And all hell breaks loose
Wednesday 2 July 2008I have recently begun reading Scott Rosenberg’s Dreaming in Code, which aims to uncover why developing software is so difficult. I particularly like the last line of Chapter 0:
We dream of [software], then we try to write it - and all hell breaks loose.
In my experience that line can be applied to many software projects. Everything goes well until an attempt to implement software, at which point the problems start. Frequently this is caused by unclear, incorrect and/or changing requirements, none of which are particularly helpful in ensuring the success of a software development project. epiGenesys uses an agile approach to development which incorporates various practices to help avoid such issues resulting in disaster.
One of these agile practices is continuous delivery. This requires our development teams to deliver working software releases to their client both frequently and regularly throughout the project. The practice encourages client involvement and feedback, with the intention that any problems can be identified early. This provides an opportunity for the requirements to be clarified and appropriate steps taken to correct the problem in future releases. In addition, it is sometimes possible for the client to begin actively using a software release before final delivery, allowing the value of the software to be realised at an earlier stage.
