The V-cycle.
A software development life cycle and process model that defines the stages of the software development and the activities performed in each of those stages.
It is mainly used in the automotive industry because it highlights the relationship between the testing phases and the work products produced in different phases . The V cycle consists of the left side, representing requirements, architecture and design, and the right side containing the verification and validation levels.
The requirements define the "what" of the product:
- What the system/software must do to add value
- What limitations exist
The architecture and design define the system, sub-system, component and unit needed to fulfill the requirements, including the constraints and interfaces between them. It is considered the "how" part of the product.
iProcess helps with requirements, architecture and design process definitions, evaluations and tool recommendations based on specific needs. We provide templates and guidelines, and help with mapping of activities, terminology and determining the compliance with Automotive SPICE®, ISO 26262 and more.
What are the types of requirements?
Business:
Business &
Marketing
requirements
Stakeholder:
Functional,
quality &
regulatory
requirements
Product:
Design
constraints +
Functional,
non-functional &
external interfaces
requirements
What is the
requirements process?
Requirements management process defines the activities that ensure requirements are identified, documented, maintained, communicated and traced throughout the lifecycle of a system, product, or service. Typical deliverables generated by the requirements process are the requirements specification with content, structure, and format reviewed and approved, metrics for traceability and coverage as well as the definition for baselines, change and configuration management.
What is Agile
compared to V-cycle?
Agile is the umbrella of software development methods and techniques such as SAFe, SCRUM, Kanban, XP, feature driven development, test driven development etc. Agile processes are often associated with being evolutionary and highly collaborative. V cycle and Agile methodologies are not mutually exclusive. In fact, both are iterative and could be used interchangeably. Most companies in the automotive industry use a hybrid.
