General Information
Agile is a way to manage a project by breaking it up into several phases. It involves constant collaboration with stakeholders and continuous improvement at every stage. Once the work begins, teams cycle through a process of planning, executing, and evaluating.
With this methodology, demands and solutions evolve through the collaborative effort of self-organizing and cross-functional teams and their customers.
History
In 2000, a group of 17 software developers, including Martin Fowler, Jim Highsmith, Jon Kern, Jeff Sutherland, Ken Schwaber, and Bob Martin met in Oregon to discuss how they could speed up development times in order to bring new software to market faster. They recognized two key opportunities :
- Shortening the delay of benefits to users in order to resolve the product-market fit and development problems
- Getting feedback from users quickly to confirm the usefulness of new software and continue to improve on it accordingly.
At the beginning, “Agile” was applied to software and IT development projects. However, nowadays it has expanded to other fields, too, especially in the knowledge and services industries.
Advantages
- Encourages reviewing and rewriting steps to achieve desired results
- Tasks are tested in flight, leading to faster delivery and a better project
- Requires a lot of feedback between teams, clients and customers → collaborative environment in which silo walls are broken down and collective creativity often flourishes
- Frequency of deliveries allows the project direction to change quickly while maintaining the project scope
Disadvantages
- Does not impose a strict timetable, which can be difficult if a tight deadline is not met
- Often requires a quick shift from one aspect of the project to another → little time to properly complete the paperwork at each stage.
- Changes in project requirements can lead to problems in other areas of the organization
- Requires a unified team → weak links in the agile team or management can waste time and money
For further information please consult:
https://zenkit.com/en/blog/agile-methodology-an-overview/
https://www.digite.com/agile/agile-methodology/#agile-methodology
https://www.wrike.com/project-management-guide/faq/what-is-agile-methodology-in-project-management/
https://www.workfront.com/project-management/methodologies/agile/agile-vs-waterfall
https://gosuperscript.com/blog/pros-and-cons-of-the-agile-approach/