Moving to agile software development might be uncertain for businesses that employ traditional approaches like a waterfall. Agile approaches can inspire panic in those responsible for enacting and securing process changes, despite the fact that their inherent cadence and iterative nature make them well-suited for the management of a wide variety of hazards known to software development.
Agile does not necessarily follow the procedures of traditional risk management (such as risk logs, assessments, or audits), but it does offer a number of risk management strategies. The remainder of this paper examines in greater detail how an agile environment might address the aforementioned software development concerns.
In this two-part series, we are looking at the potential software development risks and how they can be countered with concepts from agile development. And so, we have seen the following risks in the lost blog:
Budget risk
Personnel risk
Now, let’s find out how agile development comes into place for the remaining risks in software development.
Knowledge risk
Knowledge risk occurs when there are information silos or when information flow is inefficient. Relearning necessitates additional work, time, and resources.
Answer
Squad-based development. Co-located teams of 10 to 12 people known as squads plan together, share information, write code reviews, and work collaboratively on a specific project from start to finish. They have a defined maximum capacity and an open flow of knowledge, which reduces knowledge silos.
Personnel risk
The potential loss or absence of project team members is known as personnel risk. Personnel risk can result in delays, mistakes, and miscommunication even over a short time.
Answer
Squad-based development. We just saw for the knowledge risk how squads can help with the knowledge risk. Now, since there is teamwork, the tasks will still run smoothly even if someone leaves or is absent as there will be knowledge sharing as well.
Productivity risk
Long-term initiatives often have productivity risk, particularly when the deadlines and objectives are long-term. Deliverables lack urgency and immediateness in this atmosphere.
Answer
Sprints- the iterative development processes. Within the allotted time, sprints produce a product demo version (usually, every two weeks). They give product teams actionable goals and objectives and a sense of urgency and recent accomplishment. By breaking the work up into smaller, more manageable tasks, sprints help prevent complacency and sustain project momentum.
Time risk
In the software development industry, product delays are all too prevalent. Time risk frequently results from inadequate planning, arbitrary deadlines, and the inability to adjust to shifting product requirements.
Answer
Time risk can result from restrictive development methods, scope creep, gold-plating, the “perfection complex,” inadequate capacity planning, and scope creep. The best way to handle frequent time risk sources is with a repeatable, adaptable process.
Risk management doesn’t have to require the formal meetings and documentation found in conventional development environments in an agile context. Instead, scrum roles, sprints, and events include risk management.
In an agile setting, a project’s risk decreases as it moves forward. Make sure your process promotes flexibility to effectively manage the risks associated with agile software development. A flexible process encourages quick and frequent delivery, has controls for change management, and aids team members in quickly adapting to shifting product needs.
By putting the aforementioned principles into practice—sprints, squad-based development, and rolling wave planning—teams are better equipped to manage time and expectations, reduce product delays, and do away with major failure.