What is the Agile Software Development Model?

The agile software development model was brought into fruition only because of its ability to provide some amazing practical insights that can altogether change the dynamics of conducting the software development process. It has proved to be a clear winner as many organizations who have implemented agile methods in their software development activities could witness a drastic change in terms of performance and productivity. In this article, you will get to know about the agile software development model.

What is the agile software development model?

The core focus of this model is to iterate the software development processes to a point where the quality of the end software product is as expected by the customer. It’s an environment where planning and learning take place on a continual basis. Best tactics are developed to fulfill the project requirements adequately.

The agile software development model is a set of frameworks that contain best practices and principles for streamlining all the activities of the software development life cycle process and ensuring that the process is carried out systematically. These practices and principles will only strengthen and provide a strategic roadmap for carrying out software development activities productively.

Team and team leader are key factors of this model:

Focus is on both the team member’s capability in terms of expertise and also how the team functions as a whole. When there is proper coordination between cross-functional teams by applying the best practices, then tactical solutions will come up and thus improve the efficacy of the team. The team must also be capable enough to come up with pragmatic ideas that can prove to be worthwhile in terms of improvising the core aspects of application development.

On the other end, there are managers or team leads who are accountable to check the performance of each team member and also see to that every team member has the right skills and expertise that is in line with the project requirements. Managers must create an environment where the team members must feel responsible for their assigned roles and responsibilities and must also know that they are part of an organization’s goal.

What is agile methodology?

It is a set of conventions in line with values, practices, and principles that a team must follow in order to adopt this methodology. Agile methodology divides the project into several stages and then improves the outcome of every stage. Teams must evaluate, plan and execute these stages by applying the practices and guidelines, which will, in turn, improve the overall efficacy of the software development project.

Pros and Cons of agile software development model:

Pros:

· It provides a pragmatic approach to the software development

· Teams are provided with the necessary rules, practices and principles that can eventually improve the productivity of teams

· The core functionalities of an application can be developed quickly

· Only a few resources are required in this model

· Feasible solutions can be delivered at an early stage

· This model can prove to be effective where environments change steadily

· This model can be managed easily and provides flexibility to the teams so that they can come up with their best work.

Cons:

· Complex dependencies cannot be handled using this approach

· There has to be a team lead/manager/leader and a meticulous plan of action without which this model cannot work

· Customers are given top priority, which means they have to communicate their ideas clearly to the assigned teams, failure of which can be a big issue

· As the documentation used in this model is minimum. So, when there is a transfer of technology to the assigned team members, chances are the team members might find it difficult to understand the technology and its relevance in the specific project.

Conclusion: Implementing this model entirely depends upon the project requirements and also whether the teams are capable and skilled enough to adopt it and justify it with time-bound results. It can actually provide a strategic viewpoint in understanding and applying the software development activities from a customer’s perspective. Leverage your testing requirements from someone who knows precisely the tools, tactics, and techniques to carry out agile testing seamlessly, keeping quality at the forefront.