Waterfall Model for Software Engineering

Linear-sequential lifecycle designed for mission-critical systems with strict upfront specifications.

Adopt This Workflow in Your Workspace

Instantly generate pre-configured board columns and starter engineering tasks.

Best Suited For

Banking & Financial core engines, Aerospace / Defense software, Medical devices, and strict fixed-bid government tenders.

Not Recommended For

Early-stage startups, exploratory AI/ML experiments, or projects where user feedback alters the roadmap weekly.

Default Kanban Pipeline Blueprint

STAGE 1

Phase 1: Requirements

STAGE 2

Phase 2: System Design

STAGE 3

Phase 3: Development

STAGE 4

Phase 4: UAT & Verification

STAGE 5

Phase 5: Release & Ops

Phase 1

Requirement Analysis & Specification

Zero code written. All business expectations, compliance, and user requirements frozen in SRS.

Phase 2

High-Level & Low-Level Design

System architecture, ER diagrams, data flow schemas, and API contracts documented.

Phase 3

Implementation & Module Coding

Developers code modules according to frozen technical specifications.

Phase 4

Integration & System Testing

Full regression, stress, penetration testing, and User Acceptance Testing (UAT).

Phase 5

Deployment & Maintenance

Production rollout followed by long-term operational maintenance and defect patch cycles.

Role	Primary Delivery Accountability
Business Analyst / Solutions Architect	Drafts comprehensive 100+ page Software Requirement Specifications (SRS).
Project / Program Manager	Monitors Critical Path Method (CPM), phase sign-offs, and Gantt milestones.
Independent Verification & Validation (IV&V)	Formal QA audits executing traceability matrices against the baseline SRS.

Ceremony	Duration	Objective & Output
Phase Gate Review	Half-Day formal meeting	Formal sign-off audit before unlocking budget for the subsequent phase.
Change Control Board (CCB)	Bi-weekly / As needed	Evaluate and approve/reject any proposed scope or contract modifications.
Milestone Acceptance Verification	Full Day	Customer witness test and contractual compliance sign-off.

Machine-readable documentation for AI Agents: /methodologies/waterfall-software-development.md

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