Benefits of Iterative Development
Iterative development refers to delivering various parts of an application or system at frequent intervals, known as iterations. Iterations are made of various activities such as conducting analysis, forming application parts and then testing them. Eventually, certain functionalities may be integrated to the final merchandise. The advantages of iterative development are many as shown below.
1. Allows earlier adjustments
In general, iterative development allows for earlier adjustments during development, rather than when everything is already finished. You are provided the chance to envisage the outcomes of every interval or iteration and express any preferences or concerns as the venture evolves. This approach allows users to witness how the project is progressing and make all the necessary changes.
2. Better corrective actions
Since corrective actions in iterative development are normally done at every interval, they are highly accurate and specific. These corrective measures are also effective as they reflect the outcome of the specific iteration. Moreover, iterative development is much more adjustable to changes as it considers them like a vital portion of the development cycle, instead of a bother.
3. Reduced time
The time needed for successive intervals or iterations may be lessened depending on the knowledge gained from past intervals. The system therefore grows through adding new functionalities in the development part of all iterations. Furthermore, since all iterations tackle a small requirement set, time is lessened as the testing evolves.
4. Provides control
With iterative development, a project manager can control the progress through all iterations, which only last a couple of weeks. This way, the manager can evaluate the condition and have better margins of maneuverability if any problems occur. Actually, project managers using iterative development can easily evaluate the effect of adjustments on the final delivery dates.
However, because many intervals or iterations may be introduced into a project, iterative development can thus causes cost overruns and project delays.
