CST438: Agile vs. Waterfall: Key Differences in Development Approaches

Agile and Plan-and-Document (Waterfall) processes differ mainly in how they handle planning, flexibility, and development flow.

In a Waterfall (Plan-and-Document) process, everything is planned upfront. Requirements are fully documented at the beginning, and development follows a strict sequence: requirements → design → implementation → testing → deployment. Changes later in the process are difficult and costly because each phase depends on the previous one being completed. This approach works well when requirements are clear and unlikely to change.

In contrast, an Agile process is iterative and flexible. Development is done in small cycles (sprints), and requirements can evolve over time. Instead of heavy documentation upfront, Agile focuses on working software and continuous feedback from users. This allows teams to quickly adapt to changes, fix issues early, and improve the product incrementally.

Overall, Waterfall emphasizes structure and documentation, while Agile emphasizes adaptability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

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