Do you know the difference between agile principles and agile methods? Here you will find out which agile methodology and techniques are available and what is meant by “agile approach.”
Kent Beck and other experienced software developers published the so-called Agile Manifesto. They formulated – based on their extensive experience in handling software projects – several ideas, principles, and values that should lead to a better approach to software development. For example, they committed to a new prioritization of values and thus created the foundation for agile project management:
- In the future, software development should focus more on individuals and their interactions than on processes and tools.
- Working software should be more important than comprehensive documentation.
- Cooperation with the customer should play a bigger role than negotiating a contract.
- Responding to change should be more important than following a plan.
What Are Agile Methods?
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Gradually, various techniques have emerged to put the manifesto’s rather abstract values and principles into practice. These include, for example, “Task Boards,” “Daily Standup Meetings,” and “User Stories,” to name just a few. From this, in turn, the so-called agile methods have developed. These methods have been finding their way into software development for many years, especially under the terms “Unified Process,” “Extreme Programming,” and “Scrum.”
In the meantime, the agile concepts are naturally also being transferred to projects outside of software development – which is feasible in most cases, if not always easy.
Why Use Agile Methods?
Agile project management responds to the increasing speed with which projects have to be completed and the recognition that in many projects, deviations from the plan are more the rule than the exception. The latter applies in particular where the requirements for the product (the project result) are not completely clear at the beginning of the project.
With conventional project management, a change in the requirement almost inevitably leads to higher costs or longer project duration. With agile project management, such changes are accepted from the start. This helps keep costs down and on schedule.
Agile Methods vs Agile Techniques
Understanding agile project management is easier if you differentiate between agile values, principles, techniques, and agile methods.
- Agile values form the foundation.
- Agile principles are based on agile values and form principles of action.
- Agile techniques are concrete procedures for implementing agile principles.
- Agile methods give agile techniques an overall structure towards project management.
Agile methods are therefore pre-structuring on the level of process models. Here principles and techniques are combined into a coherent process. In general, these methods have to be adapted to a greater or lesser extent for each project and project environment.
Agile Methods In Software Development
In the structure of agile project management, the agile methods from the top level. Such a method aims to manage projects in a certain way, based on agile techniques, principles, and values. The use of an agile method ensures that your project management gets a sustainable agile basic structure. You can, of course, adapt the method to your specific project needs. To do this, however, you must have understood them exactly so that the adjustments are conclusive, i.e., the method’s purpose comes into play.
Many methods have been developed in the area of agile project management, although almost all of them are tailored to software development. The following list names a few important ones. The higher up a method is in the table, the more widespread and well-known it is in practice in software development:
- Scrum
- Unified Process
- Extreme programming
- FDD
- WHEEL
- Agile Enterprise
- AMDD
- DSDM
- EVO
Agile Methods In HR
The topic of agility and agile methods affects HR in a variety of ways. On the one hand, HR management plays a crucial role in developing the entire company to build team into an agile organization and enabling employees and managers to work with agile methods. On the other hand, HR can use agile methodologies in its projects and transfer agile methods to classic personnel instruments.