Agile Methodologies – To Enhance App Development Process

As market demand surges for apps to run on iOS, Android, and whatever operating system will power the next wave of smart devices, companies are facing a lack of talent in mobile app development. For IT professionals with programming skills, that gap represents a fresh opportunity to embark on a career makeover.

Agile vs Waterfall app development methodologies

Agile methodologies including programming, development and project management involve breaking down the software development into smaller modules while integrating documentation and quality testing at every step.

The regular waterfall methodology includes predefining the requirements ahead of time with testing and documentation as last steps rather than being the fundamental part of development.

The agile development methodologies are quite efficient and advantageous for mobile apps development.

Principles behind the Agile Manifesto

• The main principle is to satisfy the customer through an early and continuous delivery of valuable app, within few weeks.
• Constant interaction of developers with the business owner to know what they actually want
• Easy app modification at every stage of development and even after development to meet the market challenges and beat the competitors.
• Agile project management is more of a goal-based management rather than the collective project management.

Here are six ways Agile development practices enhance the development of mobile App

1) Agile app development process fits the experimentation and adaptation nature of mobile apps

Experimentation and adaptation make mobile apps successful in business as well as daily life. When apps go in the hands of consumers, they post comments and give ratings on the basis of their experience, that enable apps to get refined and improved. Agile perfectly fits this necessary ingredient of iteration that is inherent in the development of mobile apps.

2) Agile increases reliability and leads to continuous use of apps

According to one survey, 80-90% of all downloaded apps are used once and then eventually deleted by the users. And of course, it’s easy to find alternative apps because every app store is carrying hundreds of thousands of apps. So, it’s very hard to get the permanent position in user’s heart. Agile development, with its multiple cycles of testing and quality assurance, enables app developers to build in more quality and reliability through repeated cycles of testing with each sprint.

3) Agile sprints extend naturally into the mobile app update model

Any new version of an app shows up as an update in the app stores. Initially, a few users may be able to download, install, and use an app for test, but the process is very similar to that for all the users. In a way, developers can establish a rhythm before and after a formal release of the apps.

4) Agile enables mobile app development to be responsive to technology changes

As the fastest advancement in mobile technology, there is a rapid update in operating systems as well. Hence, Agile methodologies enable organizations to be more responsive, and new improvement can be rolled out in updates without much hassle, even every day or every other day, if needed. But, for that users need to update their app, regularly.

5) Agile app development enables rapid accommodating of customer feedback

In non-Agile mobile app dev process, app upgrading version can be a painful task in making sure that the app works with the older data. While in Agile app development, there is a continuous and smooth app updating process that ensures the app updates are downwardly compatible with older data. If not, they will be debugged rapidly before a new update goes out during the sprints.

6) Agile app development enables thoughtful user experiences

If app takes more than a couple of minutes to download, users may stop the ongoing downloading process and find its alternative way. Additionally, app developers have to be aware of the app data that can be downloaded by the users. Agile development allows developers to experiment with these options in subsequent sprints and helps to build app having quick, smooth and seamless user-experience.

Conclusion

Developers have required building an app that can be downloaded and updated quickly and smoothly, and app needs to interact seamlessly with backend servers when needed. Agile mobile app development methodologies provide everything to build a successful mobile app.