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Those who work in or near the industry are aware that the art of software development is unique and distinct from other types of engineering projects. It requires the care and attention of a team<\/a> who are adaptable and flexible. Software development also needs a team that’s willing to respond quickly to changes and won\u2019t bat so much as an eyelid at a client\u2019s overnight demands. This is what the Agile development methodology is all about.<\/strong><\/p>\n In this article, we’ll show you why agile management is so popular in project development.<\/strong><\/p>\n Here are some of the things you’ll learn from this article:<\/p>\n According to Verison One\u2019s <\/span>State of Agile Report in 2020<\/span><\/a>, Agile is here to stay. The principles and practices of Agile methodology have scaled cross-team and globally. Key takeaways from the report are:<\/span><\/p>\n What is Agile methodology<\/span><\/a>?\u00a0Agile methodology is a project management process that is primarily used in software development. It’s used where demands and solutions emerge through the collaborative effort of self-organizing and cross-functional teams and their customers.<\/span><\/p>\n The Agile methodology is a collection of principles that value adaptability and flexibility. <\/span>Agile <\/span>aims to provide better responsiveness to changing business needs<\/span> and therefore focuses on enabling teams to deliver in workable increments<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n Stemming from the values and principles of the Agile Manifesto, it was created as a response to the inadequacies of traditional development methods such as the <\/span>Waterfall method<\/span><\/a>. The software industry is a highly competitive market due to the fact that software is something that can be continuously updated. This means that developers need to constantly improve and innovate their products to keep on top of the game\u2014and the linear, sequential approach of the Waterfall method just wasn\u2019t cutting it.<\/span><\/p>\n The agile vs waterfall methodology<\/a> debate demonstrates that the two project management methodologies are polar opposites. The use of Agile and waterfall methodology largely depends on the project expectations, deliverables, and project owner vision.<\/p>\n The agile methodology in software development, for example, is extremely adaptable. Teams can respond quickly to project changes and customer needs. The structure of the Waterfall methodology, on the other hand, is more rigid.<\/p>\n Agile is ideal for software development as a project can take years to complete. As such, technology will often evolve rapidly during this time. Therefore, Agile methodology is a useful project management method due to allowing for changes in direction to be incorporated even late in the process. This flexibility also benefits the software development team by accounting for continuous stakeholder feedback.<\/p>\n In addition, in Agile, the team will work on project phases concurrently, frequently with tight deadlines. The team, rather than a project manager, determines the project’s direction. While this can motivate and boost overall productivity, it does require the team to be more self-directed.<\/p>\n Waterfall methodology, on the other hand, is a linear form of project management. It’s best suited for projects where the end result is clear from the start. The project’s expectations and deliverables for each stage should be\u00a0clearly defined. This is because they are\u00a0required to move on to the next phase. Waterfall methodology, for example, is a good system to follow if a project owner has a clear and specific vision of an app that will not change during project development.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Agile allows for a lot of flexibility in adapting and changing course as the project progresses. It is better suited for projects where the outcome may need additional research or testing.<\/p>\n The budget for projects using Waterfall methodologies is also less flexible because the project is planned from the start. Because Agile allows for more flexibility in project direction as it progresses, the budget is also subject to change. Similarly, the Waterfall timeline is fixed from the start, whereas the Agile timeline is more flexible and dependent on how the project develops.<\/p>\n In the 1990s, <\/span>software development faced a bit of a crisis<\/span><\/a>. Referred to as \u2018the application development crisis\u2019 or \u2018application delivery lag\u2019, the industry realized that it couldn\u2019t move fast enough to meet customer demands and requirements\u2014the estimated time between a business need and actual application was about three years. See, traditional development models were based on a timeline approach, where development happened sequentially and the final product wasn\u2019t revealed to customers until the very final step. This left little room for flexibility when it came to progress reviews and changes. So, by the time an actual application was finished, it was highly likely that the requirements and systems of the project\u2019s original objectives had changed.<\/span><\/p>\n With time, money, and efforts wasted, and even some projects canceled halfway through, professional leaders of the software community thought it was time for a new, refreshed approach. Then in 2001, in a snowy, ski lodge in Utah, a group of industry practitioners gathered to discuss industry practices. Though the meeting was set up with a primary focus on the discussion of development cycles, some participants were already entertaining the idea of a new software development method. They all yearned to cement a process that legitimized what was being practiced, and so, came the creation of the Agile Manifesto.<\/span><\/p>\n The <\/span>Agile Manifesto<\/span><\/a> is a declaration of the values and principles expressed in Agile methodology. Made up of four foundational values and 12 key principles, it aims to help uncover better ways of developing software by providing a clear and measurable structure that promotes iterative development, <\/span>team collaboration<\/span><\/a>, and change recognition.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nAgile Methodology Definition<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\nAgile vs Waterfall Methodology<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\nA Brief History of Agile Software Development<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\nWhat Is the Agile Manifesto?<\/strong><\/h2>\n