What is Agile and its Benefits?
Agile methodology in software development implements collaboration between self organizing cross functional teams. Agile methods encourages teamwork, accountability, and flexibility which allows for fast delivery for end users.
The Manifesto for Agile Software Development is based on twelve principles.
- Customer satisfaction by early and continuous delivery of valuable software.
- Welcome changing requirements, even in late development.
- Deliver working software frequently (typically in weeks).
- Close, daily cooperation between business people and developers.
- Projects are built around motivated, trusted individuals.
- Face to face conversation is the best form of communication.
- Working software is the primary measure of progress.
- Sustainable development, able to maintain a constant pace.
- Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design.
- Simplicity is essential.
- Best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing items.
- Regularly, the team reflects on how to become more effective and adjusts accordingly.
There are also subsets of Agile. The most popular process framework is called Scrum. Scrum is used to manage intricate program development using iterative and incremental practices. It aims to increase productivity and save time. The overall advantages Scrum offers to the company are: increasing quality of deliverables, planning for changes, more accurate estimated deadlines, and more control of project schedule.
The table below demonstrates the benefits of Scrum.
While there is no substantial empirical evidence that agile methods are advantageous but there are numerous accounts of anecdotal evidence from companies and software engineers.
One example of a successful agile transformation is Capital One Europe. Six years after moving away from legacy processes and implementing agile methodologies, their software engineering team grew 100%, from 30 to 300 engineers. The tech team can deliver quicker results to customers while keeping costs low.
Additionally, in uncertain times where companies had to make changes to their workflow and shift to work at home, the agile approach helped companies thrive under unexpected challenges.
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