Application Lifecycle Management (ALM)
Application lifecycle management, or ALM, is an
integrated system of people, processes, and tools that
manage the life of an application from concept to
retirement.
ALM is similar to Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC),
but more comprehensive in scope.
ALM includes governance, development, maintenance, and
decommissioning of software, while SDLC focuses
primarily on the development phase.
Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
SDLC is defined as the processes or stages involved in the
creation of a new information system or the modification
of an existing system, and the various methodologies used
in the process.
In other words, it is all the activities involved in the
development of the software, the processes involved in
taking it from idea to reality (actual software).
ALM can be broken down into three elements:
Governance, Development, and Operations.
Application governance:- Application governance is
where decisions are made about the application.
Governance begins with business case development, where
the idea for the app is mapped to a strategic business
outcome.
Governance also includes resource management, data
security, and user access.
Application development
Application development:- The development stage of
ALM is also called software development lifecycle, or SDLC
Development includes identifying current problems,
planning, design, building, testing, deploying, and
updating the application.
Again, depending on your development methodology,
these phases may be separate steps (waterfall) or fully
integrated
Application operations
The third element of ALM is operations.
Ops includes deployment of the app and maintenance of the
technology stack.
In waterfall development, operations is a separate stage from
development.
DevOps brings operations and development together into fully-
integrated, continuous process.
The scope of an ALM plan changes from business to business.
Some companies (like Microsoft, for example) include help desk
activities in ALM as well.
Benefits of ALM
1. Provides direction
Application lifecycle management provides a clear
direction for an app before it is built.
Develop the business case, plan resources, and map the
lifespan of the app before committing to development
All of this saves time and money by avoiding costly
mistakes and unneeded features.
Benefits of ALM
2. Speed and agility
Without ALM, teams could never produce software at the
speed and agility needed to stay competitive.
Integrated systems run much more effectively than
unconnected tools and processes across multiple teams.
Integration improves communication and helps align
software objectives with business goals.
Benefits of ALM
3. Better decision-making
ALM also helps businesses make better decisions as the
software ages.
With features like version control and real-time planning
(found in many ALM tools), team leaders quickly and
decisively map out an app’s future.
These decisions are amplified when a business has multiple
applications, making ALM all the more important.
ALM Tools
Just like DevOps, Application Lifecycle Management is
enabled by tools that integrate people and processes. There
are several key features to look for in ALM tools:
1. Requirements management
2. Estimation and planning
3. Source code management
4. Testing and quality assurance
5. Deployment or DevOps
ALM Tools
6. Maintenance and support
7. Version control
8. Application portfolio management
9. Real-time planning and team communication
Teams have numerous options when it comes to ALM
tools. You may choose to use multiple tools that support
one another, or a single tool vertically integrated for all
your needs.
Application Lifecycle Management is Critical
ALM provides clear direction for the team, speeds up
development, and helps you make better decisions over the
course of an app’s lifespan.
It is a critical component of successful businesses today.
Many ALM concepts are found in SDLC and DevOps, but
ALM encompasses everything within those ideas, plus
more.
By integrating people, processes, and tools from the
beginning to end, ALM allows businesses to build better
software and manage it with ease.
