Want to learn more about agile methodology? Whether you’re hiring an agile team or thinking of creating your own, Agile is a simple, flexible approach. It’s proven so effective that its philosophies have spread from software development to consume dozens of other industries.
When you’re ready to learn why Agile is so successful and harness its power to boost your profits, read on.
What is Agile Methodology?
Agile began back in 2001 when a group of expert software developers held a conference. They realized they were no longer practicing the plodding, outmoded methods that had been mainstream for software developers since the 1970s.
Their new approach focused on speed. They wanted a usable product as quickly as software engineers could develop it. They were willing to sacrifice the mountains of paperwork which historically slowed the design process.
They summarized their intentions for using agile methodology in software development in what has become known as the Agile Software Manifesto. It’s still the cornerstone of the agile methodology that we use today, 20 years later.
Agile has become the most dynamic model used in business today. Its strategies are used by folks like these Python developers who crank out finished software in the time it used to take to finish a single iteration.
And it’s not limited to Python, or C++, or Java, or PHP, or even the software development field, for that matter. Today, its frameworks reach across industries and around the globe.
Types of Agile Methodology
Although 30+ agile frameworks exist, the most widely used are Scrum and Kanban. So, which one’s better? Well, the Agile vs. Scrum debate is still raging.
They’re both derivatives of the original agile but each boasts a few key differences. For instance, Scrum uses a delivery cadence called a sprint. It also utilizes these unusual meeting structures:
Planning: used to identify sprint priorities
Commitment: the team reviews backlogs of user stories and reevaluates the sprint’s duration
Standup Meetings: Ultrafast team meetings used to update development strategies and statuses
Scrum also employs a scrum master. He coaches the field, as it were, to manage the teams and the entire scrum process. Though Scrum is the most popular framework, Kanban boasts its own set of uses.
The Kanban model focuses on presenting change through additional improvements. Both models use a whiteboard to provide a visual map of what team members are working on. But this board takes priority in the Kanban model.
Kanban uses the board to optimize tasks between different teams. The model focuses on creating changes through small, additional improvements. It’s a kind of fan-in, fan-out process.
Teams pull user stories from their intake board. They funnel them through a type of staged development process and complete them. Unfortunately, the lack of a structured framework can lead to poorer productivity than that found in Scrum.
What’s Next?
Now you see how uncomplicated the Agile methodology can be. If you want to learn more about Agile, business, startups, or marketing, hop over to our comprehensive digital library. So long and good luck!
