Agile methods began in the software industry and have been adapted to other types of projects too. The idea is to put customer satisfaction first, be flexible, communicate well, take good care of development teams, be more productive, and constantly seek ways to improve efficiency. But what methods are used to achieve these ends? Here are the top 5.
1. Scrum
The scrum methodology with its “sprints,” “burn-down charts” and other unique terms might seem opaque, but it can be summarized in simple terms. In working towards an overarching goal, teams navigate a series of phases that are called “sprints.” Burn-down charts show what has to be done and how much time there is for each activity, and there’s an emphasis on daily communication and teamwork.
This method has many advantages including transparency, detailed planning, and strong collaboration – but those using it should guard against losing track of the final goal as they focus on completing sprints.
2. Kanban
In Kanban, tasks are organized on a Kanban Board which is divided into columns depicting workflows within a project. Throughout the evolution of a project, the Kanban board changes, with new “cards” being added every time a new activity becomes part of the project.
This system makes it easy to see the progress in each activity it depicts, allows for flexibility, and makes it possible to decide how many things should happen at any given time. To make Kanban effective, the board has to be updated regularly so that team members can see where the process is headed, and there’s a necessity to guard against losing sight of the big picture.
3. Extreme Programming
This approach to agility aims to uncover the simplest way to achieve results. It’s designed to work in tandem with changing customer requirements and the emphasis is on overall teamwork with a predetermined set of “feedback loops” that must be navigated.
Constant testing forms part of this, and this approach is extremely code-orientated. However, it doesn’t prioritize design and it requires intense collaboration that doesn’t work well when team members are working remotely.
4. Lean Development
Lean development is very similar to lean manufacturing in that it strives to pare away anything that is unnecessary and doesn’t add value. The result is similar to that of the “minimum viable product.” Quite simply, it aims at results that match requirements with absolutely no extras included. Once this has been developed, it can be improved based on customer feedback.
Lean development can be very economical since it strives to eliminate over-engineering, but it can be difficult for developers to stick to its principles and remain focused.
5. The Crystal Family
Although certain philosophies and methods overlap, Crystal is a family of methodologies that focuses on the team. It’s less interested in processes and tools and concentrates on how people interact while giving them a great deal of freedom in the methods they use in order to achieve results. Instead of tackling large chunks of work, however, it requires frequent submission of smaller portions of the work for troubleshooting.
To work effectively, Crystal requires highly skilled, experienced teams and a strong focus on communication.
The Bottom Line
All of these methods have delivered proven results and involve finer details that we haven’t discussed in depth. Choosing the one that works for you depends on the project, your team, and the way in which its members prefer to work. Some of them will work for projects other than software development. Use this overview to gain a broad understanding of each one, and delve deeper into the methods that interest you most.
