Agile cures common problems that we experience in software development, however, there are limitations to Agile. It may seem like a silver bullet, but there are circumstances under which Agile is not the best choice for development, or at a minimum, not to develop the entire project.
The problems with the waterfall model are well known and understood by most by now. The waterfall methodology at a high level appeals to executives because it provides a clean way of thinking about a problem.
After all:
- you can’t design something before you have the requirements
- you can’t code something before you have the design
- you can’t test something before you do the coding
These facts are true in Agile as well. The only difference is that you don’t try to do all of any phase as a big bang. We understand that unless we use some kind of iterative process we can’t return to a previous phase and fix anything. So the Agile process looks as follows:
That is, instead of doing all of one phase as a big bang, we do a bit at a time. Some methodologies call the code that results from each sprint as a ‘brick’, and through building bricks, we eventually complete the wall. So Agile is essentially slicing up the waterfall methodology, but all of the work that needs to be done is still done.
So why on earth would we use a waterfall process for ANYTHING?
Well one of the hidden assumptions of Agile is that you can build all software projects one brick at a time. But, when was the last time that you saw contractors show up and just start building a skyscraper without a plan?
I mean, isn’t it just a matter of building the skyscraper one layer at a time, why bother with planning?
Even though a skyscraper will be built one floor at a time from the bottom up, there still needs to be some architectural planning that happens first. The materials in the support structure of the building together with the common components that provide common services to each floor (plumbing, electricity, air conditioning) need to be planned out in advance.
If insufficient planning is put into the architecture, then insufficient plumbing is put in place to drive water to the top of the building, insufficient breakers are purchased to support the electrical needs, insufficiently strong materials might be put in place to hold the weight of the building.
To some degree software is malleable and you can add things after the fact. But there is often a cost to add things after the fact which is much higher than if the element was designed up front. For example, you could add add a parking garage to the Empire State building, but it would be cost prohibitive. If they had wanted a garage, it should have been built when the building was constructed.
So any project that will require serious architecture should pause and plan for the structural and connective elements that will be required by the project. The requirements that are tied to the architecture should be developed first so that the architecture of the project is developed first. Of course, the architecture can be developed using Agile or the traditional waterfall approach.
Once the architecture is in place, then the rest of development can be done using Agile knowing that all the structures and connective elements are in place. This is akin to building the skyscraper one floor at a time once the architecture is planned.
The alternative to building out the architecture first is that you find yourself in the position of having architected a building of 10 floors and then realize that you need to have 30 floors. The initial architecture which came together quickly will be snowed under by the work arounds that you need to as you get above 10 floors. You might get to 15 or 20 floors, but you will never finish the project.
Things that would be expensive to add after you have built a few floors:
- Needing an extra elevator
- Needing an extra floor in the parking garage
- Needing the entire building cabled with fiber optics
Most projects do not require advanced architectures, just like most 2 story houses don’t need to have architects. But if your project is large and has serious architectural considerations then you are best suited to plan for the architecture up front.
Make sure to plan the architecture before doing Agile development.
| Reference: | Hidden Assumption of Agile from our JCG partner Dalip Mahal at the Accelerated Development blog. |
