Benefits and Drawbacks of Agile Software Development

This report discusses the benefits and drawbacks of Agile software development, including its speed to market, flexibility, risk management, cost control, and quality. It also compares Agile with other project management methodologies and provides success and failure stories in industry use.

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Executive Summary
Agile can be defined as time-bound iterative approach in the software delivery that helps in
software increment right from beginning of the project. Agile comes up with ability to easily
create and respond to required changes. It can be stated the method of dealing and succeeding in
the uncertain and present environment. Agile software development is considered to be more
than a framework like Scrum, Extreme Programming (XP). Agile software development is
considered to be more than practices like pair programming, test driven, start-up and planning
session. Agile software development can be stated as the development umbrella that comes up
with set of frameworks. It is completely based on values and principles that has 12 principles
behind it. In the coming pages of the report, both benefits and drawbacks of Agile software
development have been discussed in details. Various success and failure stories of industry use
and its application have been provided.

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
History.............................................................................................................................................3
Advantages......................................................................................................................................4
Disadvantages..................................................................................................................................6
Comparison of Project Management Methodology with other Project Methodologies..................7
Comparison between Agile and Waterfall...................................................................................7
Comparison between Agile and Prince2......................................................................................8
Success Adaptation of Agile at British Telecomm..........................................................................9
Failure of Webinar Agile Failure Pattern 2.0................................................................................10
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................10
References......................................................................................................................................12

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Introduction
Agile can be defined as an iterative way in project management and development of
software. It merely helps the team in delivering team the required value to its customers in fast
that has few headaches. In the present era, technology is developing at a much faster rate than
ever (Abrahamsson et al., 2017). It is mainly enforcing various global software based firms so
that they can work in this fast-changing environment. It has now become possible so that they
can collect huge amount of software requirements. In the absence of the requirements, it mainly
becomes very much tough for any of the software model to work. Some of the conventional
software development is needed for rescue (Brhel et al., 2015). It is mainly needed for design for
the proper needs that are changing at a rapid rate. There has been huge amount of increments of
software that is needed for developing some of the best products. Agile mainly breaks down the
given larger project is smaller one, which is known as manageable chunks which are defined as
iterations. At the end of every iteration there is some product that is produced (Silva et al., 2015).
The products that are produced mainly tends to work at the end of every iteration that needs to be
valued. It is mainly needed for gaining proper feedback from various user and stakeholders.
In the coming pages of the report, an idea has provided concerning both benefits and
drawbacks of Agile model. A list of comparison has been made concerning other project
management methodologies. Both success and failure story along with industry use of Agile has
been discussed in brief.
History
It is very much important to understand the fact that Agile is not a methodology but can
be stated as a way that makes use of variety of methodologies (Hoda et al., 2017). Agile

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methodology makes use of organizational model that is completely based on collaboration,
values and lastly people. Agile Manifesto mainly aims to outline the primary need of agile
philosophy. It mainly makes use of rolling wave planning, incremental and rapid response to
change. The model merely focuses on team, stakeholders and lastly customer. Some of the
models of agile methodology is merely inclusive of SCRUM, Test driven development (Matharu
et al., 2015). Due to frustration of application of sequential project management methods in
software development the emergence of Agile has come into picture. In the year 2001, a group of
leading software development from USA is needed for discussion of challenges. This ultimately
leads to creation of Agile Manifesto. The whole software industry aims to provide huge amount
of agility for agility which is needed for new kind of methods (Heikkilä et al., 2015). It merely
has created huge amount of changes resulting in overall impact and production of schedule. In
this model, there is production of small components which are known to be iteration that can be
used for simply and rapid development and testing. All the required kind of modification can be
done with any kind of waiting for the end products. At present, Agile model is being used in
variety of industries apart from software development. It merely comprises of
telecommunication, aerospace and construction that is being blended in the traditional model
(Dingsøyr et al., 2017). It is merely used in some of the linear software methodologies.
Advantages
Agile model comes up with number of advantages like
Speed to present Market: Agile can bring huge number of concept which helps the user
so that understanding the whole in quick way. At every phase of sprint, agile project aims to
deliver some required values (Papadopoulos, 2015). At each of the given point, user can easily
analyse the launch that is needed for delivery and starting up with base by testing.

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Flexibility: Agile model is completely based on accommodation of changes. All the
required software products are at a consistent space of changes (Missiroli, Russo & Ciancarini,
2016). As the given product comes into life, then it can easily bring life to the market. It needs to
react and updating of the product as per the need (Yamato et al., 2015). Agile also understand
the fact that there is some great idea within the given bound for some of the mid-point projects. It
merely locks into a required scope which does not take into consideration the overall advantages
of realization.
Risk Management: There is huge number of incremental release where the given
products are mainly used by both users and stakeholders. It merely helps in looking for issues by
features that are deficit in the early phase of the project (Kupiainen, Mäntylä & Itkonen, 2015). It
comes up with adaptability to make required changes by the help of problem. It is mainly needed
for making changes in the scope that is done by the help of project.
Cost Control: By the help of fixed budget project, agile is not known to be most flexible
concerning the scope (Fontana et al., 2015). Client does want have an understanding concerning
feature that is not being requested or is not necessary. It merely helps in launching on sooner and
pay less concept.
Quality: Agile products on integrating the whole process of testing that is done through
the given process (Ortu et al., 2016). It is all about delivering tested software that is needed for
providing much overall higher quality of products. Minimum is being spent on QAing of the
overall application.
Right product: It merely focuses on the incremental increases which help in testing of the
products in the early stage (Bass, 2016). Even if it is not released to the public, it is not much
easier to have an understanding concerning the flaws. It merely highlights a large number of

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things that need to improve. It is all about making use of actual product which is needed for
playing with the series.
Transparency: Agile model, let the user so that they can feel and make use of project
inconsistent way.
Disadvantages
Agile model comes up with huge number of drawbacks like:
Lack of Understanding: The biggest drawback of Agile development is that majority of
the people does not have any kind of understanding concerning Agile. So, as a result there are
many kinds of unsupported assumption which is completely related to any kind of unsupported
assumption (Anslow & Maurer, 2015). It can be stated as the means which is needed by
development team and various organization. Various organization around aspire to be Agile, but
they do not make any kind of time, money or any kind of effort for educating management.
Flexibility can lead to bad behaviour: Another common kind of issue is that it can easily
lack any kind of formal training and its understanding (Ghobadi & Mathiassen, 2016). It is very
needed for proper kind of flexibility for Agile. It will merely help in lead the team in engaging
which can lead team members to engage the team members in bad kind of behaviour (Hoda,
Salleh & Grundy, 2018). It will merely lead to Agile which can result in dysfunctional of choice
by the team members. In the industry, no kind of product can result in overall success of level
and required tools.
Fitting into the culture: Not every person is completely ready for any kind of changes
that are needed by Agile. It can be stated as the kind of flexibility, uncertainty and reviews that
are regular interval, which can make the Agile approach very much successful (Dingsøyr et al.,
2017). It merely needs a huge amount of change that is seen in the whole organization.

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Lack of Predictability: Concerning fitting of the culture there is a lack of predictability
that is mainly inherited in this Agile approach (Missiroli, Russo & Ciancarini, 2016). It merely
highlights the acceptance of any kind of uncertainty that focus on the given work which is
mandatory in the next stage (Ahimbisibwe, Cavana & Daellenbach, 2015). There has been
uncertainty of efforts which focus on work value responding for making changes in the overall
plan.
Integrating require skill into teams: For being a true agile, it is often to team members
so that they can provide the quality results in the given team. Scrum team needs to be fully cross-
functional that can deliver any kind of end solution given to them (Ghobadi & Mathiassen,
2016). It is considered to be very much important at the design and testing phase.
Comparison of Project Management Methodology with other Project
Methodologies
Comparison between Agile and Waterfall
Agile Waterfall
It mainly aims to separate the project
management lifecycle into required sprints
(Balijepally & Nerur, 2015).
Software development phases are completely
divided into required phases.
It aims to follow up an incremental way of
approach
It is known to be sequential process of design.
It is popular just because of its flexibility
feature.
It is known to be structured software
development methodology which is used in

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most of the cases.
Agile is known to be very much aggregation of
various kind of project.
Software development will be merely
completed in the single project.
Agile aims to produce a mind-set where the
given software product aims to satisfy the need
of the customer (Ahimbisibwe, Cavana &
Daellenbach, 2015). It is merely changing at as
per the demand of the customers.
This particular model aims to provide a mindset
and places that focus on completely
accomplishing the given project.
All the required description concerning project
details can be altered at the phase of SDLC
process.
There is a need for detail description for
implementing the waterfall model (Balijepally
& Nerur, 2015).
In Agile team members are considered to be
very much interchangeable that is they work at
a much faster rate (Taibi et al., 2017).
In waterfall model, the whole process is straight
forward where the project manager tends to
play a key role in implementing SDLC at every
step.
Comparison between Agile and Prince2
Agile Prince2
At present, Agile methodology is mainly used
by organization. It is mainly in use because of
flexibility and capability pivoting (Taibi et al.,
2017). Agile is popularly known to be scrum.
This particular model can be used in any given
Prince2 model mainly focuses on overall
importance, which requires the process to
follow (Al-Zewairi et al., 2017). It is inclusive
of a list of steps that is inclusive of starting
project, initiation and continuity with the

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project. various management process.
Scrum model mainly focuses on the overall
execution of the project (Al-Zewairi et al.,
2017). This particular method requires to work
in close relation the clients. It is all about
understanding the need of client, user and
associated stakeholders (Anwer et al., 2017). It
is mainly done so that there can be better
understanding of the client for all the required
stakeholders.
Prince2 can be considered to best one which is
needed for describing the required plan. It is
mainly done through a list of steps that is one
by one (Heikkilä et al., 2015). Prince2 is
known to be predictive plan that focuses on
plan based approach that focuses on bigger
tools of the project.
Agile can be stated as a continuous process
that requires feedback on regular interval
(Anwer et al., 2017). It is mainly needed for
having constant feedback that is taken from the
client (Papadopoulos, 2015). After that, it is
fed in the system so that they can have much
better products.
In Prince2, the overall roles and responsibility
of management team are defined. It merely
focuses on the quality of the product that is
being produced (Yamato et al., 2015). Prince2
model can be easily altered any given time so
that it can suit any kind given project. It will
ultimately help in maintaining the overall
budget of the project.
Agile methods are mainly used by both
suppliers and team members so that they can
work (Kupiainen, Mäntylä & Itkonen, 2015).
The team is merely inclusive of people who are
not considered to be a part of the project.
Prince2 model is known to be customer
focused that makes use of methodology of
project management (Fontana et al., 2015). It
comes up with set of principles that certain
themes and processes for helping organization.

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Success Adaptation of Agile at British Telecomm
The agile framework used in British Telecomm is Scrum, XP that has ninety days of
delivery cycle. British Telecomm highlights the successful transition of organisation to Agile
model (Ortu et al., 2016). In the year 2004, new CIO comes up with the plan of making changes
in the Waterfall process. This is mainly done as the old model was resulting in huge number of
issues like
 A large number of people are generating needs which have requirement to the highest
priority of attempts (Anslow & Maurer, 2015).
 There were not very much intermediaries in the design phase that result in painful process
of approval (Kupiainen, Mäntylä & Itkonen, 2015).
After the implementation of Agile Model
 Delivery cycle was changed from 12 months’ interval to 90 days’ interval. It now begins
with three-day company range meeting.
 At the end of each cycle, the evaluationwas mainly done against the success markers.
Failure of Webinar Agile Failure Pattern 2.0
First Episode cover lack of vision: The organization are not transparent about its vision
and strategy, so the team members are very hindered from becoming self-organizing.
Second Episode covers question whether agile that is fad or trend: The middle
management, along with team members does have an agile mindset which is needed for
embracing agile mindset.
Third episode aims to cover project, budget and stages: This particular organization
tried to become agile without any kind of switching from project-based value to product based
approach.

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Fourth episode covers lack of failure of culture: Team does not move out of the comfort
zone but instead it played in very safe way (Bass, 2016). It can be considered to be culture of
learning that is going back to again after falling.
Conclusion
The above pages of the report help us in concluding the fact that this report is all about
Agile model. Agile can be defined as the method of managing various projects. It is mainly used
for virtual things which are mainly needed for software development. Agile mainly realizes the
fact that software and marketing based projects are completely inherited unpredictably. In the
last few years, project mainly makes use of certain number of changes. Concerning market or
change in features which changes into action. Agile mainly tends to embrace the whole thing
unpredictable. Under this model, the given project is broken down into small parts that help in
providing priority and dropping new features in the project. The main notion of this model is all
about satisfying the need of the customer, which is done in early and proper delivery of the given
software. The delivery model tends to work from couple of weeks or of months. The most
suitable method is an efficient and effective way of providing information in the development
team that is needed for face to face conversation. Agile process mainly aims to promote suitable
way of development. In this sponsor, developers and user have the ability for maintaining a
constant pace. Agile model is completely based on the concept of accommodation change.
Currently, software projects are changing at rapid rate. Products come into picture due to the
current market trends by which update is done. In the above pages of the report, a discussion has
been carried out on the history of the Agile model. After that, benefits and drawbacks of Agile
model has been describing in brief. A comparison has been done for the project management
with other kind of model.

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