PM FPX 4080 Assessment 2 Comparing Agile Methodologies

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Capella University

PM-FPX4080 Agile Project Management

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Date

Introduction

Project management and its methodologies have significantly evolved over the last few decades. Traditionally, the waterfall methodology was the dominant approach for many organizations in managing their projects, regardless of scope or scale. However, in 2001, the Manifesto for Agile Software Development, commonly referred to as the Agile Manifesto, was introduced by 17 developers (Pratt & Torode, 2020). These developers aimed to create an alternative to the then-existing software development processes, which they viewed as overly complex, slow to respond, and excessively focused on documentation. Agile, in essence, allows for incremental software development, offering insight into completed work during each sprint.

For the CapraTek project, the introduction of the Agile process is new to the team, but it holds the potential to bring significant benefits to the team, the organization, and the final product, Alfred.

How Scrum and XP (Extreme Programming) Represent the Agile Manifesto

The Agile Manifesto is founded on four core values and 12 guiding principles, which were designed to foster an environment focused on customer satisfaction. It promotes adaptability, enabling teams to adjust swiftly to market changes and user needs. The primary objective of Agile is to prioritize results and people over processes and structures (McFadyen, 2021).

Scrum and XP are both frameworks and methodologies aligned with Agile principles, emphasizing that whatever the project produces is created with a purpose, by real people, for real needs. Scrum, for example, includes daily scrums and sprint retrospectives. A daily scrum is a brief, 15-minute meeting held at the same time and location each day. It allows the development team to plan for the day and review the previous day’s progress. This practice aligns with the Agile value of “individuals and interactions over processes and tools” (McFadyen, 2021).

The scrum retrospective, on the other hand, provides an opportunity for the team to reflect on recent work and make improvements for the next sprint. This practice of regular reflection is one of the key principles of the Agile Manifesto.

XP, or Extreme Programming, is another methodology created by Kent Beck, one of the 17 Agile Manifesto developers. Like Scrum, XP emphasizes teamwork, continuous learning for developers, and maintaining a positive work environment. In XP, developers work in pairs, with one writing the code while the other observes. These roles switch regularly throughout the sprint, allowing for continuous review and feedback, which enhances both the product quality and the developers’ skills (Digite, 2022).

Comparing Agile Methodologies

Scrum and XP, along with Kanban and other Agile methodologies, all share the values and principles of the Agile Manifesto. They focus on prioritizing people over processes, working on the product or software rather than extensive documentation, collaboration over contract negotiations, and adapting to change instead of rigidly following a plan.

The CapraTek project, Alfred, is an iOS software project that is currently in progress. Although the project has a vision, the specific features are not well-defined, making an Agile methodology suitable. Unlike waterfall, Agile does not require thorough documentation or a comprehensive understanding of requirements before starting.

For the CapraTek team, there has been much discussion about whether to adopt Scrum or XP. Both methodologies could benefit the project, but concerns have arisen regarding the team’s ability to transition to a new methodology. A few weeks ago, the Senior Leadership team reviewed both Scrum and XP methodologies, providing a foundation for understanding how each could be applied.

To summarize, there are four main differences between Scrum and XP (Cohn, 2007):

Scrum teams typically work in sprints lasting two weeks to a month, while XP iterations last one or two weeks.
Scrum teams do not allow changes to a sprint once it has been established, whereas XP teams can accommodate changes if work has not yet started on a feature.
XP follows a strict priority order determined by the customer product owner, whereas Scrum allows the team to determine the sequence of tasks from the prioritized backlog.
XP emphasizes engineering practices, whereas Scrum does not.

After reviewing these factors, it was decided that the Scrum methodology would be the most flexible and suitable for the CapraTek project.

Essential Principles and Practices of Different Agile Methodologies

Agile methodologies share several key principles and practices. To be truly Agile, a process must focus on customer satisfaction, welcome change, deliver frequent previews, work collaboratively, have a motivated and trusted team, promote face-to-face interactions, prioritize working outputs as indicators of progress, emphasize good design and technical excellence, and regularly reflect on work completed to make necessary improvements (Simplilearn, 2022).

Scrum complements an organization’s existing practices, making it easier to transition from a traditional waterfall approach to Agile. Scrum teams are self-organizing, and the customer plays a key role in prioritizing work tasks and sprint assignments. The focus of Scrum is on collaboration, typically with small to medium-sized, co-located teams (CapraTek, n.d.).

XP, on the other hand, is more technically focused, with customer involvement in feature selection and development. The methodology requires minimal documentation and is challenging to adopt. Like Scrum, XP emphasizes collaboration, but development is done in pairs (CapraTek, n.d.).

How Personnel Are Used in Different Agile Methodologies

Agile teams are often co-located and dedicated to a specific project, free from other obligations. In Scrum, teams typically consist of five to eleven people who share various responsibilities related to project delivery. Key roles include the Scrum Master, who ensures adherence to Scrum practices, the Product Owner, who maximizes product value, and the development team, which works on sprints to deliver the final product (Duggal, 2022).

In XP, typical roles include customers, developers, trackers, and a coach. The customer is the project leader, making decisions about features, budget, and priorities. Developers turn the customer’s vision into reality, while trackers monitor metrics to improve efficiency. The coach supports the team, addressing any issues with the methodology (Chappell, 2020).

Conclusion

In conclusion, this discussion provided insights into Agile methodologies, their core principles, the differences between Scrum and XP, and the methodology selected for the CapraTek project. Agile methodologies continue to be embraced for their flexibility and iterative feedback processes. While Agile is not inherently better than the waterfall approach, each has its strengths and can even complement one another in certain project implementations.

References

CapraTek. (n.d.). Comparing agile methodologies. Retrieved from https://media.capella.edu/CourseMedia/pm-fpx4080element236973/wrapper.asp

Chappell, E. (2020, August 20). What is XP in agile? (Roles, processes, tools). ClickUp Blog. Retrieved from https://clickup.com/blog/what-is-xp-in-agile/

Cohn, M. (2007). Differences between scrum and extreme programming. Mountain Goat Software. Retrieved from https://www.mountaingoatsoftware.com/blog/differences-between-scrum-and-extreme-programming

Duggal, N. (2022, May 27). What is scrum team: Structure, roles, and responsibilities. Simplilearn. Retrieved from https://www.simplilearn.com/what-is-scrum-team-article

McFadyen, J. (2021). Scrum and the Agile Manifesto. Agile Centre. Retrieved from https://www.agilecentre.com/resources/article/scrum-and-the-agile-manifesto/