What is Agile SDLC? And should you use it?

Building a product from scratch is thrilling but stressful. You’ve got developers to juggle, code to check, stakeholders to manage — and that’s all before you’ve even pressed the release button. What if the client doesn’t like it? Disaster. 

Luckily, there are tried-and-tested approaches designed to make the process smoother, and a lot less risky. Enter Agile SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle), a flexible, iterative way of working that makes it possible to release products faster, and more in-tune with what clients really want. Ready to take your software development release cycle up a notch? Let’s begin. 

What is Agile SDLC?

Agile SDLC is a methodology that has three main focuses: 

• Collaborative decision-making,
• Continuous customer feedback; and 
• Iterative development cycles.

Unlike the top-down approach of more traditional models (which we’ll talk about later on), Agile SDLC breaks the development process into smaller, manageable cycles, or ‘sprints’, as they’re known, each typically lasting between two to four weeks. 

This iterative approach helps teams deliver the most important features first. Having a more flexible plan also means everyone can adapt to changing requirements without breaking a sweat.

While perfect for bigger organizations, it’s especially handy for smaller businesses, which often can’t afford the drawn-out timelines and rigid structures of more traditional SDLC models. 

The major differences between Waterfall SDLC and Agile SDLC

Agile and Waterfall are two big hitters in the world of software development. To understand Agile SDLC better, let’s compare it with Waterfall.

The Waterfall model

The Waterfall SDLC is a linear and sequential approach consisting of five stages:

Image source: Adobe.com

The team needs to complete each phase before moving onto the next. It’s great if you want a structured, linear process. Not so great if you want to stay flexible and move fast. 

Each phase lasts an indeterminate amount of time, and it can take months before the team reaches the implementation stage. This means feedback is less regular, which can be highly risky for large software projects. This is where Agile steps in.

The Agile model

Like Waterfall, Agile breaks the project down into smaller chunks (sprints). But where Waterfall is linear, Agile encourages the team to work on different parts of the project simultaneously. SDLC involves the following six phases:

1. Defining: Setting out the project scope and objectives.
2. Planning: Outlining the high-level view of the product and its roadmap.
3. Designing: Creating design documents and prototypes.
4. Building: Coding, iterating, gathering feedback.
5. Testing: Identifying defects and fixing bugs.
6. Deployment: Releasing the product and evaluating.

Look familiar? That’s because each phase roughly matches the phases of Waterfall. But instead of moving through each one in turn, you hop back and forth between stages two and three until you’re ready to hit the launch button.

Or in other words, each phase involves several sprints that begin with planning, feature daily standups throughout, and end with a review. And this happens during the planning, designing, building, and testing phase. 

This fast, regular review process means more regular stakeholder feedback and speedy adjustments. Which means fewer scary ‘surprise!’ moments for clients, and less drastic amends for the product team. 

The key differences between Waterfall SDLC and Agile SDLC

	Waterfall SDLC	Agile SDLC
Approach	Linear and sequential	Iterative and incremental
Project scope and objectives	Defined at the beginning and remain fixed	Defined and refined continuously throughout the project
Flexibility	Inflexible, changes are difficult and costly to implement	Highly flexible, allows for changes at any stage
Feedback	Feedback primarily obtained at the end of the project	Continuous feedback from stakeholders and users
Development cycles	Long phases with distinct stages	Short, time-boxed iterations (sprints)
Risk management	Risks assessed primarily during the initial planning phase	Regular assessment and mitigation of risks
Delivery	Single delivery at the end of the project	Frequent delivery of small, usable product increments
Documentation	Comprehensive documentation before development starts	Emphasizes working software over comprehensive documentation
Team collaboration	Limited to predefined stages, often siloed	High collaboration among cross-functional teams
Customer involvement	Involvement mainly during requirement definition and final delivery	Ongoing involvement throughout the project

Why you should choose Agile SDLC 

Agile offers flexibility, speed, and scalability, which helps you flex to new information as it comes in. This alone is one of the biggest benefits it offers over more traditional approaches. 

Its iterative approach also means frequent feedback and continuous improvement are the norm, leading to a higher-quality product.

• Flexibility: Late-stage changes? No sweat. Easily adapt to changes and new information throughout the project. 
• Continuous feedback: No more surprises or flops. Regular reviews and updates means the product evolves in line with user needs.
• Faster time-to-market: The speedy delivery of functional increments speeds up time-to-market, helping deliver value sooner. 
• Enhanced collaboration: Cross-functional teams work together, breaking down silos and boosting creativity.
• Improved risk management: Ongoing risk assessment lowers the likelihood of major mishaps.
• Customer-centric development: Never lose sight of what users want. Regular customer involvement means releases align with their expectations.
• Greater transparency: Regular reviews mean the development cycle is an open forum.
• Scalability: Agile practices can scale for bigger projects and multiple teams.

How to get started with Agile SDLC

Sold on the benefits? Let’s get into how to transition to this product release essential.

1. Prepare for change

As with every project, you’ve got to set the scene and prepare your team. This includes creating a change management plan, and getting buy-in from everyone, including developers, managers, clients, and other stakeholders. Ongoing check-ins is a core Agile principle, so start as you mean to go on. 

2. Embrace all things Agile

The Agile manifesto, which is a set of 12 guiding principles, will be your team’s bible. You want to embed these principles and values into your company culture until they’re second nature. Discuss them in team meetings to reinforce the Agile mindset and emphasize flexibility, collaboration, and iterative progress at every opportunity.

3. Choose the right Agile framework

Agile comes in different formats. Choosing the right framework depends on your team’s size and goals. Some of the top options include:

• Scrum: This one’s all about short, time-boxed iterations and prioritizing work based on the value it delivers. 
• Kanban: This approach uses visual boards to manage workflow and limit work in progress.
• ScrumBan: A blend of Scrum and Kanban, combining structured sprints with visual task management.
• SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework): Designed for managing large-scale Agile projects across multiple teams.

4. Create and fine-tune the product backlog

The product backlog is a prioritized list of steps. Think of it as a dynamic plan that evolves as the project progresses. Take items off the list as they’re completed, and add new ones as fresh feedback comes in. 

Work closely with product owners and stakeholders to build your backlog and prioritize it with their input. 

5. Plan the sprint

Review the backlog and choose top priority items for the upcoming sprint. Define clear task ownership and deadlines to keep accountability and focus. Create a workflow featuring user stories and deadlines, and update it as you go.

6. Hold daily standups 

Daily stand-up meetings are essential for Agile teams. They boost communication and collaboration, keeping the team working as one. Focus on five key questions:

• What did you do yesterday?
• What are you planning to do today?
• How much time do you think you will need for each task?
• Is there anything blocking your progress?
• Is there other stuff you worked on that was not planned earlier?

7. Test the iteration and gather feedback 

After you’ve finished a sprint, test the iteration and gather feedback from your stakeholders. Use what you learn here to refine future sprints and keep the product aligned with customer expectations.

8. Review the sprint and plan ahead 

So, how did you get on? 

Run a sprint review to critically assess your performance, and note down areas for improvement. Remember, it’s about continuous improvement, so don’t shy away from being honest. Adjust your backlog priorities based on the sprint outcomes and plan for the next iteration. Reflection is essential to Agile.

Common challenges (and how to overcome them)

1. Resistance to change

Change is tricky, and sometimes team members and stakeholders alike dig their heels in due to unfamiliarity or comfort with existing processes.

The fix: Communicate the benefits of Agile clearly, offer training, and involve the team in the transition process to gain buy-in with a change management plan. 

2. Lack of Agile experience

Teams new to Agile might struggle with its principles and practices, especially if they’re used to a highly rigid way of working.

The fix: Invest in training and mentoring, and promote knowledge sharing. Consider bringing in an experienced Agile coach to guide the team and sing its benefits. And be patient! Change is never easy. 

3. Poor sprint planning

Bad planning can lead to unrealistic goals and missed deadlines.

The fix: Use product management tools like Backlog to help with thorough sprint planning. Make sure you clearly define all the tasks so people aren’t left floundering, and set realistic goals. 

4. Low quality daily standups

Daily meetings can become unproductive if you don’t manage them properly. This isn’t a casual chit-chat — it’s a lean, mean goal-setting machine.

The fix: Keep stand-ups focused and brief. Stick to the key questions and ensure everyone contributes in turn.

5. Not enough stakeholder involvement

A lack of regular stakeholder engagement can lead to skewed expectations and missteps. 

The fix: Schedule regular check-ins with stakeholders, give them access to your PM tool so they can self-check in without you having to send email updates, and integrate their input into the development process. 

6. Overcommitment in sprints

Teams may overcommit to tasks, leading to burnout and missed deadlines.

The fix: Use past sprint data to realistically estimate capacity, and prioritize high-value tasks. Encourage a sustainable pace.

7. Keeping quality high in rapid iterations

The fast pace of Agile sprints can sometimes compromise quality.

The fix: Implement continuous integration and automated testing to keep quality high and ease the burden of manual checks. Regularly review and rectify code.

8. Balancing technical debt

Accumulating technical debt can slow down future development.

The fix: Set time aside in each sprint to address this issue. Encourage a culture of writing clean, maintainable code.

Advanced Agile: 4 techniques to make SDLC even better 

To take your Agile implementation to the next level, consider these advanced strategies.

1. DevOps integration

Integrate Agile with DevOps practices to streamline both areas. Faster deployments, better collaboration, and improved product quality should soon follow.

2. Agile metrics and KPIs

Track key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics like velocity, sprint burndown, and lead time. It gives you objective data-driven insights you can use to fine-tune processes and improve team performance.

3. Scaling Agile

Use frameworks like SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) to manage Agile practices across multiple teams and large projects. It helps you stay consistent and coordinated while you size up (or down).

4. Lean Agile practices

Combine Lean principles with Agile to eliminate waste and maximize value. Higher efficiency and quality are your prize! 

Top tips for using Agile SDLC 

Embracing Agile SDLC can be transformative, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be a walk in the park. Here are some tips to help your team thrive through the implementation stage. 

• Start small: Begin with a pilot project to test Agile within your team, and take notes as you go. Use this project-experiment to see potential pitfalls and areas for improvement before scaling up.
  
• Train on a rolling basis: Regularly train team members on Agile principles and practices until they’re experts in their own right. Encourage certification courses for Scrum Masters and Product Owners.
  
• Run regular retrospectives: Run sprint retrospectives to understand what went well and what didn’t. Use these insights to improve processes and team dynamics.
  
• Embrace flexibility: Be prepared to flex when it comes to project scope and requirements. Create a culture where change is embraced as an opportunity, rather than a disruption or hassle.
  
• Set clear role definitions: Define roles and responsibilities clearly to avoid confusion. Make sure everyone understands the assignment and feels able to take ownership within the sprint.
  
• Make user feedback a priority: Actively seek and integrate user feedback to guide your efforts.
  
• Use visual management tools: Use visual management tools like Kanban boards to get a bird’s eye view. This helps you track progress and spot bottlenecks.
  
• Communicate well and often: Promote open communication channels within your team and with stakeholders. Top tip: collaborative tools like Backlog and Cacoo are cloud-based, and come with built-in sharing and commenting capabilities, which is great for keeping everyone engaged.
  

Product management tools were made for Agile 

Understanding Agile principles helps you manage software development with clarity, momentum, and flexibility. So it makes sense to choose tools that are built on these same principles. 

Product management software offers the structure and flexibility you need to thrive. With Backlog, our own platform, you can set tasks, create dynamic Kanban boards, and monitor workflow progress from one place. 

Whether you’re running Agile as a development team or an entire business, using real-time tools that make tracking and automation easy gives you the flexibility you need to consistently release top-quality, user-pleasing products. Ready to take it for a spin?