Agile is an iterative approach to software development. Instead of delivering a final working product at the end of the development lifecycle, teams work in small time frames of usually one to three weeks, known as sprints. Throughout sprints, teams collaborate and provide feedback on the work in progress. Frequent communication like this keeps teams adaptable to changing business and user needs and leads to the delivery of higher quality software products.
Agile teams build applications in small increments rather than delivering the finished product all at once at the end of the development lifecycle. This allows for frequent testing while giving end-users, stakeholders, and the business the chance to provide feedback on the work in progress. It’s common for business requirements and user needs to evolve during development, and Agile keeps teams flexible and responsive to change.
The Core Values Of Agile frameworks
- Individuals and interactions over processes and tools.
- Customer collaboration over contract negotiation.
- Working software over comprehensive documentation.
- Responding to change over following a plan.
What is an Agile framework?
Agile frameworks incorporate elements of continuous planning, testing, integration, and other forms of continuous development. Agile frameworks are lightweight compared to traditional development methods, which means that rules and practices are kept to a minimum.
Scrum
Scrum breaks down big projects into small tasks that can be completed in short development cycles. Scrum improves a team’s performance by empowering the team to commit to an achievable amount of work rather than having a product, program, or project manager specify the expected timeline and scope.
Crystal
The Crystal framework is used for short-term projects involving teams located in the same workspace. There are no firm rules to follow with this approach.
Kanban
Kanban is visual and incremental. Transparency into project statuses is key, so tasks are laid out on a board and categorized as to do, in progress, or done. Some organizations start with kanban because it’s relatively easy to explain and implement. Kanban works as a fan-in and fan-out process where the team pulls user stories from an intake board and funnels them through a workflow until they are marked done.
Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM)
DSDM is a project management and product delivery method used by large organizations. DSDM follows disciplined processes for a strong governance foundation.
Feature-Driven Development
FDD is laser-focused on the development team. Unlike other frameworks, FDD requires thorough documentation and strict organization.
4 Benefits of Agile development
- Flexibility to manage changing priorities
- Team-centered collaboration
- Instant visibility with context
- Superior product quality and faster time to market
Agile Team Structures
Agile teams are highly collaborative and cross-functional; team members have defined roles based on their skill sets, and everyone works together to deliver a working application.
Agile frameworks prioritize individuals and interactions over processes and tools. The roles necessary for project success will depend on the framework being used, but most Agile team structures start with a Product Owner, stakeholders, and specialists, such as designers and developers.
