Stand up meetings in agile software development Dissertation

Stand up meetings in agile software development - Dissertation Example It involves adapting to changes continuously and delivering of software product (Strode et al., 2009). Agile software process is iterative and incremental with high communication level and customer involvement (Schwaber and Beedle, 2002). In an early paper that defined agile software methodology, it stated that the â€Å"... methodology involves modification and improving requirements through collaboration with cross functional teams to encourage organisation teams in the process of developing the software† Schwaber and Beedle, 2002). The proposition of Takeuchi and Nonaka (1986) concerning Agile Software Development involved encouraging the proximity of team members and verbal communication to create a robust quality framework. The proposition of Takeuchi and Nonaka in promoting Agile software development were based on: 1. Flexibility: A system where different software development processes can be modified to meet the new changes in the software development process. 2. Unity of Purpose: All the parties in the software development process had to be committed to a single vision and mission. And they had to get updates on a regular basis. 3. Coordination: All the different units had to work with each other to attain results at every point in the software development process. These are the main components and elements of Agile Software Development. ... Constant communication and constant interaction is a central feature of Agile Software Development approaches and systems (Fowler, 2012). Schwaber and Beedle (2002) argue that in order to maintain unity of purpose and enhance the holistic nature of the software development process requires the exchange of information and constant interaction between the team members Daily stand-up meetings are a major practice organisations used by agile teams to facilitate the regular exchange of information (Schwaber and Beedle, 2002). Stand-up meetings are daily meetings that are held to provide status updates to team members in Agile Software Development projects (Fowler, 2012). This involves quick updates and a summary of activities that were conducted in the previous day (Fowler, 2012). They are conducted on a daily basis and they last for between 5 and 15 minutes (Fowler, 2012). In agile software development, these stand up meetings are carried out to enable participants in the software develo pment process share views and information on: 1. What was accomplished the previous day. 2. What will be accomplished in the current day. 3. The obstacles faced and how the obstacles will affect the day's work (Fowler, 2012). It is a daily routine that is held at a specific time and same place. Stand-up meetings are therefore an essential part of agile software development and promote constant interaction and the holistic development of software (Stray et.al 2012). Although stand-up meetings are a commonly used practice in Agile Software development, it is not quite clear what their benefits and drawbacks are. Should teams accept the practice without knowing its actual importance and the limits of its effectiveness? This is a question that leads to the next stage of