12 Fundamental Principles of Agile Development Process

Agile Development Process is a buzzword in the IT industry where a set of incremental development processes is embraced to manage projects. The agile manifesto was developed by a group of software developers who wanted to find a fool-proof way to manage development projects successfully.They were concerned that a number of development projects were failing and charted four sets of values that developers follow diligently even today.

• Concentrate on individual connections and interactions as opposed to processes and tools.
• Indulge in continuous customer collaboration to ensure contract clauses are followed.
• Recognizing changes in plan and adapting.
• Presenting software is better than delivering comprehensive documentation to clients.

The software developers were also responsible for developing the 12 main principles, also known as the Manifesto for Agile Software Development or Agile Manifesto.

Let’s have a run through of these 12 fundamental principles.

1. Satisfying the Customer through Constant Updates and Continuous Delivery

Sometimes, when a project is in execution, it so happens that main aim gets sidetracked and other aspects come in. This would prove detrimental to the final result because that is not what your customer wants.

In order to ensure that you stay on the same page with your customer, you must gather his requirements and keep him updated on each milestone. Collect his feedback and make changes accordingly.

2. Keep the Customer’s Competitive Advantage in Mind

The aim of the customer is not to develop anything just for the sake of it. He wants to gain an advantage over competition, because that is important to his survival. So when the customer gives his feedback, implement the changes as soon as possible. Therefore, the aim is to reduce the distance between planning or conceiving and actual implementation.

3. Concentrate on Delivering on a Shorter Timescale

Even though the requirements will evolve as the project progress, preference must be given to maintaining a fixed timescale. It would prove detrimental to the project if you will have to extend the launch date and the client will not be happy at all. Hence, it is imperative to include every important thing that you have planned because implementing changes or adding into the software after it is built is expensive.

Though agile development works on the assumption that requirements will evolve over the development of the project, sometimes you will have to wait out until the software is ready for use, because there are changes that the external conditions will also change. So the idea is to shorten the distance in planning, implementing and final execution.

4. Follow the Rules of Collaboration for Better Success in Project

There are cross-functional teams working for any software project, so the developers and business people must work in tandem with one another. If the team is spread across the globe, then use precise communication tools to ensure there is no communication gap.

5. Collaborating with Inspired and Motivated Individuals

The success of a project lies in the expertise of the people involved in the project. Micromanagement of the project is not ideal, so everyone should know what their responsibilities are and be self-reliant. The team must also be empowered enough to take important decisions, if the need arises.

6. Constant One-to-One Interaction Spells Success

The shorter the time between a question and answer, the faster the project moves. When communication is face-to-face, there will not be delayed messages or forgotten suggestions. An agile team moves according to plan, even if they operate under a virtual roof.

7. A Software that Works - make that your Mantra

At the end of the day, nothing else counts other than having a working software. All the efforts that you have put through in all those months, all the brainstorming that took weeks, will see result only when you have a working software to show. And this should happen minus the bugs and other glitches.

8. Working Steadily at a Pace, there should be no Production Bursts

Productivity will not always be based on quality when developers work overtime continuously. They are humans and need rest. Work at a pace where everyone gets time to rest, so they begin fresh and anew. Believe it or not, work picks up when people are fed and rested. This way, they would be able to cover all the features and perfectly. Working at a steady pace will lead to ‘sustainable development’.

9. Technical Brilliance must be Ensured Before You Move on to the Next Step

In software development, there are no compromises on the path. If there are redundant or confusing codes, they must be cleared immediately. Cleaning up code as you go along is actually a time-saver.

10. Simplicity must be Followed in order to Avoid confusion Later on

In an agile software project, it would be better if the team is not encumbered with unwanted features and wasteful tasks. It would also be a good idea to use simple codes (for fear of reverse engineering). There should be versatility, but simplicity is also the name of the game.

11. An Agile Team that can Chart and Follow its own Map

As quality is the focus, it is important to create a team that knows how to handle pitfalls and tackle problems. Each member of the agile team should follow directions and work collectively on his own.

12. Following a Flexible Approach that Rears in Project Success

Success lies in the path of someone who stops at regular intervals and checks if he is on the right path. You may have to make adjustments if the project has to move forward. Being rigid will only stall the project, especially if there is no other way out. Sometimes, adapting to adjustments is the best approach.

Summing up

These principles of agile technology are meant to bring huge success to your project development team. As long as your team follows the guidelines, they will be on the right track.Looking for a technically qualified Agile core team to work on your next project? You’ve come to the right place…

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