Iterations: The heartbeat of delivery

Iterations, or sprints, are at the heart of an agile project. They’re short, time-boxed periods in which the team organise and manage themselves. In essence, there are three parts to each iteration:

• The product owner asks for something of value to be done.

• In a short period of time, it is done.

• It is shown to the product owner to confirm that it’s been done to his satisfaction.

Feedback, along with the ability to adjust to change as we go, is key.

This requires a spirit of collaboration and transparency. For every iteration, the team showcase is completed, and you get release-ready functionality. By keeping iterations short, the team avoids undertaking activities that may never be required. As the product emerges and is tested by customers, the inevitable changes are accommodated in the iterative process.