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    The four values of the Agile Manifesto

    The four values of the Agile Manifesto

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    The Agile Manifesto consists of four key values:

    • Individuals and interactions over processes and tools.
    • Working software over comprehensive documentation.
    • Customer collaboration over contract negotiation.
    • Responding to change over following a plan.

    Value 1: Individuals and interactions

    In the past, a lot of software teams would concentrate on having the best possible tools or processes with which to build their software. The Agile Manifesto suggests that while those things are important, the people behind the processes are even more so.

    Having the right group of individuals on your software team is vital to success. The best possible tools in the wrong hands are worthless. Perhaps even more important is how these individuals communicate with each other. The interactions between team members are what helps them to collaborate and solve any problems that arise.

    Read more: 5 Important Types Of Agile Methodology

    Value 2: Working software

    Previously, software developers would spend ages creating detailed documentation. That was before they even started writing a single line of code. And while documentation isn’t a bad thing, there comes a point when you should focus on providing your customers with working software.

    The Agile Manifesto places shipping software to your customers as one of the highest priorities. You can then gather feedback to help you improve future releases.

    You may want to read: Why Agile is a Game-Changer for Outsourced Software Projects

    Value 3: Customer collaboration

    Once upon a time, contracts were king. You would draw up contracts with your customers who would then detail the finished product. As a result, there was often a contrast between what the contract said, what the product did, and what the customer actually required.

    According to the Agile Manifesto, the focus should be on continuous development. You need to build a feedback loop with your customers so that you can constantly ensure that your product works for them.

    Value 4: Responding to change

    Can you imagine a time where you would draw up a roadmap and it would never change? Well, in the past that’s exactly what happened.

    The trouble with static roadmaps is that we don’t live in a static world. Needs and requirements are always shifting, and priorities are always changing. That static roadmap will soon grow outdated.

    That’s why the Agile Manifesto suggests that a software team should have the ability to pivot and change direction whenever they need to, with a flexible roadmap that reflects that. A dynamic roadmap can change from quarter to quarter, sometimes even month to month, and agile teams are able to keep up with those changes.

    The Agile Manifesto also consists of 12 principles. Read about them here.

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    President & Chief Executive Officer

    About the author...

    Michael Manzo has nearly than 30 years of experience managing all aspects of software development including product management, user experience and interface design, engineering, quality assurance and marketing. Michael has served as President and CEO of CodeStringers since September 2014, having served as the company’s founding Chief Product Officer from July 2012. Prior to CodeStringers, Michael was Chief Marketing, Product and Strategy Officer at Openet, a leading global provider of transactional business and operational support system (B/OSS) software for telecom and cable firms, where he led marketing, product management, strategic planning and growth initiatives for the company. Manzo joined Openet as part of a turn-around team and, during his tenure, Openet grew from $15m in annual revenue to more than $150m, became the worldwide market share leader in the company’s primary product category, and developed a widely recognized reputation as the telecom infrastructure industry thought leader. Previously, Michael was Vice President of Products and Marketing for Traverse Networks, a fixed mobile convergence enterprise solution provider, which was acquired by Avaya. Michael has also held executive positions at Voice Access Technologies, Omnisky (acquired by EarthLink), Telocity (acquired by Hughes DirecTV), and Notify Technology Corporation. Michael has a BA in Journalism from the University of New Hampshire. In his spare time, Michael is an amateur woodworker, building indoor and outdoor furniture for friends and family. Until injuries sidelined him, Michael was an accomplished triathlete, having completed six Ironman distance races and numerous shorter distance races. Michael also served nine years in the U.S. Army Reserves and National Guard being honorably discharged as a Sergeant.

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