Agile Methodology for Software Development
Agile Methodology for Software Development
At its core, the Agile methodology is a project management framework that aims to better collaborate with clientele, and to be able to adapt quickly to changes that pop up within the development cycle. Agile was an answer to the changes needed as the world became more digital, where older project management processes, such as the widely used waterfall methodology, just were not working anymore – particularly within the software and application development space. This blog aims to walk you through the history of Agile, what it entails, and why it works so well for us at Poeta.
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The History of Agile
Agile was actually launched formally way back in 2001, when 17 technologists drafted and published the first Agile Manifesto. This consisted of the 4 pillars of Agile, which we will break down in the next section, and the 12 principles that made up the manifesto. The principles are the backbone of the manifesto, and each one guides the development process towards a smoother, more focused strategy. Highlighting techniques that just weren’t heard of at the time, such as “business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project” and “the best architectures, requirements and designs emerge from self-organizing teams”. These new ways of thinking were far-flung from the top-down approach utilized by tech companies in the 90s, so a lot of the hype around Agile wouldn't catch on for a while. It has become far more common over the last decade or so, especially in tech start-ups around the world, including us at Poeta Digital.
| Kent Beck Mike Beedle Arie van Bennekum Alistair Cockburn Ward Cunningham Martin Fowler |
James Grenning Jim Highsmith Andrew Hunt Ron Jeffries Jon Kern Brian Marick |
Robert C. Martin Steve Mellor Ken Schwaber Jeff Sutherland Dave Thomas |
The 4 pillars of Agile
Agile Development is built primarily on its 4 foundational pillars, these being:
"Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working software over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan"
This is followed up by the clause, “that is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more”.
A stronger focus on individuals and their interactions allows more freedom with development, rather than focusing on specific tools and cookie-cutter processes. Getting software up and working, rather than fussing over boring and overly drawn out documentation presentations in stuffy boardrooms. Having the customer directly collaborate, rather than being stuck in constant contract negotiations. And being able to quickly adjust course to respond to change, rather than being stuck to a road map that is full of delay’s. You can almost feel the passion the creators had as they wrote these rules, after so many years of forcing new developments to work in old ways.
Why it works for Software Development
So why is Agile so commonly found in the software development space? It just works. Software development is a dynamic environment, with constant updates to hardware, software, frameworks, platforms, and more. So the more flexible you can be, the better. Working directly with the client, and breaking down the project into smaller chunks, known as sprints, allows the developer team to adjust on the fly to changes that might come up – as well as quickly resolving issues that pop up as well. This is the same for team collaboration as well. Having the design team working directly with the development team means that everyone is aware of where the project is going, what features will be included in the MVP build, how users with interface with the app, and so on. This heightened collaboration allowed teams to easily navigate the global confusion surrounding COVID-19 and work from home orders, as teams were already meeting daily – this time they just used a webcam.
To Conclude
Efficient, adaptable, and collaborative. Agile has worked excellently for over 300 successful product launches at Poeta, from Discovery to Delivery. By effectively utilizing the Agile Method, we are able to quickly deliver products, and are always able to adjust on the fly. If you want to know more about how Poeta adapts with agile, you can learn more about our process.
