The University of Cambodia

ិ
សាកលវទ្យាល័ យកម្ពុជា

Research Paper

Topic : “Describe the proper use of agile and waterfall methods”

Subject: BUS649

Lecturer: Hoy Samphear

Prepared by: Chea Polay

ID: 80-15-03-82
Content
I. Introduction
II. Theories
III. Findings
IV. Discussion
V. Conclusion

I. Introduction
 Agile and Waterfall are the two most popular project management style in the
organization especially on the software developing companies. Statistic show more than half
of companies still use the waterfall approach especially engineer and small enterprise. It was
first introduce back in 1976 by Bell and Thayer. Majority of companies still implement this
model especially manufacture companies as it help manufacture to have well document and
keep the original vision to keep on track despite there are some member change happen
during the progress. Later on, there are another new model which is agile that gain popularity
of agile when it was introduce back in 90s because tech companies saw benefit of constant
update lead to customer satisfaction quicker than waterfall approach (Casteran, 2017).

II. Theories

There are few of author define the definition of Agile and Waterfall method in similar
and different way. According to Software testing help, Agile is strategy for venture the board
that is spoken to by parting the undertakings into shorter sections of work with frequent
reviews and adjustment plans. According to Workfront, agile is a task the board system
rapidly developing to gain popularity that utilized to finish complex work in the world we are
live in. Agile flourish in adaptive culture where team member has to frequent change if the
result is a progressively beneficial work. So, agile method is a strategy where companies need
to develop their complex task by splitting into small section to improve their software
constantly to fulfill customer satisfaction for secure good reputation.
According to Sarah, “Waterfall approach” is a straight successive model wherein the
advancement streams significantly one way downwards through the periods of prerequisite
event, examination, structure, implementation, testing, deployment and maintenance (Lewis,
2019). According to Mary, Waterfall approach is the development of distinct stage where
each stage need to be complete before the following one start. Their requirement must be
surveyed and endorsed by the client before the configuration start (Lotz, 2018). Therefore,
Waterfall approach is a straight line method that into steps by completely finish one task
before another come to executive that follow reviewed and approved by group leader.

III. Finding
 Project “Boeing 777” is the real example of using “Waterfall” method. The project
started back in 1986 and got their first delivery to customer by the mid-1995. It has prepared
5 billion in budget to complete this project. The purpose of starting this project is because
there was a reduction on the military plane that shift company to focus on the commercial
plane with performance and cheaper than their rival, Airbus. They have use four phase to
complete their project: Conceptual Design, Component Design, Assembly and Test. Initially,
there is conceptual design change with new segment, different from the previous model
Boeing 747 which took them 4 years to complete. The human resources are came from the
previous Boeing 747 and 767 engineer who well trained and has multiple year of experience
into it. The new concept was only focus on two engine and two aisle with fly by wire feature
which allow pilot to control wing plane and rudder electronically. After that, component
design start to took place which team member focus on redesign the door hinge because its
requirements is to seal from preventing loss of cabin air pressure and strengthen the door to
withstand with air on the high atmosphere. Next, the wing assembly, which include spars,
leading edge and trailing edge, and other part was started to assemble later in product
hierarchy. These extent tool must be completion in detail. There was rudder improvement on
the strength and balance because it help plane to re-adjust their movement in air before
landing to ground as rudder is the indicator of some part might have lead to failed engine.
Lastly, there is flight test that somehow has small problem on backfiring causing the stall
temporally. Boeing has practice the digital pre-assembly in three step: first, they collect all
design data to store centrally, thus it easy for designer to inspect problem in specific part.
They also put design freeze which prohibit from entering new design to central store as it
need consent from team member first (Jorgensen, 2006). Even though there are some
technical problem occur, the product was able launched successfully and become the highest
number sold of airplane production than any of its previous model today.

However, Facebook use the agile approach on software development since 2010 due
to consumer change of taste and complex digital control infrastructure (Kerievsky, 2017).
Facebook has establish the culture of “move fast and break things”. According to Michael
Summit, the programmer need to submit the code every day for both fully coding code and
partially code. After that, there will be an auto-build whether it can integrated with other
codes or not. It was tested at the end of every evening whether it has bug that need to be
resent to the developer by Email to fix immediately. If there is no problem, the company will
integrated to big system and launched it to public. This is called “daily to daily UAT testing
acceptance”. For instance, there was only three developers working on the “photo” code part
in the early day but they knew everything about it which result immediate response on bug
fixes and quick & correct work. In the Facebook company. So, they allow people to create
idea, design, develop, testing and deployment by developer itself. They also the product
management, tech management where they can help consult and get some idea to improve
ideas of their coding (Stumm, 2017). This implementation was successful execute and
nowadays, Facebook has become the 500 billion dollar valuation company.

IV. Discussion

Boeing 777 can be seen as a successful “Waterfall approach” because of two things.
First, they are being well planned on the detail and follow their step. They do the market
analysis on the political environment, the competition, finding the problem happen to the
previous model and come up with strategies ideas the potential be successful. In addition,
they have come up with specific time frame which they must complete their project within 8
years. After they complete the requirement, they shift themselves to focus on product
specification such as conceptual and component on the feature they want to integrated in that
follow the waterfall pattern. This detail allow people to work well on small component that
can be deliverable and well documented. Boeing are able to overcome the challenge of
assembly which some tool were assemble outside of the company by the central store digital
system that allow the senior manager to inspect and manage their dependencies (rudder
assemble line). This airplane project was actually an upgrade vision of old production which
they do not need to keep frequent changing. On the other hand, it has create two problems:
time consuming and high risk. The testing process start when development is over which
cause problems to be found later during the testing part which they need to have emergency
budget and waste a period of time to re-do their job that extend one year later before it began
to deliver. So, this model is suitable for manufacturer companies who has development
stable, master their knowledge in specific production and managing lots of dependencies.
In contrast, Facebook use different model approach to deal with their business. It
focus on the individual process which they ensure their people is always participate in every
stage. The self-manage environment allow their developer to have motivated and self-
organized because they are able to express their talents, skills and new opinion that might be
revolutionized to this communication platform. Even though there are some error happen
during implementing code, the constant deliver make sure the quality is being maintain and
back on track because of its increment progress. It also allow developer to what they have
been complete via checking in repeat and constantly use alternative ways to solve it. For
instance, there were lots of update happen over year on Facebook such as solving related-
crashed application, new looking platform, logo, adding story & emojis (Care & Avatar
emoji) , and create a room for preventing cyber-attack that causing error or unload the
application. Thus, it reduce the risk of changing the whole software system at the end which
it is time consuming due to complexity and costly in operation. Therefore, lots of tech
companies now especially fortune 500 started to shift themselves into agile development as
software & compute programming need to be constant update (Matarelli, 2017).
So, Waterfall can be execute if organization has prepared strong human resources,
backup plan and technique to solve issue meanwhile Agile method can be master from
constant participate from people who can rapidly come with good ideas & quick in problem
solving.

V. Conclusion

Both methods has post a revolutionize ideas on how companies should manage their
project. It has their advantages and limitations to certain thing that happen during project
management as both cases above had shown on how they execute their own prefer model
base on their type of companies, resources and their successful implementation management
style. Waterfall can be execute perfectly if organization has prepared human resources,
backup plan and technique to solve the problem meanwhile Agile need constant participate
from people who can create solve problem quick and multitask. Nowadays, agile method
seem to gain more popular as those tech giant in America mostly implement this method to
maximize their performance and constantly deliver to fulfill customer satisfaction.
 References

Casteran, W. V. (2017, February 16). (PDF) The waterfall model and the Agile

methodologies : A comparison by project characteristics.

ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313768756_The_Waterfall_

Model_and_the_Agile_Methodologies_A_comparison_by_project_characteristics

Jorgensen, N. (2006). THE BOEING 777: NO CHAINSAW MASSACRES, PLEASE!

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/e3ab/9f2e2cdf86fd6aa6cfc9253c0680a284a197.pdf

Kerievsky, J. (2017, November 30). Facebook’s modern Agile principles.

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principles-b1f83ce99b91

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methodology/

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why-fortune-500-companies-use-an-agile-approach-to-process-improvement-

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Stumm, M. (2017, January 25). How facebook software is made.

YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmcE1pvfWHc
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