What Is Agile Software Development?

Agile software development is a group of software development methodologies that promotes continuous development and testing throughout the lifestyle of a project. These effective approaches are used by companies of all sizes to achieve a higher turnover of projects, faster development and higher revenue.

What Is Agile?

In simple terms, agile is the ability to efficiently create and respond to change. In project management, agile refers to how a team can manage projects by breaking them down into several stages. These stages typically involve collaboration with stakeholders and the continuous improvements required each step of the way. It is important to understand that agile itself is not a process but rather, a mindset that drives software development.

Agile software development focuses on four main principles:

1. People and interactions above tools and processes
2. Efficient software over detailed documentation
3. Consumer collaboration over contract negotiations
4. Prompt response to change over following set plans

Top 5 Benefits Of Agile Software Development

The agile methodology can provide businesses with a host of benefits that aim to open up more opportunities for enterprises. The agile approach to project management enhances stakeholder and team engagement, resulting in a higher quality of work. Here is a look at some other top benefits of agile software development.

1. Complete Transparency During The Project

One of the biggest benefits of the agile project management methodology is transparency. Agile software development provides clients with a unique opportunity to be involved in the development process throughout the project’s duration. Clients often have a say in prioritizing features, review sessions, iteration planning and the creation of new features.

While having complete transparency during software development can be interesting to clients and provide peace of mind, expectations must be realistic. Clients are essentially seeing a work in progress in exchange for transparency and must be willing to progress at a gradual pace.

2. Fixed Schedule & Predictable Costs

Agile provides clients with a fixed schedule and predictable costs. Each stage of the software development process is scheduled at a fixed duration. This means that the development team is limited to the amount of work that can be performed in the allotted time.

This approach to software development helps to ensure that the estimated costs do not go far beyond what was given at the start of the project. Agile for software development makes it easy for clients to understand not only the timeframe for which a project will be completed but also the costs involved. With this information, clients can make informed decisions about the need for further iterations.

3. Flexibility For Change

Flexibility is critical during the software development process and the agile methodology allows for continuous change throughout the software building process. Software development teams must stay focused on the task at hand to ensure that all functions and features are completed during each iteration.

However, the agile software development approach also allows development teams to make necessary changes to the product based on client feedback and testing results. These changes can be implemented into the next iteration and completed along with the next phase of the process.

4. Heavy Emphasis On The Business Value

What makes agile software development unique from other approaches is the heavy emphasis on business value. The Agile methodology involves business stakeholders in the software development process which aids in increasing business value. When the software development team understands what is most important to the organization, they can deliver these features in the end product.

Stakeholders are often involved in every step of the project which allows the team to better understand the business’s vision and increase stakeholder trust. When stakeholders are evolved and there is a high degree of collaboration, software can often be delivered earlier than expected.

5. Focus On Features From Users Perspective

The agile process during software development not only depends on feedback from stakeholders of the company, but also the software’s users. It is important to focus software development on the needs of real users to deliver a product that provides real value.

Focusing on features from the users’ perspectives also gives businesses more time to beta test the software after each stage so that changes can be made when necessary. This helps to avoid wasted time and ensures a satisfactory outcome.

Speak To An Experienced Custom Software Development Company

Today, agile is considered one of the most popular approaches to project management due to its flexibility, transparency and aim for continuous improvement. Agile enables project managers to maintain greater control over their projects while still delivering a high degree of quality and value to the customer.

To learn more about the agile methodology or to speak with an experienced custom software development company about an upcoming project, reach out to the custom software development team at Orases by calling 301.756.5527 or by requesting a consultation online.