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Are you tired of the traditional, rigid software development methods that take forever to produce results? Agile software development is what you need. This approach prioritizes adaptability, collaboration, and flexibility over strict procedures and guidelines.
Agile software development is recognized worldwide as an excellent framework for mobile app development. This guide to agile software development will cover all so that you can better understand if it’s right for your team or project.
Agile software development is an umbrella term for a set of practices that anticipates the need for flexibility and applies a certain amount of pragmatism to deliver the finished product.
Instead of a top-down procedure with a single set of stages, the Agile SDLC development approach focuses on collaborative decision-making, customer satisfaction, and development over several short cycles or sprints.
Additionally, Agile software development techniques refer to a collection of iterative development approaches in which organizations execute a project with the collaboration of self-organizing cross-functional teams.
This method allows developers to build software by leveraging Minimum Viable Product (MVP) development solutions. It also helps add new features and functionalities based on user feedback and behavior.
From start to finish, a product goes through a structured series of stages called the Agile software development life cycle. The process is divided into six stages: conception, release, iteration, maintenance, and retirement. The Agile life cycle will differ slightly depending on the project management methodology chosen by a team. Let’s take a closer look at each of these Agile phases in more detail.
First up is the concept phase. A product owner will decide what the project's scope is in this situation. If there are numerous projects, they will rank the most important one first. After discussing the main requirements with the client, the product owner will draft documentation to outline the requirements, along with the features that will support them, and propose the results. It is advisable to keep the requirement to a minimum, as it can expand in later stages. In the concept stage, the product owner will also estimate the time and cost of prospective projects. This detailed analysis will help them decide whether or not a project is feasible before commencing work.
Once the concept is developed, it is time to build the software development team. A product owner ensures the availability of their colleagues for a project, selecting the most suitable individuals and providing them with the necessary tools and resources. They can then start the design process. The inception stage involves further input from stakeholders to fully flesh out the requirements on a diagram and ascertain the functionality of the product. Consistent check-ins will guarantee that the design process incorporates all requirements.
Next up is the iteration phase, also known as construction. It tends to be a prolonged phase as most of the work is finished here. The developers will translate the design into code by collaborating with UX designers to integrate all product specifications and user input. By the end of the first sprint, or iteration, the objective is to have the product's basic functionality built. Later iterations may include new features and additions. Agile software development's core stage enables developers to swiftly create functional software and continuously enhance it to meet client expectations.
The product is almost ready for release. But first, the quality assurance team needs to perform some tests to make sure the software is fully functional. These Agile team members will test the system to ensure the code is clean — if potential bugs or defects are detected, the developers will quickly fix them. User training will take place in this phase, which requires more documentation. When all of this is tender, the product's final iteration is released into production.
Customers will now be able to access and utilize the fully deployed software. With this action, the maintenance phase begins. The software development team will continue to support the system during this phase to maintain its functionality and fix any new bugs. Additionally, they will be available to provide users with further training and to make sure they understand how to use the product. It is possible to update and add features to the current product over time through new iterations.
A product may enter the retirement phase for two reasons: either it is being replaced with new software, or the system itself has become outdated or incompatible with the organization over time. The software development team will notify users in advance that the software is being retired. User migration to the new system will occur if a replacement is available. Finally, the developers will carry out any remaining last-minute activities and remove support for the existing software.
Let's go through some of the most popular Agile methodologies and decide which one is right for your organization.
Let's first talk about Scrum - the most well-known Agile methodology that employs a phased and iterative approach to project execution. It enables you to adapt to changes more quickly and with flexibility.
Developed in the 1990s, the Agile Scrum methodology depends on a set of time-bound sprints, but with a bit more prescriptiveness in how you put together the sprints. It is based on the rugby game, where the entire team strives to move forward together with certain principles, like:
Kanban is another Agile project management methodology that enables the continuous delivery of quality products while simplifying workflows. However, Kanban is exceptional for offering a highly visual approach and a limited amount of “work in progress” tasks to manage the project actively.
Major software project management practices are adhered to by Kanban teams:
At its core, Extreme Programming(XP) is a more rigorous approach to Agile that calls for close teamwork, continuous planning and testing, customer participation, and rapid feedback loops to develop effective software.
XP relies on close feedback loops in which end users collaborate closely with non-IT team members. So, if you hire software developers with an XP ethos, your potential customers can comment on the greatest features of the product, and developers can utilize that feedback to improve the software until it's completely ready to launch.
Compared to XP or Scrum, lean software development offers a more flexible Agile enterprise architecture framework with fewer rules and guidelines.
The seven key principles of this agile SDLC are:
Therefore, adopting the Lean methodology can be a wise decision if you're wondering how to oversee an agile software development process in a condensed amount of time.
The crystal method in the Agile process emphasizes the importance of constructive interaction between team members as opposed to technologies and tools involved in a project. It is a simple framework that is directly developed from one of the Agile Manifesto's core principles.
As per Crystal principles, every project is unique, and such assertion has led to its recognition as one of the most flexible Agile software development frameworks for project management. So, if you want your team to work most effectively, this can be a feasible methodology for your organization.
The Agile Software Development Methodology is the most effective approach for focusing on speed and flexibility. Because of the multiple advantages it offers, an increasing number of development businesses are implementing this methodology. Microloop IT Solutions, USA is a top-notch software development company, we have years of industry experience, and our developers are well-versed in the nitty-gritty of the Agile process and can help you build high-quality software with cutting-edge features and functionalities.
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