Agile
Agile is a well-received and recognized software development framework that surpasses the traditional v model or Waterfall model. The traditional approach was too complex and did not incorporate feedbacks until the product in itself was ready. Increasingly the adoption of Agile has been observed by most firms. Its incremental approach to development with an intention to mitigate the focus on documentation driven development has switched the thought process invested in the development life cycle. In this sense, it is fair to say that the Agile approach is one that fulfills business requirements without sabotaging the development process. It manages the delivery of a product in the fastest manner possible along with the possibility of constant feedback and editing in the course of the development.
Basically, Agile can be understood as a set of principles. The principles of Agile that are enlisted in the Agile manifesto focus on adaptability, effective communication, self directed teams and flexibility in the process. The principles are elaborations of the four Agile values which focus on working software, interactive development, customer collaboration and feedbacks and changes accordingly.
For applying the Agile principles into practice the methodologies available become functional. The methodologies incorporate the basis for architecture, design, testing, project management, deliveries, and development. The methodologies of Agile are also heavily relied upon for the improvements with the individual deliveries.
Agile Development Methodologies
There are various Agile methodologies for the Software development process. They have a distinction in their respective approaches. However, each framework follows the principles of the Agile manifesto.
The rather concrete criteria fulfilled by the Agile methodologies would address design, coding, testing, programming, risk management, modeling, etc.
The Agile development teams are multidisciplinary. There are diverse professionals engaged. They focus on end to end management for the delivery of the product. The team builds part of the project whether business logic, user interface or any other and demonstrates the developed part for feedback upon the necessary changes that may be of use to the overall product. The team comprises of Quality Assurance engineers, designers, analyst or any other. This is solely based upon the kind of project undertaken.
Agile product management tries to bring forth development changes and flexibility due to their focus on the development itself rather than planning or strategizing.
Traditional large methodologies required one to select elements. Scrum, for instance, provides a prioritized list of basic elements in which further additions can be made by the team to add specificity to its intended business requirement.
Due to its challenging position with the legacy infrastructure of large scale firms, Agile is often ascribed along the Waterfall model.
Companies also use certain frameworks in order to scale the practice to various teams.
The most recognized Agile frameworks in practice have comprehensive, distinct approach and methodology that makes them suitable to the industry. It would include:
- Scrum – Scrum framework encourages self-directed teams with the Product Owner, development team of testers and programmers and Scrum Master. The product Owner determines the product blockage which leads to the list of work to be done by the Scrum team. The team functions in time boundaries that are understood as a sprint and covers the top prioritized work. Their team reviews the backlogs and issues to determine the amount of work that can practically be achieved in one sprint. For quick updates, the teams have daily standup meetings. It involves the sprint planning, its daily review, and retrospective.
- Extreme Programming – The XP framework accounts for simplicity, respect, and feedback in the process of software development. It encourages collaborative self-directed work that deploys direct communication. The focus is to keep the design simple and develop the understood finished product without any precedent changes that are based on the prediction. Later, regular feedback assists in making the necessary changes.
- Lean – Lean is entirely based on waste reduction. It functions upon this by its division of the activities undertaken in the process as value adding, non-value-adding, essential non-value-adding. The focus is to discredit the notion of value-adding activities as they are the supposed waste in the process. Lean is a philosophy of its own and has seven principles exclusive to its methodology. Lean adoption requires the fulfillment of those principles.
- Kanban – Kanban cards are in constant use by the team members for the development project. Unlike Scrum Kanban has the capacity to accommodate additional items in the course of the development. Also, Kanban doesn’t use definitive roles as that of PO or scrum master as there are in Scrum. Product prioritized backlogs are optional. The framework is suitable because of its less organization, the absence of non value adding activities and its accessibility for change.
Advantages of Agile Development Methodology
- The customer is updated with every change and progress made in the development through each iteration and sprint.
- Changes can be accommodated in the course of the development even if it has reached a rather advanced stage. The development team has that flexibility.
- The customers are constantly in direct communication and thereby all engaged professionals are it, stakeholders, business and technology are updated with the progress.
- The sprints bring forth finished products and software to the customers based on the parameters outlined by them in the first place.
- Agile developed products maintain the business requirement and develop efficient designs.
Some Drawbacks
Agile anti-patterns
It is often the case that some firms face difficulty in transitioning from the conventional waterfall model to Agile. There is a lack of a degree of maturity in the adoption programs that can make the firm sense imposition of Agile rather than adoption.
Sometimes the customer vision is not communicated to the team clearly and due to t,h is the team realizes changes that may be necessary for the course of advanced development. It becomes rather daunting to incorporate those changes.
All in all, Agile intends to align development with the business requirements. They are customer oriented frameworks that are in constant interaction with the customers for feedback. Thereby its approach to software development is most acceptable.
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