416725, 1:36 PM SDLCforms Understanding - Sofware Development Life Cycle Documentation (SOLC) What the Waterfall Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)? 1. Introduction to Software Development Life Cycle Documentation ‘The IT Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is used in project management to develop (or modify existing) information systems or applications. Regardless of whether you are looking for information on the SDLC process itself, SDLC documentation, SDLC documents / SDLC forms / SDLC templates, if you can spare about 60 minutes (depending on how in-depth you wish to pursue the subject). This SDLC tutorial will provide you an invaluable overview of the following topics that hopefully will satisfy your needs: * SDLC Overview © SDLC Phases © SDLC Framework * SDLC Documentation Methodology * SDLC Documentation Process + SDLC Documentation Templates / SDLC Documentation Forms * SDLC Models ‘The SDLC process provides Information Technology (IT) Project managers with the tools to help ensure successful implementation of systems or applications that satisfy strategic and business objectives. SDLC documentation provides a mechanism to ensure that executive leadership, functional managers, and users sign-off on the requirements and implementation of the system. The process provides management wi the capability to design, develop, and implement an intended system and ‘ensure that its completed on time delivery and within budget. The software development life cycle process includes multiple phases from the project viability determined in the Concept / Initiation Phase through the Project Closure / Maintenance Phase of the completed system or application. SDLC Frameworks https shwww sleforms.com/UnderstandingSDLC. html 28416725, 1:36 PM Many corporations and government agencies have implemented systems development life cycle (SDLC) frameworks that include methods, processes, workflow, documentation, and tools. These SDLC Frameworks help the organization reduce risks and ensure program and project investments are realized within their budget, scope, time and quality constraints. Project managers have been taught that there are always two lifecycles at play on any project; these are Project and Product-oriented lifecycles. While project lifecycles facilitates management of the project, product fecycles guide the design, development, testing, deployment and sustainment of the “deliverables” of, the project. ‘Most Information Technology (IT) project managers are familiar with the term Software Development Life Cycle, which is expressed as the SDLC acronym. A software development life cycle is a product-oriented life cycle that is appropriate when the primary deliverable is software. Understanding - Sofware Development Life Cycle Documentation (SOLC) However, the term systems development life cycle can be applied more universally, not only across projects where software is the primary deliverable, but other types of IT solutions that involve hardware, network, and storage components, or even business or mechanical systems - where software may only be a small part of the overall solution. ‘An effective Corporate SDLC will also include defined lifecycles and methods, tools and templates for project management. To be effective, project managers still need to understand how to integrate project, product, and systems development lifecycles to ensure a successful project. [SDLC Concepts and Approaches From one organization to another, or even project to project, there will be different needs and influencers promoting one development approach over another. ‘Methods and tools among developers can be an emotional subject. That is not a problem, as there is room for multiple adaptions within the SDLC Framework provided in this course. Nevertheless, the concepts and approaches provided in this overview are sufficient that they can also be applied jout further enhancements. End of Chapter 1 That is not to imply that tailoring a projects not required. All projects are unique by definition, and two of the most important roles a project manager has during project planning are project integration and tailoring - to ensure the right set of work is planned and executed to achieve the authorized scope of work within the specified constraints of the project (e.g. scope, budget, resources, schedule, quality). With this in mind, the best SDLC approach for any given project has to be based on the project's constraints, the specific method preferences of the development team, the risk tolerance of executive management, and - perhaps most importantly - access to customers and end-users. Top of Page ‘SDLCforms isa collection of “fillable” IT project management Waterfall and Agile forms and templates developed using the Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio & Project.) https shwww sleforms.com/UnderstandingSDLC. html416725, 1:36 PM Understanding - Sofware Development Life Cycle Documentation (SOLC) ‘SDLCforms Waterfall | SOLCforms Waterfall. Packages —_|_Individual Forms SDLCforms Agile ‘SDLCforms Agile Packages ¥ SDLCforms Free Waterfall Forms 2. Goals and Methodology of SDLC ‘The goals of this SDLC approach are to: ® Deliver quality systems that meet or exceed customer expectations when promised and within cost estimates ® provide a framework for developing quality systems using an identifiable, measurable, and repeatable process ® Establish a project management structure to ensure that each system development project is effectively managed throughout its life cycle ® Identify and assign the roles and responsibilities of all involved parties, including functional and technical managers, throughout the system development life cycle ® Ensure that system development requirements are well defined and subsequently satisfied —- End of Chapter 2 The software development life cycle methodology will help to achieve these goals by: ® Establishing appropriate levels of management authority to provide timely direction, coordination, control, review, and approval of the system development project ® Ensuring project management accountability ® Documenting requirements and maintaining traceability of those requirements throughout the development and implementation process ® Ensuring that projects are developed within the current and planned information technology infrastructure ® Identifying project risks and issues early and manage them before they become problems ‘Top of Page ‘SDLCforms Waterfall packages range from the Starter Package (8 forms) for the small T consulting company to the Ultimate Package (100 forms) designed for the enterprise level shop, consisting of every conceivable form to monitor, control and report on application development. ‘SDLCforms Waterfall [SDLCforms Waterfall | | SDLCforms Agile ‘SDLCforms Agile Packages —_|_ Individual Forms Packages Individual Forms — [ spLCtorms Free Waterfall Forms. 3. History of SDLC When large computers (mainframes) were first Introduced in the 1970s, the Data Processing group (predecessor to Information Technology) generally reported to the head of the Accounting or Finance https shwww sleforms.com/UnderstandingSDLC. html In the last 50 years, many other factors affected the IT culture that demanded stringent methodologies. New laws, such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, were created by Congress in response to major corporate and si28416725, 1:36 PM Department (Controller or VP-Finance) as virtually all computer work was dedicated towards that effort. ‘The Data Processing group consisted of a small tight group of programmers who could easily communicate with each other with minimal tools to develop software applications. When new work was required, the programmers ventured upstairs to talk to the users, and. they retreated to their cubicles to implement the design or minor modification. Large financial applications were often developed by third party software companies. In-house programmers were taught how to customize and modify this software. Testing of new designs and changes were often an afterthought simply because programmers preferred to write code and detested testing. “We'll catch a problem if the users scream bloody murder.” (This attitude is just as prevalent today.) ‘This worked fairly well initially but as computers evolved, numerous new tools were created for application development and other departments within the companies recognized the value of automating their data. Management methodologies were required to develop and modify applications. In lieu of Data Processing, the term Information Technology (IT) became the buzzword reflecting the broad nature of the scope and purpose of the now enriched computer processing. ‘The initial concepts of Software Development Lifecycles have been around since the 1960s (Elliot & Strachan & Radford (2004)), and some authors would argue an earlier heritage that goes back to the 1940s to 1950s, (Birkbeck, University of London. Comparative Development Methodologies). In the earliest days of computer programming, the only models for developing complex things came out of the construction and manufacturing industries. At the time, it seemed logical that the structured approaches used in those industries would equally apply to developing computing systems. As an example, a developer would first need to understand the customer's requirements, then architect and design a solution, then develop the product, and finally test and deploy or turn-over the new product. This traditional development process logically progressed in a sequential manner from start to finish, with potentially some overlap for planning and preparation between the major phases of the development effort. Truthfully, at least in this author's, opinion, the original programming techniques and early programming languages were so complex and difficult to change that these structured and sequential https shwww sleforms.com/UnderstandingSDLC. html Understanding - Sofware Development Life Cycle Documentation (SOLC) accounting scandals that cost investors billions of dollars. The legislation established new or enhanced standards for all U. S. public company boards, management, and public accounting firms. Previously, auditors were only interested in examining the ‘company’s books. Now, they literally are involved in every aspect of Information Technology. IT security and compliance with good practices and COBIT (Control Objectives for Information and related Technologies) are now a very serious and almost dominating factor in all IT decision- making. Many companies now spend considerable monies and resources on IT Governance, the catchword for this effort. Entirely new fields of expertise in project management are now critical in the successful management of Information Technology that embody knowledge of the driving forces responsible for a successful operation. Multiple SDLC Concepts Over time, different concepts and ideas have emerged on best practice approaches to developing customer focused software, systems and solutions. All have their strengths and weaknesses, and different SDLC approaches may be appropriate, depending on development team training and preferences, access to customers and end-users, and the degree of control the executive management team desires. ISDLC Phases It’s unrealistic to expect different organizations will have exactly the same structures, processes, activities, roles and responsibilities, and acceptance criteria for managing their development projects. Nevertheless, there are also a lot of commonalities on the type of work that will occur in each SDLC phase, the artifacts that would be used, and how the work can be described, organized and managed. Right-Size your SDLC Implementation Most business systems need to change from time to time, and each new change requirement necessitates executive sponsorship, financial and human resources, IT support, and lifecycle management. By definition, no two projects are alike. In short, corporations and other large entities need Software Development Life Cycle approaches that are flexible enough to be used across all types of business, product, systems and services development needs.416725, 1:36 PM Understanding - Sofware Development Life Cycle Documentation (SOLC) development approaches made a tremendous amount Having said this, it is not expected that “one size fits all” of sense. ‘works when implementing an SDLC Framework. - End of Chapter 3 ‘Top of Page ‘SDLCforms Waterfall forms consist of the critical project charter, business requirements document, project plan, roles and responsibilities matrix, work breakdown structure (WBS), user acceptance test plan, risk and issues logs, project status report, lessons learned, and dozens more, depending on needs and budgets. ‘SDLCforms Waterfall | SOLCforms Waterfall | | | SDLCforms Agile ‘SDLCforms Agile Packages “Individual Forms Packages. Individual Forms — SDLCforms Free Waterfall Forms 4, Software Development Process Model Currently various models are used in the SDLC process. ‘These models include, but are not limited to; Waterfall agile ® prototyping Iterative and Incremental ® Rapid Application Development (RAD) Big Bang ‘The best-known and oldest is called the waterfall model. ‘The following is a summary of the phases used in this traditional process: 1. Project Planning Phase 2. Requirements Definition Phase 3. Design Phase 4. Development Phase 5, Test Phase 6. Installation & Acceptance Phase ‘The process moves to the next step after each step is finished, i.e., the output from a specific phase serves as the initial input for the following phase. 2. Documentation Consultants Model 1. Traditional Waterfall Model See sample diagram below. https shwww sleforms.com/UnderstandingSDLC. html Documentation Consultants has upgraded the traditional waterfall model by providing a more finite definition of the process reflecting today’s concerns. The following is a summary of the phases used in the Documentation Consultants process: |. Project Concept / Initiation Phase . Project Planning Phase System Requirements Phase |. System Design & Development Phase . Testing & Acceptance Phase 3. Project Monitoring And Control Phase Production Turnover / Deployment Phase . Project Closure / Maintenance Phase PNOVewN See sample diagram below.416725, 1:26 PM Understanding - Sofware Development Life Cycle Documentation (SOLC) ning cote Traditional SDLC Waterfall Model ‘SDLCforms forms and templates have been developed to a rigorous standard using Microsoft Styles to define the paragraph types. ‘All text and paragraphs are standardized so you can easily make changes to the forms. SDLCforms Waterfall | SDLCforms Waterfall SDLCforms Agile SDLCforms Agile Packages Individual Forms Packages Individual Forms SDLCforms Free Waterfall Forms 5. Project Concept / Initiation Phase [SDLC Phases Project Concept / Initiation Phase Forms & Templates ‘The eight phases of the Documentation Consultants, SDLC process build upon each other. They take the rips. sdleforms.com/UnderstandingSDLC him! e126416725, 1:36 PM output from the previous phase, add more information, and produce results that are directly traceable to the previous phases. Overview ‘The project concept / initiation phase provides the high level determination if the project is worthwhile, via a review of the project charter, business case, cost-benefit analysis, and definition of the team to move the project forward. This phase includes the work that is necessary to determine the feasibility of pursuing defined business strategies as funded programs and projects. ‘The primary scope of work includes developing a business case, conducting a feasibility study, and performing a cost-benefit analysis. Once those activities are complete, and sponsoring executives have reviewed the analysis and made their final decision to proceed, the project manager will begin to form the project team and review and complete the project initiation checklist. During this strategic assessment phase, businesses executives will review the mission and past strategies to look for areas of improvement, and possibly assess new market, product or service opportunities. However, there's another level of assessment that must occur before investment decisions can be made on which programs and projects to invest in. ‘These assessments delve deeper to determine organizational capabilities that are required to support the mission of the entity, and then determine the scope of work required to implement these capabilities, plus, the feasibility and cost-benefit of investing in developing those capabilities. Such assessments occur during this, phase, Ideally, the concept phase will be conducted in the fiscal year preceding funding and approval of the actual project. The primary deliverable of this phase is the Business Case. Additional analysis performed during this phase include a cost benefit analysis and a feasibility study. These artifacts and related analysis are necessary for an executive management team to have the data they need to make sound determinations on the risks, Return On Investment (ROI), and benefits of funding proposed Project. ‘The next activity considered should be the development of a business plan, especially where a new commercial offering is contemplated. The business case helps determine whether there is a unique value proposition that justifies investments in the proposed project idea or https shwww sleforms.com/UnderstandingSDLC. html Understanding - Sofware Development Life Cycle Documentation (SOLC) Form or ‘Template Description linitiation lAgenda [Provides initial project agenda for a “kick-off” meeting, whereby key |stakeholders and sponsors, and key lbusiness and technology members are identified [Project Charter [Provides the business goals, objectives, [scope and management direction for [starting the project in the Initiation lphase. It sets project expectations and processes to ensure agreement on the lproject approach usin identifies whether there is a potential [Document |business value to the proposed project lidea or initiative before the lorganization commits time, resources land expenditures feasibility [A study that uses business and study technical information and cost data to ldetermine the economic potential and [practicality (i.e., feasibility) of a project [value [completing the Value Proposition [Proposition template will assist an Htemplate _individual/department determine if lthere is value in a proposed lapplication, system or product, often lprovided by an outside vendor or |contractor, and help in the final [decision making process [A one-page summary that identifies Ithe proposed project, opportunities, lbusiness goal, project scope and issues, and alternatives or lecommendations [Provides information that will be lperformed in the project, including business objectives and project |description, such as completion |criteria, risk assessment, constraints, limpact analysis, project success lmeasures, critical success factors, lproject approach, roles and participants [ProjectTeam {This document identifies the business [Definition land technical groups and individuals responsible for the initiation, analysis, |development, testing, installation and lapproval of the project [Stakeholder __ |The Stakeholder Identification lidentification ||provides the capability to identify the list lpeople that could affect or be affected lby any project, to analyze 728416725, 1:36 PM initiative, before the organization commits significant time, resources and expenditures. ‘Assuming the business case analysis indicates there is a unique and viable value proposition, the organization, still needs to determine if the project is feasible. Business Analysts conducting a feasibility study assess business and technical information, projected costs and benefits, risks, issues and constraints to determine if the project is practical from an economic and technical perspective. In addition, where alternative solutions are available, the feasibility study will determine which proposed solution best fits the needs of the organization, and documents recommendations made by the business analysts. In addition, a detailed cost-benefit analysis may be completed in this phase. The purpose of the cost for- benefit analysis is to provide executives and sponsors with the information and metrics they need determine whether the proposed project has sufficient value to justify commitment of time, resources, and funds. While the feasibility study includes some cost-benefit information, the project cost/benefit analysis is more detailed and focused solely on economic value of the proposed solution. This is not to imply that all risks are removed by icluding a concept phase. To the contrary, until a detailed functional and technical requirements analysis has been completed, during the Requirements and Design Phases, itis truly difficult to assess the total scope of work that may be involved in any given project. Nevertheless, the deliverables of the concept phase, as described in the previous paragraphs, help ensure that everyone involved with the project understands the parameters under which the project can be judged a From a practical perspective, no executive sponsor or customer is going to open up their checkbooks without some sort of limits imposed in terms of budget, time and resources, and expectations set on the deliverable that are required to make the project a success. Understanding - Sofware Development Life Cycle Documentation (SOLC) |stakeholder's expectations and their limpact on the project IResource Plan [This document provides a centralized |source for definition of all resources Irequired for a project, including project] lteam size, required resources, facility Ineeds, resource types and sources, project team organization, resource lassumptions, risks and mitigations [concept of [Operations [The Concept of Operations, or |CONoPS, is a Capabilities Needs |Assessment investigation to gain a lUsers' and Stakeholders’ perspective jon a major change initiative. As such, it is both an analysis and a formal [document that describes high-level capabilities requirements that have lbeen identified as necessary to achieve Ithe \n of the IT organization, and its subordinate organizations initiate Project Ichecklist [This checklist provides sample information to use and verify that Imajor initial project functions and ltasks have been completed within the |concept phase in the Project Management Life Cycle End of Chapter 5 ‘Top of Page https shwww sleforms.com/UnderstandingSDLC. html416725, 1:36 PM Understanding - Sofware Development Life Cycle Documentation (SOLC) You can customize the forms (company logo and name, copyright notice, confidentiality statement, et), and then optionally add text, paragraphs and tables, as you would with any Microsoft application. ‘SDLCforms Waterfall | SOLCforms Waterfall | | | SDLCforms Agile ‘SDLCforms Agile Packages “Individual Forms Packages. Individual Forms — ‘SDLCforms Free Waterfall Forms. 6. Project Planning Phase ‘The planning phase establishes an initial view of the intended software product that helps establish the basic project structure, feasibility, risks associated with the project, and describe management and technical methodologies. This phase is where you will utilize the various tools to provide detailed planning over the life of the project to achieve the following objectives: initially, before any detailed planning commences, the Program Management Office (PMO) must verify ‘that mechanisms (such as accounting and procurement data) are in place to provide the data isplay data you will need to accurately collect and in the project ® Establish and document a project organization chart defining the names of the project managers, sponsors, stakeholders, business analysts testers, and affiliated organizations, so everyone clearly understands who the players are on the project, ® Define the roles and responsibilities of these individuals so itis clear as to everyone's role. Once those roles are defined, create a required approvals matrix of the key project activities ‘Fill in development and project estimating worksheets to determine costs. Review those costs to calculate and verify how much of those monies will be expended in capital or expense, as determined by regulatory taxing agency requirements and internal policies Establish a configuration management plan to manage the project baseline if necessary, prepare a procurement plan for any software, hardware or outside services that will be required in the project ® Prepare a statement of work defining the business objectives ® Prepare work breakdown structure (WBS) components in 3 steps: https shwww sleforms.com/UnderstandingSDLC. html Project Planning Phase Forms & Templates Form or Description Template [Project [The Project Management Office |Management _||checklist provides the capability to loffice(PMO) [determine if the Information Icheckti [Technology (IT) Program Management loffice (PMO) has provided the functions and tools to achieve a |successful environment in support of lboth executive management and the lproject managers responsible for individual IT projects [Statement of _ |[Provides information that will be lWork lperformed in the project, including lbusiness objectives and project |description, such as completion |criteria, risk assessment, constraints, limpact analysis, project success lmeasures, critical success factors, lproject approach, roles and participants [This document formalizes approval for {the project by all contributors Document [Cost Estimating |[This Excel spreadsheet provides the Worksheet —_|/opportunity to estimate and budget Wvarious IT costs [Development _ |[This Excel spreadsheet provides the [Estimating _ opportunity to estimate development Worksheet _|costs for prototyping, user interfaces / leports / databases / tables, objects land integration/jobs [Project Capital [This Excel spreadsheet provides the lvs.Expense —_|/opportunity to estimate various capital Icosts jand expense costs for a project including IT resources, external professional services, hardware,416725, 1:36 PM 1. Provide a WBS activity worksheet to Subject ‘Matter Experts (SMEs)so that they may initially define the scope of work required for each activity and task in the project 2. Prepare a WBS resource planning template for WBS tasks containing the tasks broken down by estimated hours and % of time required by each skill set. When complete, determination can accurately be made of the total number of hours required of each skill set 3. Prepare the Work Breakdown Structure delineating the tasks '® Prepare a risk analysis plan defining the process for identifying and resolving risks. Incorporate a risk information data collection form so that once risks are identified each risk can subsequently be ‘quantified, analyzed and resolved Prepare a project plan to establish project control by defining the sequence, estimated schedule and responsibilities for implementing each task https shwww sleforms.com/UnderstandingSDLC. html Understanding - Sofware Development Life Cycle Documentation (SOLC) |communications, software licenses and isupplies [Data Collection Form [Configuration [The Configuration Management (CM) [Management _|plan informs project stakeholders [Plan labout how CM is used to manage the lproject, what tools are used, and how [they will be implemented to achieve project success (Risk [During the course of a project, linformation _||potential risks can be identified by a Imyriad of sources. The Project Risk information Data Collection Form's lpurpose is to provide a vehicle for [capturing detail information on any of [those risks for analysis and evaluation Provides a medium to record a risk lanalysis of the project, and is used to keep track of potential risks that may lieopardize the project's success or [completion date IMatrix [Procurement _ [Provides procedures and information [Plan ito acquire hardware, software, lvendors, or other needed items. It lassists in determining what to acquire, |when and how [Project know who the key “decision makers" [Organization are on your project via a Visio \chart lgraphical diagram naming the PMO lpersonnel, sponsors, stakeholders and business analysts including the [collaborating organizations such as infrastructure, design, quality lassurance, ete. [Roles and [Displays key project activities and |details the responsibilities for each tionary Form| individual or role across every functional department [Required Provides a matrix of key project lApprovals lactivities (e.g., functions, tasks, IMatrix [documents or phases), and who is lresponsible for approving them [Activity [The WBS Activity Worksheet is made IWorksheet in _|javailable to Subject Matter Experts IWork (SMEs) to define the scope of work [Breakdown _ [required for each activity and task Istructure |within the work breakdown structure. |For the entries made in this worksheet, jaccurate and activity and task |descriptions can be compiled and itracked for variance during the course lof a project Ee [Breakdown [The Work Breakdown Structure IResource Planning Template provides a sore416725, 1:36 PM Understanding - Sofware Development Life Cycle Documentation (SOLC) Istructure [Resource [Planning [Template Imatrix of WBS tasks with the lestimated duration of each task in lhours with % of time required by the various skill sets to contribute to the tasks, summarized by total hours Irequired for those skill sets [Work [Breakdown IStructure Provides a work breakdown structure ltable that includes the tasks to be |completed within a small project in lieu of a more formal Project Plan [COBIT Checklist land Review [The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, including |coBIT checklist and Review, provides lfor a standardized structure for linformation Technology (IT) \governance, accounting controls and |compliance. COBIT Control Objectives lfocus on specific, detailed objectives Irelated with each IT process [a Request for Information (RFI) is used |to solicit information from qualified lvendors on the products and services \they recommend addressing your lbusiness problem or functionality [Root Cause Janalysis identifies the root cause of a problem jand the recommendations for a |solution, including the date the lproblem was encountered, summary jof the problem, duration of the lproblem, impacted business units and lapplications, and the recommended laction and follow-up [Project Plan [This Ms Project document establishes lboth project execution and project |control. It shows when and how a lproject’s objectives are to be achieved lby depicting the status of the major lproducts, milestones, activities and resources required on the project List of Opportunities \Summary Provides a master list communication {tool that summarizes project. jopportunities, including opportunity |description, priority, target date for [delivery and owner End of Chapter 6 Top of Page ‘Waterfall packages can be purchased at extremely low cost, especialy beneficial in that you can buy the Ultimate Package of 100 forms at $2.49 per form. Agile packages can be purchased at $4.95 per form. https shwww sleforms.com/UnderstandingSDLC. html nee416725, 1:36 PM Understanding - Sofware Development Life Cycle Documentation (SOLC) ‘SDLCforms Waterfall | SOLCforms Waterfall | | | SDLCforms Agile SDLCforms Agile Packages “Individual Forms Packages. Individual Forms — SDLCforms Free Waterfall Forms 7, Requirements Definition Phase This phase starts with gathering the high-level requirements and refining them according to project. goals. ‘These requirements define the major functions of the intended application or system. Major functions include critical processes to be managed, including mission critical inputs, outputs, and reports. The Requirements Definition Phase of the SDLC includes the scope of work necessary to define, analyze and document business and end-user requirements. When developing under a structured type of SDLC, requirements may be further refined within Functional and Non-Functional Requirements documents. System requirements definition or analysis phase requires deeper thought, when compared to the feasibility studies and cost benefit analysis efforts described in the concept phase, in terms of understanding the capabilities, features and functions end-users will need to support the business enterprise. ‘The requirements phase is typically divided into two distinct activities: requirements gathering and requirements analysis. In addition, depending on the type of product under development, these two activities are required across business, end-user, functional, and technical needs. But there's much more to requirements than these rather straightforward activities. Often times, in order to derive the needs of the organization it's useful to first document how things are currently done today. This type of requirements analysis is referred to as the current state or "as is" assessment. The as is assessment helps the business analyst not only document how things are currently done, but also delve deeper into understanding how and where things are not working very well. Next, the business analysts) will work with stakeholders, end-users and customers to-determine what capabilities they require to be more effective in the work or activities they perform, and will therefore seek https shwww sleforms.com/UnderstandingSDLC. html Requirements Definition Phase Forms & Templates Form or Description Template [Managing Provides a checklist of numerous ltopics to help manage the scope and requirements for a project. The list |works to gain customer agreement and |scope creep that pushes out project |completion and project costs [Business [Defines the general business [Requirements [requirements for the project. Identifies Document lbusiness and end user requirements, lproblems or issues, project information, process information, and {training and documentation lrequirements [Business [This document provides a PowerPoint |Requirements _||presentation "shell" to incorporate and| Presentation To |[review the project business \Stakeholders —|/requirements with the stakeholders, jand business units sponsoring the project [Functional _ [Defines the functional requirements [Requirements _|lfor the project including the different Document levels of business and end user lrequirements, and the functional areas| lof the business processes [Software [This document provides a larchitecture ||comprehensive architectural overview [Plan lof the system, using a number of |different architectural views to depict |different aspects of the system. It intended to capture and convey the lsignificant architectural decisions |which have been made on the system [Defines the business requirements for ithe project using a use case lmethodology, and includes problems jor issues to be resolved, objectives or luse Case {Template ran416725, 1:36 PM feedback on how things could be done better in the future. This type of analysis provides a description of the future state, and is often described as a "to be” assessment. This type of analysis can also be called a capabilities needs assessment. Once the as is assessment and to be analysis are complete, the business analyst will turn their attention to developing a "gap analysis.” This is an important step that determines the magnitude of change that is required to move the "system" from how things are done today to how they need to be done in the future. Here we are intensely using the term the system again because the scope of change management any or all the enablers of the business. Asan example, a new business requirements may drive changes in the software that facilitates the business process. However, the software itself can drive changes to the business process, either by providing performance support to the end-users, making the process more efficient, adding new capabilities, and/or providing information more readily than was available before. ‘The business requirements for the implementation of new features and functions may require changes to the underlying IT infrastructure, including servers, networks, storage devices, etc. Since we are changing business processes the skills and roles of our people may have to change. And, of course, it’s possible that new equipment and technologies are also involved to implement the new business requirements. In short, what may have initially seemed as a relatively simple business requirement can evolve into quite a complex system indeed. Professional project managers will see this kind of complex project dynamics if they spent any time in IT at all, As a real-world example, this author has managed a project where there were eight seemingly simple business sponsor requirements (e.g. Customer) - each requirement described in one or two paragraphs - drove no less than 70 work orders of new features and functions that had to be implemented in the existing software. ‘The complexity of the system led to evaluation and procurement of new software testing and performance tools, as manual methods became increasingly slow and expensive. New servers had to be procured and deployed, and no less than four business processes and their related procedures had to be updated to. accommodate the new business changes. And of course, the systems documentation and user guides also had to be updated, plus new training aids https shwww sleforms.com/UnderstandingSDLC. html Understanding - Sofware Development Life Cycle Documentation (SOLC) |zoals, solution to be implemented, and |why the solution is being implemented [Requirements [Provides a sample quality assurance [document to verify at a glance that Imajor requirements functions and ltasks have been completed [A method that is used to verify the lassociation between the requirements \shown in the Requirements / |specifications and other project. |documents, including design and ltesting documentation. Testing ensures| |that the requirements have been implemented correctly based on the |design and Requirements Traceability \matrix pact ||perform an impact analysis of [Provides detailed information to Irequirement changes, including lproposed change implications, system |components and elements affected by \the change, and estimated schedule land cost impacts raining Plan [Supports the use and maintenance of Ithe specific system or application, and includes information about training |courses and the tools and techniques {that will be used [Service Level _|[Formalizes an arrangement between [agreement —_|lyour company and the client to deliver [Template |specific support services, at specific levels of support, and at an agreed- lupon cost 138416725, 1:36 PM and wikis to support the overall deployment had to be developed and deployed. End of Chapter 7 Understanding - Sofware Development Life Cycle Documentation (SOLC) ‘Top of Page SDLCforms has been developed by seasoned project managers, business analysts and technical writers, utilizing their vast ‘experience, since 2007. ‘SDLCforms Waterfall | SOLCforms Waterfall | | | SDLCforms Agile ‘SDLCforms Agile Packages “Individual Forms Packages. Individual Forms — SDLCforms Free Waterfall Forms 8. System Design Phase ‘The design phase starts with approved requirements as for each requirement or requirement set. Design elements describe the software functions and features in detail. It usually includes functional diagrams, screen layouts, business rules, business process diagrams, and an entity- relationship diagram with a full data dictionary. Design elements describe the software in sufficient detall that the developer can build the software with minimal additional input. The technical specialists begin to translate the requirements into specific design solutions that will create the systems, features, and functions that are necessary to achieve the business and functional requirements. In the previous requirements definition phase, the focus was on defining specific capabilities desired by and in support of the organization, and its customers and end-users. In the system design phase the attention turns to defining systems and technical requirements. This is also the phase where prototyping is likely to occur, as a prototype can serve as a bridge between requirements, design and development. A prototype can be as simple as a mockup of the proposed screen layouts, while a more complex prototype may have selected business rules instantiated as work flows within the application with active fields to capture and show data or information. https shwww sleforms.com/UnderstandingSDLC. html [System Design Phase Forms & Templates Form or Template Description [Provides more details to the project's high level requirements, including [detailed information so that the Isystem can be built to satisfy the |system requirements and quality. It includes product/functional requirements, user characteristics, loperating environment, security and regulatory specifications, disaster lrecovery and data specifications [Provides detailed information to [Design lperform and analysis and design of a [Document _[system, including topics of current and future software architecture processes, interfaces, data flow, infrastructures, |components, integration, and security [Application __|[Provides a list of 50+ tasks that need to lbe considered within an application [development project [Defines the technical requirements for {the project to a sufficient level of detail Document _to develop a system design and to lallow testers to test the system [Database [The Database Design Document maps ithe logical data model to the target sane416725, 1:36 PM Once the project is approved and properly planned, for a fairly large project, requirements gathering, analysis and documentation can take 6 to 8 weeks to complete. In addition, the Design Phase can also take 6 to 8 week to complete, with perhaps a couple of weeks in overlap between the Requirements and Design Phases. What this means is the first 10 to 12 weeks of the project, be spent on requirements and design related activities before development can start. Add in another 2.to 4 weeks for initial project planning, and development should not be expected to start until 12 to 14 weeks into the project. Short changing these activities in a Structured, Waterfall approach to development will almost always lead to Scope Creep, as the project team will not have taken sufficient time to fully gather, analysis, document and vet their findings. Scope creep is where the project expands beyond the approved budget and schedules - not a good thing to have happen. End of Chapter 8 Understanding - Sofware Development Life Cycle Documentation (SOLC) [Document _||database management system with [consideration to the system's lperformance requirements. The [Database Design converts logical or lconceptual data constructs to physical |storage constructs (e.g., tables, files) of ithe target Database Management [System (DBMS) Provides a checklist of numerous ltopics to consider when designing and |devetoping a new website [User interface [Provides a template for structured [Design lapproach to fill in detailed business [Template land technical information for design land development of a user interface ue. a screen) [Report Design [Provides numerous topics to filin [Template |detailed business and technical information for the design and |development of a report [code Review |[Provides numerous topics to fill in Ichecka |detailed business and technical information for the design and [development of a report [Conversion Plan][Describes the strategies involved in the [conversion of a system or application Top of Page SDLCforms Agile packages range from the Planning Package consisting of 10 forms, that covers the Envision and Speculate phases, to the Status Package consisting of 20 forms, covering the Envision, Speculate, Explore and Adapt phases. ‘SDLCforms Waterfall | SOLCforms Waterfall | | | SDLCforms Agile ‘SDLCforms Agile Packages “Individual Forms Packages. Individual Forms — ‘SDLCforms Free Waterfall Forms. 9. Testing Phase Software features and functions are tested during the test phase, generally in a separate test environment. ‘There are various types of tests (e.g., unit, integration, system, stress), but all test cases are run to verify the correctness and completeness of the software. https shwww sleforms.com/UnderstandingSDLC. html ‘Testing Phase Forms & Templates Form or Description Template 15128416725, 1:36 PM Successful test execution validates the efficiency and effectiveness of the requirements and design. ‘The testing phase actually overlaps with requirements, design and development phases. It's critical that the test plan, test scenarios and test cases reflect all the business, end-user, customer, and architecture and design requirements - as defined within the Requirements traceability matrix (RTM). There are many types of testing that may have to be included in the overall test plan. For example, there is at least one self-proclaimed expert who states there are at least 100 different types of software tests that can be conducted. Over the course of, your project management careers you may be exposed to any number of these testing requirements. ‘The Testing Phase of the SDLC includes the scope of work necessary to analyze and document testing requirements to ensure the solution will implement desired capabilities and perform in accordance with all customer, business, and end-user requirements. End-users will test and validate conformance of the user interfaces, screens, data fields, data flows, and reports that enable the business processes and/ or user functionality. Technical testers will ensure the underlying hardware, software, network, database, work flow, and security components conform to architectural, design and performance requirements. Independent Software Quality Assurance (QA) tests will confirm the development team has followed the organization's quality processes and procedures, and that the solution meets established quality metrics. Another independent group will conduct additional tests to verify the solution meets requirements, and validates the system meets the customer's needs. Defects and bugs that are uncovered d be documented and prioritized. All critical defects fixed prior to going into production. ing testing will Ibe https shwww sleforms.com/UnderstandingSDLC. html Understanding - Sofware Development Life Cycle Documentation (SOLC) [Documentation |[Provides the capability to perform a lauality |documentation quality assurance [assurance (QA) ||review prior to delivery and IChecklist implementation [Building Test _|[Testing scenarios are hypothetical \Scenarios |stories used to assist an individual to Ithink through a complex problem or lsystem. Scenarios are useful for lsurfacing requirements-related |controversies, and to relate to those |documented requirements [Test Plan [This document provides a central lartifact to govern the strategic lapproach of the test effort; it defines {the general approach to be employed |when testing the software and when levaluating the results of that testing. Planning documents will refer to the ltest strategy regarding the governing lof detailed testing work [System Quality [Verifies that various project lassurance Imanagement, methodology, testing, Ichecklist |configuration management, and [documentation and records lmanagement principles and standards Ihave been applied to a project |Website Testing ||Provides summary information and {Summary |checklists for web quality assurance [Template Itesting. Each checklist table provides [questions or statements for which the tester responds with a Yes/No answer land respective comments where lapplicable. Completion of the |checklists will help ensure the lapplications, functions, or features lmeet adequate quality assurance lbefore being moved to production for lend-user utilization [Documents all system requirements |denoted in the requirements, |specifications, and design |documentation to plan and execute lunit, system and integration tests that lensure a high level of compliance [user IProvides management an overview of lacceptance Test||the system, applications, functions and [Plan (UAT) _features that are to be tested in the UAT process. The plan and tests lprovide guidance to the management, |staff and business owners that the lapplication works as expected [Testing Bug _|[This report provides the ability to |Report Irecord details about an individual testing bug detected during unit, 16128416725, 1:36 PM Understanding - Sofware Development Life Cycle Documentation (SOLC) |system, integration and user jacceptance testing, including the bug lname, area description, bug |description, severity, status, priority, tester name, date tested, environment, test manager and tester names, Imethod of testing, and who the bug |was assigned to [Testing Bug List |/This list provides a status of all bugs [detected during unit, system, integration and user acceptance ltesting, by defining the test case ID, lbug name, bug description, severity, Istatus, date tested, and type of testing lmethod utilized [Regression _ [Provides general information about lTesting Pian _||systems or applications that require regression testing, including why testing is required, functional business lareas affected and testing timeline [Project [The document formalizes acceptance [Acceptance —_of the project, and describes the [Document lproducts and services the customer received ‘SDLCforms Agile forms include the Agile Iteration Retrospective, Sprint Planning & Meeting Schedule, Sprint Backlog Status, Planning Poker Companion, Sprint Burn-Up and Burndown Charts, and a Sprint Velocity Chart, plus 10 more forms. SDLCforms Waterfall | [SDLCforms Waterfall |[ SDLCforms Agile | SDLCforms Agile Packages _ Individual Forms Packages Individual Forms SDLCforms Free Waterfall Forms 10. Project Monitoring and Control Phase ‘The project monitoring and control phase is where you become the watchdog over the project via data that is collected from project, technical, and frequent status ‘meetings, including the identification of risks, issues and action items that may be identified as the project evolves. It is important to accurately keep record of changes that hhave occurred to the baseline over the life of the project. https shwww sleforms.com/UnderstandingSDLC. html Project Monitoring and Control Phase Forms & Templates Form or Template Description [Action Item lstatus [This document provides that status of lal project action items, including the 78416725, 1:36 PM ‘These changes will be very important when you are assessing what modifications to your processes, in conjunction with lessons learned sessions with stakeholders, are required to improve subsequent projects. Tools that should be utilized and continually updated include: The risks, issues and action item status will all be played in a project status report to ensure that all, stakeholders are continually aware of the status of these items A change Management Log to record those changes ® An Action Item Status containing action items that You will most likely assign and trackin your frequent Status meetings. This continuous status wil afford you the opportunity te keep your foot on the neck of individuals to ensure they complete these action items accurately and in a timely manner. ° Record risks ina Risk Management Log capturing the risk, impact onthe project, probablty of ‘occurrence, timeline, the response and action completed to resolve any risks before they become a threat to completion of the project within budget and schedule ® jssues are one of the most critical aspects accounting for project failure. First of all, utilize a form to collect pertinent data on any potential issue, and then add al issues to a issue management log to ascertain the status of any issue at a glance ® Keeping track of project milestones is another critical factor. Identify all project milestones in a project milestone status form, and continually update same with any changes to that baseline, including the milestone/task status ® Whenever the project Manager or technical managers hold meetings, the minutes of these meetings should be documented in a meeting summary for wide dissemination Understanding - Sofware Development Life Cycle Documentation (SOLC) item number and description, the jassigned, due and resolved dates, the jowner, priority and the current status lof the item k IManagement [The Risk Management Register is a lmanagement tool that identifies, lassesses, and records recommended jactions that management must take to lalleviate the risk potential down to lacceptable levels Issue Identification land Resolution [This document is used to individually ldentify/document each issue that may} impact a project, and identify who |created and resolved the issue, the type of issue, potential alternatives land recommendations, provide an lestimate of the resources, man hours land costs, and management actions Ithat were taken to resolve the issue istatus Form lissues [The Issues Management Log provides [Management _ [the ability to initially identify the issue, lLog lhow the issue is assessed by the lproject team, and what the response / lactions are to resolve the issue [Project (Milestone, |capturing the latest status of due date, |completion date, and the Imilestone/task status (in-process, completed or delinquent), milestones, lzoals, or tasks including the Imilestone/task description, person |responsible for that milestone/task [cosrr laudit Activity, [Report [The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, including |coBIT Checklist and Review, provides lfor a standardized structure for linformation Technology (IT) lgovernance, accounting controls and |compliance. COBIT Control Objectives lfocus on specific, detailed objectives Irelated with each IT process [Summarizes the project status, including project activity, information labout the project, problems or delays, issues, planned activities for next period, and deliverables description land status [Meeting \Summary [The Meeting Summary documents lmeeting date and time, participants, lmeeting minutes, conclusions and laction item tracking https shwww sleforms.com/UnderstandingSDLC. html 8128416725, 1:36 PM Understanding - Sofware Development Life Cycle Documentation (SOLC) Top of Page All SDLCforms forms and templates are replete with “blue line” text offering you guidance as to the contents of each entry in sections, paragraphs and tables within the documents. ‘SDLCforms Waterfall | SOLCforms Waterfall | | | SDLCforms Agile ‘SDLCforms Agile Packages “Individual Forms Packages. Individual Forms — SDLCforms Free Waterfall Forms. 11. Production Turnover / Deployment Phase This phase provides for production installation and customer acceptance of the software, and requires that all test cases were run to verify the successful software execution, correctness, and completeness. The Production Turnover/ Deployment Phase of the SDLC includes the scope of work necessary to deploy the final solution into its target production environments plus create guides for installation, system administration, system operations and end-user functionality. In addition, a detailed plan needs to be created for implementing the solution across the organization. The Production Implementation Plan is especially important when the solution will be deployed across a number of environments that are maintained by different In addition, a production turnover approval process is required to ensure the receiving organizations have agreed the solution is operating as intended, that their sustainment organizations are trained and ready to assume responsibility for maintaining the solutions, that their help desk organizations are properly trained and ready to support end-users, and formal acknowledgment that the customers or end-user organizations have assumed full control over the solutions, This approval may not come until after a warranty period has expired to ensure the sustainment and supporting organizations have had adequate time for knowledge transfer, and that no critical bugs show up in the deployed solution. ‘This phase includes activities spanning deployment of the solution and production turnover to the support and https shwww sleforms.com/UnderstandingSDLC. html Production Turnover / Deployment Phase Forms & Templates Form or Description Template [Process Guide [Provides information about a system, lapplication or process instructions, procedures, and process flows, which lare shown in step-by-step text format las well as visual graphics [installation [Provides information for the Planning Guide |linstallation of the system, application jor data, including installation strategy, planning and risk factors, and security [Software User IGuide Provides training or reference information for using the system, lproduct, application or data. The Guide| lexplains the major components, lbenefits, access information, and lnavigation instructions Provides procedures and information 1 [to administer and maintain a system, lproduct or application, and includes an joverview, data assets, processing, \server and database administration, land backup instructions [Provides procedures and information ito run a system, product or lapplication. It includes scheduled joperations, unique tasks, |troubleshooting, auditing, and best lpractices [Production __ Provides the last step in formal limplementation||approval and implementation of the [Plan project. It identifies the objectives, 19126416725, 1:36 PM product sustainment groups. Deployment typically involves installation and configuration of software on centralized servers that can be accessed by end-users across the corporate networks or via Internet access. However, today software is also deployed as a component of standalone products, equipment or systems. In those cases, deployment will also include the activities to ship the product out to customers and inter- users, plus assembly of the final solution, where required. ‘The folks who manage the production environment and sustain the deployed solution are not usually the development folks who were maintaining the engineering and test environments or the software during the development and testing phases. In the production turnover phase, various "Guides" are developed and provided to the production support team to help them understand how to install, maintain, backup and recover the system. ‘The production support staff also have to be trained fully before they can install and manage the new software or system. In addition, for business-critical applications, it's important that every step involved in standing up the ew system, migrating production data, testing the new system, and bringing down the old system are planned, approved and managed carefully. ‘The consequences of a failure at this stage are the shutdown of critical business processes that are enabled by the system, and resulting disruption to the business as a whole. Finally, inter-users must also be trained on both the new system or system enhancements and any changes to the affected business processes. Understanding - Sofware Development Life Cycle Documentation (SOLC) impacted devices, production delivery |steps, technical support information, lhardware and software components, testing and acceptance, Irollback/contingency plan, and lrequired training and documentation pr 12 | Provides a process that ensures {Turnover [changes to the production lApproval lenvironment are planned, approved, ltested, executed, and reviewed in a |systematic efficient and controlled End of Chapter 11 - ‘Top of Page All 30LCforms packages or individual forms are immediately downloaded to the server of your choice upon purchase, so you can hhave your own customized SDLC process up and running within days. SDLCforms Waterfall | SDLCforms Waterfall | | SDLCforms Agile - SDLCforms Agile Packages _ Individual Forms Packages Individual Forms — SDLCforms Free Waterfall Forms https shwww sleforms.com/UnderstandingSDLC. html 20124