Things you wanted to know about Agile Development
What is Agile Development?
Agile development is another name for the pragmatic approach that IT companies are adopting nowadays. Agile development is an iterative process which delivers the final product in consumable bits throughout the process rather than at once, in the end.
Agile development is a new approach that is based on some significant values such as individual interaction, working software, focus, and change. It came as a replacement model for Waterfall Development and has rendered great benefits for IT companies and businesses ever since. Not only IT companies but all the kinds of manufacturing businesses can implement models of Agile development to achieve successful results with improved quality.
The Development Cycle of Agile
Agile development cycle works in 6 steps which include:
I. Concept
In this step, the information regarding the project is collected, such as estimated time, resources, needs, and requirements of a project.
II. Inception
The team members are finalized, and then, the team discusses the initial objectives, requirements, and resources of the project with the client. A timeline, based on sprints, is drafted and intended to follow throughout.
III. Iteration
This is the construction step where the team focuses on creating software according to requirements and collected feedback. The iteration shows that each construction step depends on the previous step and collected review/feedback from stakeholders.
Iteration is usually based on conducting quality assurance tests and testing the product at the team’s end as well as the client’s end (in some situations) to analyze the performance and look for any desired changes.
IV. Release
This step deals with the final testing of the software to get all the defects right and have the final iteration.
V. Production
After the product has been tested and improved, the production phase starts. It focuses on the maintenance of software by providing support to the users and educating them about using and running the software. This step emphasizes the real collaboration and engagement with the client even after the software is developed.
VI. Retirement
This step is required when the final retirement of software comes up. If a business is looking for a new release with several improvements or new features. This usually happens when a business has expanded its roles and requirements.
If worked well, this software could be used as a model for a new release by the IT team.
This shows that Agile development is a loop as it continues, and each step complements the other by iteration and repetition to learn and change as much as possible for better results.
How Agile Development Benefits Businesses?
Agile development has revolutionized the outlook of businesses towards software. As IT companies are focusing more on Agile development now, businesses are inclined towards getting software developed for modern business needs. In this digital and competitive business environment, it has become impossible to handle the production, delivery, and other consumer needs without competitive software. Agile development ensures that businesses enjoy the benefits they are looking forward to.
Following are some great benefits of Agile development for businesses:
Better product quality
With such great software, you can focus on producing products with great quality. Agile software emphasizes on core values of your business. It helps businesses meet the scheduled deliveries and collect feedback. As it helps in overcoming challenges, businesses can deliver after ensuring each part of the deliverable product meets quality standards.
Through testing and adjusting at each stage of the process, the team can look for important changes and get them done accordingly. This incorporates all the internal and external changes a product may require.
Agile methodology allows businesses to focus on their end goals by ensuring customer satisfaction and addressing market needs. As it caters to all the factors, it delivers amazing outcomes. The end result is an excellent product- a product that addresses the needs of your customers and adheres to quality standards.
Efficient team performance
Agile methodology and development consider collaboration and communication as its core values. According to Agile, communication is the key to deliver desired outcomes. It enhances the transparency among team members, which clarifies the goals, roles, and responsibilities of each member. This eliminates the need for micromanagement and adds to the efficiency.
The high-value performance of the team is based on interaction, not only with each other but with stakeholders and clients as well. As an agile team is always in contact with stakeholders and clients for the feedback, it also increases the efficiency and effectiveness of the team. It anticipates required changes from stakeholders or client’s end on time, and so, incorporating the change doesn’t seem difficult. It highlights another core value of Agile Development, i.e., change!
Lesser risks
With agile development, businesses have to face lesser risks. As agile emphasizes on iteration, short releases, and frequent deliveries, there are lesser chances for risks to appear. It allows constant audit of the product quality. This means that there are no chances of a failed project at all. While failure is out of the book, there is always room for change and improvements which iterative nature of agile development encourages.
Overall, businesses largely reduce risks through agile development.
Final Thoughts
Agile development has come as a great approach to achieving end results efficiently and effectively. By including stakeholders, clients, and team members from the beginning, agile ensures better collaboration, lesser risks, improved quality, and timely deliveries. When the steps are followed, core values and Agile principles are kept in mind; businesses can achieve success.