Agile software development: what are the advantages?

Advantages of agile software development

For many corporate projects, agile software development has long been a part of daily work. It enables a high degree of efficiency and guarantees consistent quality. The project type and the team size are rather secondary. In this article, you will learn more about agile software development, the different phases of an agile development process, and which advantages and disadvantages can arise.

What does agile software development mean?

First of all, the Latin word agile in the English language means flexible, energetic, or alive. Agile software development is an elastic term that refers to approaches in the software development process that are intended to increase transparency and flexibility. This results in faster deployment and release of the developed systems and the sub-processes are realized as simply and agilely (=agile) as possible.

In concrete terms, this approach means for companies that agile software development combines flexibility, faster project execution, and lower costs. The satisfaction of the customer is in the foreground of agile software development.

Adaptive approaches and functioning teamwork allow rapid adjustments to be made in the software development cycle. This process can take place for example by regular arrangements between the self-organized developer team and responsible persons of the enterprise. Software documentation should be kept to a minimum and flexibility, efficiency and prompt reactions to changes in the software cycle should be the focus.

Phases of an agile development process  

The phases of an agile development process can be divided into three categories:

1. Initial planning
   In the beginning, the project is divided into rough milestones. In this phase, no detailed framework conditions should yet be defined for the software product. The general project planning is in the foreground. The agile software development offers the possibility of building up and refining the expiration step by step until the project takes its final form.
2. Iteration
   The project should be accompanied by constant tracking and review. This so-called iteration is divided into 4 steps:
   – the planning of the iteration
   – the development of the planned features
   – the testing of the features
   – the acceptance of the developed performance.
   An iteration should be scheduled every two to four weeks. It is used to optimize processes based on feedback from the customer.
3. The delivery of the software
   In the final phase, the finished version of the product is handed over to the customer. The functional software is released after each iteration. After each intermediate delivery, new features can be planned or improved until they meet customer expectations.

Advantages of agile software development

The biggest advantages of agile software development are clear. Companies benefit above all from:

• more flexibility
• high quality
• faster delivery and
  
• constant optimization.

But other benefits include:

• Short feedback cycles strengthen the acceptance of changes
  Due to regular iterations, the functional software is already released in a timely manner. Thanks to feedback and the close cooperation of the development team with the company, the functional scope is continuously adapted according to the change requests. This helps to avoid misunderstandings.
• Increased creativity
  Agile software development offers the opportunity to exploit the creativity and ideas of the team at the highest level. New features can be added to the software at any point in time.
• Constant optimization
  The software project is subject to a constant optimization and change process. You can optimize, develop and improve your project at any time. The development team can adjust all processes at any time through customer feedback.
• Open and honest communication
  Open and honest communication is highly relevant in agile software development. Each employee occupies a clearly defined role and is an important part of the team.
• Rapid development of the software
  One of the most important advantages of agile software development is the speed and the efficiency gained. Individual iterations and subtasks allow the team to concentrate in the best possible way and work in a results-oriented manner

Are there disadvantages? 

The advantages of agile software development outweigh the disadvantages, but this approach also has some disadvantages.

One of the most significant disadvantages in Germany is the lack of skilled workers in this sector. Many companies are therefore considering the possibilities and advantages of Outsourcing for agile software projects.

IT Outsourcing and agile software development 

Outsourcing4work – remote solutions – offers future-oriented and cost-efficient solutions not only in agile software development. We have been supporting our customers for more than 25 years as a reliable partner, consultant, and facilitator of IT professionals as well as a provider of customized back-office solutions.
We support companies in implementing agile software projects quickly and easily. We have experienced IT coordinators (Scrum Masters) as well as competent software developers from India, who have excellent knowledge of agile software development.

Would you like to join our together-to-the-goal way of working? Then contact us for a free initial consultation!