Waterfall Model Is Dead, Buy Resources, Not Projects

When planning a budget for an upcoming project, a fixed price is usually what most people want. That way, they know what to expect, and the project has good clarity. At least, that’s the hope. Unfortunately, things don’t always work smoothly, and a fixed budget isn’t an ideal way to approach a project payment, especially in the development world. 

Software project planning might sound easy on paper. But when it comes to putting everything into action, everything can suddenly feel a lot more flexible and less likely to go according to plan. This is not a bad thing, but rather a sign that the project evolves during development.

When you’re working on a development job, there is a lot that can change, and many factors influence the scope of a project. The development time can affect the end cost, so a fixed price will leave the worker feeling unappreciated and perhaps even robbed. 

The waterfall model is dead – and has been for many years – so there’s no point in using it to plan projects. Instead of buying a project, you should consider buying resources.  

That might sound confusing, but think of it this way: rather than paying for a project that will most likely go over the agreed-upon budget, pay for every resource the project requires. 

If you need a set amount of code written, you’ll pay for that code. If there is testing that needs to be done, you’ll pay for the testing. 

Taking this approach is more likely to leave everyone involved satisfied and happy at the end of the partnership. 

What Exactly Is the Waterfall Model? 

Back in 1970, Winston W. Royce invented and wrote about the Waterfall model. His scientific article shared his personal opinions and views on software development.  

The first half of the article discusses a process that he called ‘grandiose’. Royce went as far as to draw a figure of the model. However, he also drew a figure showing why the Waterfall model can’t work. This is because requirements will continually change. 

Royce wanted to use the model as an example of a process that isn’t effective. The second half of his article described a process that he thought was better. 

Now, you may wonder why people still want to use the Waterfall model if it was evident in 1970 that it doesn’t work. 

Well, that’s because folks would quote Royce without bothering to actually read what he had to say. They took the first half of the article as his only opinion, and as such, the Waterfall model became more popular. 

At its core, the model is nothing more than a Sequential model that divides software development into phases. Every phase is made up of a series of tasks and different objectives. Each phase can only begin when the previous one has been completed. 

That might sound like a logical way to plan a development project, but when the requirements of a project changes (and it often does), this model falls flat. With undefined or changing needs and conditions, the Waterfall model leads to the failure of projects. 

What Is the Best Solution?

So, what is the best course of action for software development projects? Buying resources instead of projects, that’s what you need to do.

When you pay for the resources, you get better results and higher-quality work.

Here at NerdCloud, we give our clients a 100% quality guarantee because we trust in our development skills and work methods.  

This guarantee means that we do every bit once, and we do it perfectly. However, whether or not we deliver the entire project depends on the client. How clear the project is from the start, how often changes are required, and how much these changes affect the project influence how we work. 

All of these factors need to be considered when discussing and planning the budget when considering software development outsource options.

Who Are We? 

NerdCloud is a streamlined software development service geared towards tech teams that need high-performance extensions. We are able to integrate to the clients’ workflow to ensure that project monitoring, quality assurance, communication, and new work orders are effortless and effective. 

We offer a subscription service that does not follow the Waterfall model. Instead, our model is flexible, and you can stop (and start again) at any time, dropping cost to zero if necessary.

That being said, our hourly rate includes a technical expert to each project, so no overheads from this either. Quite flexible, right?

You will have complete transparency of the project’s process, and we manage the budget accordingly. 

During an initial tech meeting, we will spend time building a satisfactory project structure with you. 

As a result, your project will be finished with more success and fewer hiccups. In the long run, doing projects this way will save you a lot of money and stress.

Software project planning that focuses on resources rather than vague project requirements is likely to be more efficient than the alternative. Forget about the Waterfall model, and be more flexible.