I-Agile — The Intelligent-Agile Methodology

IDEAMATICS, Inc. through its numerous software development efforts, has historically based its software development approach on proven engineering principles to deliver integrated, web-based, enterprise process improvement.  Over the years, software development has evolved and IDEAMATICS’ methodologies have become increasingly efficient using the I-Agile™ methodology.  This evolution in methodologies can be summarized:

  • Waterfall approach – development is a step-by-step process with delivery at the “end of the line.”
  • Wagile – both Waterfall and Agile; moving either toward or away from Agile; usually smaller waterfall efforts sequentially strung together.
  • I-Agile™ – Intelligent-Agile is the hybrid approach that permanently moves away from Wagile, toward Agile while maintaining requisite governance and documentary components.
  • Pure Agile – methodologies where the development is completely iterative, incremental, and evolutionary; Agile development is THE framework.

So, why or how does Intelligent-Agile Methodology work for successful software development?
The I-Agile™ approach maximizes three major Agile framework focus areas to ensure faster times to delivery while meeting the customer’s needs and giving empowered teams the tools and support they need to succeed:

  • Empowered Teams: Create scrum teams, with empowered product owners, infused with outstanding scrum masters, developers, testers, and stakeholders communicating and working together effectively. The Product Owner is the empowered central point of product leadership and defines “done.”  The Scrum Master removes the roadblocks and maintains the communications across the team. With an interdisciplinary team empowered such as this, dedicated to the product, they thrive and succeed.
  • Maximize use of tools: Although The Manifesto for Agile Software Development (http://agilemanifesto.org/) clearly states, “Individuals and interactions over processes and tools,” there is need for effective use of development, testing, and deployment tools to ensure more efficiency that allows the team to produce a solution.  Collaborative tools are especially important in maintaining not only communication but also development velocity.
  • Be agile, not just Agile: Agile is framework but should not be so rigid a process that it cannot be flexible. Each project, each release, and each integration must have a process that fits the solution: agility or Agile-ness.

Sound hybrid Agile methodologies are the key to successful software development.  IDEAMATICS’ proven I-Agile™ approach shows that efficiency and flexibility can be achieved by focusing on important traits in the Agile framework while preserving essential controls for management and customer.

IDEAMATICS has successfully implemented the I-Agile™ methodology for large scale projects for Government agencies.  Future blogs will present greater details on this unique approach.

So, why or how does Intelligent-Agile Methodology work for successful software development?
The I-Agile™ approach maximizes three major Agile framework focus areas to ensure faster times to delivery while meeting the customer’s needs and giving empowered teams the tools and support they need to succeed:

  • Empowered Teams: Create scrum teams, with empowered product owners, infused with outstanding scrum masters, developers, testers, and stakeholders communicating and working together effectively. The Product Owner is the empowered central point of product leadership and defines “done.”  The Scrum Master removes the roadblocks and maintains the communications across the team. With an interdisciplinary team empowered such as this, dedicated to the product, they thrive and succeed.
  • Maximize use of tools: Although The Manifesto for Agile Software Development (http://agilemanifesto.org/) clearly states, “Individuals and interactions over processes and tools,” there is need for effective use of development, testing, and deployment tools to ensure more efficiency that allows the team to produce a solution.  Collaborative tools are especially important in maintaining not only communication but also development velocity.
  • Be agile, not just Agile: Agile is framework but should not be so rigid a process that it cannot be flexible. Each project, each release, and each integration must have a process that fits the solution: agility or Agile-ness.

Sound hybrid Agile methodologies are the key to successful software development.  IDEAMATICS’ proven I-Agile™ approach shows that efficiency and flexibility can be achieved by focusing on important traits in the Agile framework while preserving essential controls for management and customer.
IDEAMATICS has successfully implemented the I-Agile™ methodology for large scale projects for Government agencies.  Future blogs will present greater details on this unique approach.

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