Waterfall methodology vs Agile: What is the difference between Waterfall and Agile

Differences between Waterfall and Agile methodologies and work processes

Waterfall vs. Agile｜Differences in Methodology and Work Process

Waterfall has a fixed schedule and budget, and requires careful planning in advance to predict the future. It requires a large product to be completed in a single cycle.

Agile, on the other hand, divides a project into several functions, services, or phases of development. Therefore, improvements are made repeatedly in small units in response to real-time customer needs and feedback, and the project flexibly responds to changes in the business. In other words, a large product is divided into smaller units and completed in multiple cycles in an agile manner.

Waterfall Methodology and Work Process

In waterfall, the process of all functions to be developed is divided into “requirements,” “planning,” “design,” “analysis,” “execution,” and “testing. Once a process is completed, it is moved to the next process and there is no going back. Each process is handled by a designated engineer, who prepares documentation for the previous process and passes it on to the next process.

Waterfall is described in detail in the following article.

Agile Methodology and Work Process

Agile is not a process, but rather, a project is divided by function, service, or stage, and development is repeated in smaller units. All processes are executed within the same team, and each process is not passed on to a different team.

The following article provides a more detailed description of Agile.

Waterfall vs. Agile｜Differences in dealing with clients (customers) and business partners

In waterfall development, the client is rarely involved in the project because all the planning is done in advance. However, in recent years, it has become increasingly difficult to plan everything in advance because technology is constantly changing, and clients’ needs evolve with the changes brought about by competitors’ innovations. Therefore, Agile allows us to flexibly respond to customer and stakeholder demands.

Waterfall vs. Agile｜Difference in speed of service delivery

Agile prioritizes and divides development into important functions and services or phases, which shortens the time to start using the service. On the other hand, Waterfall tends to take longer to develop because detailed requirements and work schedules for all functions and services are established in advance. And after everything is completed, the service is provided, which is a much longer period of time after the project’s inception.

Waterfall vs. Agile｜Differences in Requirements Response and Flexibility

Agile is a more flexible approach because each function is developed separately, and the plan can be changed flexibly according to the situation. On the other hand, Waterfall is less flexible because all work plans are determined in advance and development proceeds according to those plans.

Waterfall vs. Agile｜Differences in Testing Frequency

In Agile, a large project is divided into smaller units and development is repeated in smaller units, so testing is performed continuously each time. On the other hand, in Waterfall, the entire development process is decided at the beginning, and testing is performed only during the testing process.

Waterfall vs. Agile｜Differences in Process Improvement Methods and Immediacy

In process improvement, in Waterfall, there is basically no return to the previous process, so improvements are identified only after completion. In the case of Agile, improvements can be found in each iteration of development (sprint), and the process can be improved with each sprint.

Waterfall vs. Agile｜Differences in Response to Specification Changes and Requirements

In Agile, the customer (client) can request changes or additions to the specifications to the team at any time during the development period. The actual development is discussed with the Agile team, and these are prioritized for development.

In Waterfall, specifications and requirements must be determined prior to development. Therefore, changes from the customer (client) or additions to specifications during the development process are not accepted.

Waterfall vs. Agile｜History of the Birth of Waterfall

Waterfall vs. Agile Comparison Table

	Waterfal	Agile
Advantages	Planning is easy Easier to estimate budget and resources Easy to manage progress Simple structure, easy to understand	Rapid deployment Small budget Quick feedback and experimentation Flexible to change
Disadvantages	Disadvantages Not flexible enough to handle rework such as specification changes, requirement changes, etc. Difficult to incorporate customer reviews Deliverables take longer to release Timing of testing is at project completion A lot of documents (documentation) are required to be produced	Specification changes/improvements may continue endlessly
Suitable	Projects with defined requirements and clear goals	Systems that require planning and development to quickly release and brush up products and services that match user needs
Unsuitable	Development in which many changes occur during the development process Projects that do not require change and flexibility	Suitable for projects with defined requirements and clear goals
What is emphasized	Development as per requirement definition Strict adherence to schedule Cost sensitivity	Value of deliverables Customer satisfaction

Distinction between Waterfall and Agile

The key word in distinguishing between Waterfall and Agile is “specification change. If the system does not require specification changes, Waterfall may be suitable for the system. If the system is one in which specification changes are possible, then Agile is the right choice.

Reconfirm the advantages and disadvantages of both

Agile was conceived to overcome the disadvantages of Waterfall. In recent years, when Agile is becoming the mainstream development method, Waterfall is sometimes regarded as an old development method. In general, Waterfall is less likely to change after the project starts, and if flexibility to change is not important, Waterfall may be more suitable.

On the other hand, Agile may be more suitable if changes are expected during the development process or if you want to proceed with development while obtaining feedback from users.

Waterfall and Agile require an understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of each development method before deciding on the appropriate development method.

Hybrid Development of Waterfall and Agile

A methodology that uses a combination of waterfall and agile is called hybrid development. In this development method, processes such as requirement definition, basic design, and comprehensive testing are done by waterfall, while detailed design, manufacturing, and unit testing are done by agile. In some cases, companies accustomed to waterfall are adopting this method before moving to full agile.

Which is better, Waterfall or Agile?

Reasons for the recent move away from Waterfall

Do you think there are cases where waterfall is better?

Why Agile Fails

Conclusion

We have explained the difference between Waterfall and Agile, their suitability and usage, and hybrid development. We hope that you will understand the suitability of each type of development, and then adopt Agile as well.