Every project we work on is extremely important to our clients and to us. We take our time to truly understand the problem and create comprehensive software that meets or exceeds al of our client’s expectations. The method we use for this process is called Agile Development.

Essentially, Agile Development breaks up the project into smaller pieces. Imagine runners in a relay passing the baton to the next person. Each handoff is the start of a new “sprint” (a time period of a month or two weeks). Agile Development keeps the development team and the client team in sync.

The Discovery Process and Development

We go through the discovery process to know what pieces to break up the project into. The first step in our discovery process is to gather requirements and analyze the problem. We make extensive notes, document all conversations and record everything in a backlog.

As we continue to meet and go through the process, the client dives into deeper explanations and the business reasons behind each piece. The details become clearer.

Then, we begin the software design, development, testing and implementation. We break up the project into smaller pieces and run them through the lifecycle, which helps clients control their budget and allows us to produce a usable project. We let the end-user define the top priority before each sprint.

Every time we complete a sprint, we go through that backlog and work with the client to determine the highest priority for the next sprint. For each task as ask what needs to be done? Why does it need to be done? Who specified that it be done? And what impact will it have on the project?

The Twelve Principles of Agile Software Development

  1. Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.
  2. Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer’s competitive advantage.
  3. Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale.
  4. Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.
  5. Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.
  6. The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.
  7. Working software is the primary measure of progress.
  8. Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.
  9. Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.
  10. Simplicity–the art of maximizing the amount of work not done–is essential.
  11. The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.
  12. At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.

It’s all about uncovering better ways to develop software. It’s so important to our industry, that a manifesto was developed for Agile Development:

  • Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
  • Working software over comprehensive documentation
  • Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
  • Responding to change over following a plan

While there is value in each item listed second under each bullet, we value the items listed first more.

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