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You’re likely aware of the Agile craze in the software industry, and recently, in other fields. Organizations that have adopted Agile methods swear by it, saying that it has helped them to deliver higher quality products at a faster pace. Are you planning to use the Agile approach in your software development team?
Do you want to know the structure of an Agile software development team? This article shares the structure of an Agile software development team and the roles and responsibilities of each team member. Keep reading.
Agile is an innovative movement that has captured the world’s attention for almost twenty years. Towards the end of the 20th century, software developers began to realize that the traditional approaches to development didn't achieve the desired results. So, they started to explore and experiment with new methods. By 2001, fourteen of the world’s leading software gurus came up with the Agile Manifesto. That was when the global Agile movement began. So, what is Agile?
Agile is an iterative approach to project management. Iterative in this regard means that you follow a series of steps, repeat those steps, and make improvements with each cycle. For this to succeed, one must have a very flexible mind and be ready to adapt to new situations. The idea of adaptability and willingness to change is where the name “Agile” comes from.
Agile enables organizations to survive in a complex and volatile marketplace by becoming masters of continuous change. All the aspects of a project are evaluated continually and in small batches so that teams can naturally respond to change. In Agile organizations, there is a focus on collaboration between self-organizing and cross-functional teams. We shall go into more detail further down in this article.
First, the important thing to remember is that Agile is more than just a method or a set of tools and processes; it is a mindset and a way of thinking. Here’s a simple way to look at it; Agile is a mindset defined by the four values and twelve principles of the Agile manifesto. It's implemented through various practices, processes, or frameworks. Two of the most popular Agile frameworks are Scrum and Kanban.
More organizations outside the software industry have adopted Agile methodologies because of the numerous benefits it offers. By going Agile, software teams can deliver high-quality products at a faster rate and with a greater ability to respond to change.
There are three types of structures for a development team; a generalist team, specialist team, and hybrid team. Each of these structures has its pros and cons, and it's the project manager's responsibility to determine which structure will best suit the project at hand.
This structure consists of team members with wide-ranging skills and expertise. Each individual has sufficient knowledge about the different stages of development and can contribute to creating a cohesive product.
Pros:
Because every member understands the product as a whole, the whole team can work together. There’s no need to wait for one person to finish his portion of the work before you begin yours; each person can work independently. Because of this, generalist teams tend to work faster than other teams. Also, an organization with generalist teams saves money by hiring fewer people.
Cons:
Because nobody is specialized in any area, quality may be compromised sometimes. To counteract this, generalist teams often have to hire specialist consultants in the middle of the project.
Under this structure, team members are specialized in particular areas, with years of expertise in those fields. Here, everyone is responsible for their specific aspects of the project.
Pros:
Because everyone has specialized knowledge, the team can quickly build complex and high-quality products.
Cons:
There may be a lack of overall cohesion since each person is only concerned about his small corner and not about the project as a whole.
This is a combination of both generalist and specialist approaches and is the ideal structure. Here, all team members work on the project as a whole but can zoom in to specialize in a particular area if necessary.
Pros:
The end product is appropriately integrated because of the presence of both generalists and specialists.
Cons:
Working with a hybrid team can be very time-consuming.
Regardless of the structure, a typical software development team has the following key positions:
The main difference between Agile teams and typical software development teams lies in the mindset with which the teams operate. The differing ways of thinking do not only affect how a project is tackled – but also affects how teams are put together and the roles assigned to the members. This section covers some of the practical differences between the Agile software development team structure and a traditional software development team structure.
Here are the different roles in Agile software development teams:
The team lead coordinates and facilitates the team's work. If your team is using the Scrum method, the team lead will be called "Scrum Master." This person's duty is to make sure that the team has all the resources it needs and that it is guarded from distractions. The team lead must also make sure that the team is indeed using the agreed Agile values and principles.
The product owner is a member of the team who has an in-depth knowledge of the client and the product. Their job is to ensure that the end product matches the client's expectations. In essence, tgey represent the interests of the client.
The Agile development team is made of a number of talents, including front-end developers, back-end developers, and UX designers.
Testing is a very crucial part of Agile teams. Because Agile teams work incrementally, it's vital to have a skilled tester to assess the product at each stage of development. It's their responsibility to ensure that each iteration fits with the previous one.
Sometimes, it may be necessary to bring on board an expert for a specific subject matter. They may not be part of the in-house team but may serve as external consultants.
The role of the architect is to ensure that the product is fit for its intended purpose.
The structures and roles in this article are general guides to building an Agile software development team. Ultimately, it's you who decides which structure to follow and the roles to assign. Remember that Agile is all about change and adaptability, so you feel free to adapt things to suit your team’s needs. After all, that is what the Agile process is all about.
I hope this article was informative. Please share the post and leave a comment below.
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