Even though Agile has barely been around for 2 decades, it’s had a major impact on the world of software development .
Today, 86% of all developers use the Agile method in their work!
Since millions of in-office and virtual teams use Agile, it has evolved over the years, spawning multiple Agile principles, methodologies, and practices.
As a result, Agile teams created their own Agile terminology to manage all these principles and practices.
And since nothing in software development is ever easy, these words can sometimes sound like they’re from another language entirely!
Don’t worry, though.
In this Agile glossary, we’ll explain 50 key Agile terms that will help you decode this software development methodology .
Now let’s start flipping through this Agile terminology dictionary, shall we?
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Summarize this article for me pleaseAcceptance criteria are a set of conditions that software must meet in order to be accepted by a customer or stakeholder . And how are these conditions decided? It’s all up to the product owner . They need to determine whether the feature is doing what the users want it to do ( user story) .
An acceptance test ensures that a software feature is working correctly and meets the acceptance criteria. It’s usually run after the software has been developed.
The Agile Manifesto is a document that sums up the 12 Agile principles that guide the Agile framework. Every Agile methodology strictly follows the principles and practices outlined in the Agile Manifesto.
It’s a marketing technique that borrows heavily from Agile practices and values . Agile marketing professionals work in sprints so that their team can complete high-value projects in a very short period of time. After each sprint, they measure how well their project has fared, and see what changes they can make in order to improve their performance in the next sprint. Agile marketing is also a great way for your marketing team to respond quickly to the rapidly changing markets we see today.
How do you develop an Agile mindset ?
An Agile practitioner or an Agile coach can help your team embrace Agile.
An Agile principle is a guiding practice that helps teams understand and adopt Agile.
There are 12 Agile principles that revolve around customer satisfaction, increasing the speed of software development , and flexibility.
Take a closer look at all the 12 Agile principles.
An Agile Release Train is a combination of multiple Agile software development teams used to tackle large enterprise-scale projects.
Think it of as a mega Scrum team!
On average, it consists of around 50-125 team members working together on different parts of the project. Just like a Scrum team , an Agile Release Train works in short bursts called iterations .
However, their iterations (called program increments) are 5x the length of a regular iteration!
They are an essential part of the Scaled Agile Framework .
Agile Software Development is a project management technique that allows developers to create a working software model in just a few weeks.
Wait, isn’t this too fast? How is this possible?
An Agile team breaks down in their project into smaller development cycles called iterations or sprints.
At the end of the iteration , the Agile team is able to deliver working software with just the essential features. Users give their feedback and suggestions, and the Agile team includes it in future iterations, like us!
This cycle continues until you’ve created a final software that delights your customers.
Over the years, it has split into different frameworks and methodologies like Scrum, Kanban , Lean , and XP.
Just like how some prefer cereal, while others like bacon and eggs for breakfast, different teams have different tastes when it comes to the Agile framework !
Want to learn more about the varied flavors of Agile? Click here.
Agile Software Management , Agile project management, Agile methodology , Agile method, Agile approach, Agile way
Agile transformation is the process of transitioning your entire organization to adapt to the Agile mindset .
This involves creating a work environment that supports innovation and flexibility. It also allows your project team to be cross-functional (having members with different skill sets).
Note: Agile transformation does not mean teaching your team to use Agile software development methodologies.
It’s a list of new product features, updates, bug fixes, etc. that are required by the user.
At the start of every iteration , the product owner decides which backlog items the team needs to work on. After every i teration, the backlog is regularly updated with user suggestions and new features.
It’s a Scrum meeting where the Scrum team organizes the backlog to make sure it’s ready for the next sprint or iteration. In other words, it’s like spring cleaning… but for Scrum teams!
It is normally held at the end of the sprint.
Here’s what the team does during this meeting:
Bottlenecks are issues that can completely slow down the development process.
Let us explain:
A sprint task goes through multiple stages during the development process , such as: ‘To do’, ‘In Progress’, ‘Review’. A bottleneck occurs when too many tasks are stuck at one stage , like a traffic jam of project tasks!
As a result, the project workflow slows to a crawl, something that you wouldn’t want in a quick Agile process !
No one likes traffic jams, right?
That’s why an Agile team usually uses a Kanban board to prevent this from happening.
A burndown chart is an important chart that helps Agile project managers track:
The x-axis represents the time left in a sprint, and the y-axis represents the number of tasks.
An Agile project management tool like ClickUp can provide a projected progress line that highlights how project progress would look like if your team works at the same pace.
Release burndown chart , sprint burndown chart
A burnup chart an important chart that helps project managers visualize:
The x-axis represents the time remaining in the sprint , and the y-axis represents the quantity of work ( story points ).
Here, the green line represents the work the Scrum team has completed so far, and the grey line represents work that’s left to be done.
Continuous integration is an Agile practice where developers constantly add their code to the main system.
How does it work?
Development professionals work independently on a feature. Once a feature is completed, it’s tested for any bugs.
Only after it’s passed the automated test is it added to the final software.
Continuous delivery, CI
It’s a daily meeting usually hosted by the Scrum master . Every morning, the Scrum team gets together for 15 minutes to discuss their day ahead.
Each member briefly talks about the following topics:
The Scrum master steps up to solve any impediments the Scrum team might have.
Note: Scrum team members should be standing up for the entire duration of this Scrum meeting.
It keeps the team focused and alert during this short Scrum meeting.
Daily standup, Daily Scrum meeting
It’s a business-oriented Agile framework that focuses on the entire project from start to finish. The core belief of DSDM is that the work done on the Agile project should align with the strategy of the company.
An epic is a big idea or feature that can be broken down into smaller user stories. Much like how large ‘epics’ like Lord of the Rings are split into 3 books.
For example: an epic called ‘Improve Mobile UI’ can consist of 3 user stories: ‘Add mobile Shopping Cart’, ‘Optimize Speed’, and ‘Consistent Font’.
Each user story, in turn, can be broken into manageable tasks.
Here’s how an epic looks like in ClickUp:
Because of their size, epics are delivered over multiple iterations.
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Summarize this article for me pleaseIt’s a horizontal bar chart that visualizes the sequence of tasks within the project timeline. Each task has a start date and end date so that your team doesn’t exceed deadlines. Use a Gantt chart to see what tasks are dependent on each other.
L earn more about Gantt Charts!It’s an obstacle that reduces an Agile team’s productivity or prevents them from completing an Agile project altogether. For example: Communication issues, distractions at the workplace, hangovers after a team outing 😉, etc. During a Scrum meeting , it’s the Scrum master’s responsibility to remove any impediments that a team may have, even if it involves treating them with a hangover cure!
It’s a period of time in which an Agile team needs to develop working software. An iteration generally lasts for around 2-4 weeks for Kanban and Scrum teams .
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Summarize this article for me pleaseIt’s a highly visual Agile framework. Instead of working in fixed and planned iterations like in Scrum, Kanban teams work on priority tasks whenever they come in. The goal of Kanban is to have a constant stream of work without any bottlenecks . How do they do that? Teams add a limit to the number of tasks that can be worked upon simultaneously (known as WIP limit), so the t eam doesn’t multitask and slow down productivity. Planning to supercharge your team’s productivity? Click here to learn how ClickUp can help you set up Kanban project management.
A Kanban board visualizes all the work within the project. It’s a physical or visual cork board that is split into 3-4 columns. Each column in a Kanban board represents a status of the task, ranging from ‘To Do’, ‘In Progress’, and ‘Done’. In Kanban, each task is visualized as a sticky note or card. Every time a team member finishes a task , the card is moved to the relevant column like so:
Neat, right? You can see 20 more examples of them here.It’s a set of principles and practices that optimizes the development process. It was inspired by the lean manufacturing approach introduced by Toyota in the 50s. Learn more about Lean project management and Lean principles in our dedicated articles.
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