Agile Methodology Frameworks and Models

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So you’ve heard all the hype around agile methodologies and you’re wondering if it’s really worth your time to learn and implement?

We’re here to tell you that it is absolutely worth it!

When it comes to agile methodology, the right framework and models can help you make better decisions, increase productivity and improve communication within your team.

But it can be tough to know where to start as there are a number of different frameworks and models to choose from.

We are going to help you understand the basics as well as the differences between some of the frameworks and what might be best suited to your business.

Before continuing, if you need to brush up on the basics of what agile is, you can read our agile 101 guide ‘What is agile?’.

What is Agile methodology?

Agile methodology is the framework or model that you operate under, which has an emphasis on speed, flexibility and collaboration.

This methodology is crucial for your team to ensure they can respond quickly to changes in the market or user feedback.

Each Agile methodology has its own set of unique elements. However all Agile frameworks will incorporate the core values of agile listed below:

Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working software (or products) over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan

The origin of agile methodologies

In 2001, a number of 17 software developers came together and wrote the agile manifesto outlining values and principles for agile software development. This was a response to the slow and ineffective waterfall approach used for software project management. .

These 4 values and 12 principles in the agile manifesto have a focus on collaboration and communication, are goal-oriented and flexible making it easier to adapt to change.

Originally for software development, this agile manifesto was the beginning of the agile frameworks and models used today in a range of industries.

Twenty-one years later, what is valued and the principles still hold true. However, they have also evolved and gained more clarity to allow many organisations to successfully apply them to their environments within their software and in all parts of their business, product and service development. Agile can be adopted in any part of a business operating model including customer service delivery, human resources, marketing and finance.

The origin of agile methodologies

There are three key elements of agile methodology that are essential for teams to be successful. They are:

Collaboration

Team members need to be able to work collaboratively together.

This means being able to share information easily and efficiently, as well as working towards a common goal. Within different frameworks are a number of communication tools for most effective collaboration.

Constant focus on business value

It is important to have a constant focus on what business value the team is delivering. This means keeping the big picture in mind and ensuring that all tasks and actions moving the project forward.

Adequate quality

An agile team should also have a constant focus on what business value the team is delivering. This means keeping the big picture in mind and ensuring that all tasks and actions moving the project forward.

Agile frameworks comparison

The reason you would choose an agile framework over waterfall development becomes more apparent the more value you achieve.

Including :

Your employees are more motivated to produce their best work, AND motivated to stay with your company.
Your customers and stakeholders are seeing working results more regularly as you implement test and learn strategies.
You are delivering to the market faster, and maximising profits.

There are a number of agile frameworks and models that you can use, depending on your specific needs, with the main ones outlined below. We should note here that not all solutions are equal. Meaning at ADAPTOVATE we will assess the unique situation with each client, and may use a combination of many frameworks – depending on the need. Ultimately we will always look to instil within a client an ‘agile mindset’ – which is required for any of the below frameworks and models to successfully work.

Scrum

The scrum framework is time-boxed, meaning that tasks are allocated a specific amount of time in which they must be completed.

It is divided into three roles:

The product owner is responsible for the product vision and ensuring that the team understands and meets the user’s needs. They work with the scrum master to prioritise tasks and ensure that the team has everything they need to be productive.

The scrum master is responsible for ensuring that the team follows the agile methodology and is productive and working effectively. They work with the product owner to prioritise tasks and remove roadblocks for the team.

The team, or development team, is then responsible for delivering on the product vision, and consists of developers, testers, and other stakeholders who are necessary to complete the project.

With these clearly defined roles, everyone is able to feel more in control of their work and enjoy working in a team.

In the scrum framework, sprint cycles are the time-boxed periods of time in which specific tasks must be completed. Typically, a sprint cycle is two to four weeks long. During a sprint cycle, the team meets daily to update each other on their progress, and to plan out the next day’s work. At the end of the sprint cycle, the team presents their work to the product owner.

Kanban

Kanban is a method of project management where agile teams use Kanban boards. This framework can be used in any industry, and can be customised to meet your specific needs.

Kanban boards

Kanban boards are a visual way to track work progress and ensure that tasks are completed in a timely manner.

The kanban board consists of three columns: To Do, In Progress, and Completed. Tasks are added to the To-Do column, and then moved to the In Progress column when they are started. The Completed column is self-explanatory – tasks are moved here when they are finished.

These boards ensure increased productivity, one of the key agile principles, as tasks can be easily tracked and completed in a timely manner.

Scaled agile framework (SAFe)

This agile framework allows for the scaling of agile practices across multiple teams with existing agile frameworks. This specifically addresses the difficulty of collaboration and communication which are two things that are often lacking in larger organisations. It is a freely available and copyrighted framework by Scaled Agile.

Like other frameworks, SAFe can be adapted to meet your specific needs, and is used in any industry – not just software development!

Benefits of this framework include increased productivity, faster turnaround times, ease of implementing changes, and an emphasis on collaboration and communication in a larger organisation.

Lean portfolio management

A key feature of SAFe is lean portfolio management which is based on the lean philosophy, focusing on maximising customer value while minimising waste. The primary goal with this is to deliver the minimum number of features possible while providing value to the customer and constantly learning and evolving.

Crystal Clear

Crystal Clear is a methodology for agile development in the software industry that is based on the Scrum framework.

This is a lightweight, simple, and easy-to-use framework that helps teams work together effectively to deliver software that meets the user’s needs.

It does this by breaking down the agile process into simple steps that can be easily understood and followed.

Extreme programming (XP)

XP is another of the software development methodologies that emphasises collaboration and communication.

It has similar principles to a scrum team, but is more specific for agile software development projects. These are projects that are completed in a shorter amount of time with frequent changes.

One of the main goals of XP is to ensure that the customer is always happy with the product and is able to provide feedback throughout the development process.

There is a continuous delivery of features, meaning that new features are delivered frequently and quickly.

Further, the team works together closely and communicates frequently to ensure that everyone is on the same page.

Feature Driven Development (FDD)

FDD is a software development approach that was created to help agile teams focus on the features of the product, and not on the individual tasks.

In FDD, all features are documented and tracked in a big “Features” list. The idea is that as developers are working on the product, they can pull from this list to know what features they should be working on next.

While this holds similar advantages to other agile frameworks such as increased productivity, FDD does require thorough documentation, so it may not be suitable for all businesses.

It is best suited for businesses that have a clear understanding of their product and what features they need.

Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM)

DSDM is a project management and product delivery method that is used by large organisations. It follows disciplined processes for a strong governance foundation.

DSDM is based on the concept of iterative and incremental development, which means that projects are broken down into smaller increments and are delivered in stages. This allows for constant feedback from the customer and allows for changes to be made quickly and easily.

One of the key benefits of using DSDM is that it enables businesses to respond quickly to changes in the market.

As technology evolves and new products enter the market, businesses need to be able to adapt quickly to changes in order to stay competitive.

Agile decision-making framework

Agile principles can also be applied to your decision-making.

It’s easy to get caught up in all of the information that we have access to these days, which makes it hard for us to make a quick decision.

We need more time and information before making a final call on something.

To address this, the agile decision-making framework consists of three main concepts:

Efficient decisions:

Use sound judgement and keep business goals in mind.

Respond to change:

Make decisions in response to changes in the market or user feedback. This helps to ensure that the team is always moving forward and meeting or exceeding expectations.

Iterative and incremental development:

Break development down into smaller increments and work on it in cycles. This allows for constant feedback and reduces the chance of large uncertainty.

This helps teams make better decisions by considering their options carefully without being bogged down by too much data or too many opinions from others.

The agile assessment framework

An agile assessment framework is a tool you can use to measure how agile your team or organisation is.

It consists of four steps:

Planning and initiation,
Assessment
Improvement
Closure

The framework can be used to assess all aspects of agile methodology, from the team’s ability to work collaboratively to the overall effectiveness of the process.

The results of the assessment can be used to make improvements to the agile methodology and ensure that it’s meeting the needs of the organisation.

Agile assessment framework tips

The effectiveness of the agile assessment framework is dependent on the level of detail that goes into completing the four steps listed above.

Some tips for an effective agile assessment framework include:

Use multiple assessment methods, such as interviews, surveys, and focus groups
Collect data from multiple sources, including team members, stakeholders, and customers
Use the data to identify areas of strength and weakness in agile methodology
Make changes to the agile methodology based on the findings of the assessment

If you want to conduct a maturity assessment or need help in identifying the right agile framework for your business.

Contact ADAPTOVATE today

The right agile methodology for you

A number of agile methodology frameworks and models exist to help you meet the needs of your business.

To choose the right agile framework it will depend on your business needs and size.

To make sure your agile methods are successful, develop a thorough assessment plan so that you can collect accurate data from all relevant parties involved in the process and use this information to create actionable steps based on what has worked well and what hasn’t been working as well within.

Careful assessment of your business maturity and ambitions will help us determine which agile framework is the right one for your organisation.

ADAPTOVATE conduct maturity assessments to identify how mature a team or organisation is on their agile journey. It provides a baseline understanding of maturity, prioritised recommendations for improvements to increase maturity backed up by finding.

3 key enablers that may impact the speed of delivery in a business are clear prioritisation so teams have clarity and can focus on what matters and will deliver value, autonomy and collaboration, with product owners setting out the ‘what’ and self-organising teams can figure out the ‘how’.