In this fast-paced and dynamic market, the attention span that’s dedicated to any application is a few minutes. A recent Google study shows that on average ~6000 apps are released on Google App Store every day.
Therefore, the big question that needs to be answered is what makes an app stand out among the crowd? How fast the app can bring in features or add functionalities which the customer needs? How quickly can the app be released into the market with additional features? Questions like this mandate an Agile framework of development, making it a necessity for any developer worth their salt.
The Agile methodology is a software development process that is fundamentally based on breaking up problems into quick and iterative sprints to maximize efficiency. The process relies on the following key tenets.
- Customer Orientation: Customer is the king. By adopting agile methodology and mindset, development teams allow themselves to adopt last minute ad-hoc requests and changes. You are no longer tied to detailed requirement documentation and technical specifications. You work and develop features that customers want in real time.
- Quick Turnaround Time: Imagine implementing a business capability in the app which is critical for successful launch two weeks before going to market. Without being agile the design, build and test (DBT) of the app would take months if not years. And that gap is catastrophic for your app and for your customer relations. The Agile process leverages quick turnaround times and iterations to make sure time to market is not delayed.
- Optimal Costs: Being agile optimizes the way you use your resources both in terms of time and money. The resources are not procured or lined up unless and until you require because being nimble and flexible will allow you to take up the resource and use it only when you need it. The concept of benched resources is alien to an Agile process.
- Transparent: With Agile adoption, the development process and end-product are no longer shrouded with mystery. Being Agile means that you deliver a working product incrementally. Therefore, everyone involved in the process including the business stakeholders are continually made aware of the progress and pitfalls. This transparency of the entire development process also reduces the risk associated with the final end-product.
- Collaboration: Being Agile means that everyone works on the same team theme rather than working in siloes. The theme determines the focus and effort of the team to achieve the outcome. The App development process is often a road filled with uncertainties, failures, fears, and doubt. Agile methodology helps the team achieve their outcome by making sure that everyone understands the bigger picture and know the role that they need to play in the process. Cross skilled team members help each other during the development process to achieve the target and hence the environment is more collaborative and friendlier.
- ROI: The most important part of any business is the ROI (Return of Investment) strategy. How soon can your effort start to pay dividends? Gone are the days when you had to release a product with all its frills and whistles to be able to get market acceptance and returns for your effort. With Agile development process, you can release an MVP version of the app quickly with few basic super important features all the while working in parallel on the fully fleshed out version with all the features. Agile gives developers the flexibility to introduce feature over time rather than all at once. Thus, you not only retain the customer but also start engaging them at periodic intervals with feature updates thereby getting a return on your investment quite early.
- Continuous Feedback Loop: Releasing an App into the market for consumption is not the end goal by itself. As a producer of the App, one also must receive, engage and proactively act on the feedback provided by the customer. Agile development allows teams to tune in to this feedback continuously and reshaping product features or functionalities based on customer sentiments.
At Fission Labs Agility is a core principle that we work on. Our team of cross skilled product veterans have years of Agile development experience under their belt with multiple successful products delivered. The process also allows us to optimize costs and delivery time without compromising on consumer grade quality.
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