How Agile methodology can help startups and entrepreneurs speed up their mobile app development projects.

Constant changes and quick delivery are two of the primary challenges that startups or entrepreneur’s  face today. 

The Agile Software Development Lifecycle model (SDLC) enables a more adaptive approach to software development in a fast-paced environment with constantly changing customer requirements.

The primary benefit of implementing an Agile software development life cycle is self-evident. 

The Agile methodology considers the constant changes that occur during software development processes. Teams can produce functional software more quickly and update it more frequently. There appears to be no reason not to adopt an Agile SDLC.

In this article, we’ll discuss the Agile SDLC model, how it compares to traditional SDLC models, and how to implement the best Agile practises.

How is Agile methodology defined?

The Agile methodology is a development and testing method that emphasizes continuous iteration throughout the software development lifecycle of a project. Unlike the Waterfall model, the Agile model allows for concurrent development and testing activities.

Agile software development: What is it?

Agile software development is one of the most straightforward and effective processes for translating a business vision into software solutions. Agile is a term that refers to approaches to software development that emphasise continuous planning, learning, improvement, collaboration, evolutionary development, and early delivery. It promotes adaptability to change.

The following are five advantages of Agile methodology:

• High-quality products
• Increased client satisfaction
• Increased project management control
• Reduced threats
• Increased return on investment

In traditional software development, the project manager is responsible for creating a detailed overview of anticipated requirements and adhering to them throughout the development process. It adds time to the traditional development process. 

By contrast, the Agile model requires regular check-ups throughout the cycle, meaning the project’s owner can make changes as necessary. The development process is iterative, with frequent checkpoints. If any problems arise, team members can experiment and resolve them. 

Significantly, they must complete each phase before proceeding to the next. This is the primary distinction between Agile and traditional SDLCs. 

Throughout the software development life cycle, users can monitor the status of their projects. It’s all about iterative planning, which makes it extremely easy to adapt to changing requirements.

Delivering business value early in the process also mitigates development risks. Numerous Agile SDLC approaches exist, including Scrum, Kanban, and Scrumban. All of these are directed towards a single objective – continuous improvement, adaptability, team input, and the delivery of high-quality results.

The difference between Agile & traditional models

Agile methodologies are typically less detailed than traditional methodologies. This is consistent with the Agile manifesto’s emphasis on “individuals and interaction over processes and tools.” While the Agile approach contains general guidelines, it lacks the details provided by a traditional approach. The Agile methodology will use fewer templates and less specific procedural steps.

Agile principles place a premium on delivering a working product over documentation. As a result, Agile approaches prioritise execution and spend less time on planning. Complex project management plans, detailed requirements documents, or role and responsibility documentation, all of which are critical planning documents in a traditional methodology, are omitted. 

Adaptability is a critical aspect of Agile approaches. Not only does the team examine the product as it is developed and makes feature changes, but they also examine the process. The team conducts a “lessons learned” session at the conclusion of each iteration, which is frequently referred to as a retrospective. 

The session’s objective is to conduct a review of both the product and the process. The team discusses how the project is progressing and what procedures could be improved to improve performance. For instance, the team may decide to alter the testing process or the meeting format.

Conducting lessons learned is a required step in a traditional project-closing process. As in Agile methods, one topic is a review of project management activities. However, any process changes recommended will affect future projects rather than current ones.

Even if lessons learned are conducted at the conclusion of each phase, because that phase will not be repeated for the duration of the project, the recommendations will have no effect on subsequent projects.

However, there are several widely held misconceptions about Agile project management. One myth is that an Agile approach is devoid of planning. In Agile, planning does occur, but like the development itself, it’s an iterative process.

Initially, teams develop high-level features. Each iteration begins with the creation of a more detailed plan for that iteration. While detailed plans are not developed at the start of an Agile project due to the unknowns, planning is an integral part of the process.

Similarly, to how no detailed planning documents are developed at the start of the project, no detailed requirements documents are developed. The project team collaborates closely with the customer to define the end product’s features. Only high-level information about each feature is documented during this phase; details are determined during the iteration in which the feature is developed. 

A second myth is that Agile projects are self-managing. In reality, the project manager’s role is distinct because it places a lesser emphasis on management activities such as planning or budgeting and a greater emphasis on team leadership. 

In an Agile environment, project managers are responsible for communicating the project’s vision, assisting the team, and removing impediments to progress.

What are the steps in Agile methodology?

Agile SDLC, like any other SDLC methodology, is comprised of numerous steps. Each step is designed to move the team closer to the final product and to release new software as quickly as possible.

A typical agile workflow would include:

Concept: During the first stage of the Agile SDLC, the team evaluates the overall project, providing business analysis services. This is the stage at which the team establishes or rejects a hypothesis about business benefit, estimates the duration of the project, and identifies any additional resources that may be required later in development.

Inception: After the concept stage, the inception stage occurs, during which a financial foundation is laid, and the primary team members are identified.

Iteration/Construction: This phase focuses on delivering functional software. It is developed and improved iteratively in response to iteration requirements and feedback. This phase is divided into several time periods (sprints).

Release: This process entails quality assurance testing, user testing, documentation creation, and the market release of an iteration.

Production: The ongoing maintenance of software.

Retirement: This is the final, self-explanatory phase of the agile SDLC. Here, the development team discontinues support for previously released software and notifies customers. 

Which SDLC method is more successful: traditional or Agile?

When compared with traditional software development life cycles like Waterfall, Agile frameworks emphasise collaboration and cross-functional approaches to planning, analysis, design, and delivery. This requires the cooperation of the entire team.

According to the Standish Group’s CHAOS report, Agile projects are more successful than Waterfall projects because they face fewer obstacles and experience fewer failures.

Source: Standish Group’s CHAOS report

How startups can implement an Agile SDLC to accelerate project progress

It’s not as straightforward as simply selecting the Agile SDLC model, but that doesn’t mean it has to be difficult. Constant collaboration and feedback sharing are the primary keys to making Agile SDLC work for you.

Here are eight Agile practices to incorporate into your software development lifecycle:

1. Collaborate with your stakeholders on an ongoing basis.
2. Establish daily meetings to monitor the progress of iterations, determine what needs to be changed, and assist in moving the process forward.
3. Choose the appropriate Agile framework for your business.
4. Create a list of possible features and user stories for your product.
5. Plan the sprint after determining which components of the upcoming project should be prioritised.
6. Procure and share feedback. Share the collected feedback with the entire team prior to the next iteration stage to provide an overview of the project’s direction. Keep team members informed about customer and product-owner feedback.
7. Accept changes regardless of the stage of the project.
8. Examine your sprint, noting what worked and what did not.

Get started with Agile SDLC

The Agile software development lifecycle is designed to maximise productivity and meet the needs of customers. As a result, Agile SDLC is a viable option for start-ups because it allows for this degree of flexibility. 

However, in order for agile SDLC to work effectively, you must select the appropriate dedicated development team.

At Appomate, we use practices and techniques that allow us to take our solutions to the next level and deliver successfully.

Our team’s expertise enables us to define and recommend the optimal use of Agile practises and when to incorporate them into the lifecycle of your mobile application or testing process. 

If you have any questions, contact us via

Appomate’s website: www.appomate.com.au

Mail: info@appomate.com.au

Phone: (+61) 433 722 293