When we are invited to speak to a client about the effectiveness and results of Scrum at the outset, we are regularly asked about other agile methods. We refer to a Gartner study which, in our experience, is still very relevant.
Analysts from the Best Quality Institute (BQI) have compared the most important methods of agile software development. In its 2009/2010 ‘Hype Cycle for Application Development’, Gartner categorised agile methods with the maturity level ‘Early Mainstream’. According to the analysts, it should take around five to ten years from this point until the ‘Plateau of Productivity’ is reached and agile methods are widely accepted. However, the market researchers are not always in agreement, because according to an analysis by Forrester, agile software development processes are already considered established.
In order to provide those responsible for application development with guidance, the BQI Best Quality Institute has described 26 methods of agile software development as part of a comprehensive study based on publicly available sources and documentation. A subsequent evaluation shows the coverage of the individual methods for nine typical disciplines in software engineering.
You can use the list below to go directly to the individual methods to find out more about the areas of application and the advantages and disadvantages of the methods (study was published by the Best Quality Institute in 2010).
- ActiF
- Adaptive Software Development (ASD)
- Agile Enterprise (ehemals X Breed)
- Agile Model Driven Development (AMDD)
- Behavior Driven Development (BDD)
- Crystal
- Design Driven Development (D3)
- Dynamic System Development Method (DSDM)
- Eclipse Way Process
- Evolutionary Process For Integrating Cots-Based Systems (EPIC)
- Evolutionary Project Management & Product Development (EVO)
- Extreme Programming (XP)
- Feature Driven Development (FDD)
- Iconix
- Internet-Speed Development
- Lean Software Development (LSD)
- Microsoft Solutions Framework For Agile Software Development (MSF4ASD)
- Mobile-D
- Rapid Application Development (RAD)
- Scrum
- Test Driven Development (TDD)
- Unified Process (UP)
- Agile Unified Process (AUP)
- Essential Unified Process (EssUP)
- Open Unified Process (OpenUP)
- Usability Driven Development (UDD)