Essay Sample on Modern Corporate World: Comparing Waterfall and Agile Development Models

Introduction

In the modern contemporary corporate world, business operation models have undergone a tremendous transformation. Technological advancement and significant innovations especially in software development fraternity have registered remarkable improvement on the different models of product development namely waterfall and agile development models (Cline, 2015). However, despite the excellent designs, features, and functionality that the two models behold, various critical issues and facts revolve around the implementation of these product development models. The case studies namely, the "cracking the monolith and Cisco systems explore and substantiate the different challenges, critical issues and critical facts these two product development poses to the business operations management and the end users. Therefore, this paper seeks to underscore a crucial discussion of the critical issues, facts, and challenges of the product development approach to the business operation management and determine possible recommendations.

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Critical Issues

In this case, the Californian Department of Social Service (DSS) is faced with the problem of replacing the outdated and backward case management system (CMS) for social workers in the county. Through consultation and collaboration with different department, the DSS writes a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the waterfall approach, which later revised for agile. The critical issue lies in the selection and transition of the development model and the bureaucratic hindrances that impede the implementation of the agile product development model (Datla & Eaves, 2019). Will the Californian government with their stringent procurement bureaucracy foster a modular approach?

For the second case, Cisco Systems is faced with a management problem of transitioning from waterfall approach to the new agile product and business development model. The technological company prefers the agile development approach and is consumed by the quest to transform all its operations to the agile development model (Chen, Ravichandar & Proctor, 2016). Nonetheless, the Cisco systems find it more cumbersome and challenging to transition from a non-agile to an agile approach. The critical issue in this case is the challenges that encompass the transition from waterfall to agile development. How can companies help organizational units, develop new management practices and environment to enable and support agile development practices?

Critical Facts

For the Californian saga, fundamental critical factors themselves, to begin with, slowed the pace or derailed the implementation of the proposed project. It is intuitive that the government procurement process is so onerous and takes much time, which can even, leads to the failure of the project. It is also a fact that agile development approach in the best contemporary approach to deal with government project today. It is also a fact that the different many procurement rules and protocols in the Californian government derail good and feasible projects.

Similarly, on the other hand, despite agile development being the best development as identified by Cisco systems its implementation is cumbersome. It also fact that transition or change in development strategy of a company is costly and require fundamental management policies, practices and strategies to emerge successful (Chen, Ravichandar & Proctor, 2016). Migration to agile development model has two critical challenges according to the Cisco systems saga.

Analysis

In the day-to-day business operations, the management faces different challenges across the sectors that require strategic and critical management skills as well as effective development models to solve (Cline, 2015). Nonetheless, substantial numbers of these challenges remain unsolved not only for the challenges that exist in the system but also for the demerits of the product development approach itself. In the case studies, critical issues emanate from the strategies and product development models used to solve the problems.

For the first case, Case one 'cracking the monolith' the management in this case the Californian government is faced with a bureaucratic challenge (procurement rules) and that which model between the two product development models is the best to solve the problem at hand of the outdated and backward social work database system. Despite the fact that the agile development approach is the best model of the social work department to revolutionize their social care operations other factors in the system such as procurement rules and slow pace of reforms are hindrances (Datla, & Eaves, 2019). Government procurement process is so frustrating and onerous at the same time so procedural thus takes much time and sometimes leads to failure of the project since issues such as budget estimate, a schedule of development, comprehensive need analysis together with feasibility study report takes even months hence making the implementation process cumbersome.

The Cisco systems case study is a paradigm and a construct of business and product model transition to agile development. The company's implementation and transition to the new agile development is marked with two critical management challenges. The first is the development of new management practices that can sustain and are compatible with agile development practices (Chen, Ravichandar & Proctor, 2016). Secondly, identifying and helping the engineering team and business units to adopt the agile development method.

Recommendations

Based on the critical issues and facts discussed above the following are some of the feasible recommendations to avert and solve the problems new agile model transformation. Firstly, for the case of Californian Department of Social Services (DSS) procurement bureaucracy challenge and the onerous procurement process, feasibility study report, 'stage gate' system is necessary to assist overcome the problem. In addition, for the cisco systems management challenges it is recommended that the company develops self-organizing teams. The company should also endeavor to coordinate in the agile development process, the interim coordination is necessary to reconfigure engineering teams as well as co-locating engineers to achieve the transition goals (Davis, 2013).

Conclusion

In conclusion, everyday business operations management experience different challenges that require more insightful ideas and correct development project to overcome. Agile software development is most preferred by most firms because it is a modern method and a holistic approach. In the two cases, transitioning from one model to a new agile model is marked with various operational and management challenges of disruptive procurement and existence of onerous and procurement bureaucracy respectively. The challenges make product and business transition models cumbersome despite their effectiveness and functionality thus critical recommendation is necessary.

References

Chen, R., Ravichandar, R., & Proctor, D. (2016). Managing the transition to the new agile business and product development model: Lessons from Cisco Systems [Pdf] (pp. 635-644). Fulton Street, San Francisco, CA 94117, U.S.A: University of San Francisco. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com.

Cline, A. (2015). Agile development in the real world. Berkeley, CA: Apress.Datla, A., & Eaves, D. (2019). Cracking the Monolith: California's Child Welfare Services Disrupts Technology Procurement (A) [Ebook] (p. 14). Harvard University, 79 John F. Kennedy Street: Cambridge, MA 02138. Retrieved from http://case.harvard.edu

Davis, B. (2013). Agile practices for waterfall projects: Shifting processes for competitive advantage. Plantation, FL: J. Ross Pub.