The benefits of going agile are multi-fold but many software companies still wonder if agile will work for them, which agile model or practices to choose from, and how to make the transition to agile. Also, agile is not only about software development but about entire businesses and business processes, and hence one would need to look at the big picture as adopting agile practices would affect almost every part of an organization. There are dozens of Agile methods, a detailed list of which can be found at Wikipedia and the Agile alliance. Interestingly, even these two lists are not identical and there is on-going debate on which processes can be considered agile, and almost everyone adapts and implements the same agile processes differently. After all, you cannot use the same agile approach with a team of six and a team of six hundred. The difference between building a data warehouse and an online ordering system on the other hand may be more subtle and harder for stakeholders to understand that it potentially requires different agile approaches. So choosing the right agile method depends on the type and size of your product/ project, the criticality of the project, the location of the team members, and even the technology that is being used. To get started with Agile, teams should equip themselves with knowledge about the different agile methodologies and the practices that form a part of these methodologies. Attending conferences and workshops where practical examples and best practices are shared is also encouraged. What’s important next is to figure out which practices to adopt based on how it would address your requirement and what is the business value that can be derived from it. For example, if your goal is to reduce time-to-market, you can consider the agile practices of iterations, iteration backlogs and stand-up meetings. If increasing quality is the primary goal, automated developer tests, pair programming, user stories and continuous integration can work well for you. There can be a lot of overlap between the various Agile processes
and many successful practitioners adapt and adopt practices on an
individual basis. Trying a pilot project can give teams a chance to
understand and adapt to agile practices, make mistakes and learn
from them. Also, instead of a big-bang approach to agile, a gradual
transition (say from 9 to 6 to a 3 month release cycle) can cause
less confusion and allow the teams involved to better adapt to
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