It is a current need for software development to be faster and more efficient. Fortunately, agile software development exists and is the most efficient way to manage your software development projects to get great results in a short period of time.

Agile software development is the study of a set of behaviors, processes, practices and tools used to create a product (generally but not limited to software) and its subsequent usability to end users. Methods and frameworks such as Scrum that are part of agile development concepts and provide a conceptual framework for conducting software engineering projects.

The agile software development manifesto

According to the Agile Manifesto page, the values of the Agile Manifesto related to agile development of software are:

• Individuals and interactions are more than processes and tools;

• Functional software is preferred over comprehensive documentation;

• Customer collaboration in contract negotiation;

• Respond to change rather than following a plan

(MartinFowler)

Scrum

Scrum is a lightweight framework that helps people, teams and organizations add value through flexible answers to complex questions.

The Scrum methodology is perhaps one of the most popular terms in Agile software development based on an iterative, incremental and efficient framework that manages both software creation and application development.

It is designed for teams of ten or fewer members who break their work into achievable goals in time-limited repetitions, known as sprints, that last no more than a month, and more commonly, two weeks.

The scrum team measures progress in time boxes and daily meetings lasting 15 minutes or less, known as daily meetings (a form of permanent meeting).

At the end of the sprint, the team holds two additional meetings: a Sprint Review, which showcases the work done to stakeholders for feedback, and the Sprint Retrospective, which allows the team to reflect and improve.

LEGO, the famous toy company, started this approach by starting with teams, which later evolved into self-organizing Scrum teams.

As a result of this process, including long-term business plans, stakeholders and senior management, developers can manage their own work, eliminating the so-called spreadsheet manager.

Scrum is an operating systems business that emphasizes collaboration, accountability, and interactive progress toward a distinct goal. (ScaledAgile)

Benefits for the development team

Traditional software production depends on steps. That is, from the reproduction of requirements, planning, design, construction, testing and delivery. Agile methods, on the other hand, seek trust.

Team members want their work to be useful and appreciated. Scrum benefits team members by decreasing unproductive tasks (like writing prerequisites or other artifacts). Team members understand that their work is precious. This is because needs are chosen to maximize customer value.

“The important thing is not your process. The important thing is your process to improve your process”.

Henrik Kniberg (trainer and game developer at Mojang Studios working on Minecraft: Java Edition).

Latin America Fruitful Region for Remote Agile methodologies

Most companies involved in software development claim to follow at least some of the recommendations of the Agile Manifesto (source: ‘The Evolution of Agile Software Development in Brazil Education, Research, and the State-of-the-Practice’). Young developers are now educated with some contact with agile practices such as automated testing and integration. Some even say that agile methods have become mainstream.

Agile software development requires real-time collaboration and clear daily communication between team members. When using agile software development methodology, it is imperative to keep the lines of communication open. The local development team and project management need to connect with the team frequently during the day.

Latin America offers the perfect combination of places, languages and cultures:

• Many cities in Latin America are located in the same or adjacent time zones, so you can have collaborative meetings during normal business hours.

• Latin American countries are investing in developing strong English so that you can communicate clearly with all your team members.

• With a strong sense of service and community, the Latin American culture allows for the creation of teams that can cooperate and solve problems creatively in real time.

(UniCEUB)

The Agile technique is a popular development methodology. Therefore, it has been used by expansion teams. However, scaling up Agile requires support. That is, you must manage your teams with tools and resources to ensure success.

Software developers in Latin America offer many benefits to companies looking to build their agile teams or scale their engineering teams. They are cheaper to trade than American software developers.

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