What is an AGILE Framework?

We hear the term AGILE so often, but when is an organization said to be AGILE?

When software development was in its initial years, the process of development was very complex as well as carried a lot of documentation. This made the software development process very cumbersome. There was an increasing need for an alternative that would make the process much faster and reliable. Software practitioners then developed the AGILE Manifesto whose principles can be found here. When an organization adopts the AGILE framework as its set of values or principles towards software development methodology, it is said to be AGILE.

So what exactly is an AGILE framework?

AGILE Framework is a set of values that have been incorporated in the AGILE Manifesto. The Agile Manifesto is a brief document built on 4 values and 12 principles for agile software development. The Agile Manifesto was published in February 2001 by software practitioners who found the increasing need for an alternative to documentation-driven and heavyweight software development processes.

According to ProductPlan

Agile represents an overarching philosophy for software development, emphasizing the value of iterating quickly and often to satisfy customers. 

AGILE framework basically advocates the use of continual improvement to software development processes. AGILE emphasizes collaboration within the team through continuous planning, evolution, and learning.

The traditional software development cycle has 3 stages -

1) Planning

2) Execution

3) Final Delivery

Various AGILE Frameworks exist. But fundamentally, any AGILE Framework must follow these three stages so that the software is developed in multiple stages. It also makes it easier to identify and resolve bugs later, if any, in the software.

So what are the various AGILE Frameworks available?

One of the most popular AGILE Framework is SCRUM. Scrum is a lightweight Agile framework with broad applicability for managing and controlling iterative and incremental projects of all types.

Another popular framework is KANBAN. Kanban focuses on a visualized workflow where work is broken down into small pieces. By respecting well-defined project limits, following explicit process policies, and measuring and managing flow, Kanban is helpful for identifying bottlenecks and waste. This is best used in projects with specific time constraints.

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