HomeSoftware Development Lifecycle (SDLC)

Software development lifecycle

Nexterse will take you through every stage of the software development life cycle (SDLC) – from a business analysis stage through UX/UI and application development to deployment and ongoing support.

Nexterse SDLC vs. ADLC: which lifecycle fits your project?

Nexterse runs two distinct development lifecycles. The SDLC governs projects where human teams execute structured phases with documented requirements and formal sign-offs at each gate. The Agentic Software Development Lifecycle (ADLC) governs projects where AI agents take active roles in planning, code generation, or testing – with different governance requirements, hallucination controls, and cost-modeling frameworks as a result. The two lifecycles are not interchangeable, and the right one is determined during project scoping.

Use SDLC when…Use ADLC when…

Requirements are defined and can be documented upfront or in a structured Discovery sprint.

AI agents will perform significant parts of planning, code generation, or testing.

The project requires formal phase approvals – regulated industries, government contracts, enterprise procurement.

Specifications emerge through agent interaction and evolve during the build.

Delivery teams are human-led with defined roles per phase.

The project's value proposition depends on autonomous agent execution.

Predictable timelines and cost controls are a primary constraint.

Project output depends on AI agent reasoning, retrieval, or generation – not deterministic rule execution.

Use SDLC when…

Requirements are defined and can be documented upfront or in a structured Discovery sprint.

The project requires formal phase approvals – regulated industries, government contracts, enterprise procurement.

Delivery teams are human-led with defined roles per phase.

Predictable timelines and cost controls are a primary constraint.

Use ADLC when…

AI agents will perform significant parts of planning, code generation, or testing.

Specifications emerge through agent interaction and evolve during the build.

The project's value proposition depends on autonomous agent execution.

Project output depends on AI agent reasoning, retrieval, or generation – not deterministic rule execution.

Software development lifecycle: 6 phases at a glance

Every Nexterse project moves through six phases in sequence. Each phase has a defined entry point, a set of documented deliverables, and an exit condition that must be met before the next phase begins. The sequence is the same across project sizes – scope and team composition vary, the structure does not.

Software development life-cycle

Inside each SDLC phase: purpose, deliverables, team roles

1
Phase 1 – Discovery

Purpose: Define what gets built, for whom, and under what constraints – before design or development begins. Discovery converts business intent into documented requirements that the full team can build against.

Deliverables:

  • Product backlog with MoSCoW-prioritised requirements
  • Software Requirements Specification (SRS)
  • Risk register with identified risks and mitigation notes
  • Timeline and resource plan
  • Project scope document and stakeholder sign-off

Team roles active in this phase:

  • Account Manager
  • Business Analyst (lead)
  • Project Manager
  • Solution Architect

Tools:

  • Jira – backlog and task management
  • Confluence – requirements documentation and SRS
  • Miro – stakeholder workshops and process mapping
2
Phase 2 – Design

Purpose: Translate approved requirements into architecture and interface documentation that development teams can build against without ambiguity.

Deliverables:

  • High-level design (HLD): module descriptions and dependencies, database schema, architecture diagrams, technology selections
  • Low-level design (LLD): functional module logic, detailed database tables, interface specifications, module inputs and outputs
  • UI/UX wireframes and clickable prototype
  • API contract specification
  • Architecture decision records (ADRs)

Team roles active in this phase:

  • Solution Architect (lead)
  • UX/UI Designer
  • Project Manager
  • Business Analyst (review and sign-off)

Tools:

  • Confluence – HLD and LLD documentation
  • Figma – UI/UX wireframes and interactive prototypes
  • draw.io / Lucidchart – architecture diagrams
3
Phase 3 – Development

Purpose: Build the approved software in prioritised increments, with continuous integration and structured code review at each step.

Deliverables:

  • Working software increments, reviewed and merged per sprint
  • Automated test coverage for completed modules
  • Sprint demos – recorded or live
  • Updated product backlog after each sprint
  • API documentation (Swagger / OpenAPI)

Team roles active in this phase:

  • Developer (lead)
  • Project Manager
  • QA Engineer (running in parallel)
  • Solution Architect (architecture governance)

Tools:

  • Jira – sprint management and task tracking
  • GitHub / GitLab – version control and code review
  • GitLab CI / GitHub Actions – CI/CD pipeline
4
Phase 4 – Testing

Purpose: Verify that the delivered software meets the accepted requirements and operates correctly under the conditions defined in the test plan.

Deliverables:

  • Test plan and test case documentation
  • Bug reports with priority and severity classification
  • Regression test results
  • Performance test report (where applicable)
  • QA sign-off document

Team roles active in this phase:

  • QA Engineer (lead)
  • Developer (bug resolution)
  • Project Manager
  • Business Analyst (acceptance review)

Tools:

  • Jira – bug tracking and status management
  • Selenium / Playwright – UI and functional test automation
  • Postman – API testing
  • k6 / JMeter – performance testing (where applicable)
5
Phase 5 – Deployment

Purpose: Release the verified build to production under a controlled plan, with a confirmed rollback path and monitored stability.

Deliverables:

  • Deployment plan and step-by-step runbook
  • Production environment pre-deployment checklist
  • Documented rollback plan
  • Post-deployment monitoring report
  • Go-live acceptance sign-off

Team roles active in this phase:

  • DevOps Engineer (lead)
  • QA Engineer (production verification)
  • Project Manager
  • Developer (standby for hotfixes)

Tools:

  • GitLab CI / GitHub Actions – deployment pipelines
  • Terraform / Ansible – infrastructure provisioning
  • Grafana / Datadog – post-deployment monitoring
6
Phase 6 – Maintenance

Purpose: Keep the delivered software stable, current, and aligned with evolving business requirements after launch.

Deliverables:

  • Bug-fix releases on the agreed response SLA
  • Dependency and security updates
  • New feature increments per the maintenance backlog
  • Periodic maintenance and health reports
  • Incident reports for P1 and P2 issues

Team roles active in this phase:

  • Developer
  • QA Engineer
  • Project Manager
  • DevOps Engineer

Tools:

  • Jira – maintenance backlog and release tracking
  • Grafana / Datadog – monitoring and alerting
  • PagerDuty / Opsgenie – incident management (where applicable)

Development frameworks we follow

The project's requirements profile, delivery pace, and Client involvement pattern determine which methodology runs.

Nexterse uses Scrum when requirements will evolve and the Client wants regular influence over delivery priorities. Work runs in two-week sprints: each sprint opens with a planning session, runs with daily standups, and closes with a review and retrospective where the Client can adjust the backlog for the next cycle. Scrum suits most custom software projects where the full scope is not locked at the outset and Client feedback shapes what gets built next.

Scrum board screen

Engineering and delivery tools: the production stack across all phases

The tools below represent Nexterse's typical production stack. Specific selections are adjusted per project based on Client infrastructure, team composition, and technology requirements.

CategoryTools samplesRole in delivery
Project managementJira (or similar like Trello, Notion, etc)Sprint planning, backlog, bug tracking, release management
DocumentationConfluenceSpecifications, runbooks, architecture records, decision logs
Version controlGitHub / GitLabSource code repository, pull requests, code review workflow
CI/CDGitLab CI / GitHub ActionsAutomated build, test, and deployment pipelines
DesignFigmaUI/UX wireframes, interactive prototypes, design system
Code qualitySonarQubeStatic analysis, security scanning, test coverage tracking
TestingSelenium, Postman, JestFunctional, API, and unit test automation
CloudAWS / Azure / GCPHosting, managed services, infrastructure provisioning
Category
Project management
Documentation
Version control
CI/CD
Design
Code quality
Testing
Cloud
Tools samples

Jira (or similar like Trello, Notion, etc)

Confluence

GitHub / GitLab

GitLab CI / GitHub Actions

Figma

SonarQube

Selenium, Postman, Jest

AWS / Azure / GCP

Role in delivery

Sprint planning, backlog, bug tracking, release management

Specifications, runbooks, architecture records, decision logs

Source code repository, pull requests, code review workflow

Automated build, test, and deployment pipelines

UI/UX wireframes, interactive prototypes, design system

Static analysis, security scanning, test coverage tracking

Functional, API, and unit test automation

Hosting, managed services, infrastructure provisioning

Software development team roles: who works at each phase

Software development team roles table

How Nexterse estimates and prices projects

Estimation methodology

Estimation methodology

Nexterse estimates using a three-point model: each task receives an optimistic, most-likely, and pessimistic figure. Requirements are prioritised with MoSCoW to separate scope that must ship from scope that can flex. Estimates are broken down by module and task, with a risk buffer calculated against the project's complexity and integration footprint. The output is an annotated range – not a single number delivered without explanation.

Pricing models

Pricing models

Nexterse structures commercial engagements under four models: Fixed Price for projects with well-defined scope; Time & Material for evolving or exploratory work; Time & Material with a budget cap for Clients who need flexibility within a spend ceiling; and Dedicated Team for Clients who need a fully staffed engineering function running under their direction. The right model is selected during Project Analysis, before the contract is signed.

Case studies that move the numbers

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Your digital partner for strategic outcomes

We drive business profitability by steering advanced technologies, responsible delivery, and human-centered collaboration toward your endgame.

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As boundaries between industries fade, siloed thinking no longer works β€” success comes from connecting capabilities across the value chain.

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Domien Van Eynde

Domien Van Eynde

Team Lead, Daiokan.com

Nexterse is the firm to work with if you want to keep up to high standards. The professional workflows they stick to result in exceptional quality. Important, they help you think with the business logic of your application and they don't blindly follow what you are saying. Which is super important. Overall, great skills, good communication, and happy with the results so far.

Alexander McCaig

Alexander McCaig

Co-Founder & CEO, Tartle

The system has produced a significant competitive advantage in the industry thanks to Nexterse's well-thought opinions. They shouldered the burden of constantly updating a project management tool with a high level of detail and were committed to producing the best possible solution.

Benjamin Dorsinvil

Benjamin Dorsinvil

Founder, SellBig

I was impressed by Nexterse's prices, especially for the project I wanted to do and in comparison to the quotes I received from a lot of other companies. Also, their communication skills were great; it never felt like a long-distance project. It felt like Nexterse was working next door because their project manager was always keeping me updated.

Damian Gevertz

Damian Gevertz

Founder & CEO, Widgety

We tried another company that one of our partners had used but they didn't work out. I feel that Nexterse does a better investigation of what we're asking for. They tell us how they plan to do a task and ask if that works for us. We chose them because their method worked with us.

Katerina Bromberg

Katerina Bromberg

Co-Founder, MyMediAds.com

Together with the team, we have turned the MVP version of the service into a modern full-featured platform for online marketers. We are very satisfied with the work the Nexterse team has performed, and we would like to highlight the high level of technical expertise, coherence and efficiency of communication and flexibility in work. We can confidently say that Nexterse has put all our ideas into practice.

Yevgeniy Rozenblat

Yevgeniy Rozenblat

Program Manager, TL Nika

Nexterse succeeded in building a more manageable solution that is much easier to maintain.

Yury Haverman

Founder, BoxForward

Thanks to Nexterse's can-do attitude, amazing work ethic, and willingness to tackle clients' problems as their own, they've become an integral part of our team. We are completely satisfied with the results of our cooperation and will be happy to recommend Nexterse as a reliable and competent partner for development of web-based solutions.

Dave Alce

COO

From the early stages of the project, Nexterse demonstrated a proactive attitude, actively seeking opportunities to enhance the solution and anticipate our needs.

Markus Keller

Markus Keller

Head of Operations

We brought in Nexterse to help us reduce unexpected turbine failures, and the result met our expectations.

Julie Crawford

Julie Crawford

Founder

Working with Nexterse has been an outstanding experience. Their team is not only highly skilled but also incredibly responsive, collaborative, and committed to delivering quality results. I can't recommend them enough! Thank you team Nexterse for bringing my vision to life.

Alex Phelps

Alex Phelps

CEO

We've been working with Nexterse for a few years, starting from the initial monitoring system, so they already understood our environment quite well. At the same time, they still managed to surprise us with their professionalism.

Dillon Christensen

Dillon Christensen

CEO

We'd like to sincerely thank Nexterse for the work they've done on our maintenance system. At one point, our maintenance efforts became inefficient – long downtimes and rising repair costs became the norm.

Erica Lindsay

Erica Lindsay

Manager

We had already invested in AI, but the output was unclear. There were multiple initiatives across the company, each showing some promise, but no clear way to evaluate them or connect them to business outcomes.

Frequently asked questions about Nexterse's SDLC

Nexterse's SDLC runs in six sequential phases: Discovery, Design, Development, Testing, Deployment, and Maintenance. Each phase has documented deliverables, defined team roles, and an explicit exit condition – the next phase does not start until the current one is signed off. The process applies to custom software projects of all sizes, from initial builds to ongoing maintenance contracts.

Awards & Recognitions

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Alex Morgan
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