I started a series a few weeks ago about Agile methodologies and how many end users are uncomfortable with what the end result of a custom software project will be. This week I’d like to cover how software planning is different when it comes to Agile, and how this plays out in your favor.
Whenever a business conceives of an idea for software, the stakeholders are operating off of their best guess for what is needed. As they put it in the article, ‘Why users hate Agile,’ “Detailed designs and planning done prior to a project seems to provide a “safety net” to business sponsors…by providing a Big Design Up Front you are pacifying this request by giving them a best guess based on what you know at that time — which is at best partial or incorrect in the first place.”
Waterfall development involves extensive requirements building before actual code ever gets written. By contrast, although Agile has a deep focus on understanding business problems and what success would look like for the end product, this idea is allowed to evolve as the project does. Without this flexibility, you risk ending up with the solution you wanted, not the solution you want.
So what does this evolution look like? At Entrance, it means delivering something you can see and play with every two weeks. In addition, depending on your preference, we keep in touch on a daily or weekly basis, so you always know the progress of your software. During these frequent updates, we can address bad assumptions quickly. While this means a commitment of your time, the investment also helps ensure that we’re moving in the right direction.
For more on how Agile planning helps create great custom software, read how user stories help uncover your needs in this blog…