BES Playbook

1.3 Play 3: Agile is the only way

Low-Code development frameworks need to support an incremental, iterative fast-paced style of Agile software development to rapidly get capability to the users. Determine the Agile tools that may be included with the product “out-of-the-box” and the commercially available tools it may integrate with. Make sure the tool offering aligns with your determined Agile project management and software development methodology.

Please reference the “Agile” Chapter of the BES Playbook for additional information regarding Agile software development methodologies and commercially available tools: https://besplaybook.github.io/BESPlaybook/agile/1-1-purpose/

Checklist

  • Run usability tests frequently to see how well the system works and identify improvements that should be made
  • Ensure the individuals building the system communicate closely using techniques such as launch meetings, war rooms, daily standups, and team chat tools
  • Keep delivery teams small and focused; limit organizational layers that separate these teams from the business owners
  • Incorporate the Functional SME “Citizen Developer” into the development process early
  • Release features and improvements multiple times each month
  • Create a prioritized list of features and bugs, also known as the “feature backlog” and “bug backlog”
  • Give the entire project team access to the issue tracker and version control system
  • Use automated code scanning tools to ensure coding standards are enforced to improve code quality

Key Questions

  • Does the Low-Code product have Agile tools built-in?
  • Does the product integrate natively with other commercially available Agile tools?
  • How long does it take for a production deployment?
  • How many days or weeks are in each iteration/sprint?
  • Which version control system is being used?
  • How are bugs tracked and tickets issued? What tool will be used?
  • How is the feature backlog managed? What tool will be used?
  • How often do you review and reprioritize the feature and bug backlog?
  • How do you collect user feedback during development? How is that feedback used to improve the service?
  • At each stage of usability testing, which gaps were identified in addressing user needs?
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