Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) is actually a hypernym that comprises several distinct disciplines traditionally regarded as unrelated to one another. It includes development, testing, ITIL service delivery, project management, requirements management, quality assurance (QA), and customer support. ALM tools are employed to render set standards for development teams to follow as they collaborate on workflows. The tools also facilitate an environment for automating software development and delivery.
What Makes Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) So Important
Simply put, ALM is critical for delivering quality releases on schedule and according to budget. It achieves this by helping developers set requirements and methodologies before deploying processes. Additionally, it allows them to adjust development processes while implementing adequate testing throughout. Most importantly, ALM helps everyone on the development team stay on the same page.
Benefits of Application Lifecycle Management
The most prolific companies in the world — whether they be fintech or e-commerce — deploy custom software or software updates quite regularly. To accomplish this level of capability and efficiency, enterprises need to devise a flawless strategy to manage their software development projects from beginning to end. This is where ALM comes in. Below, we explore the seven benefits of application lifecycle management.
1. Facilitates Real-Time Decision-Making
ALM allows organizations to make more competent determinations concerning their applications as they age. Features like real-time planning and version control (both of which can be found in most ALM tools) give team leaders an edge; they can quickly and decisively map out an application’s future so organizations can plan effectively, whether they deploy traditional waterfall or agile development projects. ALM is especially critical for informed decision-making when organizations implement interdependent projects with complex oversight requirements.
2. Improves Development Speed and Agility
In today’s evolving marketplace, it’s a constant battle for enterprises to stay ahead of the crowd. This is especially true when it comes to software and application development. ALM gives development teams the power to produce applications at the speed and agility required to remain competitive. It also offers proprietary source code management to align software development goals with organizational objectives.
3. Improves Quality and Compliance
ALM provides your developmental team with the tools needed to produce a high-quality software application. It effectively promotes quality through source code management and collaborative effort. When development teams and testers are out of the information loop, this can take a toll on the development process and affect the quality of the final product. Communication is particularly critical during the governance stage, which covers the plan and create phases in software development and information-technology operations (DevOps).
Governance is also known as the requirements definition and design stage, where one defines solution requirements. These requirements generally encompass everything from technology platform requirements to compliance regulations. Since this phase is where applications are designed based on such requirements, it’s essential to get this phase right to deliver optimum solutions for customers.
4. Helps Enterprises Plan More Efficiently
With ALM, teams can start projects with methodologies and precise estimations in place. It provides support in project management through resource planning. Particular tools are accessible depending on the requirements, whether it be traditional waterfall projects (where projects are developed in a linear approach) or agile development projects (where projects are developed through an iterative process).
5. Strengthens Testing Practices
ALM equips organizations with end-to-end application development and testing solutions. Application development necessitates strong intercommunications for development and testing, which results in up-to-date identification of issues as well as swift resolutions. Throughout the application development process, it’s vital to have a completely automated and secure framework that undergoes systematic daily testing. ALM automation eliminates integration dilemmas by enabling developers to combine their work seamlessly.
6. Enhances Employee Support and Consumer Satisfaction
Support is an indispensable component of ALM. In addition to that, ALM helps organizations release applications faster while maintaining customer satisfaction. It achieves this by integrating, adapting, and supporting the appropriate applications.
7.Provides Extensive Visibility Across the Project Lifecycle
Many development teams don’t have extensive visibility across the lifecycle of a project. ALM provides that visibility. It will enable you to know the number of requirements that have previously been satisfied — as well as how many remain. You will also know how far the application development has progressed and what has been tested. This keeps everyone up-to-date if or when things change.
Partner With Entrance Consulting to Deploy Application Lifecycle Management
Typical custom-built software application projects come with inherent challenges and risks. The team at Entrance Consulting strives to deliver the most reliable final product. And, our application lifecycle management tools highlight our commitment to agile development. For example, Entrance has introduced a new ALM tool called Team Foundation Services (TFS) that allows clients to get back into the “driver’s seat” when it comes to implementing ALM practices. To learn more about this application lifecycle management tool and how Entrance Consulting can help your organization, speak to a highly-trained expert today.