What is Agile? Understanding the Software Development and types

Agile has risen to the top of the project management industry in recent years, revolutionising the way that working teams approach value delivery quickly. What is Agile? In its most basic understanding, Agile is not a fancy term for project management; it’s a way of thinking mode of operation that values flexibility, collaboration, and adaptability at its core.

Agile excels in dividing work effectively by breaking projects into smaller goals, promoting steady progress and immediate evaluation. For everyone in software development, marketing, or elsewhere, Agile makes it possible to be ahead of changes and to satisfy customers. On the right track to start its major idea and advantages? Let’s dive in!

Table of Contents

1) Agile Explained

2) Understanding Agile Software Development?

3) Agile Values and Principles

4) Types of Agile methodologies

5) Advantages and disadvantages of Agile

6) Why Choose Agile?

7) What is Agile vs Scrum?

8) Conclusion

Agile Explained

Agile is a style of project and software development and a philosophy committed to producing worth with teamwork, flexibility and constant enhancement. Agile emphasises not a set of radial, sequential plans but, instead, an iterative work conducted using so-called sprints or iterations, during which the teams are expected to reconsider and update the objectives quite frequently, informed by the feedback and new requirements.

Fundamentally, Agile promotes the interaction among people and interactions over processes and tools, usable software over exhaustive documentation, customer cooperation and collaboration over contract negotiation, and adjusting to change over sticking to its plan. Formalised originally in the Agile Manifesto, these values are used to nudge teams to become flexible, customer-centric, and fast agile to deal with change.

Understanding Agile Software Development?

Agile software development is not limited to such frameworks as Scrum, Kanban, Extreme Programming, or Feature-Driven Development. It is also not only about some methods like pair programming, test-driven development, stand-ups, sprint planning, or iterations.

Agile is most helpful when thought of as a system of over-riding philosophy-a system of methods and practices, in turn based on the values and principles of the Agile Manifesto and the 12 guiding principles. There are other decisions that are made guided by these values when development teams use it by adapting practices to the particular context.

The key differences between Agile and other software development processes are actually the difference in terms of the people who work and the way these people interact. The agile solutions are informed by the collaboration between self-organising and cross-functional teams that make decisions regarding the most apposite practices to apply based on their situations.

Even though Agile promotes independence among the team, it does not make managers irrelevant. The management instead takes a back seat to ensure that teams possess the essential skills to bring in an atmosphere of success and to act as an element only when needed in eliminating the roadblocks that the team is not able to handle on its own.

Team members working in Agile are not that fixed to particular groupings. The thing is to form a team that possesses all the skills necessary to provide value. This self-governing, evolutionary style is core to the Agile software development.

Ready to optimise your service management? Get the Agile Service Management Guide now and start improving your processes today!

Agile Values and Principles

Agile Project Management is based on 12 principles and four values which are listed out in the Agile Manifesto. The document was originally written by seventeen software development managers who wanted to simplify the process by introducing common sense as was domain-specific values into the process. The twelve Agile principles are as follows:

a) Satisfying the customer through continuous delivery

b) Welcoming change at all stages of development

c) Frequently delivering working software

d) Business people and developers constantly working together

e) Building projects around motivated individuals

f) Having face-to-face conversations with the team members

g) Making working software as the primary measure of success

h) Promoting sustainable development using Agile processes

i) Enhancing Agility using good design and technical excellence

j) Maximising the amount of work done

k) Having self-organising teams to develop the best architectures and designs

l) Reflecting regularly on how to become more efficient

Agile Values

Agile values make the foundation of the Agile Methodology, a flexible and adaptive approach to project management and product development. These values, outlined in the Agile Manifesto, promote collaboration, responsiveness, and customer-centricity.

a) Individuals and Interactions Over Processes and Tools: Agile Culture places a strong emphasis on human interactions and teamwork. It values the contributions of individuals and recognises that fostering an Agile Culture is essential for effective collaboration and overall success.

b) Working Software Over Comprehensive Documentation: Agile prioritises delivering functional, valuable products over excessive documentation. It encourages continuous development and iteration to create software that meets evolving customer needs.

c) Customer Collaboration Over Contract Negotiation: Agile fosters close collaboration with customers and stakeholders throughout the project. It values feedback and adjusts plans accordingly to ensure customer satisfaction.

d) Responding to Change Over Following a Plan: Agile embraces change as a natural part of the development process. It emphasises adaptability and encourages teams to respond to changing requirements and priorities.

Get your Kanban Certification today! Register for our Certified Kanban Foundation and Practitioner Training!

Types of Agile Methodologies

Agile software development isn’t limited to one specific process or framework. Instead, it includes a variety of methodologies, each offering a unique approach to delivering value quickly, improving collaboration, and adapting to change. Here are some of the most widely used Agile methodologies:

Scrum

Scrum is one of the most popular Agile methodologies, known for its simplicity and structure. It organises work into short, time-boxed iterations called sprints, typically lasting two to four weeks. A Scrum team includes defined roles such as the Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Development Team, all collaborating to deliver a potentially shippable product increment by the end of each sprint.

Lean Software Development

Inspired by lean manufacturing principles, Lean software development aims to reduce waste, enhance learning, and optimise the flow of value. It encourages delivering small, incremental improvements and empowers teams to make decisions, thereby speeding up delivery and improving quality.

Extreme Programming (XP)

Extreme Programming focuses on enhancing software quality and responsiveness to changing requirements. It introduces practices such as pair programming, continuous integration, test-driven development (TDD), and frequent releases. XP encourages close collaboration between developers and stakeholders to ensure the final product aligns closely with user needs.

Crystal

Crystal is a family of Agile methodologies that adapt based on the size and complexity of the team and project. It promotes frequent delivery, reflective improvement, and high user involvement. Crystal values people, interaction, community, and skills over rigid processes, offering flexibility in its application.

Kanban

Kanban is a visual workflow management system that helps teams manage work efficiently. It uses a Kanban board to display tasks in different stages of the process, promoting transparency and encouraging continuous delivery. Teams focus on limiting work in progress to improve flow and reduce cycle time.

Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM)

DSDM is a full project delivery framework that focuses on delivering business value on time and within budget. It follows an iterative lifecycle and incorporates practices like active user involvement, integrated testing, and frequent delivery of working products. DSDM sets strict time and resource boundaries, ensuring projects remain focused and effective.

Feature-Driven Development (FDD)

Feature-driven development combines Agile methods with model-driven techniques. It emphasises building and delivering features with small, client-valued functions every few days. FDD promotes upfront design and detailed planning, making it suitable for larger projects that require clear structure and documentation.

Join our Agile Project Management Foundation and Practitioner to learn more about the Agile Methodology!

Advantages and Disadvantages of Agile

Agile revolutionised software development by replacing the rigid Waterfall model with a flexible, collaborative approach. Instead of working in isolation, Agile encourages continuous input from business stakeholders, resulting in faster delivery, early issue detection, and improved product quality.

Agile focuses on teamwork, transparency, and adaptability, making it suitable for organisations of all sizes. It also paved the way for DevOps by promoting better communication across teams.

Advantages of Agile:

1) Better collaboration and communication

2) Flexibility to adapt to change

3) Increased transparency and stakeholder involvement

4) Reduced risks with early feedback

5) Faster delivery and higher customer satisfaction

However, Agile has drawbacks. Over-customisation has led to inconsistent practices (“ScrumButs”), and tight sprint deadlines may cause stress or burnout. Limited emphasis on documentation and potential communication gaps with stakeholders can also hinder success.

Disadvantages of Agile:

1) Inconsistent or diluted practices

2) Time pressure and risk of burnout

3) Fragmented outputs across teams

4) Communication challenges with stakeholders

5) Insufficient documentation in some cases

Agile offers great benefits but requires the right mindset, coordination, and clear communication to be effective.

Why Choose Agile?

It is useful in fast changing environments since it’s a methodology of working in smaller segments of a large project and providing value in chunks. The use of iterative product development allows customer feedback integration into developing the product or service fulfilling changing needs. Traditional Testing and Agile Testing play a crucial role in this process, ensuring that quality is maintained while adapting to evolving requirements Flexible means that different sub-teams are open to one another and can change their working strategies easily.

Also, productivity and innovation are set high by Agile since it introduces the practice of incremental improvement. Thus, teams spend much time with stakeholders to define the tasks, including breaking down large goals into manageable units like epics in Agile, and ensure that they bring to them working solutions aligned with their priorities regularly. This decreases breakdowns, minimises time-to-market, and keeps organisations relevant and customer-oriented.

Become a certified Agile project manager. Register for our Agile Programme Management now!

What is Agile vs Scrum?

Agile is a broad term defined by its emphasis on process adaptability, collaboration, and incremental progress. Its generic nature makes it easier to adopt across various teams and industries, and it integrates well with frameworks like Scrum or Kanban. Earning the Agile Certified Practitioner credential can further solidify your expertise in implementing these versatile methodologies effectively. Agile is an outlook aimed at helping teams achieve goals while being ready for change at the same time. If you're preparing for a job interview in an Agile environment, reviewing Agile Interview Questions can help you better understand key concepts and prepare effectively.

Among the frameworks for implementing Agile values, scrum is stated as the most precise example. It prescribes roles: Scrum Master and Product Owner, meetings: sprints and daily scrum, and documentation: product backlogs. Agile is the method of working, Scrum is an implementation of Agile – it offers a clear structure for teams to follow.

Conclusion

Agile Project Management is a cutting-edge method for many types of projects, not just software ones. What is Agile? It’s a flexible, iterative approach that enables businesses to create better-quality products that satisfy customers by adapting 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 our Agile Project Management Foundation Certification today!