There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to how you run your business. So, why try to make your business fit into off-the-shelf software?
Formulaic tech developers will never give you all the features you need to truly make your systems work for you. There is no time to do things ‘the way they’ve always been done’ when you want to stay ahead of the curve.
That’s why we take an Agile approach.
Thanks to our Agile mindset, our teams approach every project with an open mind, ready to adapt to requirements. This allows for the creation of unique, market-leading solutions which suit your needs by using the latest tech to automate processes and enhance efficiency, delivering your project successfully, on time, and on budget.
While older processes involved documents, contract negotiation, and standardised plans, an Agile approach is all about forgetting the old, formulaic ways of thinking. The key is to view every project through a fresh lens and a new perspective, harnessing the latest tech, looking towards innovation, keeping consistent communication with the client, and creating an empowering software solution to drive your business forward.
But what exactly is Agile and how does it improve the software we deliver?
As part of the Agile approach, there are 12 guidelines we stick to which facilitate a flexible growth mindset:
- Satisfy the customer early and efficient delivery.
- Be flexible and welcome changing requirements – even late in development.
- Deliver working software frequently.
- Work together with the customer daily.
- Build projects around motivated individuals by giving them the right environment and trust.
- Aim to share information face-to-face or via video call.
- Working software is the primary measure of progress.
- Keep focused on sustainable development.
- Simplicity is key. Remove the unnecessary.
- Give continuous attention to technical excellence and good design.
- Some of the best results come from self-organising teams.
- Reflect, review, and adjust the project at regular intervals and never be set on one idea.
To keep things creative, we avoid long meetings, endless emails, and complicated spreadsheets where possible. We advocate for consistent communication via Zoom (or face-to-face where appropriate), so our team can work with you to freely generate new ideas at any stage of development, enhancing the project’s success.
A more detailed look at the principles of Agile
Here’s how each principle works together:
1) Satisfy the customer through early and efficient delivery.
Following our audit of your current software and exploratory discussions with you, we aim to deliver work in the early stages of the project. This ensures we’re working together and drives the energy of the development. It’s also a great time to generate new ideas and re-evaluate, if necessary, taking the project in the right direction to satisfy the client.
2) Be flexible and welcome changing requirements – even late in development.
Oftentimes companies find it an annoyance when the client approaches them with a new idea late in the project. But we’re always ready to adapt and our team welcomes changing requirements because we appreciate that once you see the tech in action, you become aware of things you never knew you needed. Working together and keeping an open mind is the best way to achieve a successful end-product.
3) Deliver working software frequently.
Delivering work quickly and frequently helps keep the project on track so we can meet your deadlines. Working at speed stops the never-ending back-and-forth and ensures momentum, keeping you (and us) excited about the project.
As Parkinson’s law states: “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” So we make sure we stick to a deadline and deliver promptly.
4) Work together with the customer daily.
We’re designing software to meet our clients’ needs, so we have to work together consistently to ensure we’re all focused on the same end goal. Using our clients’ knowledge of their industry in combination with our passion for technology gives the best end-product – filling every gap in your current software and accounting for everything unique about your business.
5) Build projects around motivated individuals by giving them the right environment and trust.
Your environment is important. To be productive you need a good workspace and a team you can trust. Agile working relies on a positive environment that motivates the team to produce the best outcome.
6) Aim to share information face-to-face or via video call.
While there’s nothing better than meeting face-to-face, with current restrictions, we’ve all become experts at Zoom and Microsoft Teams meetings. Getting people together in a group to review progress and bounce ideas off each other is much more effective than sending emails back and forth, or worse, simply receiving a brief and not communicating again until delivery.
Checking in with you for a regular catch up is essential for Agile software development and customer satisfaction.
7) Working software is the primary measure of progress.
Working software is always the main goal. Working software doesn’t just mean that the software does the job. To us, it means the project is signed off, meets all the project’s objectives, and exceeds expectations for our team and the client.
8) Keep focused on sustainable development.
When working on a big, demanding project, it can be easy to procrastinate or lose momentum. But with Agile, we encourage efficiency, speed, flexibility, and creativity, meaning we’re always excited about our projects and we simply get things done. We maintain enthusiasm which promotes a sustainable flow of work, resulting in market-leading software development.
9) Simplicity is key. Remove the unnecessary.
“Simplicity is the sign of greatness.” – Steve Jobs
Agile is driven by simplicity. While the algorithms powering your tech may be intricate and unique, we’re passionate about building software that is simple and intuitive. We’ll never create software that’s so complex you give up on it – the aim is to enhance automation, efficiency, and functionality.
10) Give continuous attention to technical excellence and good design.
To arrive at a technology solution that is simple and functional a good design is key. We’re intent on minimising unnecessary features and removing over-complicated processes.
The key to technical excellence is using the newest and most appropriate tech to create the most valuable and efficient product.
11) Some of the best results come from self-organising teams.
The passion we have for what we do is undeniable. This means that various team members may have different ideas which pull a project in various directions. The beauty of self-organising teams is that they give space for ideas to arise and develop as we work together – combining the best minds to generate outstanding results.
12) Reflect, review, and adjust the project at regular intervals and never be set on one idea.
Once again, this step comes back to the weight we put on communicating with you regularly and being adaptable. If we left reviews until the very end of the project, yes, we’d deliver a suitable tech solution, but it may not have the same level of functionality as if we were continuously checking in with you and adapting as the project grows.
Scheduling regular reviews to receive feedback and generate new ideas helps us produce great software and generate outstanding levels of client satisfaction.
Stay agile with us.
We’d love to chat with you about your next project and demonstrate how our Agile methodology can help your business thrive with fast and efficient software developed to meet your deadline and budget.
Get in touch on 0845 855 0550 and start your journey to a flexible software solution.
