Agile has transformed project management and software development in the current era. Let’s understand some of the advantages of Agile?
What exactly is Agile?
In a word, Agile is a method of project management and software development that is iterative. Rather than focusing solely on the introduction of the product, the teams deliver genuine product value in each iteration. The "smaller chunks" approach to product development (or, for that matter, any sort of planning) has proven to be highly effective: teams can provide outcomes faster and with fewer roadblocks. The key reason for this is that, unlike traditional project management, the project's risk and change management takes place in real time. Agile emphasises user and customer satisfaction, product (or project) quality, adaptability, transparency, and continuous improvement and delivery (known widely as CD & CI).
Use of Agile techniques in software development and project management has a number of advantages like -
- Improved time-to-market: This occurs mostly as a result of Agile's work prioritising. The team can break the end-product into smaller chunks during a Product Design Workshop, which typically minimises the number of must-have functionalities you forecasted for your launch in order to offer a better-tested and better-working product earlier and develop on top of it later.
- Testing as well as a high-quality product: Improved product quality is another Agile benefit that comes from breaking down the project into manageable chunks. After each sprint, testing is an essential aspect of the Agile process (so basically after developing a single feature or a set of features). During frequent meetings, Agile Project Managers guarantee that the client and the team are on the same page throughout the project. This implies that the client is always aware of what is being developed, how it appears, how far along the team is in the process, and so on. The client can provide rapid feedback when a feature has been produced, and all issues can be resolved immediately.
- Feedback and collaboration: Feedback and collaboration are also important in an Agile setting, and this applies to developer-developer communication as well. This setting allows the team to detect and repair errors faster, optimize code throughout the development process, and improve the overall quality of the product in real time.
- Priorities that are adaptable: One of the most important advantages of Agile software development is its flexibility. Agile teams are often smaller, but thanks to the Agile feedback loop and regular communication between all parties involved, all backlog adjustments are less expensive and time-consuming than they would be in a traditional project management system. Priorities for functionalities might shift, and the backlog can shift to reflect changes in the industry and the present market scenario.
- Lowering the risk: Agile is lauded for more than just its adaptability and change management. It's also a risk-mitigation strategy. Regular team meetings with the customer and the Agile Project Manager ensure that everyone is on the same page regarding the project's direction and that any changes in the backlog can be discussed. Agile teams are able to adjust to change faster and more effectively than traditional teams because Agile focuses on value given after each sprint. In a typical context, the client's needs are only gathered just before the project begins, with no follow-up.
- Transparency and visibility of the project: In contrast to traditional project management methods, Agile makes the project visible to all stakeholders at all times, not only at the start and end. Instead of waiting for the project to be completed, everyone can see how far the project has progressed and provide feedback. Agile also delivers a greater level of openness for all parties involved because it relies on the client's involvement throughout the project: from feature prioritisation to weekly meetings to review sessions.
- Increasing the team's autonomy: Agile teams are self-managing and self-organizing in general (Read more on self-managing teams and their benefits). They have far more autonomy than traditionally managed teams, so they take responsibility for their jobs and work together to overcome obstacles. Self-management has been shown to increase team members' creativity and ingenuity, making them more inclined to propose alternative solutions and take pride in their job (and their work outcomes). Self-management and an agile approach encourage personal and team growth by allowing them to share experiences and learn on a daily basis in the workplace.
- Client satisfaction is higher: As it has been already highlighted how Agile enables openness, greater client-vendor communication, and faster responsiveness to market and project-specific changes - all of which have a substantial impact on overall customer satisfaction and accomplishing business objectives.
- Task optimization and project predictability are both improved: Agile approaches improve project predictability by keeping all stakeholders on the same page through frequent meetings and status updates. The team calculates the time and expense of each sprint before beginning the project, calculating how long it will take to develop all of the project's features. The initial estimate is then tracked throughout the project and adjusted as needed if anything develops faster or takes longer than anticipated at the outset.
- End-users are constantly under the spotlight: Agile methodologies place a strong emphasis on providing ongoing value to the product's end customers. In an Agile software development environment, features are converted into user stories (software system requirements written in an informal, natural language that users can understand), which are based on acceptance criteria, or conditions that the feature (or a product) must meet in order to be accepted by the end-user. refined faster to meet the needs of the actual users.
- Continuous delivery and continuous improvement: Agile relies on Team Retrospectives (Retros). This is a regular meeting (exact timelines differ depending on the project’s scope and duration), where the team gathers together to retrospect on what they’re doing: what’s been good, and what is to be improved. The goal behind it is to create a safe space to detect mistakes, so they will not be repeated in the future, and it stems from the spirit of continuous improvement, which is one of the 12 core principles of the Agile manifesto.
- The key to sustainable Agile implementation: Agile is a powerful mindset that simplified not only the world of software development, but is working for many times outside the IT sector. The key to a satisfactory Agile implementation is everyone being on the same page, and not being afraid to make mistakes. They are going to happen either way, but the change happens if you are able to spot them fast. It’s easier in a team than it is on your own. Isn’t it!