7 Important Principles of Software Engineering

Important Principles of Software Engineering

1. Phased Life Cycle Plan

A phased approach means that the output of each phase must be understood and documented before proceeding to the next phase. It ensures that all problems are detected and fixed as soon as possible. The cost of a project can increase if it is not managed in phases. Fixing problems found at later stages can be very expensive.

2. Continuous Validation

Continuous project verification is a very important principle in software engineering. It ensures that problems in the project are detected and corrected in the early stages. It ensures a faster and more efficient development process and helps in minimizing costs. It becomes more critical for large projects. It is very important that every phase of software development has a verification activity.

3. Disciplined Product Control

The project must be able to adapt to changes in requirements during the development cycle. Some changes occur when information processing is better understood at later stages. Many of these are caused by changes in the external environment, such as new laws, improved technology, and user organizational changes, etc. These changes affect system development and may require a lot of time, money, and effort to make the required changes. It is very important to maintain disciplined product control throughout the life cycle of the system to avoid any problem that may arise as a result of such a situation.

4. Modern Programming Practices

Using modern programming practices provides better insight into the software development process. It helps find bugs early and creates more understandable and maintainable code. It is also easier to perform testing using these procedures.

5. Clear Accountability For Results

Each individual on the project team should have a clear statement of deliverables. An individual or team must be held accountable for expected results. It should be clear that future rewards depend on the result someone has created. It requires that the performance of each individual or team be monitored and evaluated.

6. Better and Less People

A project can be completed successfully only with competent and experienced people. It is very important to carefully select the number of people in the project team. Projects typically require fewer people in the early stages. It is also important to identify and get rid of people who are not performing as expected.

7. Commitment to Improvement

An important principle is that the user must always be committed to improving processes. It is a continuous process that helps in finding better ways of doing things. It allows the user to discover the shortcomings of the existing system and find possible improvements.