The V-Model is Dead. Long Live the V-Model!

Speaker: Colin Hood
Venue: Local Speaker in Hamburg.

1 Aim
To discuss that a V-model documents relationships between information, and does not restrict the sequence of creation of information.

2 Introduction
This paper does not concern itself with the German Vorgehensmodell which is correctly, but sometimes confusingly, also known as the V-Model. This German Vorgehensmodell gives guidance and rules for realisation of German government projects. Based upon a V-Model, a simple information model is presented in order to structure the main part of the discussion in this paper. Each level of the left side of a V-model is described. A V-model is a static model that helps to structure a system into smaller parts, and does not introduce any sequence of creation of specifications or implementation.

3 Agile
The basis for what today is called “Agile” is laid here by Dr. Royce who introduced the Waterfall model with a warning not to use it in his article “MANAGING THE DEVELOPMENT OF LARGE SOFTWARE SYSTEMS”. The iterative aspects from Royce will be very familiar to modern developers who know of the 12 principles behind the Agile Manifesto, with lessons learned from implementation being fed back directly into the development of requirements and the design process. The incremental aspects will be familiar to anyone, for instance, that has heard of Sprints from Scrum. The V-model is an ideal static model to apply these iterative and incremental dynamic models to. The V-model helps to organise the derivation of interfaces as larger challenges are divided into traceable, manageable, and achievable work packages. The V-model also provides a plan for building components into sub-systems, and for combining sub-systems to create reliable working systems to fulfill the customer requirements.

4 Conclusion

  • The V-model represents graphically; ownership of and relationships between information.
  • The V-model is a static model and does not restrict sequence of creation of artefacts.
  • The V-model supports iterative creation of a feature or capability, and also  the incremental introduction of features or capabilities to a system
  • The V-Model supports agile development.
  • The V-model is state-of-the-art.