The Agile software development cycle, known to many as the shortened “Agile”, is a methodology that embraces the increased need for flexibility to deliver finished products. When approaching any development project, there are a large variety of approaches to getting the job done, with Agile becoming one of the most popular organizational ideologies in recent years. There is some debate as to whether or not Agile is the best approach to software development and project management. But either way, it’s important to understand how the Agile development cycle works to take the best parts of it, such as the renowned “sprints”, and implement these attractive processes within web development projects.

While Agile boasts numerous benefits for assisting development teams to evolve within a constantly changing digital landscape, it’s important to understand the Agile development methodology before choosing that Agile is the way to go. In this helpful guide, Ecliptic Ideas will break down what Agile is, and how the Agile cycle works for teams that wish to confidently create deliverables based on their project’s needs.

The agile development methodology is the group of software development practices and routines that center around iterative development, meaning collaboration between self–organized and cross-functional groups leads to the solutions and requirements needed to complete a development project. Developed by a Google engineer in 2010 with the creation of the Agile Manifesto, “Agile” methods and functions encourage a strict management process that features repetitive adaptation and inspection throughout each of the project’s stages, commonly known as “sprints”.

The agile development methodology is all about self-accountability and frequent teamwork which leads to the quick delivery of high-functioning and optimized software. In a digital world where businesses wish to accomplish their goals quickly to meet rapid customer needs, the agile development methodology can pave the road to success. When developing software that may need frequent updates or adaptations, Agile methodology makes back-tracking and redistributing software streamlined.

There once was a time when software distribution was delivered in a “big bang” fashion, with countless hours of work poured into the creation of software before release to ensure no bugs or complications will be experienced. Agile is all about adaptability in a world where software distribution is constant, with Agile methods centered around dealing with uncertain digital environments. In the world of software development, Agile is a family of best practices and frameworks such as Feature-Driven Development (FDD) or Scrum, which align with each project’s needs.

SCRUM exists within a subcategory of Agile, undeniably the most popular lightweight framework for agile-style software development. Scrum’s processes include the use of development cycles, called “sprints” which clarify the period of time that specific work needs to be completed and ready for review. SCRUM is classified as lightweight because the overhead process is designed to be minimal to increase the amount of productivity for getting each sprint completed. SCRUM practices allow businesses to smoothly adapt to evolving requirements and increase productivity when tackling complex software development projects.

Now that we’ve explored a few of the principles of an Agile development process, it’s time to dive into the details of what makes up the Agile infrastructure. There are five steps within the Agile development process: concept, inception, construction, release, and retirement. Each of these stages of Agile’s development chain allows for consistent adaptation and change, that way companies can stay consistently modernized when releasing and implementing software. Let’s break down each of these stages individually.

• Concept

  Agile’s development process begins with the concept stage, which is when organizations identify business opportunities for potential web development projects. The anticipated timeline and scale of work are also identified in this stage to get an idea of the timeline and full bandwidth needed to complete the project. Once the company knows the concept and project needs, it can then organize projects to decide which aspirations are worth moving forward with based on economic practicality.

• Inception

  The next step in Agile’s development process is the inception stage. The inception step is when project team members are chosen, when project financing is clarified, and the project requirements are discussed with customers. During the inception stage, it’s common for a project timeline to be drafted to keep team members all on the same page and to outline everyone’s responsibilities throughout each sprint of the software’s development.

• Construction or Iteration

  After the concept and inception stages comes the iteration and construction stages, which is when the project begins to actually come to life based on team member requirements and continual feedback. At the center of the Agile development cycle are iterations, commonly known as single development cycles, which build and develop throughout the process until the project is eventually completed. Each iteration usually lasts from two to four weeks with a clear deadline for each. At the end of the iteration, a working product should be set to launch.

  There are usually numerous iterations throughout the Agile development cycle, each with unique workflow processes. In most iteration flows, they will involve defining project requirements based on the backlog and stakeholder feedback, developing software based on those requirements, completing quality assurance testing with internal and external documentation, the delivery and integrating of the project into productions, and repeating the process of collecting feedback from customers and stakeholders to establish new goals for the next sprint.

• Release

  The fourth and arguably most straightforward stage of the Agile development process is the release stage. The release step entails the final quality assurance testing and resolution of any lingering complications for the product. The release stage also involves the finalization and user documentation for the ultimate release of the final iteration into production. Production will follow the ongoing support that is required for software maintenance. Just because the software has been released, doesn’t mean the team shouldn’t ensure it operates smoothly and instruct users on how to properly implement it. While release might seem like the natural end of the Agile process, there is one final step to consider.

• Retirement

  The final stage of the Agile software development cycle is retirement, the step where all end-of-life software activities are completed. Retirement could involve letting customers know of the termination of previous software and the removal of system releases from production. Retirement is completed once a system is replaced by a new software release, or when the system begins to drift away from the business model or becomes outdated.

The Agile software development cycle has become popular throughout the last decade for a reason: it’s an organized and streamlined way to wrap our heads around the intensive software development processes. Embracing teamwork and encouraging repetitive improvement, it’s a smart idea to implement Agile practices within any software development project. Ecliptic Ideas provides a wide selection of software development services that can help companies approach their development projects with the confidence that will see goals met. If your team is stuck within any stage of project development, Ecliptic Ideas’ app development experts are here to help. Contact Ecliptic Ideas today to learn more.