Agile! A term very widely used in today’s world. You would be listening to it regularly if you belong to the software industry. Especially the terms like Agile Product Management, Agile Project Management, Agile Methodology, Agile Process, etc.
But what is it? What is Agile?
It is just another fancy jargon unless it is implemented in its true sense
Let us forget about the business world or the software industry for a while and try to understand the dictionary definition of Agile.
The literal meaning of Agile is “able to move quickly and easily”
In the software industry too, its meaning is not much different from its literal meaning.
What is Agile Methodology?
Agile is an SDLC model that helps in delivering software products in smaller chunks in a continuous manner rather than in one big release.
Traditionally, software development used to happen with the help of the waterfall model. Again, the waterfall model is an SDLC model that helps in developing software in a step-by-step fashion.
First, the requirements are collected and documented, the design is made, the software is coded and then testing happens. Finally, the end-to-end software is deployed.
What’s the problem with the waterfall model then?
It is a lengthy time-consuming process. There is no scope for change in the middle of the process.
One has to wait till the end of development for testing. The end-users don’t get to give their inputs and test the system on the go.
Well, the list can continue.
Agile follows the same 7 stages of SDLC that are followed by the waterfall model, BUT in an incremental manner.
Agile is a methodology. It is a mindset that promotes flexibility to deliver value. In order to implement agile, there are various frameworks.
Agile Manifesto
In 2001, 17 Software Developers came together in Utah and came up with the Agile Manifesto. This group of 17 Software Developers named themselves “Agile Alliance”.
The Agile Manifesto consists of 4 Agile Values & 12 Agile Principles. It is this Agile Manifesto that forms the basis for agile software development.
4 Values of Agile
- Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
- Working software over comprehensive documentation
- Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
- Responding to change over following a plan
12 Principles of Agile
- Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.
- Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer’s competitive advantage.
- Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale.
- Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.
- Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.
- The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.
- Working software is the primary measure of progress.
- Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.
- Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.
- Simplicity–the art of maximizing the amount of work not done–is essential.
- The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.
- At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.
Benefits of using Agile
Customer Satisfaction
Unlike the waterfall model, the Agile methodology allows the customer to get involved in all the phases of the software development life cycle.
This enables the end-users to give continuous feedback and test the system on the go, thereby ensuring the development of a product that highly satisfies the customer’s needs.
High-Quality Product
As the entire process is iterative in nature, the teams keep on learning about any issues/improvements as the iterations proceed. This helps in fixing issues and improving the product regularly.
Also, as the customer is highly involved in the entire lifecycle, the product is naturally of superior quality as it is made on the basis of the inputs provided by the end-users.
Reduced Risk
The risk naturally reduces due to regular assessments and shorter sprints.
There is more visibility on the product being developed, issues are identified much early in the development life cycle, customer feedback are incorporated & things don’t have to wait till UAT or deployment.
Adaptability
As the product is developed in phases, adaptability increases!
Last-minute changes are possible without much headache. As the client requirements might change while the product is being developed, the changes can be incorporated much more easily in Agile.
Higher ROI
Due to its iterative nature, the product is released in phases. This means the most viable product can be released much early, thus helping the product stay ahead of the competition.
Also, early and quick releases ensure First-Mover Advantage in the market.
Higher Collaboration
Agile values promote high collaboration amongst the various stakeholders involved. The teams not only internally collaborate very closely but also with the customer.
This collaboration reduces confusion and helps in avoiding misunderstanding through better and regular communication.
Agile Frameworks
Agile is a methodology and in order to bring Agile values and principles to life, we need frameworks. These Agile Frameworks help us implement the Agile Methodology in the real world.
Remember, Agile means to adapt to changes easily and quickly. The emphasis is on quality and customer satisfaction. So, organizations mold the frameworks as per their requirements and environments.
The most commonly used Agile frameworks are Scrum, Kanban, XP, FDD, Crystal, and DSDM.
Scrum
Scrum is the most widely-used Agile Framework.
Scrum is a lightweight agile framework that breaks down bigger complex projects into several smaller projects that are taken up in an iterative and incremental manner. Scrum teams are small, cross-functional, and self-organizing in nature.
Kanban
Kanban is another popular agile framework that focuses on visually representing, planning, and tracking projects in real-time using a Kanban Board.
Visual workflow management can be used to manage work items at the individual, team, and even company levels.
XP (Extreme Programming)
XP (Extreme Programming) is an agile framework that focuses on the technical aspects of software development.
The key goal of XP is to deliver value continuously through frequent releases.
FDD (Feature Driven Development)
FDD (Feature Driven Development) as the name suggests is a feature development-driven agile framework that focuses on delivering value to clients continuously.
FDD is used in large and complex projects.
Crystal
Crystal is a lightweight agile framework that focuses on individuals and their interactions. It is called lightweight as it involves less documentation and reporting.
Crystal framework has no firm rules and is a good option for smaller self-organizing teams.
DSDM (Dynamic Systems Development Method)
DSDM (Dynamic Systems Development Method) is an agile framework that focuses a lot on governance while developing software in a timely manner and in budget.
It is usually used by large organizations.
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