Software Development is a very diverse industry and different software development firms or agencies can offer services ranging from mobile app development to web design. The industry also has an array of software development methodologies available. Each method has its own set of pros and cons, but an enterprise needs to understand these methodologies before hiring a third-party software development firm and start working with them. This will help an enterprise choose a partner who would build the best product for their business model.
In earlier times, almost all organizations were using the waterfall software development method for building products. But today, Agile has become one of the most modern methods that are broadly used by many IT firms for the development of innovative software.
What the real question remains is that do you understand Agile Software Development correctly? If not, the following article will help you get all information about the agile software development process.
Agile methodology:
Agile came out of the “alternative” project management world and is becoming a standard method of executing any project, not just software development. If we put it in simple words, Agile is an organization’s process of dispensing with outdated methods of project management in favor of a learning culture that strives to meet customer needs. It is popular because it works, especially when you are looking to deliver a complex project within limited resources or hit tight deadlines. It’s an approach to project management best suited for teams that need to adapt and respond to changing requirements while maintaining flexibility and time-to-market.
The Agile Software Development Life Cycle (Agile SDLC) involves the following phases:
1.Concept:
The first stage that comes here is the concept phase. In this phase, the product manager determines each project and prioritizes the most important ones. The product manager also discusses the detailed project requirements with the respective clients and creates documentation outlining the key features the clients want to include and the desired results. In this phase, the product owner also estimates the approximate time and work required to complete the entire project.
2.Inception:
Once the scope and aim of the project are finalized, the product owner checks the availability of their team members and develop a group by choosing the best people for the project making sure that the selected team gets all the tools, hardware, and software configuration required for designing and developing the project. Then the designing team creates the mock-up of the user interface, models the flowcharts, and builds a prototype of the project architecture. In this stage, the team members work with the stakeholders to understand the detailed requirements and the product functionalities.
3.Iteration:The next step is the iteration or construction phase that involves the bulk of the development work. Here the UX designers and developers team develops the software based on the user stories in the first iteration. First, they do an internal meeting where they decide what functionality to be developed in the upcoming sprint and then get the software ready for a minimum functionality by the end of the first sprint. Following this, they continuously revise the software until they get the final product. The team can include any additional features in the later iterations. This stage allows developers to build working software rapidly and make improvements to satisfy the client.
4.Release:
In this phase, the product is almost ready for release. But before releasing the final product, the quality assurance team performs rigorous testing to identify defects, bugs, and errors in the software, so that they can fix them before the ultimate release. The purpose is to make sure that the final product is error-free and all its functionalities are working as per the client’s requirements. The quality assurance team also creates user documentation to make the users understand how the software functions. After the completion of all this, they release the final iteration of the product into production.
5.Production:
During this phase, the team releases the software to clients and users, along with providing ongoing support or guidance to them on how to use the software. They also take the feedback from the clients and users about how to improve the product. This phase ends when the team plans for the retirement of the release.
6.Retirement:
The retirement phase begins when the team replaces the product with a newer version or it becomes unusable. Users then migrate to the new product. If a replacement exists, end-of-life activities take place; otherwise, support for the software is removed from the organization’s systems.
Organizations with the agile development process are a great place to work as compared to the organizations with the waterfall model process. The Agile lifecycle involves short iterations, task-oriented discussions, sprints, and quality time management for finishing the project. It encourages teams to take ownership of their project and collaborate with each other in order to meet customer needs. Rixosys is a well-known brand that follows the Agile Software Development process for building all kinds of software. Have a look at our site to explore more about us.
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