Process: Agile Development

In 2023, “software is eating the world.” Software drives most companies today. This means that more and more companies are becoming agile—and so are the processes and methods by which these companies function. Most companies are on the lookout for methods that reduce their products’ time to market, which can be challenging for in-house teams such as testing teams. As a result, software-testing professionals need to curate a solid approach that lets them keep up with all the changes, updates, and operations.

In agile, regression testing can help teams focus on new functionalities, but also preserve the stability of each product increment and update. Teams use regression testing to ensure that tested software continues to perform well after every modification. Read More

Agile development and UX design are like a couple in an arranged marriage—a relationship between two strangers who are expected to coexist, develop trust and respect, and eventually, love each other. Throw UX research into the mix and you have the makings of an even more awkward alliance, as you can see in this typical conversation between a UX designer and a product owner, somewhere in the middle of Sprint 0:

If you use—or want to start using—an agile-development process, you probably already know its benefits, but you might not be as aware of one of its main drawbacks. Even though 46% of US organizations and 85% internationally report that they’ve used an agile approach within the past year, communicating your agile process to clients remains a challenge.

Specifically, the problem is bridging the gap between clients’ expectations of the process and the way agile really works. But overcoming this difficulty is well worth the effort if you wind up with a first-rate product and a fully satisfied client.

Of course, some clients are already quite familiar with how agile works. However, for those who aren’t—and whose previous experience was with waterfall product-development approaches—explaining the process and merits of agile can be tough. Sure, your clients might know some agile buzzwords, be familiar with some of the tools, or know the importance of meetings to the agile process. However, it’s unlikely that they understand how agile actually works in practice. Read More