Implementation of Agile Methodologies

Historically, the Environment, Health, Safety and Security Associate Undersecretary (EHSS/AU) Web Database Systems Reporting Database System (RDS/WDS) development and support teams were not using a structured methodology for development and support of software applications. Federal managers tasked individual developers as needed without ever considering the “big picture” or any type of structured backlog. Priorities changed daily, resulting in a lot of churn and a significant loss of productivity. The thrashing caused by conflicting priorities and unreasonable deadlines resulted in low staff morale. After being awarded the contract and discovering the current state, the Edgewater team determined the need to institute processes for intake and prioritization of work, coupled with a rigorous development and release methodologies in order to promote improved software development while simultaneously greatly increasing transparency for stakeholders.

The outcomes of establishing a software development methodology using Agile were significant. Vastly improved transparency and constant communication and feedback loops between developers and stakeholders helped avoid any surprises in terms of delivery dates and changing requirements. The resulting applications were so well-received that the client requested additional Scrum Training for stakeholders of upcoming projects and now champions the approach for all software development