Agile Manifesto: Reshaping Business Success

 

What is the Agile Manifesto, and why does it matter? If you are someone new to Software Developement, a Project Management, or even a stakeholder, you might have heard of the term “Agile Manifesto”. But what do What is Agile Manifesto really,and how can it help you deliver better products faster and more efficiently?

The Agile Manifesto is a set of principles and values that guide the Agile approach to Software Development. It emphasises collaboration, feedback, adaptation, and quality over rigid processes, documentation, contracts, and plans.

However, if you are someone new to the domain of Project Management and software Development, it is crucial to learn how this Manifesto works. In this blog, we will explore the Agile Manifesto in more detail and see how it can help you create better software and products.

Table of Contents

1) Introduction to Agile Manifesto   

2) Who created the Agile Manifesto?   

3) Is Agile Manifesto still a thing?  

4) The four Agile Manifesto values  

5) The 12 Agile Manifesto principles  

6) The benefits of Agile Manifesto    

7) How to use Agile Manifesto  

8) Agile vs. Scrum and other methodologies  

9) Conclusion 

Introduction to Agile Manifesto

The Agile Manifesto, created by 17 Software Development professionals, was released in February 2001 in response to the growing demand for an alternative to cumbersome, documentation-driven Software Development procedures.  

They concurred that the issue was that businesses were overly preoccupied with overly organising and documenting their Software Development cycles. As a result, they were losing sight of what actually mattered—making their customers satisfied. 

As an answer to this, corporate principles like "excellence" and "integrity" may have been promoted by businesses, but they did little to lead people—particularly Software Developers—into a better direction. Many of the Snowbird 17 had plans in place on how to start the new era of Software Development. That's when Agile Manifesto came into being.
 

 

Who created the Agile Manifesto?

The Agile Manifesto was written by the Agile Alliance, a group of software practitioners from varied backgrounds. But who particularly were they? below are the ones who endorsed the Agile Manifesto in its initial form in 2001:

1) Mike Beedle  

2) Kent Beck 

3) Arie van Bennekum 

4) Alistair Cockburn 

5) Ward Cunningham 

6) Martin Fowler 

7) James Grenning 

8) Jim Highsmith 

9) Andrew Hunt

10) Ron Jeffries 

11) Jon Kern 

12) Brian Marick 

13) Robert C. Martin 

14) Steve Mellor 

15) Ken Schwaber 

16) Jeff Sutherland 

17) Dave Thomas 

The Agile Alliance was the name given to this gathering of individuals. Following the publication of the Agile Manifesto, the Alliance expanded into a global non-profit with a community of more than 72,000 members. The Agile Alliance regularly sponsors conferences and coordinates activities to aid regional organisations.

Is Agile Manifesto still a thing?

You might find yourselves questioning whether the Agile Manifesto should still be your guide as companies transition into a world defined by constant innovation while standing in the middle of the technological revolution. This brief but revolutionary document paved the way for same-day drone deliveries after we had been sending goods on boats like freight. Today, however, we are less founders and more explorers on the seas of continual development, which leads us to wonder if the Manifesto must be improved as well? The Manifesto is still important today, even more so. Codifying a method of thinking that had not before been applied to Software Development may be the Agile Manifesto's greatest achievement, which is unquestionably no minor task.

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The four Agile Manifesto values

Agile Software Development is built on four values, which also serve as priority areas for teams to concentrate their efforts. These values include the following:

1) Individuals and interactions over processes and tools

The first value focuses on the people, which is at the heart of the Agile process. It emphasises the use best procedures and resources can be used to aid your projects, but they won't be effective unless your staff members are giving it their all. Your crew is your most important asset. Here, communication is crucial because it allows people to share ideas and produce better goods when they do so frequently. 

2) Working software over comprehensive documentation

Teams would spend hours producing lengthy documents containing technical specs, needs, and more before Agile techniques were completely embraced. These lists would be created before Programmers began writing the code, which meant that the entire process would be delayed because it would take so long to generate the documentation. 

The goal of the Agile methodology is to condense the content in such documents into user stories. The Developer can begin working on the software and make it ready for release using the information provided in these stories. The goal is to hasten the product launch and make early adjustments to the product in order to enhance the software in subsequent iterations. 

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3) Customer collaboration over contract negotiation

 The Agile Manifesto's third value recognises the significance of customer collaboration. Contrary to contract negotiation, which entails discussing product requirements with the client before the project begins and then renegotiating those deliverables at a different stage, this is regarded as being preferable. Customers are not involved in the development process, which causes teams to miss out on user feedback that could improve the product. 

You can routinely solicit feedback from your clients and consider their suggestions when you involve them in the development process. While the product is still being developed, Developers may learn a lot about users' unique demands and use that information to build the best possible user experience. 

4) Responding to change over following a plan

Traditional approaches favoured as slight changes as possible since they understood that major changes may require a lot of time and money. The goal was to develop a thorough plan that had a clear, linear course and avoided obstructions whenever possible. 

This inflexible approach is turned on its head by the Agile philosophy, which contends that change can be advantageous to the Software Development process. By accepting change, you make yourself more receptive to new opportunities and methods to grow. Agile teams can react rapidly and make changes continuously because they operate in brief, iterative cycles. In the end, this produces quality products. 

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The 12 Agile Manifesto principles

At its core, Agile Manifesto also involves 12 principles. These principles are as follows:

1) Satisfy clients through early and continual delivery

Original formulation: “Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.” 

What is the most important piece of Software Development advice? Keep your client satisfied. Instead of making your users wait for a single, large delivery, try to give software to them frequently during the course of the project. 

2) Welcome fluctuating requirements

Original formulation: “Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer's competitive advantage.”

Software Engineers should be able to manage project changes made at the last minute. They ought to be adaptable enough to swiftly transform these adjustments into enhancements, reducing delays and ensuring a constant flow of work. 

3) Deliver value persistently

Original formulation: “Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale.” 

Agile teams divide lengthy projects into manageable timeframes to ensure regular delivery. These time frames are referred to as sprints in the Scrum methodology, and they typically last between one and four weeks. 

4) Communicate better for better synchronisation-  

Original formulation: “Business people and Developers must work together daily throughout the project.” 

As discussed, Collaboration is essential to Agile Project Management. Daily communication among project stakeholders reduces the possibility of misunderstanding and guarantees that everyone's objectives stay congruent. 

5) Reduce micromanagement

Original formulation: ‘Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need and trust them to get the job done.” 

The project is more likely to succeed if you have the correct individuals for the job. Choose the ideal team carefully, give them the tools they require, and have faith in their ability to produce outstanding results. 

6) Communicate in person  

Original formulation: “The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.”   

When teams can communicate face-to-face, barriers can be quickly broken. Co-locating teams is a smart idea whenever it can help with communication and information flow. Zoom is an excellent alternative to phone or email in a remote workplace, allowing employees to communicate more effectively via video. 

7) Produce a working software 

Original formulation: “Working software is the primary measure of progress.”   

You must produce top-notch software if you want to keep your clients happy. Your top priority and success metric should be that; everything else is just a side note. 

8) Maintain a sustainable working rate 

Original formulation: “Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, Developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.”   

Agile teams must retain their speed and consistency throughout the whole project life cycle. This indicates that they are resilient to delays in an environment that is continually changing. 

9) Consistent excellence enhances agility- 

Original formulation: “Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.”  

Agile emphasises continual improvement and innovation rather to merely producing one excellent product and calling it a day. Every iteration ought to provide some form of new improvement, feature, or update. 

10) Simplicity is vital

Original formulation: “Simplicity — the art of maximising the amount of work not done — is essential.”  

The Agile methodology emphasises meeting requirements and doing just enough to finish a task without overcomplicating things. Avoid wasting time on extra stages that don't actually improve your product.  

11) Self-managing teams create more value

Original formulation: “The best Architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organising teams.”   

Why supervise teams when they are capable of working independently? You give ideas greater room to grow and eventually provide better results by letting them operate within their own structures. 

12) Regularly reflect at your work progress

Original formulation: “At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behaviour accordingly.”  

Regular performance reviews allow you to identify problems before they become serious and potential areas for development. Self-reflection is an important part of a good Agile team since it enables them to stop using unhealthy practices and develop new ones.

Although, by studying the 4 values and 12 principles of the Agile manifesto, you might have already understood what it really means to be Agile. However, let’s delve a little deeper and learn the benefits of Agile Manifesto.  

The Benefits of Agile Manifesto 

Because various teams execute best practices in diverse ways, the advantages of Agile Project Management can vary from situation to situation. However, it is widely acknowledged that Agile provides the following fundamental advantages: 

1) Satisfied clients

Agile teams communicate with their clients and demonstrate that they respect their feedback by including them in the development process. Stakeholders want to be involved at every stage of the project life cycle so they can provide feedback and guarantee the outcome will meet their needs. These customised outputs will probably enhance user experience overall and increase client retention. 

2) Enhanced quality

Agile Project Management practises take an iterative approach, in which procedures are enhanced with each iteration. One of the fundamental ideas of Agile is that continuous improvement and quality control lead to better products. 

3) Flexibility

Flexibility is Agile's main tenet. Agile teams are adaptable to change and can do so without much disturbance, even at the last minute. Since project deliverables are flexible, teams may simply review their strategies and realign their priorities to meet revised objectives. Teams that are flexible can deliver consistently and successfully handle clients' shifting requirements. 

4) Predictability

Agile teams complete their work in brief intervals known as Sprints. It is simpler for Project Managers to assess team performance and allocate resources in accordance with these predetermined durations (such as two weeks). Additionally, the estimation process is made simpler by the fact that expenses are easier to predict for short-term projects than for long-term ones. 

5) Lower risk 

Developers constantly evaluate their progress during Sprints, giving them increased project visibility and the ability to identify roadblocks rapidly. These minor problems can be resolved before they become more serious, resulting in an efficient risk mitigation procedure, and increasing the project's likelihood of success. 

6) Improved communication

Face-to-face contact and ongoing interaction are prioritised by Agile teams. To ensure that everyone is on the page and pursuing the same goals, they typically hold daily meetings. They avoid uncertainty by communicating often with one another, which helps them accomplish their goals.

How to use Agile Manifesto? 

The Agile Manifesto is a document that defines the values and principles of Agile Software Development. To use the Agile Manifesto, you need to follow these steps:

a) Read the four values and 12 principles of the Agile Manifesto. They describe what Agile Software Development is and how it differs from traditional methods.

b) Choose an Agile methodology that suits your project and team. There are many Agile methodologies, such as Scrum, Kanban, XP, and Lean, that apply the values and principles of the Agile Manifesto in different ways.

c) Implement the Agile practices and techniques that are relevant to your chosen methodology. For example, if you use Scrum, you need to have daily stand-up meetings, Sprint planning, Sprint reviews, and Sprint retrospectives.

d) Inspect and adapt your process and product regularly. Agile Software Development is based on feedback and learning, so you need to review your work frequently and make improvements based on customer and stakeholder input.

e) Collaborate and communicate with your team and customers. Agile Software Development emphasises the importance of individuals and interactions over processes and tools, so you need to foster a culture of trust, respect, and transparency among all the people involved in your project. 

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Agile vs Scrum and other methodologies

Agile is a philosophy of Software Development that is based on the Agile Manifesto, a document that expresses the core values and principles of Agile. Agile emphasises flexibility, collaboration, feedback, and adaptation over rigid processes, documentation, contracts, and plans.

Scrum is one of the most popular frameworks that implements the Agile philosophy. Scrum involves a Product Owner who works with cross-functional teams to define and prioritise a list of tasks called the product backlog. The teams work in short iterations, called Sprints, to deliver potentially shippable increments of the product.

There are other frameworks and methodologies that follow the Agile philosophy, such as Kanban, Crystal, Lean and Extreme Programming. Each of them has its own rules, roles, and practices, but they all share the common goal of delivering software that meets the needs and expectations of the customers and stakeholders.

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Conclusion 

We hope that after reading this blog you have understood everything about What is Agile Manifesto. It is a set of values and principles that make the Agile Project Management a cutting-edge method for many types of projects, not just software ones. Agile enables businesses to create better-quality products that satisfy customers by giving them the flexibility to adapt to change throughout the development lifecycle. The methodology a corporation chooses to use will depend on its unique requirements and goals.  

Want to become an Agile Project Manager? Register for our Agile Project Management Foundation (AgilePM®) course today!