Project Management with the V-Model: Definition, Phases and Worth Knowing

1. What is the V-Model?
2. For which projects is the V-Model suitable?
3. What are the 8 phases of the V-Model?
4. What are the advantages of the V-Model?
5. What are the disadvantages of the V-Model?
6. What further developments of the V-Model exist?
7. Which project management tools are suitable?
8. Successful with the V-Model

A new, extensive project is coming up and you have to organize a lot of things. Besides project organization, it is important to set the requirements for the project and to continuously check them during implementation to identify and correct errors early. In software development, these processes can be efficiently organized with the help of the V-Model.

After reading this article, you will know what the V-Model is, for which projects it is suitable, and what phases your team goes through during its implementation. Afterward, we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the V-Model and take a look at development history. In the end, you will learn what project management tools you can use if you want to use the V-Model digitally in your company. Among other things, we recommend awork.

What is the V-Model?

The V-Model refers to a linear action model in project management, which divides the process of software development into specific stages. Perhaps you think of the familiar Waterfall Model when you think of linear project management. The V-Model complements the Waterfall Model with testing phases opposed to the corresponding development phases.

 
The V-Model maps test and development phases against each other.

Source: https://projekte-leicht-gemacht.de/blog/projektmanagement/klassisch/v-modell/ 

As you can clearly see in the drawing, the V-Model owes its name to its structure. On the left V-side, the individual design phases are depicted, which define the requirements for your project. The further down you go, the more specific are the requirements that are to be technically implemented. The level of specification thus follows the top-down principle.

On the right side, the development stages are shown in which the developed functions are tested. These tests run contrary to the design stage according to the bottom-up principle. In this way, you can ensure that your system is working and all requirements are met during the development process. At the tip of the V-Model, you will then find the implementation, that is, product development.

For which projects is the V-Model suitable?

The V-Model can easily be applied to software projects of any magnitude. It is irrelevant which area you have initiated a project for - whether it's economics, fashion, or medicine - the use of the V-Model in your project management will definitely make organization and execution easier.

What are the 8 phases of the V-Model?

Roughly speaking, the V-Model is divided into three components - the design phase, the implementation, and the validation phase. Of course, the process itself is much more comprehensive, which is why you can read more details about the individual phases below.

• The design phase gathers requirements and translates them into a system design that is subsequently refined according to the top-down principle. It is composed of the requirement analysis, the system design phase, the system architecture, and the component specification.
  
  • Requirement Analysis: In this phase, you gather as much information as possible. Further analyses and designs are highly dependent on this part, which is why you should give it a lot of attention. In your requirement analysis, for example, you determine which requirement definitions the software should fulfill and when it should be completed.
    
  • System Design Phase and System Architecture: Subsequently, you develop the basics and define the information on the basis of which the software should be implemented. This allows you to create a design for your overall system. This is divided into individual components in the next step, which is why this work step is also referred to as the Low-Level Design Phase. Here, you describe the existing dependencies and interfaces of the components in order to refine the overall picture of your software.
    
  • Component Specification: At the lowest level, you now specifically define how the individual components and functions are to be implemented. Thus, you have completed the left side of the V-Model and already developed a rough roadmap as well as a detailed description of your software.
    
    
• During the implementation, the product is developed. How exactly the implementation is to be carried out is not prescribed in the V-Model. So you can use different methods and techniques of modern software development. During this phase, you are actually implementing the components in the software.

• The validation phase conducts tests on component and system level according to the bottom-up principle until the product is finally accepted by your customers. It consists of the component test, the integration test, and the system and acceptance test.
  
  • Component Test: In this test phase, the smallest level of your software is tested. This checks whether the features within the software have been implemented as they were in the specifications. It is particularly important that you test all components isolated from each other to avoid drawing wrong conclusions from any errors that may occur.
    
  • Integration Test: During this test, you check whether the interplay of the individual functions works. Among other things, it checks whether data are exchanged correctly.
    
  • System Test: The next level is the system test. Your customers come into play, who subject the system to intensive test runs. They pay close attention to whether the functionalities adhere to the input and output criteria defined in the system design phase.
    
  • Acceptance Test: The acceptance test is the final project test, which you should carry out in an environment that is as close as possible to the future live environment. Final test users should also correspond as closely as possible to the real end users. During this test, you check whether the system works properly and whether the software is accepted. If you have successfully completed this test, the software development process using the V-Model is completed.

What are the advantages of the V-Model?

Before you decide to use the V-Model, you should first get to know its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of the V-Model include the ability to detect incomplete specifications and other errors at a very early stage, as tests are conducted early on. Moreover, the model is easy to understand and requires little training for your colleagues. This implies that you can easily implement the V-Model in practice.

Another advantage is that during the development you have to plan for relatively little communication between the developers and your customers, as the important specifications and tests are worked out before the system's implementation. Also, you can positively note that team members responsible for testing the software get involved in the early stages of the project and can give their ideas and remarks.

During the entire duration of the project, there are multiple set test phases in order to make the end product as defect-free as possible. With the clear objectives and control tests of each phase, you can clearly track and manage project progress. In addition, each development stage is documented in a comprehensible way. As a result, it could prove beneficial as part of your established knowledge management methods.

What are the disadvantages of the V-Model?

The V-Model, much like the Waterfall Model, is a bit long in the tooth and has already been replaced by agile methods in many areas. The comprehensive documentation makes the project cycles very labor-intensive and because of the linear procedure, the model is rigid and inflexible. This makes it less suitable for complex projects or iterative developments. Once a test phase has started, it is also difficult to make changes. Despite the disadvantages mentioned, the V-Model can be appropriate for small and simple projects and serve you well.

What further developments of the V-Model exist?

Like every project management method, the V-Model has also evolved over the years.

• The classic V-Model covers the entire software development process from requirement analysis to final acceptance.
• The V-Model 97 is an older version of the classic V-Model and was originally developed by the German Federal Armed Forces. It emphasizes validation and verification within the project.
• The V-Model of the Federal Republic of Germany was subsequently developed specifically for state IT projects within Germany.
• The newest version, defined in 2005, is the V-Model XT. The addition XT stands for Extreme Tailoring, or customization. Through integrated iterative approaches, the model can be more flexibly adapted to the size of the project. The toolbox consists of defined roles, products, and activities that the project team can personalize. The rules established ensure that the approach is pursued logically and consistently.

Which project management tools are suitable?

To successfully implement your upcoming projects with the V-Model, you can use digital assistants in the form of project management tools. These help you manage your goals and coordinate individual tasks. As a result, you can measure progress better and make your procedures clear. In addition, your team can communicate with each other using different functions and stay updated on current developments. The following tools are particularly suitable for this:

Asana

awork

Trello

monday.com

Stackfield

MeisterTask

On OMR Reviews, you can read in detail about the individual functions of project management software and take user feedback into account when making decisions. Also, you can use our Software Guide Project Management and our article about the best agile tools to find the right software for your company.

Successful with the V-Model

A comprehensive project can occasionally cost you a lot of nerves, especially when something does not work as planned. Therefore, it is important to regularly test the demanded functions. This allows you to make adjustments during the development process and adhere to the project schedule as much as possible. The linear V-Model helps you to depict your processes within conception and programming as best as possible, so as to produce the ideal work result.