Be Knowledgeable about Agile Methodology [Thorough Introduction]
In project management and software development, you will always hear the word Agile methodology. However, some people have no idea what this is about. Well, luckily, you will get all the information you need when you turn yourself in this post. We will give you a simple definition of Agile methodology. Also, you will discover its main values, principles, and benefits. So, for more details, come to this article and learn more about Agile methodology.
- Part 1. What is Agile Methodology
- Part 2. Principles of Agile Methodology
- Part 3. Types of Agile Methodology
- Part 4. How to Conduct Agile Methodology
- Part 5. Benefits of Agile Methodology
- Part 6. FAQs about What is Agile Methodology
Part 1. What is Agile Methodology
The Agile methodology is a process to develop software and manage projects. It prioritizes collaboration, customer satisfaction, and flexibility. This approach was made as a response to traditional ways of managing projects. In addition, Agile is based on a set of principles and values outlined in the Agile Manifesto. It was developed by a group of software developers in 2001. Moreover, Agile methodology is a project management framework. It breaks and divides projects down into various phases, commonly as sprints. Aside from that, Agile methodology applies various values in different ways. All of them are about development and providing high-quality working software.
Click here to see the detailed Agile methodology.
Four Values of Agile Methodology
Individuals and Interactions Over Processes and Tools
◆ It is important to prioritize and give value to people rather than processes and tools. The process’s development is driven by people who respond to business needs. It is easy to understand. The best example of process versus individuals is communication. Communication in a process needs specific content and has to be planned. In individuals, communication happens when needs occur.
Working Software Over Comprehensive Documentation
◆ A lot of time was spent on documenting the development of the product and its ultimate delivery. It includes interface design documents, technical prospectus, technical requirements, test plans, documentation plans, and more.
Customer Collaboration Over Contract Negotiation
◆ Negotiation is the phase when the product manager and customer work out the information about delivery. Also, collaboration has a big role in business or projects. With development models like Waterfalls, the customer negotiates the needs for the products before any work starts.
Responding to Change Over Following A Plan
◆ Agile believes that priorities and requirements can change. It values the capability to respond to changes adaptively and flexibly. Also, it is reflected in the preference for incremental and iterative development.
Part 2. Principles of Agile Methodology
The 12 principles used in Agile methodology are:
1. Customer Satisfaction through Continues Delivery of Valuable Software
The main priority is to meet the satisfaction of the customer. It may happen through the consistent delivery of valuable software. Also, Agile teams focus on delivering working software in short iterations. It is to provide tangible value to the target customer.
2. Welcome Changing Requirements, Even Late in Development
The Agile procedure harnesses change for the customer’s competitive advantage. The Agile teams are open to any changes in requirements. Despite being late in development, they view it as an opportunity to improve the products.
3. Deliver Working Software Frequently
Agile Emphasizes the delivery of working software frequently with shorter timescales. It allows the team to have a quick response to changes, feedback, and evolving requirements.
4. Collaboration between Business People and Developers
One of the best ways to achieve and succeed on a certain project is collaboration. It is important to be on the same page. Business people and developers must have a single goal and work together.
5. Build Projects with Motivated Individual
Having a motivated individual on a team is recommended. With this, it can provide a good environment, resources, and trust. Also, with a motivated individual or team, it will be easier to get the task easily done. Sometimes, it is not about the products or customers.
6. Face-to-Face Interaction
The most effective way to communicate and convey information is face-to-face communication/interaction. Having direct communication with the team and other business people can help them understand the main goal better. Also, with this kind of interaction, there is a high possibility to get good working software.
7. Working Software is The Measure of Progress
Agile teams focus more on delivering functional and valuable increments of the product. It is to emphasize the tangible result over the documentation.
8. Agile Processes to Support Consistent Development
Agile establishes sustainable development by maintaining a constant pace of work. This kind of principle focuses on the importance of preventing burnout and maintaining a sustainable workload over the long term.
9. Attention to Good Design Enhances Agility and Technical Excellence
Having technical skills and good design are necessary for agility. The Agile team can focus on these things to make sure the product can adapt, last, and be good.
10. Simplicity
Simplicity is also important in Agile. Its main goal is to maximize the amount of work and cut unnecessary complexity.
11. Self Organizing Team for Best Architecture, Designs, and Requirement
Self-organizing teams are encouraged to make decisions related to architecture, requirements, and design. Empowering teams to organize themselves often leads to better solutions and outcomes.
12. Reflections on How to Become Effective
To work efficiently, there are various things to consider. These are Self-improvement, techniques, advancing skills, and process improvement.
Part 3. Types of Agile Methodology
Come here to learn the types of Agile methodology with its own set of practices.
1. Scrum
It is one of the most popular Agile frameworks. It is based on the principles of inspection, adaptation, and transparency. It divides the development process into time-boxed iteration, which is called “sprints.” It has roles such as Development team, Scrum Master, and Product owner.
2. Kanban
It is a visual management method that emphasizes continuous delivery. It uses a Kanban board to show the flow of work items through various stages of the development process. It also focuses on optimizing the Agile workflow’s efficiency.
3. Extreme Programming (XP)
XP is an Agile framework that emphasizes technical excellence and frequent releases. It includes test-driven development, pair programming, and continuous integration. It aims to improve software quality and responsiveness.
4. Feature-Driven Development (FDD)
The FDD Agile methodology is an incremental and iterative software development methodology. It is about building and designing features in a short time frame. It places a strong emphasis on domain modeling.
5. Crystal
Alistair Cockburn developed it. It is a family of small Agile methodologies. It includes Crystal Yellow, Crystal Red, Crystal Clear, and more. The goal is to balance project flexibility and process formality.
Part 4. How to Conduct Agile Methodology
1. Define Objective
When conducting agile methodology, you have to outline your main objectives. It includes the goals you desire to achieve, such as quick delivery, enhanced collaboration, and customer satisfaction.
2. Choose an Agile Framework
You must select an existing framework that has an alignment to the goal of the organization. Some frameworks are Kanban, XP, and Scrum.
3. Establish Responsibilities
It is important to define the responsibilities and roles of the team members, owners, and other stakeholders. It is also necessary to have a strong bond in terms of the decision-making process within the agile teams.
4. Develop Practices and Processes
In this step, it is crucial to design processes. It includes sprint planning, management, execution, and review.
5. Pilot
It is best to pilot the agile methodology on a smaller scale. It lets the team have an experience and determine some areas for improvement. If the process succeeds, it will be ready for the full-scale implementation.
Do you want to conduct your Agile methodology for your project most effectively? In that case, use MindOnMap. It is an online and offline tool capable of creating various illustrations, diagrams, and more. The tool also has a simple interface that lets users understand each function easily. Plus, it has a Flowchart feature that allows you to use various elements. It includes shapes, arrows, text, lines, colors, font styles, tables, and more. Aside from that, MindOnMap is available to almost all platforms. The tool is available on Google, Edge, Explorers, Safari, and more. It also offers a downloadable program, which is more convenient for Windows and Mac users. If you want to know how to conduct your Agile methodology, you can see the steps below.
Go to the main website of MindOnMap. Then, choose if you want to download the offline version or use the online version.
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Then, go to the New option and click the Flowchart function. After that, you will see the tool’s main interface.
You can use the shapes from the General section. To input the text, you can double-click the shape and begin inserting the content. Also, if you want to change the color of the shapes, you can go to the Fill color option from the upper interface.
Lastly, you can start saving your final output. Go to the upper interface and click the Save button. After that, you can already view your Agile methodology.
Part 5. Benefits of Agile Methodology
Agile Project Management offers various benefits that can contribute to more efficient and effective software development.
Customer Satisfaction
Agile places a great emphasis on customer collaboration throughout the development procedure. Good feedback from customers ensures that the products meet their expectations. It can lead to customer satisfaction.
Continuous Improvement
Agile encourages continuous improvement. The team must regularly reflect on their performance and processes. It is to look for ways to enhance quality collaboration and quality.
Collaboration and Communication
It promotes collaboration and communication among the team members, customers, and stakeholders. It helps to build a better understanding of the project’s goal. It also ensures that everyone is on the same page. Having the same discussions about priorities, progress, and goals is better.
Cost Control
Agile lets better control over project costs by delivering functionality incrementally. It allows organizations to focus on features based on value.
Further Reading
Part 6. FAQs about What is Agile Methodology
What are the 5 steps of Agile methodology?
The first stage/step is the Project Initiation. It is known as the envision or inception phase. The second one is the Planning phase. It is about creating and planning a roadmap that may achieve the project’s objective. The third one is Development. It is about testing, coding, and implementing the required solutions. The fourth one is Production, which is the exciting part of any project. The last step is Retirement. It is about the end of a project, also known as an important step.
What is Agile vs Scrum?
Agile is a project management that employs a set of values and principles. It is a big help to the team to respond to a change. Scrum is an Agile framework that guides teams to structure the work into short development cycles.
What are the 3 C's in Agile?
The 3 C’s in AGile are Card, Conversation, and Confirmation. A Card is a way of dividing stories into smaller and more manageable tasks. This way, it can be identified and monitored. Conversation emphasizes frequent communication between the team members. It is to identify possible changes or issues. The Confirmation lets users test features before putting them into a production environment.
What is Agilent Technologies?
Agilent Technologies is a global company in California. Its goal is to offer various instruments, services, software, and consumables for laboratories.
Conclusion
In this post, you discovered that the Agile methodology represents a fundamental shift towards project management and software development. Also, it gives you more information about its types, principles, and main values. Plus, if you want to conduct an Agile methodology for your project, use MindOnMap. It is among the best online and offline tools that may help you create your desired final outcome.
