Updated June 7, 2023

Introduction to Agile Lifecycle

The Agile Development cycle or agile lifecycle is the methodology for implementing agile software development project management. The Agile Software Development Cycle, also known as the Iterative or Incremental Software Development Life Cycle, is characterized by continuous learning from iterations as software development progresses. Agile methodology is a method of implementing a set of planning and management techniques based on the iterative and incremental execution of tasks as per the project requirement. Agile practices concentrate on teamwork by allowing teams to work on a project and make modifications and changes during the software development to achieve the project’s objective efficiently.

Important Success Factors for Agile Implementation

As per the agile experts, there are some important success factors for agile implementation, which include:

Interaction between the individual team members and cross-functional teams working on the project related to the processes and project management tools involved.
Release a working prototype of the product/software after the end of every iteration so that the project progress can be monitored and flaws can be detected and rectified in the next iteration.
Agile methodology promotes customer/client collaboration for their feedback and product improvement.
Agile methodology invites and welcomes changes and improvements later in product development, which is extremely helpful to deliver the best in the class.

Different Stages of the Agile Lifecycle

Following are the different stages or phases involved in the agile lifecycle:

1. Concept/Objective

In this phase, the objective of the software and how the user interface will appear are finalized based on the client’s requirements and interaction. It also defines the business opportunities and the time required to complete the project. Thus, this phrase clarifies the client’s expectations related to the project.

2. Inception/Identifying Requirement

Once the project is finalized, initial requirements including:

The team members (UI/UX designers and developers).
Gathering the initial support and fund.
Modeling the development using the architectural strategy and flow charts.

3. Construction/Development/Iteration

The development team starts developing the software based on the first iteration to produce a working product with minimum functionality at the end of the first sprint, which then undergoes continuous revisions until finalized. The following steps are executed in this phase:

Team association with the stakeholders/clients.
Prioritizing and implementing the iterations and functionalities.
Scrutinizing and developing each iteration/sprint.
The regular release of working solutions.
Testing after every step to assure quality.

4. Production & Testing

Before releasing the final product/software, the quality assurance team tests the software to detect any defects, bugs, faults, or errors and record wins and losses. This phase also supports the ongoing software release and feedback from the client and users. The client and the users are guided on how to use the software. This phase ends when the release is slated for retirement. The various tasks performed in the production and testing phase are:

Testing and debugging of the system.
Finishing the system development and user documentation.
Guiding and training users.
Deploy the system.

5. Retirement

This phase is all about the system decommissioning or system sun setting. The old or the legacy systems are removed and replaced by the new systems/software with minimal impact on business operation and ensuring the smooth flow of the process. There are different reasons for system release in the retirement phase, including:

The release is no longer supported.
The system has become obsolete.
To enhance the business model, updating the system to a newer version is necessary.

Agile methodology concentrates on developing the right product with minimum cost and no error. The agile development lifecycle is about continuously evolving and emerging the development cycle.

Sprint Planning in Agile Development LifeCycle

As mentioned previously, the agile development lifecycle divides a substantial amount of work into smaller sprints or iterations. This approach fosters continuous learning throughout the iterations. A sprint may last for 10 days to two weeks. The team delivers a working prototype of the product to either the product owner or the client upon sprint completion. If approved, the product will proceed as planned during the next sprint. A typical agile sprint roadmap consists of the following key points:

1. Sprint Planning

The first and initial stage of the agile lifecycle begins with sprint planning. A sprint planning meeting is first conducted to gather and prioritize the essential sprint components to start the project execution. The project manager plays a key role in sprint planning as the project manager assigns the task to the team members and prioritizes the activities based on the task’s urgency.

2. Sprint Development

After the sprint planning is completed and the tasks have been assigned to the teams, the development team is instructed to start working on the approved guidelines for developing the product.

3. Testing

The testing and quality analysis team begins testing the product developed before delivering the prototype to the owner. Also, product development documentation is conducted before delivering it to the owner.

4. Prototype Delivery

After testing the prototype, we deliver the product to both the product owner and customers.

5. Review & Retrospection

Collecting reviews and feedback from customers and stakeholders allows for potential improvements and enhancements at a later stage.

Outcome of Agile Lifecycle

Some of the most popular and commonly known outcomes of the agile lifecycle are:

Extreme Programming (XP)
Scrum
Feature Driven Development (FDD)
Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM)
Adaptive Software Development (ASD)
Crystal and Lean Software Development (LSD)
Scrumban
Disciplined Agile Delivery (DAD)

XP and Scrum focus on rapid releases and short development iterations, incorporating user reviews, code retrospection, testing, open communication, and collecting feedback from customers.

The dynamic involvement, support, and cooperation make agile development teams a much more pleasant place for most people. Instead of hefty modules, lengthy reports, and long project plans, Agile concentrates on small workshops, sprints, task-oriented discussions, and effective time management for completing the project. Team members have the authority to decide on developing an efficient product. Thus, the agile lifecycle helps build highly motivated, performance-oriented, highly cooperative teams.

Quiz Result
Total Questions	Correct Answers	Wrong Answers	Percentage