Using the material in this chapter and your own Internet research, prepare a presentation on the pros and cons of agile development methods.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answers will vary, depending on the additional research students may perform. Agile methodology is becoming very popular. Its supporters boast that it speeds up software development and delivers precisely what the customer wants, when the customer wants it, while fostering teamwork and empowering employees.
However, there are drawbacks to this adaptive rather than predictive method. Critics of agile development often claim that because it focuses on quick iterations and fast releases, it lacks discipline and produces systems of questionable quality. In addition, larger projects may not work as well with an agile method because of their complexity and the lack of focus on a well-defined end product.
Before implementing an agile development project, the proposed system and development methods should be examined carefully. As experienced IT professionals know, a one-size-fits-all solution does not exist. For more information on agile methods, refer to the detailed discussion of systems development methods in Chapter 1.