incremental approach
An adaptive way of developing where the product is delivered in successive pieces, each adding new features, until the result has all the capabilities needed to be called complete.
Key Points
- Delivers working slices that expand functionality over time.
- Each increment is planned, built, tested, and potentially releasable.
- Stakeholder feedback after each increment helps shape upcoming work and priorities.
- Different from iterative: incremental adds new features; iterative refines what already exists; they are often combined.
Example
A team building a customer portal releases Version 1 with login and profile, Version 2 adds order history, Version 3 adds returns and refunds, and Version 4 adds loyalty points. Each release is usable and adds new capability until the portal meets the defined completion criteria.
PMP Example Question
A team delivers a usable product every few weeks, each release adding new features until the product has the full set of required capabilities. What approach is the team using?
- Iterative approach
- Incremental approach
- Predictive life cycle
- Rolling wave planning
Correct Answer: B — Incremental approach
Explanation: Incremental development focuses on delivering additional functionality in successive, usable releases until the product is complete.
