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Kathleen Campbell
Kathleen Campbell

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What are the basic practices of agile methodology

Software development projects are benefitting hugely through the tactical implementation of the agile framework. The incremental and iterative approach towards software development activities has benefitted software projects greatly in terms of carrying out project related works in a pragmatic and tactical manner. Scrum, Lean, Extreme Programming (XP) etc., are some of the different types of agile methodologies that play a significant role depending upon the project specific requirements. In this article, you will get to know about some of the best practices of agile methodology.

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*The significance of agile: *

Agile methodology is a specific framework that focuses and works upon iterative and incremental development. Collaboration and teamwork are the key components of agile methodology. One of the key reasons why agile projects flourish is because the teams work collaboratively. Agile methodologies encourage establishing a clear communication channel, thereby leveraging teamwork activities.

*The following are the practices of agile methodology: *

1. The efficacy of sprints: A defined set of tasks is completed by the agile team within a specific timeframe and this process is known as a sprint. The assignment of tasks is done in a specific manner and each team member has a clear set of responsibilities in line with the tasks. The setup for the sprint should be done accordingly. The sprint needs to be fully filled with enough tasks for the team in the backlog.

2. Streamlined communication: Agile methodologies leverage productive and constant communication among the team members. An optimal way to promote accountability and transparency is by conducting face-to-face communication in the form of daily meetings.

With the advent of remote work opportunities, remote channels are being established for carrying out agile projects. Teams located in different geographical locations use exceptional video conferencing solutions. Setting up an efficient communication channel will, in turn, help in attaining the objective of agile practices.

3. Prioritizing tasks: The project tasks need to be prioritized and worked accordingly. Some popular methods for prioritizing these tasks are first-in/first-out, MoSCoW (Must-haves, Should-haves, Could-haves, Won't-haves) etc. Choosing the right task prioritization model for the specific project will improve and scale the key working scenarios of the project.

In certain scenarios wherein the team changes or the nature of work changes then these task-based scenarios can be altered based on the current requirements.

4. The significance of stand-up meetings: Daily stand-up meetings, which last for a short time generally for a few minutes play an important role in an agile specific environment. These meetings contain short descriptions projecting the work that needs to be carried out by the team members within a day.

Communication issues are prevented, duplicate work is reduced etc., through the tactical set-up of stand-up meetings. This kind of meetings prevents delays in the project that is being carried out and thus ensures better quality and deliverables from a project standpoint.

5. Stakeholder and customer collaboration: In a traditional software development model, customers are consulted in the early stages of software development and thus take valuable inputs. Then after in the final stages of the software development process, the final product needs to be tested by the end-user/customer.

When it comes to an agile framework, stakeholders and customers are generally encouraged to participate throughout the software development process. This in turn ensures that all the customer specific requirements are met amicably. This will also help the testing and development team to make changes if required throughout the software development process. Hence, agile methodologies give due importance to collaboration based activities.

Conclusion: If you are looking forward to implementing agile testing for your specific project, then do get connected with a professionally acclaimed software testing services company that will provide you with a tactical testing strategy that is in line with your project specific requirements.

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