Different Agile Methods to Help Lessen Heavy Workload

When it comes to getting things done, the mindset and movement of the worker need to align. However, if the tasks come in big chunks, it can drain the life out of anyone. Projects pile up, with nothing getting done, or if it gets finished, it is full of mistakes. When it happens, it is time to change your gears.

Companies are now employing agile training to upgrade their systems and increase the efficiency of their teams when it comes to project management. Here are some reasons why.

What is the Agile Method?

From the word itself, the agile method is the technique of getting things done as quickly and as correctly as possible. The key is for the company to break the enormous tasks at hand and break them into smaller goals. To achieve these, the company or software developers, in some cases, must divide their people into teams for efficiency and distribute small projects to each one.

Once the goal for each team is clear, they must develop a laser focus and work in increments. It means that they must deliver results regularly. Usually, a cycle takes two to four weeks. Then, once the outcomes are presented, they should undergo a series of tests and gain feedback from test subjects.

Hence, by doing it on a step-by-step basis, developers can see whether they are achieving their goals. In some cases, it is easier to determine where mistakes happen and what needs to change.

What are the Different Types of Agile Methods?

The agile methodology comes from the ‘The Agile Manifesto for Software Development,’ which was curated by 17 software developers. Their aim then was to lessen the heavy load that comes with their job, while ensuring that their products are efficient and useful.

From there, various methodologies stemmed. Some of which are the following:

Lean and Kanban Software Development

The Lean Software Development was developed by Mary and Tom Poppendieck. It adheres to the practices of the Lean Enterprise, and of big companies such as Toyota. This method aims to deliver value to the customer through the ‘Value Stream.’ Its main principles are the following:

• Waste elimination
• Leaning amplification
• Fast delivery
• Late decisions
• Team empowerment
• Integrity building
• Seeing projects as a whole

The Lean Software Development’s practice eliminates ‘waste’ or anything that would disrupt the efficiency and does not give any value to the people.

Then, it focuses on the speed and effectiveness of workflow by relying on fast feedback between the developers and customers, making the latter the primary decision-makers of which products should continue production and which should not. Kanban method, on the other hand, emphasizes continuous product delivery while ensuring team efficiency by not overworking, or not overburdening them.

Extreme Programming (XP)

XP is the most popular, yet most controversial approach of the agile methodologies. It focuses on quick delivery, ensuring that each product is of high quality. At the same time, end-users are very much involved in the development process by continually giving feedback and testing each outcome.

Its process usually goes from the customer, testing each stage and giving them feedback on what needs priority when it comes to alteration and such. Then, the team estimates, plans, and delivers these changes, which again, get tested by the end-users.

There are still a whole lot of other methods out there. And they emphasize the importance of agile training because the agile technique is not only a big chunk of a topic. Instead, it is composed of smaller values and principles which make up each methodology and should be handled with care to succeed.