Do We Need an Agile Coach

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Agile vs DevOps has a lot of differences, starting with a prime one, Agile is a philosophy that helps in developing and delivering software. Whereas DevOps is a method to bring Developers & Operation teams in a single platform to design, develop, and deploy the software.

What is Agile?

Agile is an ideology that has some core values described in the Agile Manifesto that help developers to simplify their work. In contrast, Agile enables developers to break down a project into multiple chunks, called sprints. Thereafter, a team of developers and operations work on each sprint and later on compile them as a final product. Now, let’s dive deeper into Agile, its manifesto, and more.

The Agile methodology is a continuous approach to developing and testing software as per the customer’s review. This method focuses on quality rather than quantity, and it’s quite flexible compared to the waterfall model.

In this method, different phases or cycles that are associated with developing software are divided into units, and each unit is termed Sprint. Now, the team will work on each sprint, and when they are done, then each sprint will be integrated for testing.

This process is dynamic, which allows a team to change any codes during an initial phase based on the customer’s feedback. Well, to be more precise, some sections of the software are released for public use so that a team can collect feedback, and if any changes are required, then they can make it on a live project.

So, this kind of method not only gives users a quality product but also enables a team to work effectively by using some supportive tools, such as Kanban, Scrum, Extreme Programming, and more. The agile method is very useful in delivering quality products, and that’s the reason it is also used in the project management field.

Four core values of Agile Manifesto

For a better understanding of Agile vs DevOps, you must be familiar with the core values of Agile. Any method that is applied to get the desired goal has some set of principles, core values, objectives, and more. Likewise, Agile has a manifesto that has four principal core values which enable the Agile practitioner to perform any software development task effectively. Now, let’s see the four values of Agile Manifesto in a comprehensive manner.

1. Individuals and interactions over processes and tools

When a group of 17 members were analyzing the problem while framing the Agile manifesto, they observed that during that period, most companies focused on the software development cycles rather than team management. So, they came up with the first principle that companies should focus more on individuals and they should interact with others to form a healthy team.

The software can be developed by a group of individuals, but if they lack coordination and communication, then there will be a high chance that such software will fail to mark its presence in the market. So, for a successful business, it is essential that companies should focus more on team building rather than software development processes and tools.

2. Customer collaboration over contract negotiation

Contract negotiation is a time-consuming process where quantity is focused over quality. However, quality is more important, and for the better judgment of any software, user feedback is essential. The first core value of the Agile Manifesto focuses on users' feedback so that the team can develop, and deploy software based on their needs.

3. Working software over comprehensive documentation

In the 2000 era, most companies focused on documentation work rather than putting effort into software development. So, the core objective of this manifesto is to concentrate on building software that matches the users’ demands and gives less priority to documentation work.

4. Responding to change over following a plan

In the case of the waterfall model, it was very rigid because a team couldn’t move to the second phase before completing the first. But, the Agile Manifesto gives a vision that a process is dynamic, and it should follow the user’s needs and perspective as they also change with time.

So, a flexible approach should be applied while developing software so that whenever any changes are required with time, they can be done in the middle of the project. This approach gives quality work and also fulfills the needs of users at that time.

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What is DevOps?

DevOps is also a method that enables Developer and Operation teams to work on the same platform. This approach enhances productivity because of the combined team effort and utilization of several tools and techniques. DevOps focuses on a continuous process of building, monitoring, testing, and deploying software.

Additionally, DevOps also has 6 basic principles that make the process smooth, reliable, and thus enhance productivity. When I was getting training of DevOps project manager, I learned about these six principles, and they are listed below.

Continuous Integration (CI)
Continuous Delivery (CD)
Continuous Testing (CT)
Continuous Deployment
Continuous Operation(CO)
Continuous Collaboration (CC)

Here, every principle has a term ‘continuous’, which means DevOps is a dynamic process where any changes can be done at any phase of software development. Most importantly, this method shows the blend of two professional teams where culture, techniques, and visions are shared that give the utmost quality of product to the users.

Read this: What is Finops

What are the similarities between Agile and DevOps?

Agile and devops are primarily used for software development, but their approaches are different. Considering their similarities, many developers use the combination of both, i.e., agile devops to handle a complex project. So let’s see some similarities between them.

Vision

Both agile and devops have the same vision, i.e., continuous improvement in software development that should meet the expectations of end-users. They aim to build a team and enhance mutual understanding among team members when completing a task. Such an objective reduces effort and time and enables team members to fix any loopholes before deploying software.

Quality

Quality is the key to the success of any business, and both agile and devops stress more on the testing part so as to fix bugs before deploying software. Through these methods, the team undergoes multiple tests, which include unit tests, functional tests, and many more. So many tests are performed by a team with the intention of giving a quality product to end-users so that they can use it without facing any issues.

Feedback Oriented

Agile and DevOps focus on feedback so that the software of an application meets the end-user's needs. The agile practitioner divides a project into sprints and, after working on each of them, releases it for feedback. This approach helps them to make changes in a sprint in real time so that a final result meets the user’s demand.

Likewise, the DevOps project manager collects user feedback after the launch of a beta version of the software. This method also helps a team to resolve any glitch in software intending that the desired result fulfills the user’s need.

When do Agile and DevOps work together?

Agile and DevOps have one common goal: generating quality products. Agile Manifesto and Agile frameworks, such as Kanban or Scrum, are applied by developers to deliver quality applications. In addition, they also use some Agile tools, such as Jira and GitHub to get the desired result.

Likewise, DevOps also supports some automotive tools, including Git, Maven, and more, that enable developers in software development cycles. So, both can be merged together to improve the cycles of software development.

1. Testing: Both agile and devops have different ways of testing. The former focuses on the core values and tools, whereas the latter largely depends on repetitive testing via automated tools. So, together, agile devops can be very efficient in the testing process in offering quality products.

2. Development: Agile and DevOps largely focus on the development cycle, which shows that without a team’s effort, software can’t be deployed. Agile practices enhance the skills of the agile practitioner and enable him/her to coordinate with the team effectively. DevOps acts as a bridge between the developer and operation team that shows the development cycle in a team. So, when both Agile and DevOps come together, then undoubtedly, they will enhance the team’s development.

Also Read: Why Does Devops Recommend Shift-left Testing Principles

Agile and DevOps culture

The major difference between agile and devops is their cultures. Agile focuses on managing each sprint of the project, and when all sprints are fine, then after integration, it goes for testing. However, DevOps culture is to make a bridge between Developers and Operation teams to increase productivity and get the desired result.

Additionally, Agile’s culture is focused on continuous improvement in each sprint, whereas DevOps focuses more on CI/CD so as to deploy software quickly to end-users. Moreover, the Agile team’s prime focus is on creating software as they don’t take part in deployment, whereas DevOps uses prebuilt software and makes necessary changes wherever required.

Conclusion

Agile vs DevOps is a heated topic as both are the most demanding software development methodologies that work on a certain set of principles. They have some similarities but also some differences, as Agile has some core values and works based on them, whereas DevOps minimizes the gap between the developers and the operation team.

However, CSM certification helps you dive deeper into this subject and get placed in an IT firm. Certified Scrum Master Certification helps you to understand Agile and the execution of Agile tools easily. Once you have this certification, then you can easily get a handsome salary in any software development company. So, in my perspective, both these methodology has their own significance, and collaborating with them will enhance the work’s efficiency.

FAQs

1. Which is better, Agile or DevOps?

Both agile and devops have different principles where; the former delivers better results with limited requirements after collecting user feedback, and DevOps contributes to speeding the testing & deployment of applications. So, depending on the project requirements, one can choose Agile or DevOps.

2. Has DevOps replaced Agile?

No, Agile has its core essence, and its method helps in developing software through multiple stages. However, DevOps is an advanced method that works on prebuilt software offered by Agile.