Agile software development, what is it?

Agile is based on four core values, as set out in the Agile Manifesto. These values emphasize individuals and interactions over processes and tools, working software over comprehensive documentation, customer collaboration over contract negotiations, and responsiveness to change over following a plan.

These core values guide Agile teams to be successful in delivering value to customers and achieving their goals.

Agile working offers several advantages. First of all, it leads to a shorter time-to-market, allowing organizations to respond more quickly to changing market conditions. Furthermore, the emphasis on customer focus leads to higher customer satisfaction, because customers regularly see working software and are actively involved in the process. In addition, the focus on continuous improvement and feedback leads to higher product quality and a more committed and motivated team.

While Agile offers many benefits, it also comes with challenges development teams may encounter. Managing stakeholder expectations, maintaining a consistent pace of development, and dealing with constantly changing priorities and goals are some of the challenges that development teams can face. It is important to recognize these challenges and develop effective strategies to address them.

There are several methods within the Agile framework, including Scrum, Kanban, Extreme Programming (XP), and Lean Software Development. Each of these methods has its own set of principles, practices and rituals to facilitate software development.

Within Agile, there are various frameworks that help organizations work agilely. The best-known are Scrum, Kanban, and SAFe.

• Scrum focuses on short sprints of one to four weeks, in which the team delivers a concrete result each time. With fixed roles like Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Development Team, and rituals like the daily stand-up and sprint review, a clear structure and rhythm are created.
• Kanban revolves around visualizing work on a board with columns (e.g., "To Do," "Doing," "Done"). This provides insight into progress, helps improve flow, and quickly identify bottlenecks.
• SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) was specifically developed for organizations that want to implement Agile working on a larger scale. It provides a structured framework for effectively aligning multiple teams and departments while maintaining the agility and core principles of Agile.

The most suitable framework depends on the organization, the size of projects, and the team culture. Elements from different frameworks are often combined to create an approach that best suits the specific situation.

Within SST, Agile software development is applied to be flexible and responsive to customer needs. Through short development cycles, regular feedback rounds and close collaboration with stakeholders, SST strives to deliver high-quality software products that meet customer expectations.

View SST's working method for more information.