More teams are applying Agile, especially in mobile app development because it helps them adapt effectively to the changing requirements, while still ensuring fast software delivery. Agile also promotes collaboration, which requires every team member to work closely together and understand clearly their role in the team. Most importantly, companies using Agile always rest assured that they are building high-quality products since testing is performed at every phase of the process.
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Agile is an iterative software development methodology. Iterative means that Agile involves multiple iterations. The goal of each is to create a working product. Unlike the Waterfall model which focuses on planning at the outset, Agile methodologies welcome changes in requirements and feedback from the end-users.
Any process that follows the Agile Manifesto’s concepts can be called Agile. In 2007 there were 17 software developers meeting up to invent a method for lightweight software development. They then published the Manifesto for Agile Software Development.
Today, Agile has become more popular as the alternative to the traditional Waterfall model.
The Agile Manifesto offers 12 principles to guide teams to become more agile and deliver better software:
The four values of Agile, as outlined in the Agile Manifesto are:
People are more important than processes and tools. In Agile, people define the development process and business needs. People are the most important part, and thus should be valued above processes and tools. If people let processes or tools define development, they will be less likely to adapt to change and, therefore, less likely to meet customer needs.
Working software is prioritized more than meticulous documentation. Waterfall - Agile’s counterpart - requires lots of time for documenting the product. Waterfall’s requirement list is typically lengthy, which can cause delays. While Agile also requires documentation, it is streamlined to help developers focus only on the information needed to do their job – user stories, for example.
Collaboration rather than negotiations. When it comes to details of the development, Agile values collaboration between the customer and project manager, instead of contract negotiations between the two. Collaborating means that customers are included throughout the entire process, not just its beginning and end. This makes it easier for teams to meet the needs of their customers. For example, in an Agile project, customers may be involved at different intervals of the product’s demos. Nevertheless, customers are encouraged to interact with the teams and join project meetings regularly.
Changing requirements are welcomed. Conventional software processes avoid changes since as undesirable expenses. Agile is quite the opposite of this idea. Agile’s short iterations make it possible to input changes so that the project can be modified to meet new needs - rather than changing needs to fit the current project. This is because Agile deems change is to make the product better.
There are typically 6 steps to Agile software development cycle: concept, inception, iteration/construction, release, production, and retirement.
Concept - the first step - is when business opportunities are identified and the time & effort to complete the project is estimated. This information is used to prioritize project items based on technical and economic feasibility.
In inception - the second step, project funding is granted, team members are picked, and some of the first requirements are defined. A timeline should also be established, in which responsibilities of team members are clearly defined, plus when work is expected to be completed for each iteration.
Iteration/construction - the third step - is when team members get down to developing the software based on requirements and user feedback. The Agile processes are divided into iterations. Iterations build that build on each other and lead to the next iteration until the project is completed. An iteration can last from two to four weeks, with a completion date. At the end of each iteration is working software.
During the Agile development cycle, there are multiple iterations, each is a different workflow. A typical interaction includes:
Release - the fourth step - consists of final quality testing, fixing remaining bugs, finalizing the system and user documentation, and finally implementing the final iteration to production.
Once releasing, production - the fifth step - is about providing continuous support to ensure the software quality. An agile team must continuously maintain the software and educate users on how to use it. The team keeps the production phase on and on until there’s no more support needed or the software is ready for retirement.
Retirement - the final step - includes all end-of-life activities, for example, final migration or informing customers. In this step, the system release is removed from production. Retirement happens when the software needs to be replaced or it is outdated, unable to fit the current business model.
Features can be added to the product backlog throughout the Agile process. However, the entire cycle must repeat each step again and again until every backlog item is resolved. This is why Agile is modeled as a loop, rather than a linear process/ makes the Agile cycle more of a loop than a linear process.
Evolved in the 1990s from many software approaches, Agile is intended as the alternative to the rigid, linear Waterfall. Agile prioritizes flexibility, continuous improvement, and speed of delivery.
Some of the most popular benefits of Agile are
Flexibility in Agile is not always helpful. Too many unpredictable changes can be troubling. For example, Agile makes it difficult to plan for delivery dates. Moreover, documentation is sometimes neglected. And as the project progresses, the final software can be different from what it initially is intended to be.
Some of Agile’s shortcomings are:
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