Cloud product development processes and methodologies

If you are considering utilising cloud development solutions for your digital product development needs you may be unsure which processes and methodologies are most efficient. In this article, we compare different cloud development processes and explain cloud product development in more detail.

What is cloud product development?

Cloud product development typically involves developing a product from concept to creation in the cloud, including product building, management, testing, tracking and deployment. Cloud product development is popular as it combines multiple stages of development onto one platform, improving product access and collaboration. This helps development teams stay on the same page and provides greater visibility for team members at all stages of development.

Different processes and methodologies for cloud product development

Agile product development method

If you have ever used a Kanban model before, you may be familiar with the concept of agile development. Agile software development was refined in 2001 by a team of software developers and is centred on prioritising interactions, collaboration and working software over contract negotiation, comprehensive documentation and tools.

During agile development, a project or development process is split into multiple stages or sections, known as sprints. Each sprint is focused on as an individual project and the next sprint is not started until the prior sprint becomes a complete feature/stage, but sprints can be returned based on feedback and new ideas.

What are the pros of agile development?

• Agile product development embraces and encourages change. Uncertainty is at the heart of the methodology which means the process is reactive and ideal for collaboration.
• Ideas and concepts can be tested along the way in sprints, helping to avoid significant problems that are only apparent when the project is completed.

What are the cons of agile development?

• It can be difficult to create accurate project timelines for agile development processes as sections can be adapted and changed, so the development of one section may cause significant delays.
• Some developers may rush sprints in order to progress the project, which can cause issues when the project is completed.

Waterfall product development method

As the name suggests, a waterfall software development method is a fixed-component plan that flows like a waterfall, once a stage of the plan has been completed, the project can't return to it or go backwards, like flowing water. The waterfall is split into sections and each section depends on the completion of the previous one.

What are the pros of waterfall development?

• It is a predictable cloud product development process as changes mid-development are discouraged.
• Creates a process that can be repeated numerous times.
• Beneficial for solving recurring problems.

What are the cons of waterfall development?

• As the project is fixed, it isn't flexible enough to accommodate many changes or ongoing collaboration.
• Due to its waterfall nature, there isn't a section or sprint to test or show to consumers mid-development.

Contact Zoosh for digital cloud solutions

To learn more about cloud product development and which software development methodology may work best for your needs, get in touch with Zoosh Product Studio today. We can provide you with the benefits and expertise of both design and innovative cloud-native product experts.