What is Agile: Methodology or Mindset?
The main principles of agile development are revealed in a document called “Agile Manifesto”, in this article we will briefly but clearly explain to you what the essence of the agile development approach is and what its advantages are. The Key Values and Principles of the Agile Manifesto:
- Individuals and interactions over processes and tools.
- Working software over comprehensive documentation.
- Customer collaboration over contract negotiation.
- Responding to change over following a plan.
The Agile Manifesto is more of a guide to using it than a methodological prescription. The values and principles of the Agile Manifesto imply its adaptation to each specific situation. Therefore, agile is embodied in different frameworks.
That is, in fact, Agile can be called a philosophy. It's a mindset that helps small teams and large corporations operate more efficiently by delivering value to the customer faster. Agile avoids unnecessary headaches by “dividing” a large project into iterations. That is, in order not to create a large project entirely and immediately - the Agile team does the work within small, convenient increments. Thus, the product can be checked for relevance at any time, and the team can quickly respond to this and this will not be a big problem.
Some criticism of the Agile approach
The cornerstone is precisely the fact that often in Agile development a roadmap is not created, since the customer at any time at the end of each iteration can make changes to the project plans that will conflict with the existing architecture. However, we look at point 3, and we conclude that the development team should always keep in touch with the client, and if some ideas of the customer conflict with the existing product architecture, this is immediately submitted for discussion.
What is Scrum and what are its benefits?
One of the most popular frameworks is Scrum. Scrum is widely used and will be used in various business areas for the successful development of various business projects. He is especially good at mobile software development. But first, let's find out what Scrum is.
Scrum is a management framework, according to which one or more cross-functional teams create a product in increments, that is, in stages. There can be up to seven people on a team. Scrum has a system of roles, events, rules, and artifacts. In this model, teams are responsible for creating and customizing workflows.
Scrum uses fixed-length iterations called sprints. Usually they take 1-2 weeks (no more than 1 month). Scrum teams strive to create a release-ready (well-tested) product increment in each iteration. For example, mobile software development often requires an agile approach, because the development of startups can change as they develop. It will be easier for a small app software development company to cope with the task and find a high-tech custom solution if they use this framework.
The use of Scrum allows you to adjust the task before each stage without serious blows to the client's wallet and a lot of problems for developers. The risk of missed deadlines is much less, because all tasks are divided into sprints - periods of time after which the team delivers what can already be seen and experienced. This framework focuses on the quality control of the development process.
How Scrum Framework Works
Scrum is the backbone of a project, which includes a set of methods, tools, and predefined roles. Cast:
The ScrumMaster is the one who takes care of the project processes and is the coordinator and coach for the Scrum team. He makes sure that Scrum processes are followed and sprints are completed on time. The ScrumMaster is the process owner responsible for the effectiveness of the team. He is often referred to as the "Servant Leader".
The Product Owner is the one who manages the product backlog and takes care to effectively define product goals. It represents the interests of the end users of the product. The Product Owner is responsible for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team.
Team - perform their work qualitatively, strive for self-organization and implementation of the highest quality solutions for the project.
The set of features implemented in each sprint comes from a milestone called the product backlog, which has the highest priority for the level of requirements for the work to be done. Backlog items identified during a sprint planning meeting are moved to the sprint milestone. During the meeting, the Product Owner informs about the tasks that he wants to be completed. The Team then determines how much of what they want they can do to complete the required parts during the next sprint. During the sprint, the team performs a certain list of tasks. During this period, no one has the right to change the list of work requests, which should be understood as freezing requirements during the sprint.
That is, all work is divided into segments, stages, at the end of which all work is checked and a further route for the entire Scrum team is built. This approach is quite effective, as it allows the team to be self-organized, quickly adapt to changes and be truly flexible. Often this approach is the most effective for a small app software development company, as it allows you to correctly disperse the company's resources. However, this methodology is also used in large corporations, because it has already proven its effectiveness.
Conclusion
You can endlessly talk about Agile, discuss Scrum and think about the pros and cons of these frameworks, but their effectiveness cannot be denied. Companies around the world, from small startups to IT giants, are working on these frameworks, which can be observed in 2022 as well. Agile development is especially useful for mobile software development. The agile methodology provides our clients with a continuous feedback loop. Sourcebits mobile app design and development clients see milestones every 2-3 weeks. They aren’t left to wait until the very end of the project.
