The Agile Manifesto is a foundational document in the field of Agile software development, which was created in 2001 by a group of seventeen software developers who came together to discuss more effective and flexible ways of developing software. The manifesto is a set of guiding values and principles that emphasize a more adaptive, collaborative, and customer-focused approach to software development.
The Agile Manifesto consists of four core values:
- Individuals and interactions over processes and tools: This value highlights the importance of communication, collaboration, and interpersonal relationships in a development team. While processes and tools have their place, the Agile Manifesto emphasizes that human interactions are essential for creating high-quality software.
- Working software over comprehensive documentation: The Agile Manifesto prioritizes the delivery of functional software over excessive documentation. While documentation is still necessary, Agile methodologies aim to reduce the time spent on creating extensive documentation and focus more on producing working software that meets the needs of the customers.
- Customer collaboration over contract negotiation: Agile methodologies promote active collaboration between the development team and the customer or end-user. This value emphasizes the importance of understanding and addressing the customer’s needs throughout the development process, rather than just focusing on meeting contractual requirements.
- Responding to change over following a plan: The Agile Manifesto acknowledges that change is inevitable during software development and emphasizes the need to be flexible and adaptive. Agile teams should be able to respond to changing requirements, even late in the development process, to ensure that the final product remains relevant and valuable to the customer.
In addition to these core values, the Agile Manifesto also outlines twelve guiding principles that further describe the Agile approach to software development. These principles expand upon the values and provide a more detailed framework for implementing Agile methodologies.
The Agile Manifesto has had a significant impact on the software development industry, leading to the widespread adoption of Agile methodologies like Scrum, Kanban, Extreme Programming (XP), and others.
By embracing the values and principles of the Agile Manifesto, development teams can work more efficiently, effectively, and collaboratively, delivering high-quality software that meets the evolving needs of their customers.
Here is the link to the Manifesto for Agile Software Development.