Is Agile Software Development Still Relevant in 2022?
What is Agile?
In 2001, something called the ‘Agile Manifesto’ was born with the intent of creating a more flexible software development process. ‘Agile’ can normally be defined as “the ability to create and respond to change / succeeding in turbulent times”, according to Agile Alliance. Agile software solutions are meant to continually evolve through the use of collaboration and self-organizing, cross-functional teams.
Although this methodology has been widely implemented, there are still many mixed opinions on whether the Agile approach is the most effective in all situations. Here are some reasons why Agile is ideal for specific circumstances, but not for others.
Mixed Opinions
It’s important that customers are actively engaged and available to be involved in the Agile process. As the approach is more flexible than others, customers need to be ready to be highly involved, which may not be the perfect solution for some. For Agile to succeed, clients must also have flexible budgets and deadlines. This may be difficult for some organizations.
Bigger enterprises have recently criticized the effectiveness of Agile, as many larger organizations already have an established hierarchy that works for their process. The waterfall method, for example, is the legacy method of organizing development teams and processes, and it allows for development to be taken one step at a time, instead of simultaneously. Converting this existing method into Agile can therefore be a huge challenge.
However, Agile can appeal to smaller organizations and startups as their ability to react to change is greater than bigger firms. It’s also important to note that Agile wastes fewer resources and can improve team morale by allowing everyone to be a part of the on-going process of development.
Is Agile Still Relevant Today?
The short answer is yes, Agile is still relevant today. It’s not something that works for everyone, but when implemented in the right way, and in the right situations, it optimizes software development process effectiveness and efficiency. In the beginning of this decade, Agile may even be more relevant than ever, as the dynamics of software development (short-supply of developers, extreme virtualization, etc.) are constantly changing.
Other alternative methodologies such as DevOps have gained traction, as well. DevOps combines two normally separate processes, those being development and operations. While Agile emphasizes team values, DevOps aims to emphasize the delivery process. Yet, oftentimes Agile and DevOps can be used in combination to speed up development processes.
While Agile remains a relevant approach to software development, the recent influx of criticism has proven that larger enterprises may have a more difficult time changing top-down culture and embracing the Agile method, and that other approaches such as the waterfall method and DevOps may be more suitable for them.
SRG Software’s Organic Agile Approach
While SRG remains a proponent of the Agile approach, we recognize that every project and customer is unique. SRG has been successful in tailoring a custom Agile approach for each software development project based on project and customer needs, while embracing contemporary best practices related to DevOps and cloud services orchestration.
Written by:
Maxine Wesley
