Agile Methods Overview

Abstract

S o f t w a r E P u b l i s h e d b y t h e I E E E C o m p u t e r S o c i e t y 0 74 0-74 5 9 / 0 9 / $ 2 6. 0 0 © 2 0 0 9 I E E E voice of evidence E d i t o r : F o r r e s t S h u l l n F r a u n h o f e r C e n t e r f o r E x p e r i m e n t a l S o f t w a r e E n g i n e e r i n g , M a r y l a n d n f s h u l l @ f cm d. u m d. e d u A gile software development has had a huge impact on how software is developed worldwide. A 2005 survey of the US and Europe, for example, revealed that 14 percent of companies were using agile methods , and 49 percent of the companies aware of agile methods were interested in adopting them. 1 We can view agile methods such as Extreme Programming (XP) and Scrum as a reaction to plan-based or traditional methods, which emphasize a "rationalized, engineering-based approach," 2 incorporating extensive planning, codified processes, and rigorous reuse. 3 In contrast, agile methods address the challenge of an unpredictable world, emphasizing the value competent people and their relationships bring to software development. 4 Table 1 summarizes these differences. To clarify the effectiveness of agile methods, we reviewed the agile development literature and conducted a systematic study of what we know empirically about its benefits and limitations.