Gartner Research

Agile Development Methodologies

Published: 23 May 2011

ID: G00211991

Analyst(s): Sean Kenefick

Summary

Agile solves many of the problems that beset development groups, but is it the fix for what ails your engineering team? Research Director Sean Kenefick assesses agile development methodologies and explains why embracing them leads to outcomes that are better than those provided by sequential methodologies such as waterfall.

Table Of Contents

Summary of Findings

Analysis

  • Why Agile?
    • The Limits of Waterfall
    • Looking for the Root Cause
    • Field Research Proves Agile Success
    • Quality Is Not the Same as Value
  • Agile Tenets
    • Feedback
    • Discipline, Compromise, and Team Empowerment
    • Collaboration
  • Adopting Agile
    • Starting Small
    • Agile Practices
    • Organizational Impact
  • Adoption Challenges
    • Experimentation and the Dangers of Rationalization
    • Bookending Agile
    • Enabling Collaboration Across Distributed Teams
    • A Semblance of Failure
  • Agile Mythconceptions
  • Strengths
  • Weaknesses
  • Determine if the Organization Is Ready for Agile
  • Take an Agile Approach to Agile Adoption
  • Use Iterations
  • Colocate Feature Teams
  • Ensure Collaborative Ability of Distributed Teams
  • Train the Staff (Including the Business Side)
  • Keep the Product "Demo-Able"

The Details

  • A Comparison Framework
    • Emphasis
  • Extreme Programming
  • Scrum
  • Adaptive Software Development
  • Feature-Driven Development
  • Behavior-Driven Development
  • Lean Development
  • Dynamic Systems Development Method
  • Crystal Framework
  • Essential Unified Process

Recommended Reading

Notes

©2021 Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Gartner is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and its affiliates. This publication may not be reproduced or distributed in any form without Gartner’s prior written permission. It consists of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization, which should not be construed as statements of fact. While the information contained in this publication has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, Gartner disclaims all warranties as to the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of such information. Although Gartner research may address legal and financial issues, Gartner does not provide legal or investment advice and its research should not be construed or used as such. Your access and use of this publication are governed by Gartner’s Usage Policy. Gartner prides itself on its reputation for independence and objectivity. Its research is produced independently by its research organization without input or influence from any third party. For further information, see Guiding Principles on Independence and Objectivity.

Already have a Gartner Account?

Log In

Become a client

Learn how to access this content as a Gartner client.