Agile Software Development

Kynetix are one of the UK's leading exponents of Agile development. But what does this mean for business users who need a new system developed?

The reason that Agile development has become popular is that, in comparison to more traditional methods, it promotes far more collaboration between business users and the technical team building the system.

More traditional methods of development (e.g. waterfall) relied on being able to accurately gather all the project requirements up front, documenting those requirements in detail and then getting the business users to sign off on those requirements.

There are a number of flaws to this approach. We have never yet met anybody who has accurately known ALL the requirements for a system up front. In fact, it's usually accepted that users only know 20%-40% of the total requirements in advance.

Another flaw is that new software systems often change the behaviour of users in ways that were previously unpredictable leading to a previously unknown set of new requirements.

The Agile approach to development overcomes these flaws as it relies on close collaboration with users to deliver multiple releases of the software in short bursts. With each release the requirements for the next release are refined based on the feedback from the users.

The benefits that business users get from working in an Agile way include:

• No surprises. Users are involved the whole way through the project, collaborating and contributing to the design of the system as it evolves.
• Frequent deliverables. Getting early access to the software as it evolves enables users to be confident that they are getting the system they need.
• Change is good. Changing requirements is fundamental to the Agile approach. As the system evolves new requirements emerge and these can be catered for as part of the process.
• Less waste & less cost. Using an Agile development process ensures that only the high value business requirements are built for each release. This approach reduces the likelihood that wasted features (i.e. wasted cost) will get built.
• Greater budgetary control. Each deliverable is a budgetary checkpoint. You don't have to wait until the end of the project to find out if you are on target. Also, you can adjust how the remaining budget gets allocated based on the current known position.
• Faster ROI. The Agile approach enables software to be released earlier than with traditional methods. The result of getting the system into production sooner is that the return on investment can be made earlier. The early ROI can also help fund future phases of development.

Our Approach to Agile Software Development

The senior team at Kynetix have been working in Agile environments for over 20 years right from the early days of rapid application development (RAD).

With a background as the world's first certified consultants in Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM) we have extensive experience in using Agile development techniques (including  SCRUM) to get software delivered quickly, on time and on budget.

We choose to use Agile development techniques as we truly believe that this gives our clients the system they  need  in the shortest time possible and for the least cost possible.

We are pragmatic, rather than religious, about how we work on any given project. We adapt our approach to match our clients' requirements and their ability to work in an Agile manner.

We recognise that some clients  are not be able to give us the full commitment to a dedicated SCRUM approach so we adapt our approach to ensure that we deliver software at a speed that clients can handle.

We also recognise that not all parts of a project lend themselves to an Agile approach. For instance, a data migration phase might require a more methodical approach so we plan for this within an overall Agile project.

The core philosophy of Agile is to deliver fast and deliver often. Doing this means that our clients start working with the software at the earliest stage possible which then influences the content of future releases. Each release acts as a checkpoint and ensures that the software evolves in line with the absolute requirements of our client. The result is no wasted features and no wasted cost.

Our services include:

• Application Design & Software Development. We design & build new custom software solutions whether for internal use only or as an internet application hosted on-premise or in the cloud.
• Application Support Contracts. When you'd like a formal support agreement for your new or existing applications.
• Co-Sourcing on Live Projects. Our software development experts work with your teams to deliver business solutions rapidly. An ideal way for your people to gain skills in the latest technologies.
• Application Upsizing.  If an application is failing to scale with the business we can help you migrate it to a suitable platform. What started as a small tactical application may now be mission critical so it needs to be both stable and scalable to meet the growing demand.