First of all, let’s have a look into what Agile Methodology is and then the advantages of agile. It is a type of project management that was created approximately 20 years ago.
It is not a singular framework or way of working, but rather an umbrella term that includes many different terms, such as Kanban, Adaptive Project Framework, and many others.
It is based on the Agile Manifesto and its 4 pillars and 12 core principles, some of which are:
- Individuals are more valued than processes
- Working software is more important than comprehensive documentation
- Instead of having a detailed and negotiated contract the feedback from the customer is more important
- Responding to changes over just following a plan is a crucial aspect too
Compared to some of its predecessors it is not a linear way of software development.
The Advantages of Agile Methodology
Its main purpose is to provide constant stakeholder management and swifter improvements during every stage of the development cycle (planning, executing, and evaluating.)
In practice, it means that the product could be continuously improved, and changes could be implemented quickly, according to the customers’ needs or user feedback. There is no need for detailed and over-bloated documentation when the deliverables may be altered according to needs or arising obstacles. It makes delivery times shorter (one of the advantages of the agile methodology is that the stages are usually organized in 2-week-long sprints) and more predictable. Because it is a lot more versatile and handles changes better it can easily grant better resource management and therefore save money in the long run. There is a reason why it is nowadays the standard development methodology, instead of the outdated waterfall (linear) ones.
Higher client satisfaction
Another huge advantage of agile is that by constantly delivering updates, the number of bugs and risks can be managed a lot faster and better. Agile working increases customer satisfaction and by reflecting on not just the customer’s, but also the different needs of current users, it can easily deliver a better user experience too!
By combining all the above-mentioned aspects (and not just these, but plenty of others too!) we can see how the Agile Methodology truly changed the ways of the Software Development Life Cycle. Since its creation, it had helped thousands of SMEs, corporations, and startups to create countless numbers of products, applications, and solutions for specific client needs.