The Agile Methodology was first introduced in February 2001 via the Agile Manifesto, a document created by a group of developers who met in Snowbird, Utah to discuss the principles behind a way to do lightweight software development. Since then, the Agile Methodology has grown and been widely adopted by software development teams and companies worldwide.
When we discuss Agile Methodologies, we must also mention Scrum, Lean Software Development, Kanban, Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM), and Extreme Programming, since these methodologies all share the same philosophy.
In a nutshell, Agile is about communication, teamwork, collaboration, adaptability, iteration, feedback, and of course, agility! The development initiative is broken down into efforts of short duration and change is not only expected, it is embraced by all stakeholders.
To successfully implement Agile, an organization must embrace its concepts and philosophies at all levels. Agile provides a framework with which teams can maintain focus on rapidly delivering working software and providing true business value, even in environments where the technical and functional assets and landscape may vary or change routinely.
If we go back to the Agile Manifesto, there are 4 key points that it outlines.
It favors:
1. Individuals and interactions over processes and
2. tools Working software over comprehensive documentation
3. Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
4. Responding to change over following a plan
The key principles behind these points are outlined below:
1. Satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of working software
2. Change is welcomed, even late in the development process
3. Working software is delivered frequently, typically at intervals from two weeks to two months
4. Developers work directly with functional personnel/SMEs on a daily basis
5. Projects are built around motivated, capable people and they are given an environment that allows them to succeed
6. Face-to-face communication is critical
7. The primary measure of progress is working software
8. The development pace must be sustainable
9. Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhance agility
10. Simplicity is essential
11. The best architectures and designs emerge from effective, self-organizing teams
12. The team routinely reflects on past performance and seeks ways to do things better
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