Software development methodologies are constantly evolving. The rising demand for complex applications coupled with regularly appearing new technologies drives the software development process and provides new tools for the development teams.
The agile methodology is one of the most demanded options among developers from around the world. Compared to the waterfall methodology which has a 49% project success rate, agile boasts a 64% success rate.
The agile methodology is convenient, comprehensive, and easy to implement. Today, the majority of companies use different agile methodology types to develop high-quality applications.
What is the agile software development methodology?
The agile approach is a highly flexible methodology that allows adjustments and changes to the product before the development is finalized. For many companies, implementing this method can be counterintuitive because it’s divided into short cycles and involves the client in the development process.
The focus of agile software development is to create software piece by piece. After each piece is ready, the team reviews its quality and functionality. If questions arise, developers solve them before going to the next level.
Software developers, clients, stakeholders, and even end users work together to ensure a clean delivery of the final product. Effective communication after each sprint (development stage) is over allows the team to avoid significant errors, speed up the development process, and ensure 100% client satisfaction.
Companies that choose the agile development methodology are always sure that they are releasing a high-quality product. This happens because all the issues are addressed along the way.
Agile managed to replace the waterfall methodology in many companies. Its effectiveness is obvious for the majority of software development projects. Here are the key benefits of implementing this methodology for your needs.
Better Product Quality
When the product development process is divided into parts, software development teams gain an opportunity to fix errors before they turn into costly mistakes. By the end of the project, the client receives a clean version of the product. In most cases, it requires only slight tweaking before becoming ready to serve its purpose.
During each phase, the development team learns more and more about the client’s needs and requirements. Besides improving the overall outcome, such an approach allows clients to make changes to the initial requirements when the project is already on the way.
Faster Development
Since software development is divided into sprints that address issues “on the go,” the overall development process is shorter. Each sprint is between one and four weeks long. When planning the project, developers define the timeline and work hard to stick to it.
Since the design and testing are done simultaneously, the final product can be ready much earlier than with the waterfall methodology.
Reduced time-to-delivery contributes to client satisfaction and allows the custom software development company to take on more projects.
Lower Project Risks
When developers implement agile methodology, they have a higher rate of project success. Since small sprints focus on continuous delivery, it’s much harder for the project to fail. Even if something goes wrong, the problem gets fixed along the way.
Meanwhile, since agile-based projects take less time to compete, they require fewer labor investments. This reduces the risks even further.
The agile methodology encourages continuous improvement. Since all parties communicate and learn from each other, the success rate of such projects is even higher than expected.
Higher Developer and Client Satisfaction
With the agile approach, all parties involved in the software development project have more freedom. Developers rely on self-organization and self-management to ensure the success of each sprint. In fact, self-organization is one of the top principles of agile. The higher autonomy over the decisions makes the process more satisfying for developers.
The project manager handles all interactions with sponsors and management. This prevents developers from spending their valuable time on meetings that don’t directly contribute to the success of each sprint.
This approach doesn’t just improve the development team morale. It eventually leads to better results and higher client satisfaction rates.
Better Cost Planning
The agile software development methodology improves project planning. This makes it easier to work out a relevant budget. Since this approach warrants faster development, it’s often more cost-effective than other options.
Companies that use agile software development methods don’t just have an easier time forecasting the budget. They can predict the amount of effort necessary to complete the project.
Based on previous projects, developers can plan the sprints better and reduce costs even further.
Transparency
Since agile projects require close collaboration of all parties involved, including developers, project managers, clients, and relevant stakeholders, the transparency of agile development projects is high.
Everyone can see how the project is going, provide feedback, make conclusions, and analyze each step to encourage improvement.
The development team provides daily reports to update project owners and stakeholders. This keeps everyone on the same page and allows for valuable feedback.
Enhanced Project Management
Agile development improves team interactions. All team members work together to determine what goes into each sprint. They discuss project goals, incorporate stakeholder feedback, resolve errors, and mitigate risks.
Since all team members have a voice, everyone understands the status of the project. This improves project management and minimizes delays.
Implementing the Agile Approach
Agile methodology is highly demanded in companies around the globe. More and more businesses are adopting different agile methodology types to ensure cost-efficiency, speed, and quality of their development projects.
Today, agile goes well beyond software development. The approach is applicable in different industries, including construction, engineering, finances, and many more. By implementing the agile approach, you are streamlining development, reducing risks, and ensuring client satisfaction.
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