Agile – What Is It, How It Appeared, Pros And Cons
In this article, we will talk about the main principles of the Agile methodology, the pros and cons of this philosophy, and the main implementation options.
Content:
1. What is Agile - basic ideas
2. What is the essence of the approach
3. Reasons for the emergence of the Agile methodology
4. Pros and cons of being flexible
5. Basic Implementations of Agile
6. Agile is a flexible tool in the right hands
The term Agile is often associated with software development methodology. This approach appeared in the IT environment and is actively used in it. However, the Agile model turned out to be quite universal and applicable to work processes in areas that are not related to the production of an IT product.
What is Agile - basic ideas
Agile is both a methodology, and a set of practices, as well as a set of rules. Each of these descriptions will be true. But at a higher abstract level, Agile is a philosophy or approach that aims to improve the efficiency of certain work processes.
Translated from English, “agile” means flexible. Plunging into the principles of this methodology, it becomes obvious that it is difficult to find a more appropriate name for it.
Agile development methodology is based on 4 main priorities:
- People and their communication;
- Working product;
- Constant interaction with the customer;
- Readiness for change.
These four ideas are considered more important than tools, writing detailed documentation, agreeing on contract terms, and sticking to a plan. Naturally, all these moments also have the right to exist. It's about prioritization.
What is the essence of the approach
Agile methodology, in addition to key ideas, is also based on 12 principles. They, like the four main values, are described in a special document - the Agile Manifesto.
What are the main thoughts embedded in the Agile principles:
- The working state of the product must be ensured from the early stages;
- Requirements can actively change at any stage;
- The project should be built around interested people;
- The product should be as relevant as possible and effectively solve the tasks;
- A balance must be struck between simple solutions and technical excellence;
- Interaction with the customer or his representative should occur on a regular basis.
Following the recommendations outlined in the Agile Manifesto should allow the project to be constantly tested and transformed. Product requirements may change based on user experience research, market trends, etc. Agile takes into account this factor and in its philosophy lays the likelihood of constant updates of the functionality and other components.
Adhering to an agile methodology, it is impossible to develop components offline and then link them together. At the forefront is the constant communication of teams and close interaction between all participants in the process. As a rule, the work is divided into short iterations lasting 1-4 weeks. The result of each such cycle should be a working product with the intended increase in functionality.
Reasons for the emergence of the Agile methodology
An agile approach to development has become a logical response to the transformation of the IT market. High competition and the need to quickly issue a working product have called into question the foundations that have been relevant for many years. At its core, the Agile approach is the opposite of the Waterfall model, which is based on the following principles:
- availability of clear and detailed documentation;
- unquestioning adherence to the work plan;
- the impossibility of returning to previous stages in order to change;
- detection and correction of errors only at the testing stage.
For a long time, these postulates were unshakable in the field of IT. But when such aspects as the speed of obtaining a product and the ability to quickly adapt it to the current needs of the market became important to the business, the “ossified” and clumsy Waterfall methodology began to lose ground sharply.
The Agile Manifesto was created and published in 2001. It is this event that is considered to be the starting stage of the formation of an agile development methodology as a basic model. However, up to this point, there were already development approaches (for example, XP - Extreme Programming) that did not fit into the stable Waterfall paradigm.
It is worth noting that the principles of a “rigid” development methodology are still relevant for some types of projects. Waterfall may be a better choice if:
- the customer does not plan to take an active part in the process;
- there is a need for a clear definition of tools and functionality;
- changes in product requirements are not expected;
- The quality of the result is much more important than the speed of obtaining it.
Pros and cons of being flexible
When using Agile, there is already a working product at the initial stages. This provides the following benefits:
- early testing;
- the ability to evaluate the added functionality “in action”;
- user experience research at all stages;
- the possibility of a quick presentation on the market of a “raw”, but working version.
The Agile methodology takes into account the realities of work processes, without idealizing them. Customers regularly change their requirements, adjusting to market conditions and the needs of the end user. Agile's adaptive approach involves changes at any stage of development, which allows you to get a more competitive product. A flexible system is also a good solution in conditions of uncertainty (how much funding will be allocated, what specialists will work, how long it will take, etc.)
For all its positive qualities, the flexible workflow model does not guarantee good results. An effective tool is important to use correctly. If you “go too far” with flexibility, then the result can be disastrous.
The main risks when using the Agile model:
- lack of a clear project development plan;
- the constant threat of redoing much of the work;
- reducing the quality of the product for the sake of speed and simplification.
When working on an agile system, it is hard for developers to find motivation to maintain a high level of product quality at every stage. If there is a possibility that a lot of things can change in the next iterations, then there is no point in perfecting the current version of the project. These are quite logical arguments, however, “does not need to be perfected” is often easily transformed into “works well”.
Basic Implementations of Agile
The most common Agile implementations are Scrum and Kanban. Both of these methods adhere to the main principles of the Agile philosophy, but have their own distinctive features.
Scrum involves the presence of specialized specialists who work on their tasks as part of a sprint (a certain period of time from 1 to 4 weeks). The Product Owner takes an active part, providing constant communication between the customer and the development team. Scrum master coordinates all processes. For the Agile philosophy, Scrum is one of the most popular implementations.
The Kanban approach is also heavily used by agile teams. The main principles of the methodology are the transparency of the workflow and tracking the execution of tasks in real time. Each task is located on a virtual or physical Kanban board. As the task's status changes, it moves further into the corresponding column.
For example, the life cycle of a task can consist of the following stages: in consideration, in work, done, under review, accepted. Each status has its own column. You can visually assess the current state of a particular task and the entire workflow as a whole.
Agile is a flexible tool in the right hands
The approach to work, based on the philosophy of Agile, today is the base for the IT industry and not only. However, this methodology should not be taken as a “magic wand” that independently debugs work processes in the company. It is necessary to correctly use the Agile approach and try to strike a balance between the speed of work, the level of quality and the involvement of the customer. Too much emphasis on delivering a product quickly, or accepting changes that conflict with the project's architecture, can negatively affect the outcome.
Understanding the agile product development methodology is a good tool for effective operation in the IT and related industries. There are a large number of books on Agile, a variety of videos and courses that will help you master this approach. Skilled agile professionals (such as Scrum Masters) play an important role in product creation and are desirable employees in IT companies.
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