a·gen·tic a·gil·i·ty class·i·fic·at·ion

Software Development: Accelerating Delivery Through Agile and DevOps Practices

Systematic approaches and practices for delivering high-quality software solutions through iterative development, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Techniques and methodologies for high-quality software engineering.

Image
https://nkdagility.com/resources/software-development/
Subscribe

Overview

Software Development encompasses the techniques and methodologies employed to engineer high-quality software solutions that meet user needs and business objectives. It is a systematic approach that integrates various practices, including Agile, Lean, and DevOps, to enhance collaboration, efficiency, and adaptability within teams. This concept is crucial as it enables organisations to deliver value predictably and sustainably, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and responsiveness to change.

By focusing on iterative development, teams can quickly adapt to feedback and evolving requirements, ensuring that the software remains relevant and effective. The emphasis on automation, testing, and integration within Software Development practices reduces the risk of defects and accelerates delivery cycles, allowing for frequent releases that enhance customer satisfaction. Moreover, it promotes a holistic view of the software lifecycle, encouraging cross-functional collaboration and knowledge sharing among team members.

This long-term, systemic approach not only improves the quality of the software produced but also cultivates an environment where innovation thrives, enabling organisations to remain competitive in a rapidly changing market. The integration of evidence-based management principles further supports informed decision-making, ensuring that teams can navigate complexity and uncertainty effectively. By prioritising these practices, organisations can achieve a sustainable competitive advantage through enhanced software development capabilities that align with their strategic goals and customer expectations.

Views:
Subscribe
Product Development

Explores why diligence—consistent attention to quality and standards—is vital in Agile teams, how it’s often overlooked, and practical steps to foster …

Videos Videos
Read more about The Overlooked Virtue of Agility: Diligence
Scrum

Explains why a clear Definition of Done is vital in Agile and Scrum for quality delivery, transparency, and risk mitigation, with tips for team …

Videos Videos
Read more about Unlocking Success in Agile: Why Your Definition of Done is Essential for Quality Delivery
Product Development

Learn to spot six key signs of sloth in Agile teams, including missed deliveries, ignored feedback, rigid processes, and lack of adaptation, to …

Videos Videos
Read more about Conquering Sloth in Agile: 6 Signs Your Team Might Be Stalling
Product Development

Understand and apply Agile Values and Principles based on first principles. Build a foundation for true agility and continuous value delivery

Tags Tags (68)
Read more about Agile Values and Principles
Product Management

Learn how Evidence-Based Management uses data to guide Agile teams, improve decision-making, track value, and boost innovation, customer satisfaction, …

Videos Videos
Read more about Mastering Evidence-Based Management for Agile Success
Product Development

Delivering usable, working products frequently is key to reducing risk in Agile. Focus on feedback, automation, and lean practices over excessive …

Blog Blog
Read more about How Usable Working Products Are Your Ultimate Weapon Against Risks
Product Management

Explains how to gather key metrics for evidence-based management in software organisations, focusing on value delivery, time to market, and ability to …

Blog Blog
Read more about Evidence-based Management: Gathering the metrics
Product Development

Explains why rejecting individual backlog items at Sprint Review is a misconception, highlighting Scrum’s focus on learning, collaboration, and …

Blog Blog
Read more about The fallacy of the rejected backlog item
Scrum

The Definition of Done can evolve to improve quality but should not be weakened or vary per backlog item. Consistency ensures transparency and …

Blog Blog
Read more about Can the Definition of Done change per Sprint?
Product Development

The US Department of Defence now requires agile, iterative software development, ending mandatory waterfall methods and influencing global government …

Blog Blog
Read more about DOD has made it illegal to do waterfall
Engineering Excellence

Explains how modern business applications use continuous delivery to release new features frequently, reduce risk, and improve customer satisfaction …

Blog Blog
Read more about Continuous value delivery with modern business applications
Product Development

Resilience must be built into products from the start, ensuring they withstand failures like outages or network loss, rather than being treated as an …

Signals Signals
Read more about Resilience is not a department
Scrum

Many product development surprises stem from poor backlog management, not true unknowns. Regular refinement and reflection help teams anticipate and …

Signals Signals
Read more about Not all surprises in product development are true unknowns
Scrum

Explains why relying on story points and velocity signals team immaturity in Scrum, and highlights better ways to build confidence and predictability …

Blog Blog
Read more about Story Points & Velocity are a sign of an unsuccessful team
Engineering Excellence

Explains the importance of passing builds, common causes of build failures, how to identify issues and responsible users, and best practices for build …

Blog Blog
Read more about Who broke the build?
Product Development

Learn how to spot fake Agile practices using six key questions from the US Department of Defense, and discover steps to assess and improve true Agile …

Videos Videos
Read more about Detecting Agile BS: Lessons from the US Department of Defense
Product Development

A practical guide to Evidence-Based Management, showing how organisations use experiments, feedback, and key value areas to improve value delivery …

Guides Guides
Read more about The Evidence-Based Management Guide: Improving Value Delivery under Conditions of Uncertainty
Scrum

Explains why Sprints are valuable even with continuous delivery, highlighting benefits for planning, feedback, communication, and predictability in …

Blog Blog
Read more about I do continuous deliver, why should I Sprint?
Software Development

Provides ALM consulting, training, and assessments across Scotland, UK, and Europe, specialising in lean-agile, TFS, Visual Studio, Scrum, and process …

Blog Blog
Read more about ALM Consulting in Scotland, UK, Scandinavia & Europe
Scrum

Reflects on lessons learned at SSW in software process, technology, and communication, and details a career move to an ALM consultant role at …

Blog Blog
Read more about A change for the better #3 - SSW to Northwest Cadence
Product Development

Understand the Agile philosophy and its impact on organisations. Go beyond frameworks to explore Agile as a guiding ethos for value delivery.

Tags Tags (166)
Read more about Agile Philosophy
Leadership

Explores the difference between adopting agile practices superficially and truly embracing agile values, highlighting the need for deep organisational …

Blog Blog
Read more about There is no "do agile" there is only "be agile"
Engineering Excellence

Explores challenges and solutions for manual testing in agile software development, focusing on tracking, automation, actionable bugs, and integrated …

Blog Blog
Read more about Testing in the modern application lifecycle
Leadership

Explores how Scrum Masters and Product Owners balance leadership, authority, and team autonomy to ensure accountability, effective self-management, …

Blog Blog
Read more about Balance of Leadership and Control in Scrum
Engineering Excellence

Explores how automation boosts software development by reducing errors, speeding up deployments, and ensuring consistent, high-quality releases in …

Videos Videos
Read more about Unlocking the Future of Software Development: Why Automation is Your Key to Success
Application Lifecycle Management

Overview of a session at NDC London demonstrating new features in Team Foundation Server and Visual Studio Online, with end-to-end ALM demos for .NET …

Blog Blog
Read more about NDC London: Second Look, Team Foundation Server & VSO
Product Development

Explores how greed in Agile leads to overwork and reduced value, offering strategies for value-driven delivery, balanced sprints, team trust, and …

Videos Videos
Read more about 7 Deadly Sins of Agile: Greed
Product Development

Compares Agile’s risk mitigation through incremental, usable products with traditional project management’s reliance on documentation, highlighting …

Blog Blog
Read more about Risk Mitigation: Agile Usable Products vs Documentation in Traditional Project Management
Scrum

Reflects on experiences with Professional Scrum, highlighting its impact on software development, team culture, training, and the challenges of …

Blog Blog
Read more about My journey into Professional Scrum
Scrum

Scrum Masters require proven expertise, not entry-level skills. Hiring juniors in this role risks team performance and agile success; experience is …

Signals Signals
Read more about Would you hire a Junior CISO? A Junior Financial Director
Product Development

Explains how Kaizen’s continuous improvement principles enhance Scrum and Agile teams, with practical tips for retrospectives, workflow optimisation, …

Videos Videos
Read more about The Power of Kaizen: Continuous Improvement in Scrum and Beyond
Scrum

Explains how involving everyone in Professional Scrum training fosters organisational agility, breaks down silos, and empowers teams to drive …

Blog Blog
Read more about Professional Scrum is for everyone in your organisation
Software Development

Explains why treating bugs as tasks in Azure DevOps is an anti-pattern, its impact on transparency, quality, and planning, and offers guidance for …

Blog Blog
Read more about Avoid the Bug as Task anti-pattern in Azure DevOps
Product Development

Explores whether Scrum Teams should adopt No Estimates, comparing estimation methods, team maturity, and metrics like cycle time, throughput, WIP, and …

Blog Blog
Read more about No Estimates and is it advisable for a Scrum Team to adopt it?
Pragmatic Thinking

Explains how to use a single Team Project and Team Field in TFS to streamline cross-team work item tracking, reporting, and collaboration across …

Blog Blog
Read more about TFS for cross team and cross business line work item tracking
Product Management

Ensuring every team member understands and connects their daily work to the product vision and strategic goals is key to true Agile alignment, …

Videos Videos
Read more about Does Your Team Truly Understand Your Product Vision and Goals?
Product Development

The biggest challenge with new scrum teams is overcoming misconceptions about scrum and shifting focus from process mechanics to core agile principles …

Videos Videos
Read more about What is the hardest part of working with a brand-new scrum team?
Engineering Excellence

Explores whether Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) is a useful term, its role in agile software delivery, and differences in adoption across …

Blog Blog
Read more about Is ALM a useful term?
Product Development

A personal account of moving from traditional project management to Agile, highlighting lessons learned with Scrum and DevOps to improve teamwork, …

Videos Videos
Read more about From Developer to Agile Advocate: How My Journey Unveiled the Power of Scrum and DevOps
Product Development

Explains how Agile teams can measure and improve Time to Market using key metrics like lead time, cycle time, and time to fix to deliver value to …

Videos Videos
Read more about How Do You Know How Long It Takes to Deliver Value?
Product Development

Explores how visionary Product Owners at Microsoft drove Agile transformation, shortened feedback cycles, and reshaped product development culture and …

Videos Videos
Read more about Biggest contribution from a Product Owner that you know of
Scrum

Professional Scrum training introduced Ghana Police officers to Agile methods, using hands-on sprints to support organisational change and …

Blog Blog
Read more about Professional Scrum Training for the Ghana Police Service
Product Development

Explores how Agile teams can avoid overloading backlogs, Sprints, and products by focusing on prioritisation, value delivery, and lean, effective …

Videos Videos
Read more about 7 deadly sins of Agile: Gluttony
Software Development

Learn best practices for organising solution and project files in version control, including folder structure, naming conventions, and branching for …

Blog Blog
Read more about Guidance: How to layout you files for an Ideal Solution
Scrum

Identifies seven common Agile pitfalls—quick fixes, backlog overload, resource focus, lack of accountability, blame, imitation, and pride—and offers …

Videos Videos
Read more about Avoiding the Seven Deadly Sins of Agile: Transform Your Organisation for True Agility
Scrum

Explains recent changes to Scrum aimed at reducing rigidity, clarifying core practices, and providing a checklist to help teams assess if they are …

Blog Blog
Read more about Are you doing Scrum? Really?
Software Development

Explores how software factories, web services, and specialised development teams can speed up software delivery, improve adaptability, and meet …

Blog Blog
Read more about The future of software development
Product Development

The PSU course bridges the gap in product development by integrating user experience and design into Scrum, enabling teams to deliver more valuable, …

Videos Videos
Read more about Why do you think the PSU course has become so popular for product development?
Product Development

Agile emphasises values and principles to guide teams through complex, uncertain work, enabling adaptation and improvement where fixed steps cannot …

Videos Videos
Read more about Why does Agile focus on values and principles rather than a prescribed set of steps?
Scrum

Explains how to integrate Design Sprint activities within Scrum by embedding design and UX work into regular sprints and backlog refinement, avoiding …

Blog Blog
Read more about How do you incorporate a Design Sprint in Scrum?
Scrum

Summary of a multi-team Professional Scrum training at DFDS Seaways in Immingham, UK, highlighting co-located learning, cross-team collaboration, and …

Blog Blog
Read more about Professional Scrum in Immingham, UK
Scrum

Covers a two-day, hands-on Scrum.org course in Alameda, teaching Scrum principles, teamwork, and practical software delivery for all roles in the …

Blog Blog
Read more about Professional Scrum Foundations in Alameda, California
Scrum

Explains burndown charts in Scrum, their purpose, common issues, and compares tracking by hours, story points, and acceptance tests to improve team …

Blog Blog
Read more about What's in a burndown?
Scrum

Covers hands-on experiences teaching the Professional Scrum Foundations course in Salt Lake City, highlighting teamwork, agile practices, and …

Blog Blog
Read more about Professional Scrum Foundations in Salt Lake City, Utah
Product Development

Explores the US Department of Defence’s shift from traditional waterfall delivery to lean-agile methods, highlighting new procurement rules and the …

Signals Signals
Read more about US Department of Defence and the History of Waterfall Delivery
Engineering Excellence

Explores how automation in software development reduces human error, improves reliability, and streamlines workflows, using real-world examples and …

Videos Videos
Read more about Why Embracing Automation is Essential for Reducing Human Error in Software Development
Technical Leadership

Learn what to look for when hiring an Agile coach, including key qualities like teaching, mentoring, and inspiring teams to adopt Agile practices and …

Videos Videos
Read more about Hiring an Agile Coach: What You Need to Know
Product Development

Learn how Kanban practices can be integrated into Professional Scrum teams to improve workflow, transparency, and delivery using the new Scrum.org PSK …

Blog Blog
Read more about Introducing Kanban for Professional Scrum Teams

Our Happy Clients​

We partner with businesses across diverse industries, including finance, insurance, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, technology, engineering, transportation, hospitality, entertainment, legal, government, and military sectors.​

Jack Links Logo

Jack Links

Brandes Investment Partners L.P. Logo

Brandes Investment Partners L.P.

Lockheed Martin Logo

Lockheed Martin

Kongsberg Maritime Logo

Kongsberg Maritime

Graham & Brown Logo

Graham & Brown

Ericson Logo

Ericson

Epic Games Logo

Epic Games

Deliotte Logo

Deliotte

DFDS Logo

DFDS

Illumina Logo

Illumina

ProgramUtvikling Logo

ProgramUtvikling

MacDonald Humfrey (Automation) Ltd. Logo

MacDonald Humfrey (Automation) Ltd.

CR2

Higher Education Statistics Agency Logo

Higher Education Statistics Agency

YearUp.org Logo

YearUp.org

Trayport Logo

Trayport

Boeing Logo

Boeing

Bistech Logo

Bistech

Royal Air Force Logo

Royal Air Force

Washington Department of Transport Logo

Washington Department of Transport

Department of Work and Pensions (UK) Logo

Department of Work and Pensions (UK)

Washington Department of Enterprise Services Logo

Washington Department of Enterprise Services

Nottingham County Council Logo

Nottingham County Council

Ghana Police Service Logo

Ghana Police Service

NIT A/S

Graham & Brown Logo

Graham & Brown

Lean SA Logo

Lean SA

Boeing Logo

Boeing

Slaughter and May Logo

Slaughter and May

Cognizant Microsoft Business Group (MBG) Logo

Cognizant Microsoft Business Group (MBG)