things needed to run this successfully. According to the G2, the success rate of this project is 49%. 

Remember that 

The waterfall methodology takes 20% longer than the agile software development model.

What Is The Purpose of Waterfall Framework

One of the key purposes of using the waterfall model is clarity and organization. Although it maintains a clear path, this model reduces confusion and miscommunication until the end of the project. 

Another essential objective is proper risk management. So, each stage maintains documentation and reviews. For that, it is easy to find the errors and issues and take the necessary steps to resolve them. It also helps to improve project predictability because managers can estimate timelines, budgets, and resources at the start of the project.

Best Use Cases for Waterfall

• Construction and manufacturing projects
• Government and enterprise software
• Projects with stable requirements

What is Scrum in Software Development 

Scrum kinda wired name, but the significance of this project development is considerable. It is where the team comes together to move the product forward. Scrum is basically an agile framework. It focuses on team collaboration, iterative development, and incremental delivery. This framework is a combination of proper teamwork and its empirical process. This project's decisions are based on observation, experience, and experimentation. Indeed, The five core values of scum are 

• Commitment
• Focus
• Openness
• Respect
• Courage

Sprints are the central aspect is the main of scrum project management. If we ask what is sprints? Then, it is an idea that turns into value.

What Is The Purpose of Scrum Framework

Before discussing the principles of this scrum framework, look at the pillars of this project development. The project is broken into sprints. 

All of those springs are done within (1-4) weeks. These sprints are pre-planned, carried out, and reviewed at the end of each two weeks. During the sprint planning, the team develops a sprint backlog.

Pillars of Scrum model :

• Transparency
• Inspection 
• Adaption 

Indeed, each of the model have a different purpose. Basic six purposes for using the scrum framework :

• learn from experience and continuously improve
• Self-Organization
• Cross-functional teamwork
• Customer satisfaction
• Refine products incrementally with each sprint

Best Use Cases for Scrum Framework

• Software development teams
• Projects require frequent feedback

What do you think after learning about each agile, waterfall, and scrum? Which one is better? If the discussion does not convince you, do not worry!!! We will discuss the full comparison in the following sections. Undoubtedly, the importance of SDLC in software development is quite significant, and it will have a big impact on future software development projects.

Agile Vs Waterfall Vs Scrum  - Real Difference 

When it comes to project management, choosing the right methodology can significantly impact the final output. Agile, waterfall and scrum are the software development industry's most popular and useable models. But there is a comparison among them. Questions like: what is the difference between waterfall vs agile vs scrum, the average cost of each model, agile vs waterfall vs scrum which one is better & more? let's check some of the comparisons of each model, including the advantages and disadvantages and other criteria, so that you can make a proper decision for your custom software development project.

Before comparing agile vs scrum vs waterfall, remember that the ultimate goal of that model is software or product development.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Agile Framework

Agile is a good software development model without any doubt. But each of the models has some advantages and disadvantages. 

Advantages of the Agile Model 

• Easily adaptable to change
• Always focus on customer satisfaction 
• Try to deliver good-quality software 
• Continues improvement based on customer requirement 

Disadvantage of Agile Methodology 

• project loss if the goal is not clear 
• The process is quite complex 
• Difficult for the large project 

Advantages and Disadvantages of Waterfall Model 

One of the main benefits of this model is that its objective is quite clear. As a result, each project development phase is clear, although the starting and ending are quite clear to everyone. So, the overall development time will be less than that of the other projects.

The Advantages of the Waterfall Framework 

• Easy to handle 
• Clear documentation and disciplined workflow
• Predictability in project timeline and budget 
• The testing process is more straightforward and more transparent 
• Higher visibility for each stage

The disadvantage of the Waterfall Model 

• Due to the flexibility, sometimes the project might be at risk 
• If the documentation is not clear, then the output might be different from the expectation 
• Hard to implement changes in the middle of the project
• Tests are not performed till the development is finished 
• Not effective for large project scale 

Advantages and Disadvantages of Scrum

All types of SDLC projects have some advantages and disadvantages, and Scrum is one of those models. Remember that nothing is perfect. We try to make it perfect, but at the end of the day, each project has some limitations.

The pros of the Scrum Framework

• Continues feedback improves product quality
• collaboration and self-management
• Delivers small, functional increments quickly
• Properly use time and money
• Large projects combine into easily manageable sprints
• Solid visibility through scrum meetings
• Adopt regular feedback (customers &stakeholders)

The cons of the Scrum Framework 

• Requires strong leadership and discipline
• Can be challenging to implement in traditional corporate settings
• Scrum leads to scope creep, lack of a definite end-date
• project failure chance is high 
• Maintaining large teams is challenging
• The project can be successful only with an experienced team 
• Daily meetings frustrate team members
• Quality is hard to implement until the team goes through an aggressive testing process

Agile Vs Waterfall Vs Scrum Methodology - Based on Cost 

If you are building a software development project, then you need to learn about the cost of each model. Cost is an essential term for maintaining a project. A proper idea can fix a lot of issues that can be faced in the middle of the project.

Agile - Higher Cost & Long-Term Savings

The cost of this model is high compared to the other models of the SDLC framework, because of the continuous iterations, feedback loops, and team collaborations. However, it reduces the long periods of expenses, such as risk management for the project.

Waterfall - Predictable Costs & High Change Costs

Waterfall is a fixed budget model since the project scope is already planned. However, any change requests lead to high costs because adjustments require returning to previous phases. Regard the other model waterfall is cost-effective but sometimes it can vary if suddens changes comes up 

Scrum - Medium Cost & Resource Dependency 

The Scrum method has a medium cost compared to agile. However, it can be expensive if the project team member is not well-skilled and well-trained. You have to attend daily meetings, sprint planning, and constant backlog. So, it increases the overall cost of the project. However, Scrum's advantages over waterfalls are that it's less costly. Small failures are identified in the early stages of sprints rather than after the project completion.

Software Development Methodology - Total Cost Table Overview 

Project Management Agile Vs Waterfall Vs Scrum - Environment Suitability

The environment is a significant factor in running any successful project. Environment suitability can change a lot of project outcomes. Agile vs Waterfall comparison or waterfall vs scrum difference, the environment is a term you can check before proceeding in the software development stage.

Agile - Dynamic & Fast-Paced Environments

You can use the agile model to follow the market trends that shift quickly. It will work best in tech-driven industries. If you really want to work it out, you must require a collaborative and cross-functional team environment focusing on innovation.

Waterfall - Stable & Well-Defined Environments

Waterfall is known for its well-structured process. So if the environment is structured and the requirement is already known then this model is perfect for your product development project. You can easily use this model in healthcare, government and constructions related project. 

Scrum - Agile Teams & Competitive Environment

If the total environment is competitive then scrum works perfectly. Scrum is also suited to other industries including:

• Financial services
• Legal and consultancy
• Data Analytics
• Pharmaceuticals
• Event planning
• Engineering
• Marketing and advertising
• Education
• Construction
• Military office

You must maintain highly skilled teams that can adapt quickly and work with minimal supervision.

Scrum versus waterfall versus Agile - Environment suitability table 

Difference Between Agile and Scrum and Waterfall - Company Size

Company size can directly make an impact on choosing the SDLC model for product development. However, choosing the best one depends on project-specific factors.

Agile Methodology - Startups & Mid-Sized Companies

The agile model suits small to mid-sized companies that need speed, proper flexibility, and continuous improvements on projects. Works well for cross-functional teams but may not scale quickly in large enterprises with bureaucratic structures. Large companies often use a Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) to implement Agile across multiple teams.

Waterfall Methodology - Large Enterprises 

The perfect model for large companies is because large companies have complex management layers.  If the budget is fixed also you can choose this model as your next software development plan. Waterfall methodology in construction is another example of using it in large enterprises.

Scrum Methodology - Mid-Sized & Large Companies 

Companies that are mid-seized or large want agile benefits with structured sprints. Although education, construction, automotive & event planning sectors benefit from the use of this methodology. 

Agile workflow vs Waterfall workflow vs Scrum workflow - based on company size 

Waterfall Vs Agile Vs Scrum Difference - Based on Productivity 

Productivity in global software development is directly impacting the business and global economy. On the other hand, productivity also helps to increase the brand value and visibility of the project . So, if you want ultimate economic growth and a sustainable future, before proceeding with Software development methodologies, it is essential to choose the best model. 

Agile - High Productivity & Continuous Iterations

The agile model increases the agility level of the software development phase. It leads to an increase the employee engagement, motivation and also satisfaction. when all of those increase that brings a working environment. but productivity may drop if they lack discipline and clear direction. 

Waterfall - Predictable Productivity & Slower Output

On the other hand, the waterfall model offers stable and predictable productivity but at slower rates. You can get your actual output but only through the slow method. So, if you are in a real hurry to develop and deploy software, then it's not the right model to choose. This model follows strict guidelines, but because of the lack of flexibility, the product gets delayed implementation. 

Scrum - High Productivity & Strong Leadership

Scrum improves and increases productivity levels through short-term goals (sprints). Using this model, you can achieve high productivity only if you have strong leadership. If not, then the output of the project may vary under different circumstances. 

Agile vs waterfall vs scrum - Productivity map 

After all those discussions in agile vs waterfall vs scrum, its pretty clear now which one you choose to start your software project. let's check a summary at a glance :

Waterfall vs Agile vs Scrum in Product Management

When the requirement is fixed, and the project goal and vision are clear, then choose the waterfall model. On the other hand, use the agile model when flexibility and collaboration are your ultimate options. Lastly, Scrum methodology should be used when an agile team is needed to maintain a structured framework.

How to Choose The Right Project Management Methodology 

We are clear about the SDLC model that will work out for you. But, of course, some projects need different levels of planning, flexibility, and proper documentation. In that case, we must follow some criteria to help you find the right model. If you are a software company owner and want to build a software product development, then you must first focus on some of the basic needs. 

Some of the things you need to remember before choosing:

• What are the project goals and vision?
• Which industry do you want to invest 
• How complex is the project?
• What is the project's maximum budget? 
• Is the project is going to scalable 
• What is the maximum length of the project? 
• How much planning do you need before proceeding?
• Resource and additional resources before proceeding 
• Does your project have every phrase goal limit?
• How many people do you want to add to your project team?
• Are the selecting team members experts or new to their assigned role

Here, we gather a simplified cheat sheet so that you can choose the proper project management methodology. When should we use Agile vs Waterfall or the best software development methodology so that the model can achieve maximum productivity in the long run?

Rather than that you can also go for a hybrid approach if you want to use multiple models at a time. For example, you might use Scrum's Sprint planning for a project phase while using a Kanban board for ongoing maintenance development tasks.

Endnote 

By this time, you should have a fair idea about the difference between agile vs waterfall vs scrum in SDLC. In this blog, we have discussed briefly and pretty sure that you can finally make your decision. What so ever the discussion is, go for agile or scum or waterfall or any other model, we wish your project go success and maximum efficiency. 

Remember :

You cannot make progress without making decisions