Agile

What is Agile?

Agile is a mindset and methodology focused on adaptability, collaboration, and delivering value in a changing environment. Rooted in the values and principles outlined in the Agile Manifesto, Agile emphasises understanding the current environment, identifying uncertainties, and adapting quickly through iterative cycles and continuous feedback. Unlike traditional methodologies, Agile prioritises individuals and interactions, working software, customer collaboration, and flexibility over rigid processes and documentation. This approach encourages teams to experiment, receive feedback, and make adjustments, ensuring the most valuable outcomes are effectively delivered.

Key components of Agile

Agile dates back to February 2001, when 17 software developers convened in Snowbird, Utah, to address common frustrations with traditional development methodologies. They created the Agile Manifesto, a groundbreaking document emphasising a flexible, people-centric approach to software development. This manifesto highlighted the importance of collaboration, customer feedback, and iterative progress. You can find their values and principles below and on their website (but their design is still from 2001).

Agile Manifesto

The Agile Manifesto consists of four core values. The values are short and sweet, but Scott Ambler's explanation in his book Disciplined Agile Delivery gives more context. The structure below shows the original value and then Scott Ambler's explanation.

Individuals and interactions over processes and tools. Tools and processes are important, but it is more important to have competent people working together effectively.
Working software over comprehensive documentation. Good documentation is useful in helping people understand how the software is built and how to use it, but the main point of development is to create software, not documentation.
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation. A contract is important but is no substitute for working closely with customers to discover their needs.
Responding to change over following a plan. A project plan is important, but it must not be too rigid to accommodate changes in technology or the environment, stakeholders' priorities, and people's understanding of the problem and its solution.

Agile Principles

The Agile Manifesto is supported by 12 principles that provide more detailed guidance on implementing Agile. The principles are:

Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.
Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer's competitive advantage.
Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale.
Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.
Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.
The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.
Working software is the primary measure of progress.
Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.
Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.
Simplicity--the art of maximizing the amount of work not done--is essential.
The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.
At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.

How does Agile work?

Iterative Process and Feedback Loops

Agile development is characterised by its iterative approach and continuous feedback loops. Instead of delivering a complete product at once, Agile teams work in short, iterative cycles, often called sprints (in Scrum) or iterations (in other frameworks). Each cycle involves planning, executing, reviewing, and refining the product, allowing teams to adapt quickly to changes and new information.

Implementing Agile in an Organisation

To implement Agile effectively, organisations typically follow these steps:

Training and Workshops: Begin with educating team members about Agile values, principles, and frameworks through training sessions and workshops.
Form Cross-Functional Teams: Create teams that include members with various skills needed to complete a project, ensuring collaboration and knowledge sharing.
Adopt an Agile Framework: Choose an Agile framework, such as Scrum, Kanban, or XP, that fits the team's needs. Each framework provides specific practices and roles that help guide the Agile process.
Establish Regular Feedback Loops: Implement practices like daily stand-up meetings, sprint reviews, and retrospectives to ensure continuous communication and improvement.
Use Agile Tools: Utilize software tools like Jira, Trello, or Asana to manage workflows, track progress, and maintain transparency.

Connecting Agile Principles to Practices

Agile principles are the foundation for various frameworks and practices. Here are some examples of how specific practices align with Agile principles:

Sprints in Scrum aligns with the principle "Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale."
Continuous Delivery in Kanban reflects the principle "Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software."
Stand-up meetings correspond to the principle "The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation."
Retrospectives in Scrum: Address the principle "At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly."
Cross-functional teams reflect the principle that "The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams."

FAQ about Agile

Agile teams welcome changing requirements, even when they are late in development. They adapt by using iterative cycles and continuous feedback, which allows them to incorporate new information and adjust their plans accordingly.

Agile is iterative and flexible, allowing teams to adapt to changes and deliver value incrementally. Waterfall is linear and sequential, with each project phase completed before moving on to the next. Agile is better suited for projects with uncertain or changing requirements, while Waterfall is best for projects with well-defined, stable requirements.

Teams may face resistance to change, lack of understanding of Agile principles, difficulty in breaking down work into smaller increments and maintaining continuous collaboration. Overcoming these challenges requires proper training, support from leadership, and a willingness to adapt and learn.

Other Resources

Recommended Books & Articles

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