By Johana Tita Ferreyra | Published on July 6, 2022 | 3 min. reading time.
You may have already heard concepts such as: iteration, MVP, Kanban, Scrum, Daily, Lean, automation, among many others that are part of the “agile world”. But what do we really mean when we talk about Agile?
In 2001, leaders of different methodologies from the software world, critical of the prevailing paradigm, met to discuss alternatives. They identified that changing requirements strongly impacted project planning when developing software. Including the new requirements implied unmanageable changes in the applications and documentation, generating rework times that generally exceeded deadlines and budgets, added to a loss of quality. On the other hand, rejecting these changes determined the non-usability of the applications and the dissatisfaction of customers and users.
Therefore, they proposed and established 4 main values and 12 principles, which they called the Agile Manifesto:
The values they established were as follows:
- People over processes and tools
- Working software over comprehensive documentation
- Customer collaboration over rigid contracts
- Responding to change rather than following a plan
And the Principles:
- Satisfy the customer
- Welcome changing requirements
- Deliver working software frequently
- Frequent Interaction with Stakeholders
- Motivated Individuals
- Face-to-Face Communication
- Measure by working software
- Maintain constant pace
- Sustain technical excellence and good design
- Keep it simple
- Empower self-organizing teams
- Reflect and Adjust continuously
This agile framework puts into simple terms the philosophy of developing software or code in a fast and organized manner. Working with iterations performing the planning, design, development, testing, deployment, review and then the release in a certain time frame. Prioritizing customer satisfaction and software performance over and above the processes themselves.
Working within an agile framework does not only imply being faster or being unconstrained, but it encompasses the advantages of optimizing all resources and prioritizing what is important – such as the team – while being able to present something in operation. According to studies, “the success rate of agile adoption is 42%, while the success rate of waterfall is 26%”.
Some of the advantages of adopting an agile framework we can observe are: daily interaction to focus progress, constant delivery of working software, quick adaptation to new challenges and changes at any stage of the process, and focus on stakeholder satisfaction. Using agile processes allows companies to respond quickly to market requirements and remain strong in the competition.
Agile is no longer limited to software development. “Agile adoption is expected to gain popularity in more sectors. We have seen it implemented in marketing, human resources and engineering, to name a few. And it is expected to be used in even more business sectors”, which is why this is where companies should focus their transformation as it is a leading management method that can help keep them on the “crest of the wave”, allowing for innovation and efficient and effective operation in the face of the constant vicissitudes of the market.
In this sense, IT Scout carries the DNA of agility from its beginnings, since it was born as a business unit of IT Crowd – an agile software shop that works mainly with startups – and has always been aligned with this concept throughout its evolution. It stands out for its recruitment process, where the client’s objectives are put first, making quick calibrations for optimal alignment with their expectations. Checkpoints are made to determine a change in requirements and/or strategies in order to pivot in time and improve results. Likewise, its work processes are constantly adjusted to focus on continuous improvement.
The challenge underlying this framework is to create an “agile mindset”, changing the basis of the traditional waterfall procedure, and being able to internalize the established values and principles. It is being able to stay responsive to customer needs to build deliverables that meet their requirements and expectations; it is being able to create a team with clear roles and matching skills; it is aligning the team’s efforts with the business strategy.
About ITS
IT Scout is a powerful boutique recruiting firm for people and companies in the Tech Industry. We create quality relationships between the best IT talent in the market and the most challenging software development projects. We are 100% remote, start-up oriented and we specialize in headhunting senior talent worldwide.