Software Development Life Cycle: Insource vs Outsource

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Software Development Life Cycle: Insource vs Outsource

After hearing the hype and realizing the alluring advantages of outsourcing, many companies are weighing the options of outsourcing vs insourcing when developing a software application. Software development requires intricate planning, skilled implementation, and thorough testing. Understanding the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is important in order to track project progress throughout the software development whether this task remains in house or is outsourced overseas. This executive summary will first outline the eight steps of SDLC and then offer some suggestions about what to consider when deciding to outsource ACME Media’s CRM software or keep this development in house.

8 Steps of the SDLC methodology:

The first step to define the project is to check its feasibility. After testing the feasibility, requirements are gathered. The requirements phase focuses on what the software will do in an effort that views all stakeholders, including potential users, as important sources of information. The design phase considers the overall structure of the software and defines the strategy for its development. The requirements and design phase are believed to be the most critical part of the SDLC. Any flaw in this phase may prove very expensive for further stages of the life cycle. (Catherine, 2006) Once you have the design down the next step is to build the application. Testing is another crucial stage of SDLC that determines how the application functions and if it’s effective. This phase also identifies bugs or errors that are in the software. After the finished software is fully developed and tested it’s time for the installation. Once the application...

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...t.” (Bremner, 2008) As companies continue to look for ways to cut costs and improve efficiencies the decision to outsource or keep projects within the company are becoming more important. It’s essential to understand the eight steps of the SDLC model and evaluate the risks and rewards of outsourcing application development.

Works Cited

Ambler, Scott. (2010). Justifying a Software Development Project. Ambysoft. Retrieved www.ambysoft.com

Bremner, Jonathan. (2008). 5 Tips for IT Outsourcing. Accuwiz. Retrieved www.accuwiz.com/outsourcing-success

Catherine, Anne. (March 6, 2006). Basic Steps Leading to A Strong Product. Ezine @rticles. retrieved www.ezinearticles.com/software-development-life-cycle

Larson, Elizabeth. (2011). Projects without Borders. Project Times. Retrieved www.projecttimes.com/requirements-management

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