According to incremental model, the product creation process is divided into diverse builds. Thus, development cycle reminds “multistage” model. Each cycle is divided into smaller stages, and management and work monitoring process become easier.
Each such module passes the set of certain phases: requirements, designing, realization, and testing. The release version of the software product will be available right on the first module. The new functions are added to the release version of the product with each release. The process will continue until the system development is fully completed.
The team creates the product gradually, step-by-step, and at each step a certain type of checking is executed (integration testing, system testing, functional testing, unit checking, acceptance testing, retesting, and regression testing, and so on).
What are the pluses of incremental model?
- Quick generation of the working software.
- The model is rather agile - the changes during designing the requirements and scopes of work will not cause heavy expenses.
- The user reaction may be checked and achieved at each of the builds.
- Risks reduction. The areas with high risk for each working cycle may be easily detected and solved.
Among minuses of the development with using incremental model, the following ones may be specified:
- the process performance depends on planning and designing level;
- the full and accurate defining of all system is required before it will be divided and incrementally created;
- the total cost of the development process will be higher, in comparison with the waterfall model.