Advantages of Agile Method
Agile methodology allows programmers and developers to make quick changes and adjustments in an industry that can change so quickly.
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Join For FreeSoftware development is weird. Like, weird weird. That is the thing you have admit in order to move forward peacefully. For outsiders it might seem like magic. In reality, it is merely a highly organised sequence of multi-faceted processes with a possibility to turn into a giant vaporous mess at any moment because of some vapid recklessness or simple miscalculation.
The agile approach is one of the two commonly used methods of organizing the development process. It is designed to be a polar opposite of its counterpart—the good old waterfall approach—in every conceivable sense.
Where waterfall is linear—“a to z” and strictly by the book—agile development is non-linear and adaptable to the current situation.
Here are the five biggest advantages of applying agile method to development process.
1. Self-Organization
In many ways, the agile method can be considered to be anti-authoritarian. It favors self-organization and highly motivated workers over imposing authorities and strict subordination.
Every member of the team is encouraged to do their best and suggest different ways of solving the problems. Another critical advantage of agile is that team is allowed to take tactical decisions on their own; there is a task and it must be completed the way the executor sees fitting.
Discussion and brainstorming is another important element because sometimes the best solution comes from outside. This makes a healthier atmosphere in the team and in the long run provides much more insights into applied technological processes
2. The Client Is in the Game
Collaboration in agile goes far beyond the development team. The client becomes fully involved in developing process.
While it may seem odd at first, there is logic to it. The client is the one who started it all; he or she pays the piper, after all. Clients' involvement, albeit limited to a consultant role, can be extremely helpful.
By discussing things on the go, the team is able to adjust to the vision and deliver the closest possible interpretations of his suggestions. In addition, it is the best way of keeping the client in the know about the status of the project.
3. Product Does the Talking
The traditional way of presenting the project to the client is through documentation, an extensive amount of documentation about every little thing that goes on in the product down to the most minuscule detail. At times it can be extremely annoying because one thing can look amazing on paper while in reality, it is a badly patched-up Frankenstein’s monster.
Agile moves away from documentation to the product itself. The reason is simple: it is the main goal of the project, so why it should be subverted through presentation? It seems more logical, as you can always fix the papers, but you can’t shy away from flaws in the program.
4. Supreme Flexibility
Agile’s biggest advantage over the waterfall method is in the ability to quickly and smoothly adapt to any changes. It is made possible by rearranging development process into a series of iterations.
If some function is abundant or not cost effective, it can be replaced on the go. If the client changes his mind over some parts of the projects, it can be changed accordingly.
Here’s how it works: you have a overarching task of developing a program. You define what you need to do. Then you break it down into digestible bits, or local tasks.
5. Quick Try-Out
Another hugely beneficial advantage of Agile approach is the availability of the MVP early on. Unlike the waterfall method in which the product is delivered in the end of the development process, agile approach allows developers to construct basic prototype of the program early on and drop it on the market to see how it will be perceived by the target audience.
This approach gives a lot of vital insights into what is working and what is not in the program and allows to fix, refine, and replace program’s functions and thus adapt much closely to the needs of the target audience.
In Conclusion
Modern life is all about being faster and more effective. It goes faster and faster and faster with each passing moment. It turns into intense competition where no one can catch a break without breaking a sweat and taking a few bumps on the way.
It is the reality of almost every modern industry, and there is no industry where it can be more apparent than in software development.
It’s tough to develop various application to begin with. It requires clear and distinct vision, martial work ethic, and an astounding gut in order to pull this off and not break into tears. And even that is not a solid guarantee that everything will be alright. However, by applying agile approach to development process, you can at least keep things under control and adjust to any situation.
Published at DZone with permission of Kate Wolwort. See the original article here.
Opinions expressed by DZone contributors are their own.
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