Chameleon – An Agile Development Methodology

We acknowledge that each software project is different and each customer has different needs and expectations. In this context, the best way to describe our approach is adaptation and tailoring to each client organization’s needs.

We apply the MOST SUITABLE methodology depending on the job requirements, project lifecycle, development tools at hand, and the Customer’s OWN strategies.

  • Our projects are guided by Agile software development methodologies.
  • SCRUMand KANBAN are the most often applied methods in our software development process, enforcing an iterative and incremental approach.
  • Guided by Agile, we value interactions and individuals over processes and tools, and put great effort in close collaboration with the customer.

Methodology

There is no-size-fits all methodology for software development projects, so we tailor our methods based on the project requirements and organizational needs of the customer. However, our projects are guided by agile methodology. We believe that classic waterfall or plan driven development can be a reliable technique when dealing with well-defined project scope, but when flexibility can propel far better results, we count on agile methodology.

When We Go Agile

We go agile when the project scope is vague and likely to change,, there are multiple stakeholders and complex requirements involved, defining and negotiating the project scope among stakeholders before giving them the first version of solution can be both time consuming and costly and lastly, when the expected system will be based on a unique, out of the box product with rich functionality that required significant customization, which makes detailed specification ineffective.

Our Agile Journey

We are among the early adopters of Agile. Our founder started using extreme programming (Agile) in 1998 when working on a Research and Development project with Swurv after training with the best brains in the industry: Kent Beck and Martin Fowler. Back then, only about .00001% of the companies used Agile, and even after 3 years most companies considered Agile good only for small projects. Today, 100% of all new projects use Agile based development methodologies, and we pride ourselves in being pioneers.

How We Use Agile

We have multiple agile practices in our arsenal and it is Scrum where have built the most substantial experience. Our projects normally share the following patterns:

  • he client appoints a product owner, the one that defines vision, features and deadlines and gathers requirements from all stakeholders
  • We assign a development team headed by a Scrum master
  • We split development process into short incremental iterations or sprints
  • Based on what the software looks and feels like to the client, they can initiate changes after each sprint
  • The product owners and development team use meeting to discuss results of previous sprints and create and update sprint backlog
  • Scrum meetings to streamline collaboration among team members

Benefits of Agile

At Softbase, we believe that Agile development is no panacea, but can certainly reduce the risk of project failure as it:

  • Easily adapts to changes brought about by shifts in industry standards, technology or customer behavior
  • Engages stakeholders to ensure better control over delivery results and better user satisfaction
  • Offers tangible results after each sprint
  • With quality assurance integrated in the process, it allows for less rework and better quality
  • Helps get a valuable result and stay on budget