Agile is a set of values and principles that software developers and/or managers use to encourage a positive work environment that is efficient, and promotes a successful workflow. Agile is becoming the gold standard for software development and programming, because it is inherently based on collaboration. Not only does it encourage intense collaboration with members of the development team, but also the customers they are making the product for. A core tenant of Agile is to not only keep the team on the same page, but also stay transparent with the customer and accommodate their every need with the product. Here are some important values and principles Agile is based on: “Working software over comprehensive documentation”, “Simplicity”, “Responding to change”, “Customer collaboration”, “Human communication”, and last but not least: “Continuous attention to technical excellence”. These aren’t the only values, but they are some of the most important ones.
“An Ultimate Guide to Agile Software Development” is an informative video about Agile Software Development, by the YouTube channel Invensis Learning. In the video, the narrator discusses how Agile is beneficial for teams specifically in the Software Development field. They describe Agile Software Development as a “set of iterative software development methodologies in which requirements and solutions arise from collaboration among self-organizing cross-functional teams”. This is very important to understanding Agile, and its uses in the workplace. Agile allows for teams working on different parts of a project to stay on the same page, and not get ahead of their peers, while still having room for improvement and disagreement. They also go on to explain how a company following Agile doesn’t necessarily mean there isn’t a manager coordinating these things, but it suggests that each sub-group should be able to handle their problems on their own. The video also discusses the “Agile Software Development Life Cycle”, which touches on how Software Development teams should roughly plan out their work for a product. The cycles can differ from company to company based on the amount of employees, type of work, customer expectations, etc. But, the values and principles should stay the same to maximize Agile efficiency. The Agile Life Cycle follows six important steps, Concept, Inception, Iteration, Release, Maintenance, and Retirement.
To sum up today’s topic, Agile is a set of values and principles primarily used by software developers to make the workplace much more efficient and stress-free. Agile promotes customer collaboration, and in-house collaboration with peers to ensure the product is as perfect as possible. Over time, most software development companies will come to develop these principles, as they have been proven to be one of the best work strategies.
LINK TO VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Evl5f2CnR08
- Elliot Benoit
From the blog CS@Worcester – Elliot Benoit's Blog by Elliot Benoit and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.