How to Ensure Quality Control When Outsourcing Software Development
When starting a software project, choosing the right development methodology is critical. Two of the most common approaches are Agile and Waterfall—each with its strengths and use cases. The choice between them can shape your product roadmap, team workflow, and final outcome.
What is Waterfall Development?
Waterfall is a linear and sequential development process. Each phase—requirements, design, development, testing, deployment—is completed before the next begins. It’s ideal for projects with fixed scope and well-defined requirements.
Pros of Waterfall:
Predictable timelines and budget
Easy to manage in traditional project environments
Well-suited for regulatory or compliance-heavy industries
Cons of Waterfall:
Limited flexibility once development starts
Difficult to accommodate changes
Risk of delivering a product that no longer fits user needs by the end
What is Agile Development?
Agile is an iterative and flexible approach. Work is broken into sprints (typically 1–2 weeks), with continuous feedback, testing, and adjustments throughout the project lifecycle.
Pros of Agile:
High adaptability to change
Faster time-to-market with incremental releases
Involves users throughout the process for validation
Encourages collaboration and transparency
Cons of Agile:
Requires active stakeholder involvement
May be harder to estimate total cost upfront
Needs an experienced team to manage Agile rituals properly
Which One is Right for Your Project?
Choose Waterfall if:
You have a fixed scope and budget
Stakeholders require detailed documentation
Your industry has strict regulations or compliance requirements
Choose Agile if:
Your project scope may evolve
You’re building a new product or MVP
You want to test and iterate based on user feedback
You need faster releases and incremental improvements