What are Agile frameworks?

Agile frameworks are methods of organizing and dealing with software program development initiatives that follow the principles and values of the Agile Manifesto. Agile frameworks intend to supply value to clients faster and extra often, even also allowing groups to conform to converting requirements and remarks.

What is an Agile Framework?

An agile framework is a selected set of practices, roles, artifacts, and activities that help groups implement the agile philosophy in their continuous development tasks, like planning, testing, integration, and other continuous development work. There are many agile frameworks, each with its own strengths, weaknesses, and suitability for specific contexts.

Some of the not unusual characteristics of agile frameworks are:

1. Time-boxed iterations: They use time-boxed iterations or sprints to supply working software often (commonly every 2-four weeks).
2. Backlogs: They use backlogs or lists of prioritized features or personal testimonies to devise and tune the paintings to be achieved.
3. Daily meetings: They use daily brief meetings (generally 15 minutes) to synchronize the group’s development and discover any impediments or issues.
4. Reviews: They use reviews or demonstrations at the end of each iteration or sprint to show off the working software to customers and stakeholders and acquire comments.
5. Retrospectives: They use retrospectives or conferences at the quit of each new release or sprint to reflect on what went well, what can be improved, and what moves to take for the subsequent iteration or dash.

Popular Agile Frameworks

• Kanban
• Scrum
• Lean Software Development (LSD)
• Dynamic Systems Development Method (DDSM)
• eXtreme Programming (XP)
• Feature Driven Development (FDD)
• The Crystal Method
• Adaptive Software Development (ASD)
• Disciplined Agile (DA)
• Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe)
• Rapid Application Development (RAD)

1. Kanban

Kanban is another popular agile framework. It is based on 4 principles: visualize the work, limit the paintings in progress, manipulate the go-with-the-flow, and enhance collaboratively. Kanban uses a visible board with columns that represent the degrees of the painting method, such as to do, do, and finish.

Kanban additionally makes use of cards that represent the painting’s objects, including functions, bugs, or duties. Kanban limits the range of cards that can be in every column at any given time, to prevent bottlenecks and waste. Kanban measures and monitors the waft of labor via metrics which include cycle time, lead time, throughput, and work in development.

Kanban Board

Features:

1. Visual Workflow: Kanban makes use of a visible board to manage painting gadgets, permitting groups to song and optimize workflow.
2. Work-in-Progress Limits: Teams set limits on the wide variety of work objects in each degree to keep an easy waft.
3. Continuous Delivery: Kanban specializes in turning in capabilities as quickly as they are equipped, with minimum batch sizes.
4. Pull System: Work is pulled through the system as capability lets in, decreasing overburdening and waste.

2. Scrum

Scrum is one of the maximum extensively used agile frameworks. It is primarily based on three pillars: transparency, inspection, and model. Scrum defines 3 roles: the product owner who represents the customer’s voice and prioritizes the backlog; the scrum grasp who helps the scrum process and eliminates impediments; and the improvement team supplies doubtlessly shippable increments of software program at the quit of every dash.

Scrum

Scrum additionally defines four activities:

1. Sprint Planning: Sprint planning where the crew plans what to do within the subsequent dash.
2. Day-by-day: The day-by-day scrum in which the team updates every other on their progress.
3. Dash Review: The dash review where the group demonstrates the product increment to clients and stakeholders.
4. Sprint Retorspective: The sprint retrospective in which the crew reflects on a way to enhance their performance.

Features:

1. Iterative and Incremental: Scrum divides the undertaking into fixed-period iterations referred to as sprints, generally 2-4 weeks long, wherein teams produce a probably shippable product increment.
2. Roles: It defines specific roles, consisting of Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Development Team, with properly defined duties.
3. Artifacts: Scrum makes use of artifacts just as the Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, and the Increment to control work and music development.
4. Ceremonies: Scrum includes ceremonies including Sprint Planning, Daily Standup, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective to ensure collaboration and transparency.

3. Lean Software Development (LSD)

Lean is an agile framework that makes a specialty of handing over costs to clients with the aid of eliminating waste and maximizing efficiency. It originated in the manufacturing enterprise however has been adapted to software development. Lean emphasizes non-stop development, glide, and pull-based structures. It additionally promotes a culture of respect for humans, continuous getting-to-know, and consumer consciousness.

Lean Software Development

Features:

1. Eliminating Waste: Focuses on casting off non-fee-including sports and lowering inefficiencies.
2. Value Stream Mapping: Identifies and optimizes the price circulate, from customer want to product shipping.
3. Pull System: Work is pulled based totally on consumer calls to prevent overproduction.
4. Kaizen (Continuous Improvement): Teams always are trying to find ways to improve tactics and decrease waste.

4. DSDM (Dynamic Systems Development Method)

DSDM (Dynamic Systems Development Method) is an agile framework that emphasizes collaboration, conversation, and comments. It is based totally on nine principles: active person involvement, empowered teams, common delivery, included checking out, iterative and incremental improvement, achievable scope, prioritized requirements, stakeholder collaboration, and timeboxing. DSDM additionally defines roles such as the business sponsor, the business imaginative and prescient holder, the answer development team, and the answer support team.

DSDM

Features:

1. Prioritized Features: DSDM places a strong emphasis on turning in the most crucial features properly from the beginning, making an allowance for adjustments to the task’s scope as required.
2. Time Management: Projects are thoughtfully divided into unique time-certain increments, ensuring a constant and predictable agenda.
3. Team Collaboration: DSDM fosters active collaboration with stakeholders all through the mission’s lifecycle, making sure that everybody’s entry is valued.
4. Iterative Progress: Frequent iterations are hired, complemented by using comments loops to make certain the mission stays aligned with ever-evolving necessities.

5. XP (Extreme Programming)

Extreme Programming (XP) is an agile framework that focuses on software engineering practices and values. It is based totally on 5 values: conversation, simplicity, feedback, braveness, and appreciation. XP is appropriate for tasks that have risky requirements, common remarks, excessive risk, and technical complexity. XP allows teams to deliver first-rate software programs while additionally enhancing their collaboration and competencies.

Extreme Programming

Features:

1. Collaborative Coding: Developers are part of forces by way of operating in pairs, enhancing the first-class of the code even as promoting understanding sharing within the crew.
2. Test-First Approach (TDD): Prioritizing nice, code is crafted in tandem with checks, making sure that it no longer works successfully but also meets the favored requirements.
3. Seamless Integration: The development manner includes frequent integration of code changes, coupled with computerized trying out tactics to maintain an always dependable codebase.
4. Client Partnership: An ongoing and near partnership with the customer is maintained, facilitating quick remarks and explanations of necessities to make sure alignment with their desires.

6. FDD (Feature-Driven Development)

FDD (Feature-Driven Development) is an agile framework that makes a specialty of turning in tangible consequences through a characteristic-pushed technique. It is based on five approaches: develop a common model, construct a function listing, plan by way of function, layout by characteristic, and construct using the feature. FDD additionally defines roles which include the leader architect, the development manager, the leader programmer, and the domain expert.

FDD

Features:

1. Collaborative Programming: Developers crew as much as work in pairs, which no longer enhances the overall code but also fosters information sharing in the team.
2. Quality-First Approach (TDD): Prioritizing excellence, code is evolved hand-in-hand with its corresponding tests, making sure that it no longer handiest capabilities efficaciously but additionally meets the desired requirements.
3. Smooth Integration: The development manner seamlessly carries frequent code changes, combined with computerized checking-out strategies, to uphold a constantly dependable codebase.
4. Customer Collaboration: A sustained and near partnership with the patron is upheld, allowing quick comments and clarification of necessities to make sure alignment with their unique desires.

7. Crystal

Crystal is a circle of relatives of agile frameworks that emphasizes simplicity, verbal exchange, and mirrored image. It is primarily based on seven homes: protection, common delivery, reflective development, osmotic communication (casual verbal exchange), non-public interplay (face-to-face conversation), awareness (on core competencies), and clean get right of entry to expert users.

Crystal also defines colorations together with crystal clean (up to eight people), crystal yellow (up to twenty human beings), crystal orange (up to 50 human beings), crystal red (as much as 2 hundred human beings), crystal maroon (up to one thousand human beings), and crystal diamond (up to 2000 humans).

Features:

1. Working Together: Developers group as much as collaborate, wherein they work in pairs, improving the code and sharing know-how inside the team.
2. Quality-Centric Approach (TDD): Emphasizing the importance of excessive fines, code is created alongside its associated exams. This ensures that the code now not only simplest capabilities successfully but additionally meets the favored standards.
3. Smooth and Continuous Integration: The development manner seamlessly integrates regular code updates and employs automated trying-out strategies, guaranteeing a consistently reliable codebase.
4. Customer Engagement: Maintaining an ongoing and near partnership with the client, this approach enables swift remarks and clean discussions about necessities to make sure they align with the client’s precise desires.

8. Adaptive Software Development (ADD)

Adaptive Software Development is a method to build complex software and system. ASD focuses on human collaboration and self-organization. Adaptive software development (ASD) is a software development process that grew out of the work by Jim Highsmith and Sam Bayer on rapid application development (RAD).

Features:

1. ASD is a flexible way of making software that can easily change when needed.
2. ASD focuses on the end users’ needs, the software is designed to be easy to use and understand, making it more intuitive for people.
3. ASD’s flexible approach helps teams to deliver the software on time

9. Disciplined Agile (DA)

Disciplined agile (DA) is a structure for process decisions in programming software advancement. It is a mixture dexterous model that centers around putting people or individuals first. DAD is the establishment of Discipline agile tool kit, also pack which incorporates Discipline DevOps, Discipline agile IT, and Discipline agile enterprise.

Features:

1. Structure builds up a smoothed out progression of work which empowers colleagues to concentrate on significant assignments proficiently.
2. It is a structure that incorporates best components from demonstrated and broadly utilized procedures.
3. It gives colleagues adaptability of creation and facilitates execution.

10. Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe)

Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) is a framework, designed to handle the unique challenges that large organizations face when trying to adopt and scale Agile principles and practices. SAFe provides a structured approach to implementing Agile practices while preserving the flexibility and adaptability that are at the core of Agile methodologies.

Features:

• SAFe provides a structured and comprehensive framework that guides organizations through the process of scaling Agile practices. This structure can be beneficial for large organizations that need a clear roadmap for their Agile transformation.
• SAFe has a track record of success in various industries, helping organizations achieve better alignment, faster delivery, and improved product quality.
• SAFe places a strong emphasis on alignment across different levels of the organization, ensuring that everyone is working toward a common mission and vision.

11. Rapid Application Development (RAD)

The Rapid Application Development Model was first proposed by IBM in the 1980s. The RAD model is a type of incremental process model in which there is an extremely short development cycle. When the requirements are fully understood and the component-based construction approach is adopted then the RAD model is used.

Features:

1. The use of reusable components helps to reduce the cycle time of the project.
2. Feedback from the customer is available at the initial stages.
3. Reduced costs as fewer developers are required.

Which Agile Framework is Best?

With so many ways to set up agile methods in your company, you might be unsure which one to pick. There’s no single best way to do agile development that fits everyone. What works for one team might not work for another. Factors like company size, team setup, resources, stakeholder needs, and your product range can all affect your choice. You might need to try out a few different methods to find what suits your team best.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it’s essential to understand that Agile frameworks vary and aren’t one-size-fits-all solutions. They come in various types, each tailored to suit different project needs and team dynamics. Choosing the right Agile framework should be based on factors like project complexity, client requirements, and team practices. While these frameworks share common principles of collaboration and adaptability, they also have their own strengths and weaknesses. The key is to select the framework that best fits your project’s specific context.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Agile Frameworks?

What are the 4 pillars of Agile?

4 Values of Manifesto for Agile Software Development are:

1. Individuals and Interactions over Processes and Tools
2. Working Software over Comprehensive Documentation
3. Customer Collaboration over Contract Negotiation
4. Responding to Change over Following a Plan

What is the Agile methodology?

The Agile methodology is a project management and software development approach that emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, and customer-centricity. It is the latest model used by major companies today like Facebook, google, amazon, etc. 

What is Agile vs Scrum?

Agile is a set of principles that’s iterative and incremental while Scrum is an implementation of the agile methodology.

What is Agile vs waterfall?

The agile model is an incremental delivery process where each incremental delivered part is developed through an iteration after each timebox while The waterfall model is highly structured and systematically steps through requirements gathering, analysis, SRS document preparation, design, coding, and testing in a planned manner. These phases of the Waterfall model follow a sequential order.