Difficulties in the development of IT projects often arise not because of technical mistakes, but due to a lack of clear structure in the development process. When a team skips the testing phase or fails to document requirements, the product is released with defects or does not meet business expectations. SDLC exists as a response to this problem, structuring the entire software creation cycle from idea to operation.
The Software Development Life Cycle is a structured process for creating software that covers all stages from the initial idea to the product’s retirement. It is not just a set of rules, but a methodology that helps teams avoid chaos, control quality, and predict timelines. SDLC defines what needs to be done at each stage, who is responsible for it, and what outcome should be achieved.
Key stages of the software development life cycle
Unlike ad hoc development, where decisions are made on the fly, SDLC defines a clear sequence of actions. This allows the team to move in sync and helps the business understand which stage the project is at and when to expect results.
Planning lays the foundation of the project. At this stage, business goals are defined, resources are assessed, the team is formed, and a roadmap is created. For example, before developing a CRM system, the team analyzes current sales processes, identifies weak points, and formulates functional requirements.
Requirements analysis turns business needs into technical documentation. Analysts work with the client, clarify usage scenarios, and describe how the system should behave. This stage prevents situations where developers build something that does not meet business needs.
Design defines the architecture of the future system. Engineers choose the technology stack, design the database, define APIs, and create interface prototypes. Decisions are made here about whether the application will be a monolith or use microservices, which database will be used, and how authentication will be organized.
Development is the process of writing code based on the design documentation. The team follows established standards, uses version control, and conducts code reviews. At this stage, architectural decisions are turned into working code.
Testing ensures the product meets requirements and identifies defects before release. QA engineers write test cases and check functionality, performance, and security. Automated tests catch regressions with every code change.
Deployment moves the application from the testing environment to production. This process includes server configuration, data migration, and monitoring stability after launch.
Maintenance begins after release. The team fixes bugs, issues updates, analyzes usage metrics, and plans new features based on user feedback.
SDLC Models
To make the development stages as effective as possible, an appropriate SDLC model is chosen for the project. Different models organize the lifecycle phases differently: they may change the order, the degree of iteration, and the feedback points, optimizing the process for the specific goals of the product.
- Waterfall assumes a strictly sequential progression through the stages and is suitable for projects with fixed requirements, such as systems with high regulatory demands.
- Agile is based on iterative development. The product evolves in short cycles with continuous feedback, which is why this approach has become the standard for most web applications.
- DevOps complements the SDLC with automation for delivery and maintenance. CI/CD pipelines and monitoring enable frequent updates without compromising stability.
The choice of model depends on business requirements, product complexity, and the rate of change: stable conditions favor predictability, while dynamic environments require flexibility.
Planning to launch a web project? Company Yelk provides web solutions following structured SDLC processes—from initial requirements analysis to production support. With years of development experience, we establish transparent workflows where each project phase has clearly defined quality criteria. Leveraging modern development methodologies and CI/CD tools, we ensure predictable timelines and reliable results at every stage of the product lifecycle.