The consequence of bending the Agile methodology concepts … to avoid recording your processes.

How many times have you heard someone explain about their work team saying: “this team is working under a 100% Agile framework” as if this feature will ensure the success of the project.

Unfortunately, many people use the Agile methodology apparently with the main goal of not recording their works in "Documentation", using the phone conversation to transmit essential information or using a chat channel where that information will usually be lost in the depths of the internet.

These things take me back to the past when people passed knowledge from generation to generation through the word, but now much more modern, right? Well, a red alarm should turn on when you detect this behavior in your team or project.

As QA professionals we need to know that if something is not registered, unfortunately, it does not exist, and then is when I understand that team needs to be guided, at least, in the concept of "traceability", what it means, and what is its main goal.

Imagine the following scenario, you are buying your things from home, milk, sugar, bread, etc. in the market on different days of the month. And as it is in the real world, you have a fixed amount of money to spend, but you are 100% Agile and you do not need to keep track of your purchases… well, what do you think will happen? Could you estimate how you spend your money on each purchase? and that the money is enough for the whole month? Well, it seems to be Agile with that concept … apparently, it is not a good idea.

“A real experience and some tips”:

At some opportunity, during a team discussion, I heard the phrase "Nothing is written in stone", justifying requesting changes in the middle of the sprint, and of course without recording those changes. And precisely this story alludes to answering with a real example, this question, and exposes the misuse of the Agile concept, bending the concept to some individual objective, without thinking about the good of the team, and the loss of Product Quality.

First, analyze and consider looking for the balance between Productivity, Process with Quality, Product Quality, and the well-being of team members. Don't close your processes trying to implement it only one way, listen to the team's ideas to improve your recording method, otherwise, you will end up thinking in reach the traceability goals turning your process into a bureaucratic process.

Then, could the Agile framework match the Quality Goals?:

Sure, today the managing tools give us many functionalities to register and track the changes in our project smoothly and easily. How do you start to use it?

Well, pointing to the leaders who manage one or more teams, answering the following question will help you to plan an strategy to manage the information using basic concepts as a foundation:

_"Why do my processes need to be traceable?".

_"What kind of documentation do I need to manage in my project?".

_"How documentation will be storage?".

_"I have an easy way to retrieve or find documentation?".

_"I have an easy way to record changes in my project?".

_"How is the better way to communicate the changes?".

Take the time to learn your managing tools, and teach your colleagues the importance and the benefit to implement these concepts.