Agile Development Ramblings: Part I
Introduction
I've just completed my first Agile development project. We developed a fully functional prototype Java Portlet app in 14 weeks. We finished on budget, ahead of schedule and delivered all the initial requirements plus extras.

In addition, our Ambassador Users gave us the following feedback:

• “It is difficult to say how we could improve the process”.


• “I’ve been away for a few weeks and so much has happened”


• "The meetings I attended have been interesting and informative. The IT people seem to be bending over backwards to try and supply us with our needs and wants.”


• “I feel quite excited about how useful the portal will be when the programme is implemented. I know it's difficult to say but I really do think from what I've seen that Probation staff's job will be much assisted by the new system and feel that the time saved by using the portal is going to be phenomenal”


• "I have found the whole User Ambassador process to be an extremely interesting, enjoyable and enlightening experience."


• "I've recommended to my Organisation that we work this way in the future."


• “Our input is being used in shaping the Portal through the content and its usability resulting in a system in which all users will see the end product as a valuable resource”


• "I feel a great sense of achievement in what we have produced in such a short period of time.”

This is the first development project I've worked on which has been anywhere near as successful. I would completely attribute this to the Agile approach which was used. At the outset, my boss asked me to keep a note of how things went so I could share it with the team. This is the result.