Agile Software Development: Scrum, Kanban and Co. simple...

Agile [Software development](/services/software development): Scrum, Kanban and Co.

Agile Software development: Scrum, Kanban and Co. simply explained

Flexibility and speed are crucial in the fast-paced world of technology. Rigid, linear development models belong to the past. The future belongs to agile software development. But what is hidden behind Buzzwords like Scrum, Kanban and Sprints? This article demystrates the agile methods and shows how they can help your company develop better software faster.

What is agile software development?

Agile software development is an iterative approach in which requirements and solutions arise through the cooperation of self-organizing, cross-functional teams. Instead of a large "Big Bang" release planned in advance, the software is developed and delivered in small, functional increments. This allows continuous feedback, quick adjustments and high transparency throughout the entire process.

The Agile Manifesto: The four guiding principles

The basis of the agile movement is the "Agile Manifesto" formulated in 2001, which highlights four central values:

• Individuals and interactions more than processes and tools

• ** Functional software** more than comprehensive documentation

• Cooperation with the customer more than contract negotiation

• React on change more than following a plan

Scrum: The structured sprint

Scrum is the most popular agile framework. It structured the development in fixed periods of time, the so-called Sprints, which usually last 1-4 weeks. Each sprint has a defined target and provides a potentially deliverable software increment.

The roles in Scrum

• Product Owner: Represents the interests of the stakeholders and is responsible for the Product Backlog (the Requirement List).

• Scrum Master: Make sure the team complies with the Scrum rules and eliminates obstacles.

• Development team: A self-organized team of developers responsible for implementing the requirements.

The Scrum events

• Sprint Planning: The team plans which tasks will be implemented in the next sprint.

• Daily Scrum: A short daily meeting to discuss progress and identify obstacles.

• Sprint Review: At the end of the sprint, the result is presented to the stakeholders.

• Sprint Retrospective: The team reflects on the past sprint and identifies potential for improvement.

Kanban: The visual workflow

Kanban is another agile method that focuses on visualization of the working flow. With a Kanban board, the entire process is presented transparently from idea to completion. The work is divided into individual tasks (cards) which are divided by different columns