Discover the 12 Principles of the Agile Manifesto for Software Projects

In our last article, we shared a bit about the history of the Agile Manifesto and presented the four values that promote agile software development. In addition to these values, the document also outlines 12 principles that contribute to the effectiveness of software development.

First part of the 12 principles of the Agile Manifesto

In today’s article, we’ll explore the first six principles.

Software with Added Value to the Customer

When a development team understands the client’s real needs and works with agility, they tend to deliver software that adds value. This leads to client satisfaction, because it’s not about impressing them with the technology delivered, but about effectively solving their problem or need.

That’s why the first of the 12 Agile Manifesto principles prioritizes satisfying the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software. In practice, this means presenting a working system at each delivery cycle.

After all, for the client, the delivery only makes sense—and can only be evaluated—if they are able to see or experience the system in action, even if just partially. This makes it possible to detect variables that had not been considered so far and to explore new ways to improve the software.

Welcoming Change for Competitive Advantage

While some people may feel uncomfortable with change, it is essential for project improvement during development. It’s nearly impossible to think of every detail at the beginning, and the development process itself often sparks ideas for improving features and solving problems.

However, waiting until the end of the project to make changes can be problematic due to the impact on the entire development process. That’s why the second principle of the Agile Manifesto supports the idea that agile processes harness change for the customer’s competitive advantage.

So the faster the delivery, the faster the need for certain changes can be identified—and the less time is wasted on unnecessary tasks. Moreover, when development is divided into short cycles, requested changes won’t jeopardize other parts of the project. This enables higher-quality development with lower costs, giving the client a competitive edge in their market.

Delivering Working Software Early and Frequently

The third principle of the Agile Manifesto is to deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference for the shorter timescale. This means that beyond dividing the development into small blocks, each block should be delivered with active functionalities.

Depending on the size and complexity of the software, full development may take many months—so it’s risky to wait until everything is done to begin testing. Mistakes are a natural part of the work and must be caught as soon as they happen—or shortly after.

When short delivery deadlines are established with development cycles in mind, the work becomes more dynamic, and the team becomes more engaged. The project is also enriched by the frequent exchange of information with stakeholders.

Direct Communication with Business People

During the development of a system, it’s natural (and expected) for the team to raise questions or come up with new ideas. At these times, the developer will definitely need guidance—or at least approval—from someone on the business side before proceeding.

If communication is blocked by bureaucracy, the development will be delayed and may even miss improvement opportunities.

Therefore, developers should have direct access to the person with the business knowledge and decision-making authority. This is the fourth of the 12 Agile Manifesto principles: business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.

Sustaining Individual Motivation

Having a motivated team makes a huge difference in the project’s outcome! To achieve this, team members need to feel comfortable in their work environment and have the necessary resources for development.

Another important point for maintaining motivation is trusting the team in their roles. Giving autonomy to people you know are competent encourages creativity and reinforces their sense of responsibility.

From this, we conclude that the project manager plays a significant role in team motivation. That’s why the fifth Agile principle advises us to build projects around motivated individuals—and goes further, stating we must provide them with the environment and support they need and trust them to get the job done.

Face-to-Face Communication Between Developers and Clients

The most efficient and effective way of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation. That’s what the sixth principle of the Agile Manifesto says—and what we firmly believe here at Visie!

The closer the contact between the project’s participants, the more synergy there is in development, the more agility—and, consequently, better results! So, in addition to facilitating direct communication between developers and clients, it’s ideal to hold in-person meetings or even place the developer at the client’s location.

This makes it easier to clarify doubts directly with the client, ask for feedback, and share ideas—showing things live. It also helps avoid the need to write long documents just to explain something or waste time waiting for replies.

Second part of the 12 principles of the Agile Manifesto

In our next article, we’ll continue this topic by exploring the remaining six principles of the Agile Manifesto. Meanwhile, we invite you to reflect on the principles we’ve shared today and consider applying them in your software projects!

By Joana Kerr