Agile is a Multi – Iterative Lifecycle (Means we break the project in multi small pieces.). In this at the end of each iteration (sprint) we have something (piece) to deliver to the customer and take their feedback. After all the sprints we will have a product ready and there will be no surprise at the end J  .

There are various versions of Agile. Scrum, Extreme programming, Scan Man. As I have worked in Scrum model. So we will discuss about Scrum model. In market Scrum model is famous, that’s why in marker 80 -85% Agile projects are implemented in Scrum model.

Agile advantage:

a)       More visibility, no surprise at last (like in waterfall model)

b)      We spend least time in documentation.  Means we require only small amount of documentation which is required to run the project smooth.

              Agile disadvantage:

a)       Team should be well versed of agile process, otherwise you will lag in timelines.

b)      It’s expensive as you need experienced resources to implement Agile lifecycle. If team is not experienced in domain you will lag in timelines to understand more about domain.

How we run a Agile Scrum model.

1)     User Stories: An Agile user story is meant to be short, usually fitting on a sticky note or note card. The user stories should be written by the business user in the language of the customer so that it is clear to both the business and the development team what the customer wants and why he wants it. The development team's job is to take care of how to develop the code that will satisfy the requirements of the user story. In best-case scenarios, developers collaborate closely with the business owners to clarify the details as the code gets developed.

              User Story parts, that we can take care while taking user story:

1.1)        What is Role that is going to execute this user story.

1.2)        What is the feature that is going to executed in this user story.

1.3)        Benefits.

2)     These User story is kept in a collection called Backlog.

   There are different types of backlogs:

     2.1) Product Backlog: This backlog will have all the user stories from each sprints.

     2.2) Release Backlog: This backlog will contain user stories from some sprints (set of sprints), which is required to release some feature of the product.

     2.3) Sprint Backlog: This backlog will contain user stories which is required for a specific sprint.

3)     Sprint Planning: An important activity in sprint planning is Prioritization. Means we decide based on customer discussion which user story is more important and critical for the end user. We should take care critical user story first in our initial sprints or release, so that we will know that in advance what is the level of  information (Fit/Gap analysis )is need for the future release.

According to bandwidth of team we decide the product back log items needs to cover in the coming sprint.

Functional Design Document: The functional design documentation is created after the requirements document has been signed off and the Fit/Gap analysis is completed in conjunction with the CRP (Conference Room Pilot). This documentation describes the features of the desired customizations. The document can include things such as flowcharts, screenshots, wire frames, and so on. At a minimum, an FDD will contain an organized list of requirements that can be used for development, testing, and client signoff.

Documenting minutes for Sprint planning: Scrum Master will facilitate the meeting.In sprint planning, the entire team agrees to complete a set of product backlog items (include new functionality, bugs, and risks).

4)     Sprint Execution: To keep track of our development is an important task, otherwise we can deviate from our timelines. So to keep track we conduct short meetings (Daily scrum calls) each day.

   In Daily scrum calls we have below agenda:

    4.1)  What has completed yesterday. (status update)

    4.2) What we are going to complete today. (planning update)

    4.3) Problem update (so that team member will able to help you out)

         After meeting, these Daily scrum calls is compiled by Scrum master. He create a burn down chart (a graphical representation) what activities we have completed and in progress. So he tracks everything regarding workhours of user story. If we have completed the user story before the time then it gives him privilege to add more user story for the iteration.

While development we can Determining Velocity, Determining Capacity.

https://www.leadingagile.com/2012/08/simple-cheat-sheet-to-sprint-planning-meeting/

5)     Sprint review: Each sprint ends with a two-part sprint review meeting. It starts with a Customer review (demo) and ends with the Team retrospective. Both of these components occur on the last day of the sprint.  For example, a 30 day Sprint would result in a four hour review and a three hour retrospective. A two weeks Sprint would result in a two hour review and a one-and-a-half hour retrospective. 

CRP (Conference Room Pilot)stage is needed right from the initiation of the project till the end before UAT so we can develop the project, implement it and if there are any bugs then we can fix it. identify how well the application meets business needs, and identify gaps,

Solution Prototype (Ensuring Your Solution is Feasible and Viable)The feasibility of your solution is about whether or not you are able to implement your solution in an effective manner. It not only affects your company’s operations as it seeks to implement your product or service, but it also impacts your users’ experiences in a direct way.

Wireframe documentation: For example we show simple blueprint of website how the website will look like. At a deeper level, a wireframe is also very useful in determining how the user interacts with the interface. 

Some of the famous wireframe tools are Adobe CS, Visio, Axure, Flairbuilder