Understanding Agile Methodology of Software Development

Having software today has become a necessity for organizations. It makes the whole process of business very efficient and ultimately increases productivity. Hence, the organization needs to select the best methodology for custom software development. The methodologies are broadly categorized as below,

Waterfall Model is considered the conventional model of developing software which is still followed by some traditional companies. Process workflow in Waterfall Model is as mentioned below:

A) The concerned senior manager discusses with their client, and he solely notes down all the requirements and the functionalities that the client is expecting from them.

B) The workflow model is decided before the development process starts.

C) And once the process starts, the client cannot interrupt in between and will wait to comment until they see the final product.

D) No changes or very slight changes are only allowed during the whole development process.

E) Once the client receives the product, they can make changes but that is very costly as well as time taking.

And Agile development is completely different from the Waterfall method. Here the entire product is divided into small projects with their own set of the timeline. And this method of development has its advantages. Let us look into the Agile methodology in detail.

AGILE METHODOLOGY:

For years, agile methodology has been buzzing around the periphery of the IT industry. Every company is promoting the use of Agile development techniques for project management and change management. The Agile manifesto, which was primarily created to generate unique custom software solutions, began the origin of the Agile methodology. Since then, the use of Agile development techniques has exploded, and various roles such as developers, testers, project managers, and others have been included in the process.

Agile bespoke software delivery ensures that the project is delivered on time and within budget. Costs and timelines are also expected. The quality of the product improves because tests and evaluations are undertaken during each iteration.

ADVANTAGES OF AGILE METHODOLOGY:

Some of the advantages of the Agile methodology are mentioned below:

A) Helps in Improving the Level of Customer Satisfaction

As said that the customer is king, so satisfying the customers is the top priority which is very well done through Agile methodology. Customers receive the continuous deliveries of the solutions, and they can keep on sharing their feedback on the same. Regular improvements are made to the features and functionalities of the software.

B) Helps to Offer High-Quality Product

In Agile methodology, as we all know, the whole development process is divided into mini-steps and each of the steps is tested individually. So, every time testing when any flaws and bugs are detected, it is resolved then and there which ultimately improves the quality of the software.

C) Mitigate Risks

When the whole process is divided into silos, then you already reduce the risk of failure of the project. Also, testing done at regular intervals prevents any major failure of the software.

D) Helps to Launch the Product on Time

In Agile methodology, the development process takes place as per the list of priority of the features. So, the necessary features are worked upon first so that the software can any time be launched with essential functionalities.

E) Maintains Transparency in the Development Process

As the end customer is informed regarding every step of the development process, there is clear-cut transparency between the IT firm and its client.

FEATURES OF AGILE METHODOLOGY:

A) Planning the Sprint

The project starts with the kick-off Sprint planning where the important pointers regarding the software are discussed. This laid a foundation for collaboration among different experts in the development team. And consequently, a proper channel of communication is established among all which is a necessary thing for the successful completion of the project.

B) Implementing the Customer’s Priority

The main aim of the project is to provide the client with what he/she desires from the software. So, the customer’s satisfaction level is kept the priority and the features and the functionalities of the software are decided as per the needs of the customer. Also, customers keep on sharing their views and changes during the project which is fine as it ultimately brings the project closer to their expectations.

C) Regular Stand Up at Every Sprint

It means that the related team members should hold a stand-up meeting on each day of the sprint. Here the venue and time of the meeting are fixed, and the team members automatically gather there to discuss the progress of the software. This helps to know the stage at which the project is and how things are going ahead.

D) Sprint Ex-post Facto

This means that the scrum master finally concludes the sprint meeting. This helps everyone to make clear what all points were discussed during the meeting, what are team members expected to do after this meeting, how it is to be done and how the features and functionalities will be further incorporated into the software.

E) Quick Decision-Making Which Removes Complexities

The regular internal meetings and outward meetings with the clients help to quickly decide upon the next step. And the next step is as per the customer’s requirement only. This removes the complexities of the project and prevents the number of revisions in the software. So, the goal is well understood what the actual outcome is desired of the software and the team acts accordingly.

F) Shared Responsibilities

As in the Agile methodology, the project is divided into miniature steps and all these steps as required, starters working parallelly. This ultimately not just reduces the overall time of the software development but also shares the responsibilities among all the team members. So, each member now puts an effort to make this whole project successful.

CONCLUSION:

Although the Agile methodology is not as old as the Waterfall method. It was just 20 years ago that people started using the Agile approach but today, the Agile methodology has more customers than the conventional one. It is because of its priority as per the customer’s requirement. And if the customers are happy, they will help you get more business. Also, the Agile methodology has made it possible to implement the ever-changing demands of the customer and that too at a very economic rate. So, choose your method wisely to reap the maximum benefit.

Hello, my name is Alena Scott, and I am working as a technical content writer at XDuce Corporation. I have almost a decade of expertise in the field of writing. I am well-versed in the current technologies and would like to study numerous of them over the coming years. XDuce provides Custom Software Development, Web & App development services.