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The Agile Manifesto was created in 2001 by 17 software engineers to establish basic principles for agile software development. Agile processes, such as extreme programming and scrum, aim to create better methods for software development that support changes in business requirements and customer feedback. The manifesto values individuals and interactions, working software, collaboration with customers, and responding to changes. The goal is to create an iterative development process that prioritizes customer engagement and allows for modifications to the final product.
The Agile Manifesto was the public statement made on February 11, 2001 by 17 of the most visionary software engineers on the subject of the agile software development process. At the time of this meeting, agile software development was a new concept, with many options for developers to choose from. The Agile Manifesto was an effort to bring together all the brilliant minds of agile computing in one place, in an effort to agree on the basic principles and ideas of all agile processes in the future.
Some good examples of the agile development process include extreme programming, scrum, adaptive software development, and the dynamic systems development method (DSDM). Each of these processes attempts to create better methods for implementing computer software. The key improvement of all of these methods is that software development should be produced in a way that supports changes in business requirements and does not require processes that close the customer feedback loop.
Before the agile development process was created, all software development was completed in a waterfall method. The term “waterfall” is used to define the straight working model process which requires all requirements up front to be completed and defined with a final that will include all defined features. Just like a waterfall, there is a clear beginning and end to all system development. This development process does not allow for requirements to be changed until an entire software application is complete.
A public meeting was held at a cabin in Snowbird, Utah under the coordination of Robert Martin. Attendees list includes Kent Beck, Dave Tomas, Mike Beedle, Jeff Sutherland, Arie van Bennekum, Ken Schwaber, Aistiar Cockburn, Steve Mellor, Ward Cunningham, Robert C. Martin, Martin Fowler, Brian Marick, James Grenning, John Kern , Jim Highsmith, Ron Jeffries and Andrew Hunt. While all of these individuals were proponents of lightweight and agile development methodologies, each had their own preferences on how to implement the methodology.
Four key values have been defined and shared by the signatories of the Agile Manifesto. The first was to value individuals and interactions over tools and processes. Second, software that worked was evaluated on comprehensive paperwork. Collaboration with the customer was seen as more important than contract negotiations. Finally, the group made a commitment to value responding to changes in following a plan.
The essence of this team and the Agile Manifesto was to create a development environment process that understands the importance of the customer. This could be done, they believed, by collaborating openly and continuously with the customer. Communication would help ensure that the work performed actually delivers business value and allows for customer feedback.
In addition to the core values, the Agile Manifesto also includes several key principles that have reinforced the belief that early and often customer engagement delivers better overall software applications. By creating an iterative software process, the customer has the ability to modify the final product allowing for changes to the requirements. Application perception is better because a functioning system is a primary measure of progress made on the system.
