The Core Values in The Agile Manifesto and Why They are Essential to Accomplishing a Project
The Agile Manifesto comprises four core values and twelve complementary principles. One of the four core values places more weight on people and their interaction than on procedures and equipment (Balasubramanian & Ajayan, 2022). The second emphasizes delivering working software more than engaging in tedious documentation, while the third places more value on client engagement than on negotiating contracts with clients (Balasubramanian & Ajayan, 2022). Lastly, the fourth is about the dynamic response to change other than sticking to a rigid plan.
On the other hand, the twelve supporting principles include being open to varying requirements throughout a project and ensuring client satisfaction by prompt and uninterrupted delivery of software (Darrin & Devereux, 2017). They additionally include trusting, supporting and motivating the people involved in a project, contacting clients throughout the project, and frequently delivering working software (Darrin & Devereux, 2017). Fostering in-person interactions, emphasizing working software that measures progress, supporting a consistent pace in software development, and prompt attention to designs and detail are additionally among the twelve principles (Darrin & Devereux, 2017). Lastly, on the list is additionally constant stock-taking to ensure more effectiveness, self-organization, and simplicity (Darrin & Devereux, 2017). Therefore, the Agile Manifesto is detailed with various values and principles, enabling teams to approach their workload schematically, especially software development teams.
Previously, software developing teams would focus mainly on acquiring sophisticated techniques or tools for building software. However, the Agile Manifesto proposes that the people matter the most, although devices and processes are essential. They are the ones who execute such approaches and use such tools; thus, having the right individuals on a software development team is critical for success. Besides, having the most sophisticated tools without the right people does not help. Lastly, interactions among individuals within a team are essential because they allow team members to collaborate, solving any problems arising during projects.
Moreover, in the past, software development teams would take a lot of time making and filing detailed documents before they could embark on the main task, which was developing software. Although detailed documentation is not a bad idea, sometimes the focus is not purely on documents but on the end product – working software. The Agile Manifesto sets in at this point, prioritizing the delivery of working software to clients over spending so much time on documentation. Instead of tedious initial documentation, a company could collect data through client feedback to improve its service.
Besides, contracts have been the centre of focus for quite a long time. A company would formulate contracts with their clients to provide their desired end product details. Therefore, there has often been a distinction between what the client said, what they required, and the actual end product. However, the Agile Manifesto emphasizes constant dialogue and collaboration with clients throughout the software development project. Companies need to build feedback loops with their clients to constantly produce the product each client desires.
Lastly, following a plan makes the process rigid and static, yet nothing remains constant in the world today. According to the Agile Manifesto, client needs, priorities, and desires constantly change. It, therefore, proposes that software teams need to factor in change as they take up projects. Doing so helps a company meet the specific client needs, therefore being preferred by clients. It additionally helps companies consume less time on a particular project because they do not have to repeat projects belonging to unsatisfied clients.
Areas of Improvement in The Agile Manifesto
Concerning the Agile Manifesto placing more weight on people and their interaction than on procedures and equipment, some improvements are needed. While paying more attention to the people rather than tools, it helps if the people are brought together so that they can interact (Reyes, 2018). The agile manifesto tries to address that by suggesting things like team building activities which bring people together. However, the impact of team building activities held once in a while might be short-lived. Thus, assigning duties to teams rather than individual members can improve this core value. Doing so ensures that people come together and collaborate to yield good results. Therefore, the company enjoys proper attention to detail and enhanced performance and building the individual members of the various teams for advanced tasks.
Besides, more improvements are needed regarding the agile manifesto’s core value of emphasizing delivering working software more than engaging in tedious documentation. Though offering working software would benefit customers, how fast such software is provided to clients matters significantly. Therefore, beyond making working software and minimizing documentation, a company could additionally improve the time taken before they deliver. Such additionally applies to the third core value, customer collaboration over contract negotiation. Besides keeping the client close and talking throughout the project, timely and fast delivery is an improvement that needs to be made for better outcomes. These help the company build trust with clients, and they, therefore, can enjoy referrals to other clients and increased sales.
Lastly, regarding dynamic response to change other than sticking to a rigid plan, improvements needed include tracking progress. Though changes occur throughout a project, one needs not to be carried away responding to them until they lose focus of the task. The value that tracking progress adds to the company is that the company will eventually deliver on the task at hand despite the various changes during the project. Generally, for all the four core values, improvements can be made through agile being adopted in the whole organization and not partly. Additionally, leveraging agile in global teams can help them improve their operations and outcome, resulting in healthy companies and satisfied clients.
References
Balasubramanian, S., & Ajayan, S. (2022). A readiness assessment framework for agile government projects. Agile Government, 139–157.
Darrin, M. A., & Devereux, W. S. (2017). The Agile Manifesto, Design Thinking and Systems Engineering. 2017 Annual IEEE International Systems Conference (SysCon).
Reyes, V. (2018). Ethnographic toolkit: Strategic positionality and researchers’ visible and invisible tools in field research. Ethnography, 21(2), 220–240.