To discover what agile methodologies are, it is important to know that the management of large volumes of data requires solutions that allow to renew work methods and to face the innovations that appear. The main requirement is to streamline the development of projects, so that they can adapt to the needs of a constantly changing market.
According to Deloitte, agile methodologies marked a milestone in the history of software development. Along with them, companies underwent a revolution through which they were able to respond to the market at a speed they had never done before and with a low error rate. Agile methodology was the first step to reach the point where the business world is now, but what is it and how did it come about? What are its main advantages? How does it differ from the scrum method?
What are agile methodologies and how did they emerge?
In the world of big data, it is important to know what agile methodologies are: they are a working method that allows companies to adapt to each project depending on its circumstances and the volume of data involved. In this way, flexibility and speed are achieved to respond to the individual requirements of each of them and to adapt to any change for an immediate solution, with the aim of developing quality products and services that meet the needs of customers in a market that is changing at an ever-increasing speed.
what are agile methodologies?
Experts say that agile methodologies go beyond the development of a planning with technological implications; it is a philosophy that involves a different way of working and organizing. Each project is divided into small parts that have to be completed and delivered in a short period of time. Afterwards, the work teams that are part of this methodology hold daily meetings in which each member has to explain three aspects: what tasks they have completed, which ones they are going to continue with, and if there are any, point out the impediments that have not allowed them to move forward. These sessions -called 'dailys'- serve to improve teamwork, orient themselves about the work situation of each member and raise awareness about how to collaborate to keep the project moving forward.
How did agile methodology enter the working world?
Before discovering agile methodologies, the execution of a new project followed a linear process that took an average of one or two years to complete. Moreover, since it took so much time and involved a data technology that had nothing to do with the current one, there was a great risk of not adapting to the client's final demand. When this happened, they opted for emergency solutions or even to start again from scratch, which meant a greater waste of time.
For this reason, the agile method was born together with the big data industry, when companies began to demand a work system that improved the traditional way, since it greatly delayed the delivery of the final product or service. And so it was that, in 2001, the CEOs of the main software companies met in Utah -the technology headquarters- to create the 'Agile Manifesto', a model in which the result is planned, created, checked and improved.
The advantages of managing projects with agile methodologies
The main benefit for anyone who knows what agile methodologies are and applies them in their projects is that they encourage teamwork, i.e., all participants contribute their grain of sand during the process. At the same time, teams are divided into a reduced number of members with a diversity of roles. In this way, along with faster deliveries, the product is exactly what the market is demanding at the moment it is being demanded.
Although teamwork is one of the main benefits obtained from project management with agile methodologies, there are also many others:
Once we have identified what agile methodologies are, it is easy to define scrum, since it is one of the many frameworks that can arise within this project management method. In this case, scrum has a set of rules defined to help solve the work based on agile methodology principles. There are also other frameworks, such as Kanban or Extreme Programming, although this is the most widely used.
In this sense, to define the scrum framework it is necessary to idealize which estimation approach is preferred by agile methodologies, since it is the most basic method and most representative of their classic philosophy. Therefore, the very definition of the agile method defines the scrum framework, where the project is divided into small parts that have to be completed and delivered in short timeframes, called sprints. In this way, if any modifications have to be made, changes are only made to the part involved and in a very short time. The fundamental basis of this technique is the reviews or meetings, as they embody the transparency of the process and encourage communication for greater efficiency.
Like agile methodologies, the scrum method also divides the work into small parts that must be completed and delivered in short periods of time called 'sprints'. In this way, in the event that any modification needs to be made, it will only have to be done in the part involved in a quick manner. The fundamental basis of this technique is the reviews and/or meetings in which the transparency of the process is embodied and communication is encouraged for greater efficiency.
what are agile methodologies
While it is true that all agile methodologies are composed of a team, in the scrum methodology specific roles can be differentiated for each member of the group. On the one hand, there is the employee who takes on the role of the customer or product owner: on the other hand, another worker who is responsible for performing the role of the Scrum Master, and finally, there are the members of the development team.
In short, agile methodologies are an answer to work with a high volume of data that is already being integrated in virtually all industries, such as the financial sector, one of the pioneers in implementing big data management techniques in banking.
According to Deloitte, agile methodologies marked a milestone in the history of software development. Along with them, companies underwent a revolution through which they were able to respond to the market at a speed they had never done before and with a low error rate. Agile methodology was the first step to reach the point where the business world is now, but what is it and how did it come about? What are its main advantages? How does it differ from the scrum method?
What are agile methodologies and how did they emerge?
In the world of big data, it is important to know what agile methodologies are: they are a working method that allows companies to adapt to each project depending on its circumstances and the volume of data involved. In this way, flexibility and speed are achieved to respond to the individual requirements of each of them and to adapt to any change for an immediate solution, with the aim of developing quality products and services that meet the needs of customers in a market that is changing at an ever-increasing speed.
what are agile methodologies?
Experts say that agile methodologies go beyond the development of a planning with technological implications; it is a philosophy that involves a different way of working and organizing. Each project is divided into small parts that have to be completed and delivered in a short period of time. Afterwards, the work teams that are part of this methodology hold daily meetings in which each member has to explain three aspects: what tasks they have completed, which ones they are going to continue with, and if there are any, point out the impediments that have not allowed them to move forward. These sessions -called 'dailys'- serve to improve teamwork, orient themselves about the work situation of each member and raise awareness about how to collaborate to keep the project moving forward.
How did agile methodology enter the working world?
Before discovering agile methodologies, the execution of a new project followed a linear process that took an average of one or two years to complete. Moreover, since it took so much time and involved a data technology that had nothing to do with the current one, there was a great risk of not adapting to the client's final demand. When this happened, they opted for emergency solutions or even to start again from scratch, which meant a greater waste of time.
For this reason, the agile method was born together with the big data industry, when companies began to demand a work system that improved the traditional way, since it greatly delayed the delivery of the final product or service. And so it was that, in 2001, the CEOs of the main software companies met in Utah -the technology headquarters- to create the 'Agile Manifesto', a model in which the result is planned, created, checked and improved.
The advantages of managing projects with agile methodologies
The main benefit for anyone who knows what agile methodologies are and applies them in their projects is that they encourage teamwork, i.e., all participants contribute their grain of sand during the process. At the same time, teams are divided into a reduced number of members with a diversity of roles. In this way, along with faster deliveries, the product is exactly what the market is demanding at the moment it is being demanded.
Although teamwork is one of the main benefits obtained from project management with agile methodologies, there are also many others:
- Improves project quality. Minimizes errors due to the speed with which market needs are understood before a change occurs.
- Requires greater commitment. Generates team awareness, improving the quality of relationships among workers.
- Increases the speed of response. Projects are completed sooner and decision making is facilitated, minimizing the margin of error.
- Increases productivity. The assignment of tasks to each employee increases efficiency, improving production according to the company's priorities.
- Eliminates unnecessary elements of the product/service. The data provides information on the functionalities that provide real value.
- It is more cost-effective. By delivering projects in short periods of time, you get capacity to serve more customers.
Once we have identified what agile methodologies are, it is easy to define scrum, since it is one of the many frameworks that can arise within this project management method. In this case, scrum has a set of rules defined to help solve the work based on agile methodology principles. There are also other frameworks, such as Kanban or Extreme Programming, although this is the most widely used.
In this sense, to define the scrum framework it is necessary to idealize which estimation approach is preferred by agile methodologies, since it is the most basic method and most representative of their classic philosophy. Therefore, the very definition of the agile method defines the scrum framework, where the project is divided into small parts that have to be completed and delivered in short timeframes, called sprints. In this way, if any modifications have to be made, changes are only made to the part involved and in a very short time. The fundamental basis of this technique is the reviews or meetings, as they embody the transparency of the process and encourage communication for greater efficiency.
Like agile methodologies, the scrum method also divides the work into small parts that must be completed and delivered in short periods of time called 'sprints'. In this way, in the event that any modification needs to be made, it will only have to be done in the part involved in a quick manner. The fundamental basis of this technique is the reviews and/or meetings in which the transparency of the process is embodied and communication is encouraged for greater efficiency.
what are agile methodologies
While it is true that all agile methodologies are composed of a team, in the scrum methodology specific roles can be differentiated for each member of the group. On the one hand, there is the employee who takes on the role of the customer or product owner: on the other hand, another worker who is responsible for performing the role of the Scrum Master, and finally, there are the members of the development team.
In short, agile methodologies are an answer to work with a high volume of data that is already being integrated in virtually all industries, such as the financial sector, one of the pioneers in implementing big data management techniques in banking.