🎨Design Strategy and Software Unit 9 – Agile Development in Software Engineering

What's Agile All About?

• Agile is a mindset and approach to software development that prioritizes flexibility, collaboration, and rapid iteration
• Emphasizes delivering working software frequently and adapting to changing requirements throughout the development process
• Values individuals and interactions over processes and tools, recognizing the importance of effective communication and teamwork
• Focuses on customer satisfaction by delivering valuable software early and continuously, incorporating feedback to ensure the product meets user needs
• Promotes sustainable development practices, maintaining a constant pace and avoiding overwork to ensure long-term productivity and quality
• Encourages simplicity, maximizing the amount of work not done by focusing on essential features and avoiding unnecessary complexity
• Relies on self-organizing, cross-functional teams that are empowered to make decisions and adapt to challenges as they arise

The Agile Manifesto Explained

• The Agile Manifesto, created in 2001, outlines the core values and principles of Agile software development
• Values individuals and interactions over processes and tools
  • Prioritizes effective communication, collaboration, and adaptability within the team
  • Recognizes that people are the driving force behind successful software development
• Values working software over comprehensive documentation
  • Emphasizes delivering functional, high-quality software as the primary measure of progress
  • Minimizes time spent on extensive documentation, focusing instead on creating value for users
• Values customer collaboration over contract negotiation
  • Encourages ongoing communication and partnership with customers throughout the development process
  • Prioritizes understanding and meeting customer needs over strict adherence to predefined contracts
• Values responding to change over following a plan
  • Embraces flexibility and adaptability, recognizing that requirements and priorities may evolve over time
  • Encourages teams to adjust their approach based on feedback and changing circumstances
• The Agile Manifesto serves as a guiding philosophy for Agile methodologies, promoting a customer-centric, iterative, and collaborative approach to software development

Scrum: The Most Popular Agile Framework

• Scrum is a widely adopted Agile framework that provides a structure for managing and completing complex projects
• Consists of roles, events, artifacts, and rules that work together to facilitate effective collaboration and delivery
• Roles in Scrum include:
  • Product Owner: Represents stakeholders, defines and prioritizes product backlog items
  • Scrum Master: Facilitates the Scrum process, removes impediments, and ensures adherence to Scrum practices
  • Development Team: Self-organizing, cross-functional group responsible for delivering working software increments
• Scrum events include:
  • Sprint: A time-boxed iteration (usually 2-4 weeks) during which the team works to deliver a potentially releasable product increment
  • Sprint Planning: A meeting where the team collaboratively plans the work for the upcoming Sprint
  • Daily Scrum: A brief daily meeting for the Development Team to synchronize activities and plan for the next 24 hours
  • Sprint Review: A meeting held at the end of each Sprint to demonstrate the completed work and gather feedback
  • Sprint Retrospective: A meeting where the team reflects on the past Sprint and identifies improvements for the next one
• Scrum artifacts include:
  • Product Backlog: A prioritized list of features, requirements, and improvements that evolve throughout the project
  • Sprint Backlog: A subset of Product Backlog items selected for the current Sprint, along with a plan for delivering them
  • Increment: The sum of all Product Backlog items completed during a Sprint, meeting the Definition of Done

Key Roles in Agile Teams

• Product Owner: Responsible for maximizing the value of the product and managing the Product Backlog
  • Defines and prioritizes Product Backlog items based on business value and customer needs
  • Collaborates with stakeholders to gather requirements and feedback
  • Ensures the Development Team understands the Product Backlog items and their priorities
• Scrum Master: Facilitates the Scrum process and helps the team adhere to Agile principles and practices
  • Coaches the team on Scrum, Agile values, and self-organization
  • Removes impediments and protects the team from external distractions
  • Facilitates Scrum events and promotes continuous improvement
• Development Team: A self-organizing, cross-functional group responsible for delivering working software increments
  • Consists of professionals with diverse skills (developers, testers, designers) who collaborate to deliver the product
  • Estimates the effort required for Product Backlog items and determines how to best accomplish the work
  • Accountable for the quality and delivery of the product increment at the end of each Sprint
• Stakeholders: Individuals or groups with an interest in the product, such as customers, users, and business representatives
  • Provide input, requirements, and feedback to guide product development
  • Collaborate with the Product Owner to ensure the product meets their needs and expectations
• Agile teams are typically small (5-9 members) to facilitate effective communication and collaboration
• Roles in Agile teams are focused on delivering value, fostering self-organization, and promoting continuous improvement

Agile Ceremonies and Meetings

• Sprint Planning: A collaborative meeting where the team plans the work for the upcoming Sprint
  • Product Owner presents the prioritized Product Backlog items and their objectives
  • Development Team estimates the effort required and selects items they can complete within the Sprint
  • Team creates a Sprint Goal and a plan for delivering the selected items
• Daily Scrum (Stand-up): A brief daily meeting for the Development Team to synchronize activities and plan for the next 24 hours
  • Each team member answers three questions: What did I do yesterday? What will I do today? Are there any impediments?
  • Facilitates transparency, collaboration, and early identification of issues
  • Timeboxed to 15 minutes and held at the same time and place each day
• Sprint Review: A meeting held at the end of each Sprint to demonstrate the completed work and gather feedback
  • Development Team presents the increment and discusses what was accomplished during the Sprint
  • Stakeholders provide feedback and insights to guide future development
  • Product Owner updates the Product Backlog based on the feedback and discussion
• Sprint Retrospective: A meeting where the team reflects on the past Sprint and identifies improvements for the next one
  • Team discusses what went well, what could be improved, and what actions to take in the next Sprint
  • Facilitates continuous improvement and adaptation of the team's processes and practices
  • Timeboxed to a maximum of 3 hours for a one-month Sprint
• Backlog Refinement (Grooming): An ongoing activity where the Product Owner and Development Team collaborate to refine and clarify Product Backlog items
  • Breaks down large items into smaller, more manageable tasks
  • Adds details, estimates, and acceptance criteria to ensure items are well-understood and actionable
• Agile ceremonies and meetings promote transparency, collaboration, and continuous improvement throughout the development process

User Stories and Backlog Management

• User Stories: A concise, user-centric description of a feature or functionality written from the perspective of an end-user
  • Typically follows the format: "As a [user role], I want [goal/desire] so that [benefit/value]"
  • Focuses on the user's needs and the value they will derive from the feature
  • Serves as a basis for conversations and collaboration between the Product Owner, Development Team, and stakeholders
• Product Backlog: A prioritized list of features, requirements, and improvements that evolve throughout the project
  • Managed and prioritized by the Product Owner based on business value, user needs, and dependencies
  • Items at the top of the backlog are more detailed and well-understood, ready for the Development Team to work on
  • Continuously refined and updated based on feedback, changing requirements, and new insights
• Backlog Refinement (Grooming): The process of adding detail, estimates, and order to Product Backlog items
  • Involves breaking down large items (epics) into smaller, more manageable user stories
  • Adds acceptance criteria to define when a user story is considered complete and meets the user's needs
  • Estimates the relative effort required for each item, often using story points or ideal days
• Sprint Backlog: A subset of Product Backlog items selected for the current Sprint, along with a plan for delivering them
  • Created during Sprint Planning by the Development Team in collaboration with the Product Owner
  • Represents the team's forecast of what they can accomplish during the Sprint
  • Updated throughout the Sprint as more is learned and progress is made
• Definition of Done (DoD): A shared understanding of what it means for a user story or Product Backlog item to be considered complete
  • Includes criteria such as code quality, testing, documentation, and user acceptance
  • Ensures a consistent level of quality and completeness across all delivered items
• Effective backlog management and user story creation are essential for maintaining a clear, prioritized, and actionable plan for Agile teams

Sprints and Iterative Development

• Sprints: Time-boxed iterations (usually 2-4 weeks) during which the Development Team works to deliver a potentially releasable product increment
  • Provides a consistent cadence for planning, development, and delivery
  • Allows the team to focus on a manageable set of work and adapt to feedback and changes
  • Length of the Sprint is fixed and does not change once the Sprint has started
• Sprint Planning: A collaborative meeting where the team plans the work for the upcoming Sprint
  • Product Owner presents the prioritized Product Backlog items and their objectives
  • Development Team estimates the effort required and selects items they can complete within the Sprint
  • Team creates a Sprint Goal and a plan for delivering the selected items
• Sprint Goal: A concise, meaningful objective that guides the team's work during the Sprint
  • Provides a shared understanding of what the team aims to achieve
  • Helps the team focus on delivering a cohesive and valuable increment
• Sprint Backlog: A subset of Product Backlog items selected for the current Sprint, along with a plan for delivering them
  • Represents the team's forecast of what they can accomplish during the Sprint
  • Updated throughout the Sprint as more is learned and progress is made
• Daily Scrum (Stand-up): A brief daily meeting for the Development Team to synchronize activities and plan for the next 24 hours
  • Facilitates transparency, collaboration, and early identification of issues
  • Helps the team stay on track and make necessary adjustments to meet the Sprint Goal
• Sprint Review: A meeting held at the end of each Sprint to demonstrate the completed work and gather feedback
  • Development Team presents the increment and discusses what was accomplished during the Sprint
  • Stakeholders provide feedback and insights to guide future development
• Sprint Retrospective: A meeting where the team reflects on the past Sprint and identifies improvements for the next one
  • Facilitates continuous improvement and adaptation of the team's processes and practices
• Iterative development allows Agile teams to deliver value incrementally, gather feedback, and adapt their approach based on learning and changing requirements

Measuring Progress: Velocity and Burndown Charts

• Velocity: A measure of the average amount of work a team completes during a Sprint, usually expressed in story points or ideal days
  • Calculated by summing the story points or ideal days of fully completed user stories at the end of each Sprint
  • Provides a historical reference for estimating the team's capacity in future Sprints
  • Helps the team and stakeholders understand the team's progress and set realistic expectations
• Story Points: A relative unit of measure used to estimate the effort required to complete a user story or Product Backlog item
  • Estimates are based on factors such as complexity, uncertainty, and effort
  • Common scales include Fibonacci sequence (1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13) or powers of 2 (1, 2, 4, 8, 16)
  • Helps the team abstract from time-based estimates and focus on relative sizing
• Ideal Days: An estimate of the number of days a user story or Product Backlog item would take to complete, assuming no interruptions or distractions
  • Provides a more concrete, time-based estimate compared to story points
  • Helps the team relate estimates to their actual capacity and availability
• Burndown Chart: A visual representation of the work remaining in a Sprint or release over time
  • Shows the total work remaining on the vertical axis and time on the horizontal axis
  • Ideal trend line represents the expected progress if the team completes work at a steady pace
  • Actual progress is plotted daily, showing the team's progress against the ideal trend line
  • Helps the team and stakeholders track progress, identify deviations, and make necessary adjustments
• Burnup Chart: A visual representation of the work completed in a Sprint or release over time
  • Shows the total work completed on the vertical axis and time on the horizontal axis
  • Ideal trend line represents the expected progress if the team completes work at a steady pace
  • Actual progress is plotted daily, showing the team's completed work against the ideal trend line
  • Helps the team and stakeholders track progress, celebrate accomplishments, and forecast future completion
• Measuring progress using velocity and burndown/burnup charts enables Agile teams to track their performance, adapt their plans, and continuously improve their processes