Agile, which appeared as a method of software development in a small team 10-15 years ago. Today it is becoming a new cultural management system for companies. Agile methodology is an innovative rethinking approach to creating a new product or service. It is based on a very simple idea: each participant of the process, each employee should be involved in the process of rethinking their tasks. Also everyone can make rational suggestions.
When comprehending Agile, it is important to know both the positive and negative aspects of this methodology. Let’s start with the pros.
Advantages
First of all, it is worth noting that Agile management is very flexible. The traditional methodology indicates specific stages of work. Agile, in it’s turn, easily adapts to the consumer of the final product and customer requirements. Therefore, the number of defects in the final product is minimized. All this is done due to a thorough quality control, which is carried out at the end of each stage.
In addition, Agile launches quickly, responds easily to changes, and allows the development team and customers to keep in touch in real time. The advantages are obvious, but let’s also talk about the cons.
Disadvantages
The disadvantages of the methodology are that, first of all, constant feedback can lead to the fact that the deadline of the project will be transferred all the time, thereby creating a threat of infinitely ongoing work. If the customer sees, for example, only the results, but has no idea of the efforts required to achieve them, he will always demand improvements.
The second drawback is the need to adapt the project documentation to the changing conditions of the project. If the team is not properly informed of changes or additional functions, documents with functional requirements or architecture may not be relevant at the current time.
The third significant disadvantage of Agile is the need for frequent meetings. Of course, they contribute to increase work efficiency. Nevertheless the constant distraction of team members can affect the process negatively. Mainly because people’s attention is systematically moving away from the tasks being solved.
In conclusion, theory and practice are two different things. The Agile methodology involves the participation of the whole team in the software development process, leaving participants with familiar competencies. Such an approach will allow to understand that they all work for the same ultimate goal – a quality product for their customer. New methods and technologies and their implementation is a kind of challenge to the team. And how to come to greater efficiency is always an individual matter. Agile is not a panacea or a guarantee of success, but it allows you to set the right course and find landmarks on the way.