Is Agile still relevant In Software Development?

If you’re in the software development or IT field, you’ve probably heard about Agile. It’s one of the most popular frameworks that allows developers and teams to be super productive. But technology and business needs are constantly evolving. So, is Agile development still relevant today?

The Agile methodology was formed officially in 2001. As far as the best approach for project management goes, Agile is by far the most popular and widely used. But there are both advantages and disadvantages. In this article, we will discuss in depth the importance of Agile in software development. 

Now, as great as Agile is, there is no such thing as a perfect system. So, we’ll also discuss some of its shortcomings that you should look out for when applying it to your company workflow.  So, keep reading to find out more!

Is Agile Development Still Relevant Today?

If you’ve worked with a software development team that follows the Agile framework, you probably have experienced the benefits first-hand. At least when it’s properly implemented. 
The core of Agile is breaking the project down into small sprints. And that’s still very relevant today. 

If you need to become more familiar with the core values of Agile, don’t worry. Below you will find a section dedicated to this. And we’ll also scrutinize their relevance in today’s software development landscape.

Small teams of 100 people to large groups of thousands still use Agile. The Agile method can be adapted for any development, project, and company size.

Everyone can contribute meaningfully if your team correctly implements Agile development in the workplace. The best part is that it doesn’t matter what skill level they’re all at.
The Agile approach makes communication and teamwork easier. One thing that isn’t a secret is that software development is dynamic and active.

You constantly need to adapt and innovate to be relevant. That’s why, if you want to stay competitive, you need a framework that helps you do that – Agile is precisely that. 
It can help teams be more adaptable. Companies can create new products and even fix or improve older ones efficiently. 

A Deeper Dive Into The Agile Manifesto

As we mentioned before, Agile has four core values. Interestingly, some of the core values have become more relevant, which shows how well thought out the values were. 
Even though the Agile manifesto was written over 21 years ago, the foundation it was built on is still solid. In simple words, they work! 

That’s pretty impressive because, as we all know, business needs, clients, and the tech industry don’t stand still. But we need to scrutinize the core values.

Individuals And Interactions Over Processes And Tools

This value emphasized the critical importance of teamwork and collaboration. Looking at the development landscape today, you’ll see that this is more relevant than ever. In every project where there’s a novel requirement, teamwork is needed.

Working Software Over Comprehensive Documentation

Although you’ll hear a lot of fuss over good documentation, the truth is that most people using all kinds of software aren’t developers. They’re ordinary people who use software to do their job, for entertainment, education, and more.

And in that case, it should just work. Software and apps have become so common in our daily lives, and every one of us interacts with at least one kind of software daily. So, this value is still very relevant.

Good software should work like magic. Developers and designers should always consider the human aspect when working on software projects.

Customer Collaboration Over Contract Negotiation

The Agile framework aims to reduce any involved risks by collaborating and communicating with customers/clients often and early at the beginning of a project. However, this is a challenge to abide by.

Some clients or customers that don’t use the Agile process will require contracts. And that gives the development companies less space for agility. However, this is slowly changing for the better.

Responding To Change Vs. Following a Plan

The final core value of Agile is responding to change as opposed to strictly following a plan. While creating an outline is very important, no one can predict the future, which is why things might not go as planned.

Teams need to be able to respond to changes and be adaptable. So, this core value is still very relevant today.

Advantages Of Agile

Developing software following the Agile method has tons of benefits, and that’s no secret. And that’s why it’s still prevalent regarding software development.

If you or your company works in software development or IT, the Agile method can benefit you by allowing for shorter project timelines and even increased adaptability. Let’s take a more detailed look at the pros of Agile.

Ease Of Collaboration

This is one of the most significant advantages. Today, a piece of software can range from being super complex and intricate to simple. However, if the software touches millions of people’s lives and improves them, one thing is for sure: A single person is only working on a part of the project.

And it’s absurd to think that. All highly productive developers and companies know how valuable collaboration is when building high-quality, reliable software that millions of people use.

With the Agile method, your team can collaborate and communicate better. That allows everyone working on a project to align perfectly with the goal. Collaboration naturally leads to more innovative ideas and creative solutions to complex problems.

Less Planning

Agile focuses more on the end product than the process itself. Thanks to this, teams can save time and money on planning and preparatory work and get started with the project itself. 

If there are any changes, the team can implement them quickly. The best part is that the whole process can continue.

Timely Delivery

And your high-quality software that came to fruition through effective collaboration can also be delivered to your clients faster. The Agile method focuses on product placements and reduces planning stages.

You can keep the wheel turning and get to work right away. Since the teams can continually improve on the processes as they go along, the process can be streamlined, reducing the overall time required to complete a project. Companies working under time constraints can significantly benefit from the Agile method.

Increased Performance with Agile

A significant advantage of the Agile method is that teams that follow it will test products in the increments they produce. Any problems or deficiencies can be caught faster and addressed.

Teams will also have a better understanding of the product overall. This iterative cycle even allows clients to give feedback on the project. This feedback can be considered, and issues can be fixed before the following process.

Adaptability

The incremental nature of the Agile system allows for greater adaptability. The time differences between the sprints and product cycles are minor. So production can keep moving forward at an acceptable rate. However, it also allows for continuous improvement of the process.

If there’s a sudden request to change anything or the scope of the project/product, the team can quickly do it without halting production or creating any significant bottlenecks.

Agile is Transparent

When using the Agile framework, teams can reflect on the gaps and issues in the production cycles. This level of transparency gives teams the ability to correct those mistakes. Teams can reduce the time gap between recognizing a problem and solving it.

Ability To Continuously Improve

The effects of any improvement can be directly seen in the following product cycle. This is because Agile focuses on improving the process as it goes along, and production isn’t halted based on any major feedback.

So the team can continue to work while incorporating all feedback as soon as possible. This gives the team the ability to improve and make the process better and better continuously.

Agile & Quality Standards

Test-driven software guarantees a higher quality product. Agile focuses on creating test-driven software to help spot any major or minor issues before it’s too late. 

Your team will only have to fix a major issue after completing it, and the team can look for any mistakes and problems as they’re working on the project and repair them quickly.

More Profits

Bottlenecks are virtually non-existent. And that allows teams to work on products continuously, which can bring in more profits. The goal here is to avoid bringing a perfect product to market. What exactly is the ideal product? It’s a very loaded question.

That’s why it’s better to focus on a continuously improving product, which allows acting on feedback and implementing it while the standard production process continues.
The whole production doesn’t come to a screeching halt. This means teams can be more productive, keep providing value for customers and clients and bring in cash.

Disadvantages Of Agile

While the Agile method has many advantages, it’s not without disadvantages. And sometimes, those can become roadblocks.

Let’s check out the significant cons to understand the Agile method better. Goal shifting and lack of documentation are mostly the biggest ones.

Goal Shifting

Managers might need help to lead the team with a single goal in mind, which can be a problem during the later stages of the project. When most of the project is already done, the team might need to focus on a singular and focused goal.

Since teams that follow the Agile strategy shift focus to what’s the essential part of the project at that given time, a common goal focus can take time and effort. But there are ways teams can work around this limitation, and assigning similar tasks to a couple of members can drive them towards a similar goal. 

Little Documentation

Documentation isn’t as necessary as sheer reactionary action and the progress of the project the team is working on. This can lead to tasks like record keeping, documenting, billing statements, and needing to catch up.

We suggest focusing on emphasizing documentation at least once per month. This should bring it up to schedule.

More documentation also means that document improvement can also be needed. Keeping a record of successes can help give more insight into your team for the future.

Predictability Becomes Low

The dynamic nature of working under the Agile strategy “automatically” means you will have less predictability. Predicting profits before a project can be challenging, and Agile depends on continuous improvement and implementing customer feedback.

Although this results in acceptable shipping products to customers faster, you might make potential issues harder to predict, which leaves some room for ambiguity. To combat this, teams can do a couple of things.

Whenever feedback comes along, act on it effectively and quickly, increasing the fault predictability gradually over time.

No method is free from disadvantages. But Agile is still relevant today, and some of its core values are even more relevant. The thing companies should keep in mind is using Agile the right way.

Following the best practices will help mitigate the disadvantages and form a more effective and efficient team.

Conclusion

Software development has changed so much over the past few years, yet Agile is still relevant. It just shows how well it has stood the test of time. While not all parts might be entirely appropriate, it’s still very viable for producing high-quality and reliable software.

A team that follows Agile can deliver projects quicker and also improve continuously. Plus, the team’s collaboration also increases, which will pay dividends now and in the future.

At Talendor, many experienced developers have worked under the Agile framework. If you’re looking to create a superstar team of developers, you can click here to see how we can help you.

Thanks for reading till the end. And we hope that this article was able to help you understand the importance of the implementation of Agile in software development.