**Agile ** is a set of software development principles and practices based on an iterative approach, close collaboration with the customer, and rapid adaptation to change. The key idea of Agile is to create a working product in small increments, which allows you to quickly respond to changing requirements and project priorities.
Agile methodologies emerged as a response to the shortcomings of traditional project management approaches in software development. In 2001, a group of 17 developers formulated the **Agile Manifesto**, which defined the key values and principles of agile development. Since then, Agile has become the development standard for many IT companies, from startups to large corporations.
## What is Agile
Agile is a family of development methodologies based on an iterative approach in which requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration between self-organizing cross-functional teams. Agile advocates adaptive planning, evolutionary development, early value delivery, and continuous improvement, and encourages rapid and flexible response to change.
**Key characteristics of the Agile approach:**
- Iterative development: the project is broken down into small iterations (typically 1-4 weeks), at the end of each of which the customer receives a working product with new functionality.
- Flexibility to change: the team is ready to adapt to changing requirements even at late stages of development.
- Constant communication: daily communication within the team and regular interaction with the customer.
- Focus on people: Agile values interaction between people more than processes and tools.
- Continuous improvement: the team regularly analyzes its work and adapts processes to improve efficiency.
## Agile principles
The Agile approach is based on the 12 principles outlined in the Agile Manifesto. These principles define the values and practices to be followed when using Agile methodologies:
1. The primary objective is to meet customer demands by delivering quality software promptly and seamlessly.
2. Changing requirements are welcome even in the final stages of a project. Agile allows changes to be transformed into a market advantage for the customer.
3. One should strive to release a functioning product as often as possible, ideally every 14-60 days.
4. There should be constant interaction between the development team and customer representatives throughout the project lifecycle.
5. Motivated professionals should work on the project. Create an environment for them, provide support, and trust them completely.
6. Direct communication is the most practical and effective way to share information both with the team and within the team.
7. A key indicator of progress is workable software.
8. Investors, developers, and users must be able to maintain a steady rhythm indefinitely. Agile fosters a stable development process.
9. Constant attention to technical excellence and design quality increases project agility.
10. Simplicity is key - the ability to minimize the amount of redundant work.
11. The most effective requirements, architecture, and engineering solutions are formed in an environment of self-organizing teams.
12. The team should regularly explore potential ways to optimize their activities and adapt workflows accordingly.
These principles form the foundation of Agile thinking and help teams focus on what really matters: creating value for the customer, adapting to change, and continuously improving development processes.
## Advantages and disadvantages of Agile methodologies
The Agile approach to software development has some significant advantages, but it also comes with some challenges. Understanding both sides is important to effectively apply Agile to real-world projects.
### Benefits of Agile
1. Rapid adaptation to change: Agile allows you to respond quickly to changes in market or customer requirements, which is especially valuable in a dynamic business environment.
2. Early delivery of value: Regular releases enable the customer to start using the product at early stages of development.
3. Improved product quality: Continuous testing and feedback allow defects to be identified and eliminated early.
4. Increased customer satisfaction: Close interaction with the customer and the ability to make changes during the project results in a product that better meets expectations.
5. Improved visibility of progress: Regular demonstrations and status reports provide transparency to all stakeholders.
6. Increased team motivation: Self-organization and active participation in decision making increase the engagement and ownership of team members.
### Disadvantages of Agile
1. Difficulty in estimating timelines and budgets: Agility to change can make it difficult to accurately plan resources and timelines for project completion.
2. Risk of incompleteness: Without a clear vision of the final product, there is a risk of constantly adding new requirements, which can lead to project procrastination.
3. Dependence on customer involvement: Agile requires active customer involvement throughout the project, which is not always possible.
4. Difficulty scaling: Applying Agile in large organizations or for large projects can be difficult and require significant adaptation.
5. Documentation can suffer: A focus on a working product can lead to a lack of attention to documentation, which can create problems in the long run.
6. Possible performance loss with insufficient skills: Agile requires high skill and self-organization from team members, which can be a problem for inexperienced teams.
## Agile in development management
Agile approach in software development management is implemented through various methodologies. The most popular of these are Scrum and Kanban. Both methodologies embody the principles of Agile, but have their own peculiarities and areas of application.
### Scrum project
Scrum
**Scrum **is an iterative and incremental approach to project and product management that focuses on delivering a work product in short fixed time periods called sprints.
**Components of Scrum:**
1. **Roles**:
- Product Owner - Responsible for maximizing the value of the product and the work of the development team.
- Scrum Master - ensures adherence to Scrum practices, removes obstacles.
- Development Team - A self-organizing group that does the work of building the product.
2. **Artifacts**:
- Product Backlog - an organized list of all product requirements.
- Sprint Backlog - The set of Product Backlog items selected for execution in the current sprint.
- Increment - the sum of all Product Backlog items completed during the sprint.
3. **Events**:
- Sprint Planning - planning work for the upcoming sprint.
- Daily Scrum - a daily 15-minute meeting to synchronize the team.
- Sprint Review - showcasing the results of the sprint to stakeholders.
- Sprint Retrospective - analyze the past sprint and identify areas for improvement.
### Kanban Project
Kanban
**Kanban **is a project management methodology based on workflow visualization, limiting the number of concurrent tasks and continuous delivery of value.
**Kanban Principles:**
1. **Workflow visualization**: Using a Kanban board to display tasks and their statuses.
2. **Work-in-Process (WIP): **Setting limits on the number of tasks in each stage of the process to identify bottlenecks.
3. **Flow Control:** Monitor and optimize the process to ensure a smooth and predictable flow of work.
4. **Explicit Process Policies:** Clearly define work rules and criteria for transitioning tasks between stages.
5. **Implement feedback loops: **Regular reviews and adaptation of the process.
6. **Collaborative development and evolutionary change:** Gradual process improvement based on experimentation and measurement.
The choice between Scrum and Kanban depends on project specifics, team characteristics and organizational culture. [SimpleOne SDLC]() allows flexible adaptation of tools to the chosen approach or a combination of both, ensuring effective development management in accordance with Agile principles.
## Differences between Agile and other methodologies
### Agile vs. Waterfall
Waterfall
**Waterfall (cascading model)** is a linear sequential approach to project management that has long been the standard in the software development industry.
**Key differences:**
1. **Planning approach**:- Waterfall: Detailed planning of the entire project at the outset.
- Agile: Adaptive planning, focus on short-term iterations.
2. **Flexibility to change**:- Waterfall: Changes after development begins are difficult and expensive.
- Agile: Change is welcome at any stage of the project.
3. **Customer interaction**:- Waterfall: Limited interaction, mainly during the requirements gathering and final acceptance phases.
- Agile: Continuous interaction throughout the project.
4. **Product Delivery**:- Waterfall: One-time delivery of the complete product at the end of the project.
- Agile: Regular delivery of working versions of the product.
5. **Testing**:- Waterfall: A separate phase at the end of development.
- Agile: Continuous testing throughout the development process.
6. **Documentation**:- Waterfall: Extensive documentation throughout all phases.
- Agile: Minimal documentation required, focus on working product.
7. **Risk Management**:- Waterfall: Identification of risks at the outset.
- Agile: Continuous risk identification and management.
### Agile vs. Lean
Lean
**Lean **is a methodology originally developed for optimizing manufacturing processes, but later adapted for software development.
**Key Differences:**
1. **Focus**:- Lean: Minimizing waste and maximizing value in processes.
- Agile: Adapting quickly to change and meeting customer needs.
2. **Improvement Approach**:- Lean: Continuous process improvement (Kaizen).
- Agile: Regular reflection and adaptation (e.g., retrospectives in Scrum).
3. **Work flow management**:- Lean: Rigorous work flow management, minimizing work in progress.
- Agile: Iterative approach with fixed time frames (sprints in Scrum).
4. **Decision Making**:- Lean: Delegation of decision making to lower levels of the organization.
- Agile: Self-organizing teams making decisions at their own level.
5. **Visualization**:- Lean: Using visual tools to track the flow of work.
- Agile: Visualizing progress (e.g., task boards, burndown charts).
6. **Scope**:- Lean: Widely applicable in a variety of industries, not just software development.
- Agile: Originally developed for software project management.
## Conclusion
Agile has transformed the approach to software development by making it more adaptive and user-centered. However, its effectiveness depends on proper understanding and application. The success of Agile requires not only the tools, but also an appropriate corporate culture and a willingness to continuously learn and adapt. It is important to remember that Agile is not a dogma, but an agile approach that continues to evolve.
Ultimately, the goal of Agile is to create quality products that meet the needs of users. If a team achieves this goal, they are on the right track, regardless of the rigor of following a particular methodology.
