Understanding what the agile model is before working with a software development company is a good idea. This allows you to better understand the project and each individual process. The agile model is one of the most popular custom software development models. Therefore, it offers many benefits to both your company and our team during the project. So, to provide further info, this blog post discusses the agile model in more detail.
What is the agile software development life cycle?
Before discussing the further benefits of agile, we will first explain what the agile software development cycle involves. Firstly, the model is split into six different stages. Throughout any project, the specific software will move through each stage from start to finish. This will vary slightly depending on the type of methodology used for your project. For example, this could include adding sprints to the project or working with a continuous flow. Regardless of the variables, the following six stages are completed to deliver all projects on time:
1) Concept
The first stage of the project is developing the concept and deciding on the scope of the project. The main considerations at this time are the top features and requirements for your project. This also includes an estimated timeframe and a realistic budget.
2 ) Inception
Next up, we move onto the inception phase, which is where the concept is outlined, and we start building the team for the project. We’ll work with you to start the project as soon as possible and find you the best team members for your project. We can start to create a mock-up of the user interface at this time and understand your requirements in more detail.
3) Iteration
Iteration, also referred to as the construction stage, is the largest part of the whole process. Throughout iteration, the majority of work is completed to the product requirements. This also includes various changes to best suit customer needs. During this part of the process, you’ll find that the project focuses on iterative and incremental processes, later broken down into smaller parts.
4) Release
After all of the hard work of the iteration stage, you’ll find that we have reached the release stage. This is when the software is nearly ready to be released. However, beforehand, final checks and tests are conducted to ensure there are no major issues or bugs in the project.
5) Maintenance
Once your software is in use, it may require some maintenance. It is impossible to know beforehand 100% of what you will require, so some maintenance is inevitable. BSPOKE Software will support you during the process to ensure your software maintains optimal use.
6) Retirement
We’ll only recommend retiring the product when it becomes impossible to update, or the technology is no longer in use. This will hopefully be many years down the line, and we’ll help you to continue to use your software for as long as possible to avoid this happening too soon.
What are the benefits of the agile model?
There are so many reasons why we recommend using agile project management, but it will depend on what type of project you are completing as to whether we use this option. Firstly, we find that customers are much more satisfied when using agile, as it ensures that stakeholders are involved throughout the project. This results in improved quality due to the iterative approach to the project. Quality control is critical to this type of software development, often a crucial component used to reduce errors.
Agile is often used for projects as it’s extremely flexible. It aims to respond to changes in the project, which we know often happen as the work progresses. The deliverables aren’t set in stone from day one of working together, and you’ll find that we can constantly change the way of working to ensure your needs are met. Agile teams work in short periods, such as two weeks at a time. So, you’ll find that it’s easier for us to predict the end date of the project and ensure that it is remaining on budget. This means there’s much less risk to the project. And you will find that we notice any issues earlier on in the development stage than with other development life cycle options.
When would we choose to use agile software development?
Now that you know a little bit more about agile software development, you might be wondering if this would be a suitable option for your upcoming project. Any medium to large software development project can benefit from agile software development. It ensures that communication is smooth throughout the process and that we stick to your timescale and budget. Throughout the project, you will receive constant updates and progress reports. We enjoy working with agile on projects for any type of industry, and you’ll find that both our team and your team will appreciate the benefits of this type of software development life cycle.
To summarise
Agile is incredibly popular in the software development industry. Therefore, it is often a popular choice for many businesses and projects. Our team regularly uses agile in many of our projects, and we’ll work with you to decide if this is the best solution for your upcoming software development project. Contact us today for more information and to discuss your next project with our team.
Whether small or large requirements, there’s a software solution for every business. The Agile model simplifies this further, ensuring high-quality software is widely accessible.
