Software development is currently of the most lucrative fields out there and many people are interested in becoming a software developer. Anyone in software development definitely has come across various types of methodologies in software development. One type of methodology is known as lean methodology, and it has got various advantages and disadvantages to offer to the users. Let’s take a look at lean methodology in software development and what a newcomer should know about it.
A look at lean methodology:
- Although it is easier to get a clear cut definition of other methodologies in software development, it can be quite difficult to come across a clear one for lean methodology. There are no clear definitions of lean by professionals. This term was actually used first, based on the Toyota Production System model of the manufacturing organization. But, on the other hand, this is generally considered as a sub-framework in the Agile.
- Many people are actually confused between agile and lean and when to use the lean software development method. A clear understanding of lean methodology helps one to decide whether to opt for this methodology or not. Both of these software development methodologies were introduced to deal with the shortcomings of other software development methodologies such as Waterfall methodologies. These were designed to offer an approach that is customer focused. The widely used yet less efficient methodologies weren’t able to offer a fast response to the quick changes and demands of the market and factors such as new technologies and offering software products that are bug-free in a consistent manner. The new methodologies were developed to be efficient with a lot of advantages that were missing from the existing ones, helping any software development team to be highly efficient and productive so that they can offer the best software products to their clients.
- Dr Charette was the one who first proposed about a lean software development methodology, in order to create organizations that were tolerant to any type of changes and were becoming heavily dependent on software products.
- There are 5 goals of the lean software development methodology. And these are one-third of each of human effort, time, investment, hours of development, and the adaptability efforts.
- There are various principles of lean software development methodology. The efforts by the team, satisfaction of the customers, the participation of the customers, money value, completion of the project, adapting to any changes, minimalism, and minding the limit are some of the principles of lean software development methodology.
- On the other hand, there are also various principles of lean software methodology of Poppendieck. These principles are the elimination of the wastes, seeing the complete procedure, creating product integrity, making a decision as fast as possible and as late as possible, amplification of learning, and finally the empowerment of the team.
- In lean software development, the automated analysis software is a great help as it offers help in the elimination of the waste and in making integrity verification. It also helps to eliminate any disadvantages that would have occurred due to the practices of rapid development.