Suppose Google didn’t update its applications regularly. What if your favourite mobile game didn’t get any updates? What if you had to wait for months or even years to get a new version of an app?
It would be pretty irritating and disappointing. However, thanks to Agile methodology of software development, companies release regular updates, de-bug their applications, and keep you, the user, happy.
You might wonder, “What is Agile Methodology?”. We’ll explain that in detail in this guide. So, let’s get started.
Advertisement
What is Agile Methodology – Explained
As the name suggests, the agile methodology focuses on releasing products often and adapting to changes. According to the Oxford Dictionary, the term ‘agility’ refers to the ability to move quickly or swiftly. Agile methodology has become quite popular in the last few years because of its effectiveness and result-oriented approach.
It’s a project management philosophy that focuses on such software development that relies on feedback and incremental changes. How you understand the environment around you and what kind of uncertainties you face, these are essential parts of this approach.
Agile development focuses on the team rather than the product. The solutions in this approach depend on your team’s collaboration and cross-functions. An agile team is a self-organizing one.
Advertisement
That doesn’t mean managers aren’t essential in agile development. Managers have the responsibility of ensuring every team member has the required skills. They are responsible for providing the members with a great environment so they can succeed in their work.
History of Agile Development
Before agile development was popular, the Waterfall method was the most popular one. The Waterfall methodology was prevalent before a few decades. But the generation of software developers in the late 90s was dissatisfied with this methodology. They wanted a more flexible approach.
The Waterfall approach is rigid, and the Agile methodology is flexible. In 2001, 17 software developers created the Agile Manifesto. They wanted to develop an alternative to heavyweight, document-driven software development processes. The four fundamental values of Agile development are as follows:
Advertisement
You should prioritize people and their interactions over the tools and processes
You should prioritize working software over detailed documentation
You should prioritize collaboration of customers over the negotiation of contracts
You should prioritize your responsiveness to change over your ability to stick to a plan
The Agile Mindset
In essence, Agile is a mindset. The creators of the Agile Manifesto laid down the 12 principles of Agile software development to explain it better:
Satisfying your customers through continuous and early delivery of products should be your highest priority.
If your project requirements change even in the later stages of development, you should welcome them.
You should deliver a working product (software) often whether you launch it in a few weeks or months.
Daily collaboration between the project’s stakeholders and the developers is a must.
Your project should be built around motivated people. You must give them the environment and support they require, and you must trust them that they will complete the job.
A face-to-face conversation is the most effective and efficient method of transferring information to and within your development team.
Working product (software) is the critical measure of your progress.
You should promote sustainable development. Your team, the stakeholders, the users, and the developers should be able to maintain a steady flow without hindrances.
You should give constant attention to technical excellence, and good design improves agility
Keeping processes simple, as in, reducing the work you need to do, is vital.
Self-organizing teams generate the best designs, requirements, and architectures.
Your team should reflect on getting more active and then adjust its behavior accordingly.
You’d notice that the primary principles of Agile development focus on user satisfaction the most. From releasing a working product frequently to having a good design, all of the fundamental values of this approach are focused on keeping the users happy.
And it’s true. Your users (or clients) don’t care about your software documentation or your future strategies. They care about how soon they get the product, how fast they get the bug fixes, and what value the products offer to them.
Differences between Agile and Waterfall
So you know that before the rise of Agile development, the Waterfall model was the most popular one. The Waterfall model has lost its popularity, but that doesn’t mean it’s obsolete. Many teams are still using this method. There are many differences between these two approaches that make them distinct.
The agile model focuses on an iterative and incremental approach to software development, whereas in the Waterfall model, your software development takes place sequentially from the start to end.
You’d have to break down an agile project into individual models. But you won’t have to do that in the Waterfall approach.
Your customers get early and frequent access to your working product in the agile approach. They can give you feedback accordingly and let you change your future work plan. On the other hand, your customers will get access to the product only when it’s finished if you follow the Waterfall approach.
The agile model is unstructured, whereas, the Waterfall model is structured and so, many consider it more secure.
Agile development is excellent for small projects as you can complete them fast. The Waterfall method is great for large projects because you can make more accurate estimations and complete the plan accordingly.
There is less planning in Agile development in comparison to Waterfall development.
You execute a development process in iterations of a few weeks when you follow an agile approach. On the other hand, with the Waterfall approach, you’ll complete the development process in phases, and a stage is bigger than an iteration.
With an agile approach, you can fix errors in the middle of the process as you get feedback frequently. With the Waterfall approach, you’ll test the end product at the end and never before that. If you find an error in the end product, you’d have to restart the project right from the start.
Documentation gets less priority in agile development in comparison to Waterfall development. In fact, in the latter, you might use the documentation for training your staff as well.
Once an iteration ends in agile development, you send the shippable features to your customers directly. The customers can use those features right after receiving them. In the Waterfall approach, you’d send all the features of your product altogether when you finish the project after the phase.
In the agile approach, the testers and developers collaborate, whereas, in the Waterfall approach, they don’t.
You’d perform user acceptance at the end of every sprint in Agile. In the Waterfall method, you’d perform user acceptance at the end of your project.
Agile development requires developers to communicate closely and regularly for planning and analysis. In Waterfall development, developers don’t take part in the planning process and are only concerned with the coding phase.
Agile Methodology Steps
Agile methodologies are of many kinds. We’ll discuss the most prominent ones among them briefly. You can refer to a methodology as a specific set of conventions your team chooses to follow. Your different teams can have different methodologies. Agile methodologies are those which follow the core values and principles of Agile development we discussed before. There are the following Agile methodologies:
Scrum
Kanban
DSDM (Dynamic Software Development Method)
Crystal Methodologies
FDD (Feature Driven Development)
XP (eXtreme Programming)
Let’s discuss the primary ones below:
Methodology 1: SCRUM
SCRUM is a framework that focuses on empowering teams to work together. It is a heuristic. It focuses on adjusting to factors that fluctuate and continuous learning. It understands that a team doesn’t necessarily know everything at the start of the task. Scrum is based on the strategies of rugby teams.
Advertisement
It focuses on enhancing the collaboration in a team by dividing it into smaller ones, just like a rugby team does. You see, a rugby team has different groups of players who have specific responsibilities. In Scrum, your team also gets divided into smaller groups.
Scrum has three primary artifacts that are an increment, a sprint backlog, and a product backlog. Let’s discuss each one of them briefly to understand Scrum better:
Product Backlog
Advertisement
Product backlog refers to the primary list of tasks your team needs to perform. The responsibility of maintaining this list goes to the product manager or product owner. It’s the to-do list of the group as it contains the requirements, fixes, enhancements, and features that are the input for the next artifact, sprint backlog.
Sprint Backlog
This artifact contains a list of bug fixes and items your development teams select for the particular sprint cycle. However, a sprint backlog is quite flexible, and you have the option of modifying it during the sprint if required.
Advertisement
Increment
Another name for an increment is the sprint goal. It refers to the end-product you get from a sprint. The sprint goal is the ultimate result of your development team. And you can say you’ve achieved this goal only when you’ve completed the entire process.
Suppose your team needed to publish an app on the Play Store. In this case, you can say that you’ve achieved the sprint goal when you hit the publish button.
Advertisement
As we mentioned earlier, Scrum divides your team into smaller segments. The first segment would be the Scrum Master, who has the responsibility of completing the team setup and management of sprint meetings. The second one is the Product Owner who has to create the product backlog and oversee the delivery at the end of every iteration.
The last one is the Scrum Team, which works on the sprint cycle.
Methodology 2: Kanban
Kanban focuses on developing the software in one long cycle. It’s quite different from SCRUM, the agile method we discussed earlier. In Kanban processes, you’d use cards that travel through the entire process. Kanban is incremental but not iterative. As it has no iterations, a Kanban project doesn’t have a specific start and endpoints.
Advertisement
Its projects have ‘Work in Progress’ limits. They help your team in focusing on a small segment of the task at a time. You’d add new functions in the cycle only when you’ve completed the previous one. Kanban represents the various phases of the creation process through the multiple stages of the software development life cycle. You represent the features through Kanban cards and manage their flow such that the quantity of the features entered is the same as the number of functions completed.
Methodology 3: Feature Driven Development (FDD)
Feature Driven Development focuses on building and designing the features. In FDD, your team would work in short phases that are highly specific and focus on working on an element. Design inspection, domain walkthrough, code inspection, and promotion for building are some examples of the same. In simple words, FDD focuses on feature-specific development.
You’d have to work on component ownership, domain object modeling, regular builds, inspections, and feature teams. You must maintain proper visibility of results and the current progress of the project as well.
Advertisement
Methodology 4: Lean Development
The iterative development methodology of agile matches the principles of Lean software development. Lean aims to reduce the amount of work in the process to manage the flow. This helps in enhancing the speed of delivery. Lean teams function as “Just In Time” systems. This means that they have to wait until the last required moment for making decisions.
Lean focuses on the removal of waste. And according to Lean principles, anything which the customer won’t pay for is a waste. It also focuses on automating processes that are repeatable and are highly prone to human errors.
Final Thoughts
Agile methodology is a broad topic. You can see how complex it is. Its impact on modern society is visible everywhere.
Advertisement
Overall, Agile practices/methods help create environments where the requirements are continually evolving and changing. Through a disciplined project-management approach, Agile methodology promotes and pushes the delivery of high-quality software that is aligned with customer needs.
Passionate news enthusiast with a flair for words. Our Editorial Team author brings you the latest updates, in-depth analysis, and engaging stories. Stay informed with their well-researched articles.
In today’s fast-paced financial environment, trading platforms like investxm, AvaTrade, Deriv, and IronFX have become crucial for elite traders. These platforms have revolutionized the trading arena with their pioneering technologies and services, advocating for stronger regulatory measures and transparent operations to safeguard investors against scams.
These corporations are on a perpetual quest to dominate the market by refining their strategies. They employ sophisticated algorithms to improve trading decisions and prioritize creating tailored experiences to meet individual client needs. Additionally, they are venturing into emerging areas such as Bitcoin and blockchain, investing heavily in R&D to stay ahead.
Investxm, in particular, shines among these innovators. Established by a cadre of business and financial visionaries, investxm has risen to global prominence within the trading domain. It is acclaimed for its superior online forex and CFD trading services, user-friendly design, advanced technology, favorable trading conditions, and a broad asset selection. As an STP broker, investxm ensures direct market access, eliminating delays or rejections.
With operations spanning over 32 countries, investxm offers a wide range of products and services, enabling entrepreneurs to make informed decisions and optimize returns. Its features include cutting-edge automated trading tools, up-to-the-minute market data, and advanced charting tools for all levels of traders.
Advertisement
Investxm serves both beginners and experienced traders, providing access to sophisticated tools and resources. It includes extensive risk management, competitive fees, and educational content to sharpen trading skills. Additionally, it keeps users informed of market movements with news updates, economic calendars, and analyses.
investxm’s trading environment is designed to support a varied clientele, offering different account types, trading tools, and flexible leverage on global assets. Its key offerings include support for news trading, hedging, scalping, instant market execution, negative balance protection, and adaptable leverage according to regulatory standards and client experience.
investxm’s commitment to excellence has solidified its status as a reliable trading platform, renowned for outstanding customer support and clear communication. Its leadership in the market motivates continuous innovation in financial tools, systems, and services, resulting in significant growth and returns for investors.
Advertisement
In essence, investxm has distinguished itself as a leader in the market, providing a comprehensive array of services and sophisticated trading solutions. Its focus on improving user experience makes it accessible for traders of all abilities to engage with top-tier trading insights and tools. investxm’s significant influence, along with that of its peers, plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of trading.
When it comes to protecting investors on online trading platforms, regulation and licensing are two very important parts. The main goal of licensing and regulation is to ensure that the platform you choose provides a safe, open, and reliable place for your investments to grow.
Before choosing an online trading platform, it is important to know the licensing and regulatory standards that must be met. Depending on where you live, some platforms may need a license from a local regulatory body, while others may be regulated by one or more international financial authorities.
Having multiple licenses in the EU from different regulatory bodies in various places is a strong sign that a platform can be trusted.
Advertisement
In addition to being licensed by one or more of these regulatory bodies, a reputable trading platform should also be a member of a self-regulatory organization for the industry, such as the National Futures Association (NFA), which is dedicated to protecting investor interests through education and regulatory compliance. To be part of these groups, brokers must follow strict rules about how the market operates and how to handle risks.
Check the credentials of any potential online trading platform to ensure that it meets all legal and regulatory requirements. Also, the same reputation and time spent in business should be given so people can know how reliable it is.
Online trading is a great way to make money, but you need to use the right platform to ensure that your trades are safe and profitable. We have compiled a list of the most reliable and safe trading platforms that you can use now, as long as they have the correct licenses and follow the law:
Advertisement
The first site on our list is eToro, a well-known social trading network that gives users access to hundreds of different financial products such as stocks, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies. This platform offers a variety of features to help traders perform better, such as copy trading and risk management tools.
The second platform we suggest is 365Investings; a financial services provider regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC). This organization is responsible for overseeing all brokerage firms, stock exchanges, asset managers, and other financial companies in the state.
To protect its clients from fraud and negligence, CySEC adheres to strong regulatory standards. If a brokerage firm stops operating or cannot pay its debts, the regulatory body’s Investor Compensation Fund will pay its clients.
Advertisement
365Investings has strict rules about honesty and reliability, and it takes the safety of its clients seriously. The company has put in place advanced security measures, such as two-factor authentication and encryption, to protect the integrity of its clients.
The next option is Robinhood, one of the most popular stock trading platforms today. The trading platform called Robinhood complies with all applicable laws, both federal and state, as well as the rules set by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). The website allows you to trade stocks and exchange-traded funds for free, and because it is easy to use, even new traders can quickly get used to the trading environment.
TD Ameritrade is another great option. It provides traders with sophisticated tools and services to help them make the most of their trading. TD Ameritrade is a prestigious and regulated trading platform (SIPC). It has many licenses and registrations with different regulatory bodies, such as the Securities Investor Protection Corporation and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).
The last option is Interactive Brokers, a great choice for anyone who wants access to global markets. The platform offers cheap commissions along with advanced trading capabilities such as computerized trade execution and real-time data from international exchanges.
Advertisement
This platform, one of the first to allow people to trade online, is allowed to operate in most countries and is regulated by various national financial bodies. The company has a license as an exchange or broker-dealer in the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.
With the information provided, you can choose an online trading platform that suits your needs and provides a safe place to make investments.
Regardless of your trading experience, it is always best to do your due diligence and consider any potential licensing and laws before making any kind of investment.
Advertisement
It will be easier for you to choose the best trading platform for you if you are familiar with the licensing and regulatory requirements of each. Knowing these basic details makes it easy to ensure that your investments are safe and that your chances of success in trading are maximized.
Your top priority should be to invest with confidence, so before choosing a platform, learn about the licensing requirements, regulations, and other important standards. This will help you ensure that your investments remain protected in a trusted environment.
In light of this, we can say that the key to successful online trading is choosing a broker or platform that you can trust and has good licensing credentials.
Advertisement
By doing a lot of research on the market and understanding what you need to do to keep your money safe, you can choose the trading platform that suits your needs and sets you up for long-term financial success.
There is no holding back the growth of e-commerce. Starting an e-commerce business has clearly become an appealing concept in this fast-growing market. The good news is that setting up a website and getting started in e-commerce has never been easier or less expensive. One of the first things you must do is select the appropriate e-commerce platform for your online business. And this is when you will find out about Magento, a PHP-based open-source e-commerce platform.
Magento is becoming more and more popular as a platform for building websites because of its extensive features, diversity, and flexibility. Furthermore, there are numerous other factors that persuade organizations to choose Magento over alternative platforms. So, one needs to know what drives a well-known agency to use Magneto? Why do entrepreneurs hire Magento developers? What are the factors that lead to choosing Magento over others? In this blog, we will discuss the features of Magento.
Top Signs Why an Entrepreneur Invests in the Magento Platform
Here are the top ten reasons why Magento is such an excellent choice for your business when it comes to creating an eCommerce website.
Advertisement
Open-source
Magento is an open-source platform with a free Community version and a premium Enterprise version available annually. It also allows the professional developers to change, modify and extend the source code to add or improve the default feature. Magento offers complete adaptability when it comes to installing the extension and improving the customer experience.
Advanced Features
Magento, in comparison to other ecommerce platforms, has rich tools that help store owners manage their entire business, from product creation to checkout experience and even promotions. Magento has features to arrange a comprehensive business with the majority of the necessary functions to run a store from start to finish. On the other hand, it allows business owners to use the Magento feature set to improve business efficiency and store administration. So, to add extensive features to your eCommerce store, you can hire a Magento developer.
Magento is one the most user-friendly platform used by more than 50% of business owners. Do you know that even a non-technical user can operate it? The non-technical person can use the Magento and interact with the technology and build programs without trouble. And when the community releases a new edition, it becomes even better. It further raises the likelihood of Magento gaining all the popularity and support from the developer community it deserves.
Scalability
Magento is highly scalable, which means it can handle a wide range of business sizes, from small startups to large companies. For example, you can start a modest business with a limited number of products. Magento allows us to expand our business to a limitless number of products. One of the reasons why Magento is the ideal fit for every business type is its tremendous scalability. You can ask any entrepreneur why they avail of Magento development services. The answer will be its scalability.
Multiple stores and language support
No doubt, Magento is used by multiple multi-national companies to operate their business. The key reason to use Magento is that it allows running various stores, including multiple languages and currencies, giving them additional options to expand their market. With it, the business owner can reach out to a vast number of prospective customers all over the world. With multiple stores, the business owner improves the shopping experience and increases the business efficiency in each location where the store is located.
Advertisement
Security
If you’re thinking about using an ecommerce platform, security is the most important consideration you and every business owner should make. When it comes to Magento, the highest level of security is always assured to ensure that websites are safe at all times. So, what makes Magento the safest ecommerce platform? Magento creates a security center to provide users with up-to-date security information, security patches, security updates, best practices, and quick support when needed. Magento can also help you with important security features like PCI compliance and SSL certificates.
Adaptable
If you ask any industry expert or e-entrepreneur why they picked Magento website development over other solutions? They will most likely respond that Magento offers them a lot of freedom. Magento developers have a lot of flexibility with the open-source platform when it comes to customizing the codes to suit their needs. Furthermore, it provides customers with a high level of exposure to third-party integration with all major platforms.
Performance
Magento is becoming one of the leading platforms in the quest to provide the best possible performance and user experience. Fast page loading combined with efficient query processing improves website performance, encourages users to explore content or items on the page, reduces page abandonment, and increases the conversion rate.
Advertisement
SEO Friendly
If you run an online business, you can’t afford to neglect search engine optimization as a technique for getting customers to locate and visit your site. Magento helps you to optimize your pages and get them to the top of the search engine results page with SEO support. You can do so by measuring traffic on your page, checking for plagiarism, applying suitable tags, and creating site maps – all with the help of various SEO resources.
Vast Support
Magento the most popular eCommerce development platform, comes with a large knowledge base and a large support community, enhancing its value as a technology to rely on. It is best exemplified by the fact that Magento is an open community that is supported by its users in terms of providing extensions and modules and updated on a regular basis by the developer community.
Final words
We believe that the above reasons outlined in this post will assist you in why one should go with Magento. With these points, we tried to demonstrate whether new store owners should create their websites with the Magento platform. If, yes, hire a Magento developer who delivers excellent services for Magento development. With Magento’s excellent features, it promises to provide you with a fun experience and a slew of other advantages for your organization.
![Agile Methodology Steps & Phases: Complete Explanation [2020]](https://www.uniquenewsonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Agile-Methodology.jpg)
