Rohith Perumalla | 3/9/2018
A quick look at Agile.
Project exist in all shapes and sizes, from small narrow focused tasks, to larger more complex processes that require multiple groups to collaborate together. For a successful execution of a project you need to complete all the requirements within your timeline, and to get there a plan is absolutely necessary. The plan will need to be more that what each person is responsible but also should have various other details. These plans are often known as Project Management Methodologies. There are many different methodologies some including: Waterfall Model, Prototype Methodology, Agile Software Development Methodology, Rapid Application Development, Dynamic System Development Model Methodology, Spiral Model, Extreme Programing Methodology, Feature Driven Development, Joint Application Development Methodology, Lean Development Methodology, Rational Unified Process Methodology, and the Scrum Development Methodology. Each of these methodologies have their own benefits and drawbacks, but I’ve decided to delve deeper into the pros and cons of the Agile Software Development Methodology.
The Agile Software Development Methodology is deemed to be an innovative approach for articulating clear and well organized project management procedures while retaining the ability to accomodate the option for recurrent alterations and changes. Agile is used quite widely throughout the industry as development cycles get shorter and shorter to satisfy the demand for speedier time-to-market. Agile is designed to adapt to the eternally changing software development environment.
The Agile Software Development Methodology provides more flexibility in comparison to the Waterfall Methodology. The traditional Waterfall Methodology, is designed to make the scope and the features of a project nonnegotiable after a project starts pinning it down, while it allows the schedule and cost to be more flexible. However, with recent trends in the industry and the consumer’s volatility towards certain features and ideas has made the waterfall method far more difficult to successfully implement. Agile on the other hand, schedule and cost are the main factors while the features and the and scope are flexible to handle changing business demands and necessities. “It is quite common in Agile meetings to hear the following conversation: ‘In order for us to deliver Feature A which does B and C by the 30th of the month, we will need X developers and Y testers. If Acme Company wishes to add Feature D which does E and F, then either we reduce what Feature A does, or move the 30th of the month deadline, or add more developers and testers.’” This flexibility isn’t achievable in the traditional waterfall methodology since it wasn’t designed for changing and it strictly adheres to the concept that once a stage/process has ended, one cannot go back to adjust.” Mature Agile teams achieve maximum efficiency with the Agile methodology with years of experience of working together.
In addition to the flexibility of the Agile Software Development Methodology, Agile also creates an environment which allows immediate feedback. Agile works in constant releases, known as iterations, where there are small releases that bring in continuous feedback as the developers work together. By having smaller releases its easier for the Agile Software Development Methodology to maximize the use of its flexibility.
The Agile Software Development Methodology is an adaptive approach that reacts and responds to changes favorably. Agile also allows for quick and direct communication to maintain transparency within the organization and facilitate greater teamwork and productivity. In addition, Agile improves quality of code and work by finding and fixing defects quickly and identifying expectation mismatches early, this is done through the often iteration releases. Overall the Agile Software Development Methodology is an industry standard methodology, that brings quality, adaptability, and efficiency to the table.
“Pros and Cons of Agile Development - Telos.” TelosVision, Telos Corporation, 3 Nov. 2015
http://www.pythagoras.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Icon_Agile.jpg
