In February 2001, at the Snowbird ski resort, the Agile Manifesto was created, a groundbreaking declaration that revolutionized the IT world. A group of industry experts, dissatisfied with the then-current methods of managing software development work, decided to develop a new approach to the subject. The Manifesto became the foundation for frameworks such as Scrum and Kanban, changing the way products were worked on and emphasizing the importance of people over processes. Agile dominated the industry but also became an inspiration for managing complex tasks in other fields and projects - in business and beyond.
The ski resort in Utah became the birthplace of an idea that was to revolutionize the way people think about software products. The Manifesto introduced the term "agile," which quickly became a descriptor for flexible ways of managing product work. The goal was to move away from rigid structures and long-term planning in favor of adaptability, quick response to change, and continuous communication between team members.
The signatories of the manifesto primarily advocated for a focus on people and their collaboration, rather than on processes and tools. They realized that business value is generated by directly delivering working software to customers, requiring frequent iterations and feedback.
The impact of the Agile Manifesto on the way work is conducted in the industry was enormous. Although more than two decades have passed since its publication, the Manifesto remains relevant and forms the foundation for many modern business practices.
The Agile Manifesto, a declaration of four values and twelve principles, defines agility as a key element in the software development process. Its aim is to facilitate adaptation to a changing environment and continuous delivery of value to the customer. The basic assumptions of the Agile Manifesto emphasize people and interactions over processes and tools, working software over comprehensive documentation, customer collaboration over contract negotiation, and responding to change over following a plan.
A strong emphasis is placed on customer satisfaction and the need for rapid and continuous delivery of valuable software, which directly translates to product success. This reflects the flexibility of the agile work philosophy, in contrast to traditional project management methods, where each change requires a time-consuming approval process.
Sustainable development is another key aspect of the Agile philosophy. Teams should work at a sustainable pace, which promotes efficiency and well-being among team members. The idea that the best architectural solutions and designs come from self-organizing and self-managing teams highlights the importance of autonomy and individual responsibility.
One of the most significant ideas of the Agile Manifesto is the acceptance of changes. The principles of the Agile Manifesto clearly state: "Welcoming changing requirements, even late in development, as a competitive advantage." This is a significant difference compared to more rigid management methods, which often see changes as obstacles or threats.
Unlike the traditional, waterfall approach where each element is created sequentially and requires a detailed plan upfront, agile methods focus on flexibility and quick response to change. This does not mean there is no plan - it just means being open to the possibility that our plan may change at any moment due to market situations, within the organization, etc.
Faced with growing market demands and the need to quickly respond to changing customer expectations, the Agile approach has become a key element in the software development process. Practical application of the principles can be observed in various work frameworks, such as Scrum, Extreme Programming (XP), or Kanban, which are adapted to the specifics of a given software project. Although, as we know, currently most agile frameworks can be used in any industry or department. Sometimes we come across something called "an agile team". that means, we do not need to use specific frameworks to be Agile, what defines an agile team is their driven force towards implementing agile values and 12 principles.
Scrum is one of the most popular agile frameworks, focused on organizing work in regular time intervals known as Sprints. During a Sprint, the team focuses on implementing selected features that are most significant to the customer. In Scrum, inspection and adaptation of ongoing work through daily Scrum meetings and Sprint Retrospectives are also essential elements, during which the team analyzes its actions and adjusts them based on the conclusions drawn.
Another method is Kanban, which helps manage the flow of work by visualizing tasks on a Kanban board. This makes it possible to quickly identify bottlenecks in the process and address them appropriately. Kanban emphasizes continuous delivery of value and is a typical pull method: we take on the next item when the previous one is ready.
Extreme Programming (XP) focuses on the technical aspects of programming, such as code testing or pair programming. XP promotes continuous communication between team members and the customer, ensuring high product quality.
Additionally, there are other ways to implement the Agile philosophy, such as Feature-Driven Development (FDD) and Adaptive Software Development (ASD). In fact, there are countless complementary practices.
The practical application of work methods based on the Agile Manifesto allows companies to better adapt to the dynamic business environment. This makes it possible not only to efficiently create software but also to build lasting value for customers and end-users.
Since its inception in 2001, the Agile Manifesto has had a tremendous impact on the approach to agile software development and product management in the IT industry and beyond. The introduction of agile management methods, which emphasize the value delivered to the customer and the adaptability of the process, revolutionized traditional project approaches. Agile project management is used to promote flexibility, continuous communication, and response to changing requirements.
One of the key elements of the manifesto is the belief that the most important thing is to deliver software that brings real value to the customer. This means that teams are more focused on efficiently producing an Increment rather than adhering to previously established plans. As a result, the duration of the project may be shorter, and customer satisfaction higher.
The Manifesto also emphasizes the importance of direct communication - preferring face-to-face conversation as the most efficient way of transmitting information between project participants. This leads to faster information exchange within teams and makes it easier to quickly respond to problems and implement changes.
Another aspect of the Manifesto is the focus on people and their collaboration. In agile management, individual skills of team members and their ability to work together are more important than tools, processes, and professional titles. This fosters the building of engaged and motivated teams capable of efficiently solving problems.
The Agile approach also promotes regular reflection on the effectiveness of actions and adjusting actions based on conclusions drawn, allowing for continuous improvement of the work process. This enables products to be implemented more efficiently, and team productivity increases.
The impact of the Agile Manifesto is extensive also in the context of customer relations - it emphasizes the need for close collaboration with the customer throughout the project. This helps to better understand the customer's requirements and respond more quickly to their needs.
Agile solutions have not only become the standard in the IT industry but also an inspiration for other sectors seeking greater flexibility and efficiency in project or product management.
