Agile practices have greatly increased success rates in digital product development, improved quality and speed to market and boosted the motivation of teams in the past 30 years, "Harvard Business Review" reports. Apple, IBM, Microsoft and Procter & Gamble all use the Agile Method in their operations. And with our Agile Method for Digital Product presentation, developed exclusively for digital product related processes, you too can drive productivity, lower risk and accelerate time to market in today's ever-shifting digital space.
Companies can implement the Agile Method in their digital product development processes by first understanding the principles of Agile, which include customer satisfaction through continuous delivery of valuable software, welcoming changing requirements, and delivering working software frequently. They should then form cross-functional teams that include all the necessary roles (developers, testers, designers, etc.). These teams should work in iterations, delivering increments of the product at the end of each iteration. Regular meetings (daily stand-ups) should be held to discuss progress and obstacles. Continuous improvement should be a focus, with regular retrospectives held to discuss what went well and what can be improved. Companies should also invest in Agile tools and training to ensure everyone understands and can effectively work within an Agile framework.
The main components of the Agile Method for Digital Product include iterative development, self-organizing teams, regular reflection on how to become more effective, and a focus on technical excellence and good design. It also involves satisfying the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software, welcoming changing requirements, and delivering working software frequently. Collaboration between business people and developers throughout the project is also a key component.
An Agile Roadmap is a critical communication tool. With this slide, you can demonstrate your roadmap to the team and your stakeholders and see that everybody clearly understands the direction for the product strategy.
An Agile Test Plan gives your Quality Assurance team the ability to have all high-level scenarios, business requirements and estimates in one place. Ensure that your Test Plan has a proper and simple structure containing business inputs and QA tasks.
It's a good idea to refresh your team's memory on The Agile Manifesto, the 12 principles of which include always putting customers' needs first, making simplicity a high priority and frequently reflecting on continuous improvements.
Overview
Agile methodology is a practice that aids constant iteration of development and testing in the product development process. In this model, development and testing activities are concurrent. This process allows more communication between customers, developers, managers and testers, per educational platform, Guru99. Agile methodology is often compared to the Waterfall methodology (a.k.a. Liner Sequential Life Cycle Model). Both are effective and commonly used, but to see the differences, let's look at the advantages and disadvantages of each, put together by Guru99.
The key topics covered in the Agile Method for Digital Product presentation enhance business strategy by promoting higher team productivity, lower risk, and faster time to market. Agile methodology encourages constant iteration of development and testing in the product development process, allowing for more communication between customers, developers, managers, and testers. This can lead to more efficient problem-solving, quicker adjustments to changes, and ultimately, a more successful and competitive product. Furthermore, by comparing Agile methodology to the Waterfall methodology, businesses can understand the advantages and disadvantages of each, and choose the approach that best suits their needs.
Agile and Waterfall are two different approaches to product development. Agile is a practice that aids constant iteration of development and testing in the product development process. It allows more communication between customers, developers, managers, and testers. This methodology is particularly effective in projects where requirements are expected to change and evolve. It offers flexibility and continuous improvement.
On the other hand, Waterfall methodology, also known as Linear Sequential Life Cycle Model, is a more traditional approach where each phase of the project is completed before the next one starts. It's effective when the requirements are well-defined and unlikely to change. However, it lacks the flexibility of Agile and any changes in requirements can lead to project delays.
In terms of digital product development, Agile is often preferred due to its flexibility and adaptability to changes, which are common in the digital space.
View all questions
Ask follow up
Advantages of the agile model:
Agile Model is focused on client processes and requires the client's involvement at every stage of the project completion
Agile teams are extremely motivated and self-organized and are likely to provide better results in the end.
The agile software development method assures that quality of the development is maintained.
In the Agile Model, the process is completely based on incremental progress, which means the client and the team know exactly what is completed and what's not.
Advantages of the waterfall model:
It is one of the easiest models to manage. Because of its nature, each phase in the Waterfall Method has specific deliverables and a review process.
The Waterfall Model works well for smaller size projects where requirements are easily understandable.
The Waterfall Model assures faster delivery of the project.
The process and results are well documented in this methodology.
This is an easily adaptable method for shifting teams.
This project management methodology is beneficial for managing dependencies.
Limitations of the agile model:
It is not a good method for small development projects.
The Agile Model requires an expert to make important decisions in the meeting.
The cost of implementing an agile method is higher compared to other development methodologies.
The project can easily go off track if the project manager is not communicating the requirements, asks and needs clearly.
Limitations of the waterfall model:
The Waterfall Model is not an ideal model for large size projects.
If the requirements are not understood at the beginning, the method is ineffective.
The Waterfall Model makes it difficult to make changes in the previous phases.
In the Waterfall Model, the testing process starts as soon as the development is completed. Thus, the chances of discovering bugs in the development that are expensive to fix are higher.
Application
A project management app, Planio, offers a comprehensive guide for applying agile methodology to your projects and workflow. Here is what to do, according to Planio:
Set your vision with a strategy meeting define a business need or vision that your project is addressing. At the end of the meeting, everybody should be on the same page about why they're doing what needs to be done and what the general strategy is for achieving the end goal.
Build your roadmap when the strategy has been validated, the product owner should translate that vision into a product roadmap, which lists out the requirements for your project and a timeframe with approximate milestones and deadlines.
Create a release plan create a high-level timetable for the release of the product. "Because agile projects will have multiple releases, you'll want to prioritize the features needed to get you to launch first," the experts say.
Plan out your sprints develop team plan "sprints–" short cycles of development in which specific tasks and goals will be carried out.
Hold daily stand-ups a daily 15-minute stand-up meeting should help you and your team to discuss what was completed yesterday; what are the team members working on today; and whether there are any obstacles that are getting in the way of meeting the deadlines.
Review analyze and review what was done and show this off to people on your team and any key stakeholders. The goal here is to check your initial plan to make sure that all requirements were met.
Decide what to focus on in your sprint retrospective for agile project management to be successful, clear next steps must be identified in each phase. This means that as soon as one sprint has been completed and approved, you need to decide and communicate what work gets done next.
Case study
Apple
Apple doesn't participate in Agile, Scrum Process, Lean and Kanban Methodology conferences, as the author of "The Age of Agile," Steve Denning, points out in his article for "Forbes Leadership." And yet, Denning says, Apple is truly agile. In his analyses, Denning relies on Adam Lashinsky's book, "Inside Apple."
In his book, Lashinsky, first of all, confirms that Steve Jobs was the supreme Product Owner in the Scrum terminology. "Apple designed for Steve. It is not an exaggeration. Steve was the user that everything orbited around and was designed for," Lashinsky writes. Also, the Agile Method is all about doing work in small teams, and per Lashinsky, "Apple frequently assigns major projects to small groups. For example, just two engineers wrote the code for converting Apple's Safari browser for the iPad, a massive undertaking."
Yes, there are numerous case studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of the Agile Method for Digital Product. One such example is Apple Inc. The company uses the Agile value of responsibility, embodied in their acronym DRI (Directly Responsible Individual). This refers to the person who is held accountable if a task is not completed correctly. Apple teams work in short, iterative cycles, lack middle managers, and prioritize quality work over cost-saving, all of which are hallmarks of a strong Agile organization. This approach has contributed to Apple's success in the digital product space.
The concept of Directly Responsible Individual (DRI) enhances business strategy in the Agile Method for Digital Product by fostering accountability and efficiency. In this approach, a specific individual is assigned responsibility for a task or project, ensuring clear ownership and accountability. This person is the go-to for any issues or questions related to the task, reducing confusion and streamlining communication. The DRI is also responsible for the success or failure of the task, which can motivate them to ensure the task is completed to the best of their ability. This can lead to higher productivity, lower risk, and faster time to market, which are key objectives in Agile methodologies.
View all questions
Ask follow up
Furthermore, the notion of responsibility, a key Agile value, is enshrined at Apple in a company acronym, the DRI. DRI stands for "Directly Responsible Individual," and describes the person on any given assignment who will be called on the carpet if something isn't done right. Apple teams also work in short, iterative cycles; don't have middle managers; and are encouraged to do great work rather than to save money, which are all signs of solid agile organization, Denning concludes."