This article is aimed at Business Managers who need to gain a basic understanding of the Agile Software Development process.

This is a very simplified explanation of the Agile process, it should not be used as a blueprint for running a project. Basically, you’ve heard about Agile and you want me to give you a quick introduction.

Let me get one thing out of the way first. Agile, does not mean cowboy slap dash programming. Agile software development is a highly disciplined and transparent process.

In most software development methodologies you create a set of requirement documents before any coding starts. This is not the case with the Agile methodology.

A requirements document goes into miniscule details about what you want. On a medium sized project the documentation alone can take several months to draft and refine.

How does Agile Software development work without a requirements document? Well you still have a specification. But it’s very high level, with just a few main paragraphs such as “We need new cash point software”. “It must interact with a mobile phone”. “It must cater for all the banks and UK issued credit cards”.

The high level specification gives an overall indication of the intention of the project. Creating the high level statements are stress free and easy to check.

This brief specification is basically enough to start an Agile project. An Agile project ticks along in regular periods, say a week, two or four weeks.

For the first period, the Developers and Architects will be looking at your existing infrastructure, security etc. They will start to build a basic framework of the cash machine software.

By the end of the next period, some very basic code will be working and fully deployed in a pre production environment. The basic code will just have one or two bits of functionality. Such as pressing a button on screen that goes to the database, gets some data and displays it on screen.

This basic code will have resolved or uncovered many problems that are left until the end of a most other methodologies. This is also known as a “vertical strip of functionality” or a “walking skeleton”.

So, onto the end of the next period. You will have a few real bits of functionality deployed that you can test and use. It won’t be much, but you’ll see some tangible results for your budget. Instead of waiting 6 months to see some output from other methodologies.

From then on, new functionality is delivered at the end of each period. It’s not long before you can actually start using the application.

This is where you get some great benefits. If a real user is using the application he can highlight potential problems at an early stage where they are easy and quick to rectify and most importantly, low cost to fix.

As the project progresses you can change your requirements. For example, new regulations may come into force. Well that’s no problem for an Agile project. You wait for the current period to finish and test the functionality. You then discuss the new requirements with the Developers. The Developers take it calmly and say OK we will postpone what we were doing in the next period and implement those changes.

So, if you don’t have a detailed specification, how do things get done? Well I mentioned earlier that you still have a top level requirements. At the start of a project that is the only information you need.

When a Developer gets to do a piece of work, he goes and sits with the user and discusses the requirement to get the exact details. Generally these bits of work should take about three days to complete. During these three days the Developer will be in constant contact with user asking questing and showing the progress to the user.

Having the users involved ensures that the project is developed exactly as required. The users will be far more amenable to the final application when it is delivered.

Possibly the Agile methodology is not suited to all environments such as NASA, the military etc. But it is certainly applicable to most industries such as Insurance, Finance, Healthcare, Government, etc.

Let me make it clear, implementing a project in Agile is not easy, it is highly disciplined and needs buy in from everyone involved and that includes all stakeholders in the project. It requires a lot of communication which is best done face to face.

That’s a very quick overview of Agile. I’ve missed out lots of areas; I have simplified things and broken some rules. Have I interested you in Agile? Would you like to know more? If so, it’s time for you to contact a software development company that has got Agile development knowledge and experience. There re many companies that provide Agile training such as this one. http://www.avoncliffsoftware.co.uk/AgileMethodology.htm

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There are a lot of factors that actually influence professional development. Sadly, there are also a lot of myths that surround being self employed. Gathering the facts about starting your own business before you even draw up your business development plan can assist you in facing up to the challenges that may come your way.

Here are some of the facts and myths about business development:

Myth: Not everyone can become business owners because business owners have very special traits that will make them succeed in business.

Fact: Some people believe that they do not have the trait to own a business – anyone can own a business! There is certainly no magical potion that you will need to take in order to get the “special trait” that business owners supposedly have. The two things that business owners have in common is that they work hard and they are persistent.

A lot of people launch their own businesses because they feel that they are not doing what they should be doing, career wise. They simply create their own professional development because the conventional labor market does not suit them.

Myth: Just create a great product and the money will just roll in

Fact: This is the biggest mistake that a lot of upcoming business owners make in their business development plan. It is important that one carry out a research on the market demand for the product that they plan to sell before they launch it into the market. One needs to understand that no matter how awesome their product is, if they do not get the support of the market, their business will be doomed to crash and burn. It is impossible to attain professional development when you only get to sell your products to immediate family members and a few friends.

Myth: Small business owners take extreme risks

Fact: Smart business owners know how to minimize and manage risks. They also clearly understand that the assured-for-life, secure corporate jobs are virtually non-existent in the labor market today. A lot of small businesses are financed through personal funds, family, friends, second mortgages, small business loans and credit cards.

Myth: Having a good website will boost your sales

Fact: Just having website is not enough. You will need to ensure that people actually know that your website exists. More and more websites are launched online every single day, so you will need to ensure that your site is easily located by your target audience. You will need to include good internet marketing tools in your business development plan in order to get your target market to visit your site to know more about your product and services.

Myth: There are loads of business owners with convincing overnight achievement stories

Fact: Though success in business may seem to be instantaneous from an outsider’s POV (point of view). But strategic planning (and other important factors) is the key to professional development. Business owners have done the research and know that they have to work extra hard in order to succeed in their business venture.

Christopher Fitzpatrick is an expert author for Horizon Speakers and Seminars – a leading Irish company that provides World-Class Speakers, Events & Training!

For more insights on Business Development go to http://www.horizonspeakers.com

P.S. Make sure to download your Personal Power Pack from our website – a free exciting compilation of audios, videos and books from the world’s best motivational and inspirational speakers!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_Fitzpatrick

If you are starting your own business it is important to come up with a business development plan. You might just sit in front of your computer for hours without having a clue as to how to write a business plan. Don’t sweat it, you are not the only one to have faced this challenge.

Here are 10 easy steps to take towards putting together a professional development plan.

Step 1: Determine Why You are Writing a Business Plan
Prepare a short paragraph that explains the reasons why you are creating a business plan and the reasons why the business plan will be awesome. Are you trying to raise funds? Starting a new business? Strategizing to annihilate the competition? Looking for strategic partners? Whatever your reason, please know that it is vital that you are committed to writing your business plan.

Step 2: Get a Sample of a Business Plan
Go to your local bookstore or library, or simply browse the internet for resource materials. Find out how a professional development plan looks like, what it is and what it is not. Prepare an outline which will include the key sections and sub-sections that you will want to appear in your business plan.

Step 3: Gather all The Information you will Need
Look through the files in your computer, filing cabinet, storage boxes and even your phone in order to get all the information you will need concerning the business you want to start. You should also consider press releases, marketing pieces, related articles, past financial statements, industry journals, vital notes and websites or ideas that have been gathered over time.

Step 4: Put Down your Thoughts
This perhaps, might be the best part of writing a business development plan. Type out your ideas, thoughts, questions and list of things you need to do into every section of your professional development plan.

Step 5: Create a Rough Draft
This is the part where all your thoughts and ideas begin to take shape. Simply move through the whole outline, section after section. Start a Business Development Plan To-Do List in order to keep close track of the topics that will need detailed research, back-up information or statistics. Print out a copy after you are done and go over it a couple of time and making revisions as you go.

Step 6: Do your Research
Carryout research and get solid information to support the claims that you have made in your business plan.

Step 7: Think Numbers
Start preparing your financial statements. If you state a specific marketing system in your business plan’s marketing section, you should include the corresponding expenses in the financials.

Step 8: Create a final draft
Most times finishing can be the most difficult part of completing a professional development plan. Double check your draft for spelling and grammar errors.

Step 9: Set a timeline
In order to ensure that you complete your business development plan, ensure that you set a timeline that you will not be able to ignore. Make an arrangement with a person whom you are not pretty close with, if possible, a professional acquaintance – this way, it would be more difficult and very uncomfortable for you to call and delay.

Step 10: Polish your professional development plan to excellence
The remarks you get from the people who have read your plan will help you improve the sections of your plan that will require attention. Search for any other information that you may require, include the ideas suggested by your readers and clarify points or sections that were not properly conveyed.

Christopher Fitzpatrick is an expert author for Horizon Speakers and Seminars – a leading Irish company that provides World-Class Speakers, Events & Training!

For more insights on Business Development go to http://www.horizonspeakers.com

P.S. Make sure to download your Personal Power Pack from our website – a free exciting compilation of audios, videos and books from the world’s best motivational and inspirational speakers!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_Fitzpatrick

Project Management is an area where companies can benefit from the assistance of independent software development. The co-ordination and control of projects can cover many different aspects of business management and partners in the work need access to differing levels of information.

This is where employing a specialist software developer makes sense. While there are plenty of “off the shelf” programs available each project will always have something specific and peculiar to it. A team that is responsible for product development will have totally different requirements to the group bringing out a new social network. Some teams need greater communication and connectivity, whereas others may have an in-depth requirement for file sharing and joint design tools.

This is where a company can create custom software development. They can tailor the areas that are of importance to you and ensure that the driving force behind your work is the main focus of the program.

What are the key elements for any software development of project management systems? Depending on your industry sector there will be different requirements from each project team. What are the variable elements you need to analyse when considering software solutions to managing your work?

Collaboration

Project teams may require group software that enables teams, even when they are working in different locations; to co-ordinate workloads and access the same space storage areas. They often have a social, communicative element that allows for discussions and meetings to take place even when the team is working remotely.

Issue Tracking

This is particularly useful if your teams is involved with CRM or regularly amended design work. It allows teams to share comments, responses and alterations so that everyone is kept up to date with developments. Here database development is often crucial for storage and access to information.

Scheduling

Sales teams and business executives rely heavily on scheduling, the sharing of timetables, diaries, meeting times and resource allocation.

Portfolio Management

Project Portfolio Management (PPM) is the method for controlling and storing all relevant data surrounding a project. PPM contains the goals, strategies, resources and financial aspects of the project. Such software services make it easier to oversee projects from conception to handover.

Document & Resource Management

Both these areas rely on the effective control and dissemination of information or resources relating to a project. This covers everything from human resources to common document templates to maintain uniformity throughout the projects lifespan.

Workflow tracking, analysis and reporting

The success of any project depends on understanding progress, problems and managing critical paths. These can be used to update teams, customers or stakeholders in the projects progress as well as being used to plan and understand the work already completed.

The importance on the various elements above will depend entirely on the type of project you are undertaking. Consulting a software development company is the best way to discover which approach your particular project management software needs.

David is a keen software developer who owns a software company and likes writing about a variety of topics including water hygiene, internet marketing, search engine optimisation and fishing.

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