Glossary: Agile Development
Hand-picked agile development terms, definitions, and frequently asked questions. Each agile development term is defined and explained simply by our research team.
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Acceptance Criteria
Acceptance criteria are a set of targets that must be met in order to successfully finalize and complete the user story.
Acceptance Test
An acceptance test is conducted by the customer or the end-user to evaluate if a software solution meets requirements.
Acceptance test-driven development (ATDD)
Acceptance test-driven development (ATDD) is a testing methodology that defines the acceptable behavior of a digital product before it is developed.
Adaptive Software Development (ASD)
Adaptive software development embodies the principle that continuous adaptation of the process to the work at hand is the normal way to work.
Agile
The Agile methodology is a set of values and principles, promoting iterative ways of working, where teams progress in “sprints”. This enables more effective prioritization and, if done well, also increases user satisfaction.
Agile Framework
Agile Frameworks are the different variations and approaches used by development teams based on the values and principles of the Agile Manifesto.
Agile Manifesto
The Agile Manifesto is a document setting out the key values and principles behind the Agile philosophy, helping software developers work more efficiently and effectively.
Agile Principles
There are 12 agile principles included in The Agile Manifesto, originated by software developers to prioritize individual interactions, customer collaboration, and flexibility.
Agile Product Owner
An Agile Product Owner is vital for steering a product’s development in the right direction and helping teams complete tasks successfully. They work to keep a product in line with the company’s best interests and stakeholder expectations.
Agile Transformation
With agile transformation, an organization restructures and redefines itself to align with the agile methodology, affecting the business as a whole.
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Backlog
A backlog is a prioritized list of all smaller tasks to be completed for a larger development project. It usually includes user stories, bug fixes, and product updates.
Backlog Grooming
Backlog grooming gives product teams the opportunity to review and prioritize their outstanding user stories, typically in preparation for the next sprint.
Baseline
A Baseline is a fixed point of comparison in the timeline of a project, budget, or development process which is used to evaluate progress, improvement, or change over time.
Behavior-Driven Development
Behavior-driven development (BDD) is a strategy allowing product managers, developers, and testers to collaborate on testing software’s acceptable behavior.
Benchmark
Benchmarking can help businesses compare their operations and strategies against those of other entities, and improve based on the insights gained.
Burndown Chart
A burndown chart is a visual representation of the amount of work that has been completed and outstanding work in a sprint.
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CAD/CAE
CAD and CAE are types of engineering apps that make it possible for engineers and designers to work in a digital, 3D environment.
CIO vs CTO
A CIO or Chief Information Officer is internally focused on the company and technology infrastructure, whereas a CTO or Chief Technology Officer is externally focused on customers and technical products.
Cadence in Agile
Cadence in Agile refers to the rhythm of a project based on the duration of sprints.
Cloud Adoption Roadmap
A cloud adoption roadmap is a tool to help businesses determine where they stand with cloud adoption today, and to act as a tool in their journey to full cloud adoption.
Continuous Delivery (CD)
Continuous Delivery (CD) is defined as the ability to deliver product updates to customers as quickly and frequently as possible.
Continuous Deployment
Continuous deployment is an agile production method, designed to fast-track products to market.
Continuous Integration (CI)
Continuous integration is an engineering process where code is subjected to automated testing, several times a day, to identify bugs or errors.
Convergent Thinking
Convergent Thinking is the process of choosing the most logical or “correct” solution to a problem.
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DEEP Backlog
A DEEP backlog is one possible outcome of a backlog grooming session. The acronym that describes effective backlogs, and stands for: Detailed Appropriately, Emergent, Estimates and Prioritized.
DSDM Agile Methodology
DSDM (Dynamic System Development Method) is an agile methodology based on 8 principles including focusing on the business need, building incrementally, and communicating continuously.
Definition of Done
In reference to the Scrum agile framework, the definition of done (DoD) describes predefined demands a certain output must meet when being delivered. It is used to establish a common understanding on the product’s level of integrity to ensure quality.
Definition of Ready
In the Scrum agile framework, the definition of ready (DoR) marks the completeness of preliminary actions for a task or project to be processed.
Disciplined Agile (DA)
Disciplined Agile (DA) is a process decision toolkit, bringing together elements from Scrum, eXtreme Programming, Kanban and, of course, agile development. As such, DA helps teams streamline their internal processes and achieve greater business agility.
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Edge Case
An edge case is a type of bug in software development that only occurs under uncommon circumstances. This means that most users won't encounter these types of bugs, which may change how a team approaches handling the bug.
Eisenhower Matrix
The Eisenhower Matrix is a productivity tool for organizing your tasks by urgency and importance. Created by President Dwight Eisenhower, it's a great way to better understand where your time is going versus where it should be going.
Engineering Backlog
An engineering backlog shows which work items are being completed by the engineering team in the current sprint.
Enterprise Architecture Planning (EAP)
Enterprise Architecture Planning (EAP) is a process by which organizations define how IT and information will be used in a business to achieve its goals.
Enterprise Architecture Roadmap
An enterprise architecture roadmap is a high-level overview of the direction a company's IT plans and projects will take over time.
Epic
An epic refers to a grouping of user stories (or development tasks) which together make it possible to achieve a product theme. The theme > epic > story structure is a popular method in agile development.
Epics in Agile and Scrum
An Epic is a collection of user stories that come together to create a deliverable that adds real value to the product, the business, and the users.
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Feature Driven Development (FDD)
Feature Driven Development (FDD) is an iterative agile model used to incrementally develop features into a complete product. It focuses on building software by breaking it into small components, rapidly developed in repetitive cycles.
Feature Kickoff
A Feature Kickoff is a conference held right as a development team is about to start work on a new project. During this meeting, the project manager and stakeholders discuss expectations, goals, and requirements for the project.
Feature vs. Story vs. Epics
Features, stories, and epics are crucial parts of agile projects that form the final product.
Feature-less Roadmap
A Feature-less Roadmap provides software development teams with a high-level view of the strategy behind the product they’re developing. It focuses on the “why” of a product as opposed to the “how”.
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ICE Scoring Model
The ICE Scoring Model is an agile prioritization tool, assessing projects, ideas and features via three set measurements: Impact, Confidence and Ease
Incremental Innovation
Incremental innovation is a practice of developing and releasing a series of low-risk, small upgrades for existing products or services.
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Pair Programming
Pair programming involves two programmers sharing a single workstation. One programmer focuses on coding, whilst the other reviews and assesses the work.
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Rapid Application Development (RAD)
Rapid Application Development (RAD) is an adaptive software development approach where a software prototype is rapidly updated based on user feedback and iteratively delivered until it meets all client requirements.
Rapid Experimentation
Experiments are launched rapidly to discover new ideas. This allows product development teams to build less and learn more.
Rapid Prototyping
Rapid prototyping is a key part of product development, leveraging functional prototypes for in-depth testing of core design elements (size, function, etc.) and overall user experience.
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SDLC - Software Development Life Cycle
Short for the Software Development Life Cycle, SDLC is a strategy used to break the process of developing an app into an organized, predictable methodology.
SMART Goal Setting
Product managers who want to increase their odds for success should consistently turn to the SMART goal setting approach. It’s their best tool for creating realistic, clear objectives and for driving motivation.
Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe)
An agile framework designed to help scale agile practices for larger organizations with multiple teams working on multifaceted projects.
Scrum Master
Being a Scrum Master is a professional occupation and originates from a designated role in the Scrum framework. A Scrum Master is responsible for delegating and supervising agile software development activities based on the ideas and methods of Scrum.
Scrum Meeting
The Scrum meeting is executed daily, usually performed as a stand-up meeting. Participants include all Scrum team members, such as product owner, Scrum Master and development team.
Scrum of Scrums
Scrum of Scrums is an Agile technique used when companies need to coordinate multiple Scrum teams to build several and/or complex products. Scrum of Scrums is also known as “meta scrum” or SoS.
Scrumban
Scrumban is a combination of Scrum and Kanban. By combining the two, teams can visualize the organizational aspects of Scrum while benefiting from the flexibility of Kanban. It's a less rigid model that brings out the best in both workflows.
Shape Up Method
The Shape Up Method is a process for developing products across six-week cycles, with “cooldown” periods between each. Teams have more autonomy to determine tasks and manage them to completion, freeing leaders from time-consuming micromanagement.
Shipyard Engine
A shipyard engine is a tool used to help teams communicate while continuously updating a software product. It goes above typical VCS systems, forcing team members to justify the updates they ship and to notify other team members of their updates.
Software Testing Life Cycle
The software testing life cycle is a multi-phase process of testing software to make sure it meets your quality requirements.
Spike in Agile
A spike in the Agile development methodology is a type of user story focused on deciding how a feature should be developed, rather than actually developing the feature itself. Spikes are used when product teams have multiple paths to resolving a story.
Sprint
A sprint is a fixed length of time allocated to a team to complete specific tasks and achieve goals.
Sprint Backlog
A sprint backlog is the list of items selected from the product backlog to deliver during the current sprint. Crucially, this should also contain a solid plan for delivering the product increments to meet the sprint goals.
Sprint Goal
The sprint goal is a clear, simple objective to be completed during a single sprint or iteration.
Sprint Planning
In a sprint planning meeting, the scrum team will prioritize which items from the product backlog should be delivered during the current sprint.
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Team Charter
A team charter is a written document outlining a team’s direction and any team rules. It is established early on while the team is being formed.
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