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Agile Processes, For Better Results

Guilford Group prides ourselves in our ability to deliver projects on time and on budget, every time.  We are experts in Agile Project Methodologies and can help guide you and your projects toward successful delivery.

Agile is a conceptual framework for undertaking software engineering projects that attempts to minimize risk by developing software in short timeboxes (called “Sprints”) which typically last one to four weeks.  Agile methodology emphasizes working software as the primary measure of progress.

PHILOSOPHY

The Agile process has three key philosophies:

  1. Be flexible: business partners and developers should work closely together to build a software package that meets project goals, allowing for requirements to evolve over the course of the project.
  2. Emphasis on collaboration and communication
  3. Software is built in an iterative fashion

PROVEN RESULTS

Guilford Group has employed this process to minimize common problems and risks in software development.  This approach has the following benefits:

  • Customer satisfaction:  Business partners get the opportunity to test and SEE completed development every 4 weeks, typically. Having business partners as active participants in development increases software quality, eases anxiety and can head off critical issues at an early stage.
  • Budget management: It is much easier to estimate a 4 week project over a 1 year project.  Small timeboxes reduce the risk of error in estimation.
  • Schedule management: Same reason as above – it is easier to keep a team on-task and on-schedule with a series of short-term goals. It reduces the potential and variables for slippage.
  • Software quality: Rather than developers coding in silos, the Agile process encourages a collaborative development style that includes the business partners and clients.  This develops high-quality software more likely to meet customer expectations and greatly reduces the potential for rework.