The 5 Advantages of Agile Methodology, or How to Lead your Team to Success
Have you ever heard of Agile? While it has nothing to do with gymnastics, this project management method is increasingly used by organizations and developers for software development primarily, but could also be found in other project management teams.
But why is that? What are the advantages of using an agile methodology?
If the words Scrum, Lean, Sprint, Kanban board or product owner are as vague as Chinese characters to you, rest assured. After reading this article, you will know what an agile methodology is, and why you should use one. 😌
The Principle of Agile Methodology
Agile Methodology: Definition
Before reviewing the advantages of an agile methodology, it is essential to understand what this method is, and how it works. ☝️
An agile methodology is a project management practice that promotes:
- a collaborative,
- an iterative,
- an incremental approach,
to project management.
It is said to be agile because it takes into account both your initial needs and those generated by future changes.
👉 This new approach to project management was initially designed for software development testing, emerging at a time when the failure rate of IT projects was particularly high.
During that time, popular linear and predictive cascade-like methodologies, such as the Waterfall method, or the V-cycle, left no room for contingencies and change. As a result, teams found themselves confronted with the tunnel effect, as the requester receives little or no information during the course of the project. 😮💨
They realized too late that there were problems or that the product does not, or no longer, meet expectations. This often goes hand in hand with late delivery or an overspent budget.
Why is Agile Methodology Effective?
Agile methodology is effective because it emphasizes:
- flexibility,
- collaboration,
- and customer satisfaction.
Unlike traditional project management approaches, Agile breaks projects into small, manageable increments called sprints. This allows teams to adapt quickly to changes, ensuring that the final product meets the evolving needs of the client, avoiding any risk.
The iterative nature of Agile means that feedback is incorporated continuously, leading to higher quality outcomes and early detection of issues. Furthermore, Agile fosters a collaborative environment where cross-functional teams work closely together, enhancing communication and reducing misunderstandings.
This methodology also prioritizes customer involvement, ensuring that the delivered product aligns closely with user requirements and expectations. The result is a more efficient development process, higher quality products, and greater client satisfaction.
An Example of Agile Development
In agile development, an iterative approach or continuous improvement is used. This means repeating a process until the desired result is achieved.
The idea is to develop a first functional version of a product component.
☝️ This version is not meant to be perfect, but to be usable by users in order to be tested in real conditions, to then get improved. This is how you can identify bugs or unmet needs as soon as possible, rectifying the situation before it's too late.
On the other hand, an incremental approach induces product development piece by piece. Waterfall model methods divide the project horizontally, i.e. site by site.
👉 In agile model, the vertical incremental approach aims to successively build functional elements.
🖼️ The image below illustrates the concepts of iteration and incremental.
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