Agile Methodologies for Software Development: A Case Study of Australian Fashion Design Software

This report analyzes the effectiveness of agile methodologies for software development through a case study of Australian Fashion Design software. It covers four agile methodologies: extreme programming, scrum, agile unified process, and rational unified process. The report describes the steps of development, advantages, and disadvantages of each methodology. The recommendation is given on which methodology is the best for the development of AFD software.

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Name
Institution
System Analysis
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Introduction.................................................................................................................................................4
Extreme programming.................................................................................................................................5
Operations...............................................................................................................................................5
Writing of codes..................................................................................................................................5
Code testing.........................................................................................................................................5
User involvement................................................................................................................................5
Advantages of XP.....................................................................................................................................6
Disadvantages of XP................................................................................................................................6
Scrum..........................................................................................................................................................6
Levels of sprint development..................................................................................................................6
Planning of the sprint..........................................................................................................................6
Daily scrums.........................................................................................................................................7
Review of the sprint.............................................................................................................................7
Reflection of sprints.............................................................................................................................7
Advantages of scrum...............................................................................................................................7
Disadvantages.........................................................................................................................................7
Agile Unified process...................................................................................................................................7
Advantages of AUP..................................................................................................................................7
Disadvantages of AUP..............................................................................................................................8
Rational Unified Process..............................................................................................................................8
Advantages of RUP..................................................................................................................................8
Disadvantages of RUP..............................................................................................................................8
Recommendation........................................................................................................................................9
References.................................................................................................................................................10
Appendix...................................................................................................................................................11
Memo....................................................................................................................................................11
User Centered Design........................................................................................................................11
Human Computer Interaction............................................................................................................12
Recommendation..............................................................................................................................13
Australian Fashion Design software event table....................................................................................13
Domain model class diagram.....................................................................................................................15
Design class diagram.................................................................................................................................15
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Use case diagram.......................................................................................................................................16
Use case description Takes Order..............................................................................................................16
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Introduction
This report comes as a feedback to the AFD management who had heard of the agile and
iterative methodologies for software development and wanted to know how effective it would be
to develop their AFD software using the agile methodologies. The report covers four agile
methodologies of software development; extreme programming, scrum, unified process and
model driven engineering. The four methodologies are well exploited describing their steps of
development, advantages and disadvantages. After the analysis of the four methodologies there is
a recommendation on what methodology is the best for the development of AFD software.
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Extreme programming methodology
Extreme programming is an iterative agile software development methodology with small
releases as the software development continues. The iterative nature and small releases of the
software as development is on -going will allow the Australian Fashion Design software to
accommodate the entire dynamic the user requirements and the functional and non-functional
requirements of the system.
Extreme programming involves four levels of operation four values and twelve practices. The
four operations are coding, testing, listening and designing. The values are communication,
feedback, simplicity and respect.
Operations
Writing of codes. This is where the programmers involved; implement the program by writing it
in a chosen language. Actual development of the program is done here. Errors encountered by a
programmer during programming can be debugged and solved in this level through sharing of
ideas and coding progress with other programmers as a team.
Code testing. This is where the code implemented in the chosen language is evaluated against
the user, functional and non-functional requirement score card to find out whether the program
conforms to or satisfies all the requirements of the Australian Fashion Design software. Testing
is divided into two levels unit testing and acceptance testing. Unit testing deals with the
evaluation and analysis of the various modules present in the Australian Fashion Design
software. Each module is evaluated against its user, functional and non-functional requirements,
if the module does not satisfy the set requirements the module is revisited to add the
requirements that were left out before implementing the next module. Acceptance testing is the
evaluation and analysis of the Australian Fashion Design software as a whole. It evaluates all the
modules against the user requirements score-card.
User involvement. The team of programmers involved in the coding of the Australian Fashion
Design software involves the users in every release of the software they make. This ensures that
all the user requirements are catered or taken into consideration during coding. The programmers
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also give the feedback to the users by releasing a program that has exploited all the user
requirements that were mentioned earlier.
Advantages of XP
Simplicity. This is where the implementation of the AFD software is realized by starting the
development from the simple structures, modules and units of the system. This ensures that all
the requirement specification for the system is achieved.
Timely and instant feedback. The feedback the programmers give the users in every release is
vey essential in the realization of the user requirements for the AFD.
Disadvantages of XP
It requires skill and experience to implement. To acquire people with the skills to implement a
system using the XP methodology might be quite expensive.
It is not the best option for a team of programmers geographically separated.
Scrum
Scrum is an agile framework that is usually used by a team of three to nine programmers to
develop a system . It is implemented in iterations known as sprints and the frequent daily scrums
which are meetings to track and trace the progress of development of a system.
The basic unit of development for the scrum methodology is the sprint. Development starts with
a sprint which is allocated a given period of time. In the case of the AFD software the Customer
Relationship could be a sprint.
Levels of sprint development.
Planning of the sprint. This is done at the beginning of every sprint. The development team
meets to set plans and objectives for the selected sprint. For the AFD software, the customer
relationship business process would be a sprint. The duration the sprint will take the requirement
specification for the customer relationship business process and the objectives of the sprint once
the sprint duration elapses are spelt out here.
Daily scrums. These are daily meeting to identify and evaluate the progress of the sprints.
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Review of the sprint. This is where the team of developers evaluates the completed units and
the incomplete. They provide demo software to the stakeholders and plan the way forward for
the incomplete modules.
Reflection of sprints. This is the stage where the team of developers reflects on the previously
developed sprints and fined ways to continuously improve them.
Advantages of scrum
Compatibility. Scrum can be combined with other methodologies to improve the software
development quality.
Timely and constant feedback. After every sprint review the team of developers provides a
demonstration of how the Australian Fashion Design software is working. This is done
frequently during development.
Disadvantages.
It is not a suitable agile methodology for a team of programmers separated geographically.
Dependencies. Dividing the AFD software into sprints may sometimes require other software
like the vendor-off shelf for a sprint which leads to slow development and failure to deliver.
Agile Unified process.
Agile unified process is a less complex version of rational unified process which brings in the
use of unit testing and the new feature, refactoring and refinement of the database.
Advantages of AUP.
Portability. Agile unified process is not dependent on any tool or hardware; it therefore can be
used to develop a system using any tool or hardware.
It is simple to implement. It does not require complex coding and pages of documentation.
Disadvantages of AUP.
It is not suitable for complex software that is an integration of many software or processes.
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Rational Unified Process .
RUP is a more complex unified process compared to AUP that involves four phases of
development(Börger,2012). The four phases are inception, elaboration, construction and
transition. All these phases involve requirement specification, design, testing and
implementation.
Inception is where the requirements for the AFD software are set. Elaboration is where the
requirements for AFD software are evaluated and designs to implement them are made.
Construction is where coding is done and transition is where deployment or implementation is
done
Advantages of RUP
Rational Unified Process with accurate documenting is a stand- alone methodology.
Less duration of development(Huang,2008).. This is due to the code reuse feature of RUP.
Availability of learning materials for rational unified process makes it efficient.
Disadvantages of RUP
Brings about confusion to the development team due to the complex. Integration of modules and
business processes.
It requires skilled persons for it to be implemented.
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Recommendation
Compared to the other three agile software development extreme programming is the best
approach to developing the Australian Fashion Design software. Extreme programming offers
the development of every business process module development; it tests every unit before
moving on to developing the next module or unit. It also provides proper and timey feedback in
every release. Before the totally implementing the AFD software and start maintenance all the
modules are tested using the second level testing, acceptance testing. The two levels of testing
ensure the development of effective and efficient AFD software that has accommodated all the
requirements specified for the AFD software.
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References
Börger, E. and Stärk, R., 2012. Abstract state machines: a method for high-level system design and
analysis. Springer Science & Business Media.
Huang, Y., Fu, T.Z., Chiu, D.M., Lui, J. and Huang, C., 2008. Challenges, design and analysis of a large-
scale p2p-vod system. ACM SIGCOMM computer communication review, 38(4), pp.375-388.
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Appendix
Memo
User Centered Design
User centered design is a frame-work that entirely focuses on the user-friendliness of the system.
It majors on making a software as usable as possible by a user by identifying, expounding and
implementing user environment, the characteristics of a user and the operations to be carried out
by a user on the system. The design is user involving where the users are kept in the loop
throughout the development process, with the development team or programmer implementing
all the user requirements the users specify.
Principles of User Centered Design
User Centered Design majors on comprehending the traits and the environment of the user.
The design process is recursive to accommodate all the user requirements.
User Centered Design addresses all the user interactions with the software. This is to incorporate
all the user experiences with the software.
The development team should contain experts from different areas of specialization.
Implications of user centered Design
The principle of user-friendliness emphasized by User Centered Design will enable more
customers of the Australian Fashion Design to be able to use the Australian Fashion Design
software easily and efficiently. This will impact greatly on the customer relationship
management system where more records of customers will be encountered.
The efficiency of the customer relationship management will increase. This is because customers
are able to use the customer relationship module more easily and with comprehension of the
activities they are undertaking.
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The development team involved in the development of the Australian Fashion Design software is
experts in different areas of specialization. This ensures that the customer relationship
management module and the software as a whole integrates all the non-functional requirements a
good software should depict.
Customer intimacy level. The customer intimacy observed in the customer relationship
management system will have increased. The easier the usability the more the customers become
intimate and close to the Australian Fashion Design.
The involvement of the user’s principle during development of the Australian Fashion Design
will enhance the accommodation of all the user requirements, functional and non-functional
requirements. This principle ensures that the Australian Fashion Design software is complete and
caters for most if not all the user requirements.
Human Computer Interaction.
It is a design methodology which tries to identify and expound the avenues in which a user and
the computer interact. This methodology tends to design a software so as to enhance the
efficiency of the avenues and ways in which users or people interact with the computer. For
instance for the customer relationship management module, HCI tries to evaluate and implement
different efficient ways in which the user can interact with the customer relationship
management like through biometric systems, through integration of internet of things, through
Google voices and other means.
Principles of Human Computer Interaction
Operation theory. This is where the avenues or ways which a user and a computer interact are
examined to find an effective and efficient way of enhancing communication.
User centered design is a frame-work that entirely focuses on the user-friendliness of the system.
It majors on making a software as usable as possible by a user by identifying, expounding and
implementing user environment, the characteristics of a user and the operations to be carried out
by a user on the system. The design is user involving where the users are kept in the loop
throughout the development process, with the development team or programmer implementing
all the user requirements the users specify.
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UI design principles. HCI also utilizes the user interface design principles that make users.
Uses a design sensitive to values. This principle keeps a record of all the users involved either
passively or actively with the software.
Recommendation
HCI is the best way to design the Australian Fashion Design customer relationship management
module and the software as a whole. This is because of the better principles HCI has over UCD.
HCI has UCD as a feature in its implementation. This shows that HCI is better because it
accommodates the User Centered Design. It has all the features of user centered design.
Customer intimacy increase between the user and the Australian Fashion Design software, user-
friendliness and effective and efficient operation of the customer relationship management and
the software as a whole.
User interface modeling. HCI combines all the features of user interface that makes the
interaction between the user and the Australian Fashion Design more effective and efficient.
The design sensitivity for values utilized by HCI promotes customer relationship management where all
the records of customers, the products they bought and how frequent they do shop from the Australian
Fashion Design.
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Australian Fashion Design software event table
Event Event
Type
Trigger Source Activity/
use case
System Response/Output Destinatio
n
Custome
r clicks
on the
apply
button
External
event
Applicatio
n request
Custome
r
Apply for
customer
membershi
p
display
successfulness/unsuccessfulne
ss
of the application
Customer
AFD
software
saves
Custome
r details
State
event
Applicatio
n approval
Custome
r
Record
customer
details
Display success message Manager
Time to
produce
sales
report
Temporar
y
“last day
of the
month”
Produce
monthly
sales report
Monthly sales report Manager
Custome
r clicks
on the
save
potential
customer
details
External
event
Save
potential
customer
details
value
Custome
r
Save
potential
customer
details
Display success or
unsuccessful message
Customer
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Custome
r clicks
on the
order
button
External
event
Order
request
Custome
r
Take order Records order
Displays success or
unsuccessful message
Customer
Domain model class diagram
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Design class diagram
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Use case diagram
Use case description Takes Order
Use case Take Order
Actor Action System response
Customer Prompts the system for order
platform
Provides make order platform
Selects the fashions for order checks whether the fashions
ordered are in stock
If they are in stock it saves the
orders and displays a success
message for the order.
If they are not in stock, it
displays the “not in stock
message”
Gets feedback from the system
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