We cannot deny the historical connection that Agile and DevOps has. To achieve software delivery effectiveness for business strategies, Agile does require DevOps. Usually, DevOps isn’t very successful in absence of agile.
The Agile frameworks are ruling over several industries at the pace of a wildfire. Despite the ability to help teams deliver products and services more rapidly and efficiently, Agile methodology still confuses companies in terms of its implementation feasibility, especially the organizations that have spent years over other frameworks like the Waterfall.
Here, we unveil the truth behind four myths that people have about Agile methodology.
Myth 1: Agile development equals faster development
One of the most common myths about Agile development is that it speeds up the process. But it is imperative to understand that Agile development does not equate to faster development. Agile is responsible for increasing the efficiency of the development process. The concept of Agile is based on lean business practices, like keeping in mind that the resources are efficient and not just faster, and are eradicating waste in the process of development. Where Waterfall methodology follows the procedure of multi-project assignments, Agile methodology focuses on organizing projects in a sequential manner in order to minimize inconvenience and bring value to the business, which contributes to faster turnarounds.
Myth 2: Agile requires zero planning
Another popular misconception about Agile is that it does not require any planning at all. But the truth is, Agile does require a significant amount of planning. It even requires re-visiting previous plans if needed during the development cycle.
Majority of the Agile frameworks need frequent planning. It all depends on the clients’ requirements whether the team needs to plan in single sprints or do they need to plan on different degrees.
Also, it is often misunderstood that Agile planning is only needed at the beginning of the development process as a single plan. This is important to clear out that Agile planning is something that should be expanded throughout the entire development cycle, and should involve each and every team member instead of a few appointed ones.
Myth 3: Agile acts as the magic bullet for software development
Agile is often mistaken as the cure-all for any kind of software development project, be it a software project or a non-software one. The truth being, some projects that fall under mobile, analytics, or social project developments are more appropriate for Agile software development approaches, whereas, large-scale systems or ERPs may not be a good option to apply Agile to. Bottom line: Agile does not solve all IT problems.
Myth 4: No documentation required in Agile
In most of the articles out there, it is emphasized on the fact that documentation is important in any project and serves as a roadmap in many cases. Yes, it is true that documentation aids in outlining the workflow of a system. But when we talk about the Agile methodology, it supports documentation a bit differently. Instead of creating huge documentation that includes project requirements and objectives, the objectives are specified via user stories that can be used to offer real-time visibility into the progress of the project.
In today’s digital world, customer requirements, business strategies, and market trends change at a rapid pace. Choosing the Agile path is necessary to handle the unpredictable nature and stay competitive in the market. We hope that we helped you by busting these 4 Agile methodology myths!
