Agile Advantages for Businesses

Agile methodology is an iterative, time-boxed, people-oriented, and result-focused approach to software delivery that builds software incrementally from the start of the project, instead of delivering it all at once near the end.

Agile methodology is aligned with the values and principles described in the Agile Manifesto for Software Development. According to this principle, requirements, plans, and results are evaluated continuously; teams have a natural mechanism for responding to change quickly.

The agile approach defines the business goals and success criteria in smaller increments, taking a project through several rounds of development, testing, and deployment. This differs from what we call the waterfall method, which took a project from design to deployment in one steady stream. Agile’s constant cycle of design, test, deploy, deliver continuous subsets of high-value features and puts them in the hands of users as fast as possible.

Taking a more agile approach to projects offers a number of advantages to a business, ultimately making it more efficient and boosting the bottom line.

Data from 2018 indicates that projects using Agile methodologies are 28% more successful and almost 71% of organizations use Agile with varying frequencies.

What makes Agile so successful and why are project managers solely relying on it or are using it in combination with other frameworks? The reason behind it is simple. The benefits of Agile make the managers’ job easier and allows them to have greater control over their projects. What makes Agile project management truly unique is the fact that it focuses on both, delivering quality and value to the customer, and completing the project within the given project constraints.

When To Use Agile Software Development Model

• When new changes need to be implemented. The freedom agile gives to change is very important: new changes can be implemented at very little cost because of the frequency of new increments that are produced.

• To implement a new feature the developers need to lose only the work of a few days, or even only hours, to roll back and implement it.

• Unlike the waterfall model in an agile model very limited planning is required to get started with the project. Agile assumes that the end-users needs are ever-changing in a dynamic business and IT world. Changes can be discussed and features can be newly affected or removed based on feedback. This effectively gives the customer the finished system they want or need.

• Both system developers and stakeholders alike find they also get more freedom of time and options than if the software was developed in a more rigid sequential way. Having options gives them the ability to leave important decisions until more or better data or even entire hosting programs are available; meaning the project can continue to move forward without fear of reaching a sudden standstill.

• The agile development model is also a type of Incremental model. Software is developed in incremental, rapid cycles. This results in small incremental releases with each release building on previous functionality. Each release is thoroughly tested to ensure software quality is maintained. It is used for time-critical applications. Extreme Programming (XP) is currently one of the most well-known agile development life cycle models.

Benefits of Agile Software Development

1. More Control

Incremental developments hold tremendous value for the project team and the customer. Work can be broken into parts and conducted in rapid, iterative cycles. The regular meetings that are part of agile allow project teams to share progress, discuss problems and work out solutions. They also help make the entire process more transparent.

2. Better Productivity

The incremental nature of the agile method means that projects are completed in shorter sprints, making them more manageable. It also allows products to be rolled out quickly and changes to be easily made at any point during the process.

3. Better Quality

Because it is iterative, one big benefit of agile methodology is the ability to find problems and create solutions quickly and efficiently. The flexibility of the agile method allows project teams to respond to customer reactions and constantly improve the product.

4. Higher Customer Satisfaction

Close collaboration between the project team and the customer provides immediate feedback. The customer is able to make tweaks to their expectations and desires throughout the process. The result: a more satisfied customer.

5. Higher Return on Investment

The agile method’s iterative nature also means the end product is ready for market faster, staying ahead of the competition and quickly reaping benefits. The benefits of the agile method are cutting costs and time to market in half while increasing application quality and customer satisfaction.

Final Thoughts

Agile methodologies are not best suited for all projects. When communication between the developer and the customer is tough, or when the development team does not have experienced developers, Agile Methodologies will not give the best results. These methodologies exhibit optimal results when there is a strong communication process between the developer and the customer, and the development team compromises skilled team members. When there is a chance for misunderstanding the accurate customer requirements, or when the deadlines and budgets are tight, then Agile methodologies are the most optimal approach for a business solution.

SOPHiLABS has adopted Agile software development methodologies designed to create lean, timely, and effective solutions that achieve our client’s goals. To learn more, contact us today!