Top Agile Delivery Models

Agile delivery models are excellent ways to increase efficiency in project management. Top agile delivery models include Scrum, Kanban, Crystal, DSDM, and Lean. So what are these delivery models and how do they work? Let’s take a closer look!

Scrum

Scrum is the most prevalent of Agile’s various frameworks. Scrum is marked by cycles or phases of development known as sprints, as well as the objective of increasing product development time to deliver a company’s products to its consumers. It was initially conceived for the management of software product development projects, but it may also be used in a project management context. In the Scrum framework, there are 15-minute daily meetings that serve as a coordination mechanism and an effort to discover the optimum approach to schedule the day’s work. The Scrum delivery model is among the well-known delivery models of agile and it is not just because it shares terminologies with rugby. Scrum is widely used because it provides laser-like focus to every team member as they would each want to complete the tasks assigned to them before the sprint ends. Also, the transparency which the daily meetings provide on the sprint’s progress allows for the project to be monitored by each member of the team. This ensures that each member knows where the team is not doing well and why. Ultimately they can look towards responding to that challenge and get on track as quickly and as efficiently as possible. Scrum places emphasis on Product Owner or end-user satisfaction, hence, the watchword for teams that use Scrum is “Quality before Quantity”. This ensures that team members are ultimately concerned about delivering a product that has fewer errors and more benefits. Despite these alluring features though, Scrum is not entirely without certain drawbacks. For one, it is only suitable for use in small teams of 10 persons or smaller. This is because effective and brief communication between team members will be difficult to achieve when there are many people’s tasks to consider. Also, Scrum may not particularly work well in situations where the team members are not in close geographical quarters. Of course, online meetings are all the rave now, particularly in a Covid-ravaged world. However, nothing beats the up-close information that physical meetings can deliver to team members.

Kanban

Kanban is a Japanese word that means signboard or billboard. Little wonder then that cards and boards figure prominently in Kanban. The delivery model finds its roots in the Just-In-Time manufacturing model that was developed by Toyota in the late 1940s. Kanban is a framework that helps optimize the flow of work through a system by managing and limiting the number of tasks in progress at any given time. This method uses visual boards or cards for developing and managing projects. The board is divided into columns to showcase the process flow of the project execution development. This helps the teams to track how far they’ve come in each stage of development and plan for the tasks that will be needed to finish the product “just in time!” The only downside to Kanban is that, unlike Scrum, it does not have specific timeframes. This means that the team may run into delays and other time-related challenges.

Lean Development

At its core, Lean Development is a delivery model that provides a theoretical framework and adheres to principles and good development practices that may be applied to agile methodology. There are seven essential principles:

• Eliminate waste. Delete what does not matter
• Build Quality In. Prioritize usefulness and value in the product.
• Create knowledge. Document properly and retain valuable knowledge
• Differ commitments. Keep your options open.
• Fast delivery. Time waits for no man hence get rid of obstacles quickly.
• Respect the team. Handle conflicts with openness
• Optimize the whole. Get rid of vicious cycles of repairs and deliver quality products

Crystal Methods

The Crystal model is a family agile framework. It is very flexible because it revolves around the personnel involved in a project rather than any specific tools or formula used in it. People over stuff, right? Alistair Cockburn developed the Crystal methods in the mid-nineties after conducting various studies and research into how teams are able to deliver successful projects even without following formal methodologies. Crystal methods place emphasis on people, their interactions, the community they create, the skills they need, and the talents they have. The Crystal family consists of 5 groups of smaller agile development methodologies. These are Crystal Clear, Crystal Yellow, Crystal Orange, Crystal Red, and Crystal Maroon The type of agile method employed is determined by the nature of the project or system. The project’s criticality in specific areas such as comfort (C), essential money (E), discretionary money (D), and life (L), will determine what particular kind of crystal agile methodology is used. Crystal is a lightweight agile methodology based on principles and techniques similar to those used in other Agile approaches. Crystal addresses timely delivery of software, regularity, less administration with high user participation, and consumer satisfaction, much like other Agile methods. The Crystal methods are based on the belief that each system or project demands distinct methodologies, procedures, and regulations in order for the team to work successfully. The main disadvantage of Crystal is that it might be too lightweight for some projects, and may not provide the necessary rigor or controls needed to ensure success.

Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM)

The need for a standard industry framework for rapid product delivery prompted the creation of the Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM). DSDM employs sprints, similar to Scrum and is built on eight key concepts:

• Focus on the business need. Keep your eyes on the ball.
• Deliver on time. Punctuality is the soul of business.
• Collaborate. No man is an island.
• Never compromise quality. Quality is key.
• Build incrementally from firm foundations. A building is only as great as its foundations.
• Develop Iteratively. Little drops of water make an ocean.
• Communicate continuously and clearly. We are stronger when we listen,smarter when we share.
• Demonstrate control. Track and monitor progress.

Conclusion

Agile methodologies have brought about a paradigm shift in project management. All of the top agile models discussed above are simple, flexible frameworks that can be adopted by any organization seeking to improve its efficiency and deliver better results.