Creating an Agile Library

Introduction to IT Industry

The work in the IT industry is solution based where clients approach IT companies for the solution of their business problem through the use of information technology. At first level, problems faced by the client are handed over to a Business Analyst who, while discussing with clients, provides different solution approaches on the given problem. The agreed solution is then handed over to the team of Solution Architects who in turn creates a framework of software modules based on the feedback provided by client and business analyst. Such framework of software modules goes to the team of Software Developers (or software engineers including both software coders and testers), led by a project leader for the software development. Modules might be divided among different teams. Finally software solution modules (software packages) are created through coding by software developers. It is a win-win situation for both the IT company and the client as revenues are generated through software development and the client saves a lot of cost and time through automation of work.

The model in Figure 1 is called the waterfall model. Modules or projects successfully go alive after a specified period of time ranging from a few months to years.

Figure 1.

Waterfall model

Shortfalls of the Waterfall Model

The shortfall of the waterfall model is that it shows lack of responsiveness to customer’s request for changes to the system being developed. Historically, it was typical for all of the requirements to be captured at the start of the project and to be set in stone throughout the rest of the development. A frequent result of this approach was that by the time the software had been delivered (sometimes months or even years later) it is no longer matching the needs of the customer, which had almost certainly changed by then.