You may be familiar already with the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). Perhaps you have led a project in another organization and you feel comfortable running the steps because of the experiences you’ve had. This doesn’t mean, however, that you’ll be able to finish your next project with the same level of ease. Every project, every team, every organization, and every situation is different. There are a lot of factors that weigh into the success of a project. Being successful means knowing the factors ahead of time and testing your current climate so that you can adjust accordingly. Here are 5 strategic things you need to know if you have any hope of optimizing the software development life cycle within your organization. Without these tips, your previous experience has basically no use in your current project.