The term agile software development comes from a set of principles and methodologies that ensure effective, collaborative, and iterative programming. Agile consulting services are incredibly popular among technological companies, from startups to enterprises.
The secret is in a more affordable and productive way of operating. The methodology comes from the Agile Manifesto published in 2001. Since then, these practices have been adopted by many businesses worldwide. Nowadays it is an umbrella term under which are such frameworks as Kanban and Scrum. It is also tightly connected to DevOps practices, which we’ll get into later.
Agile dedicated teams are capable of providing faster product release and more efficient development, testing, and deployment. The main opposition is the traditional Waterfall methodology that is not always effective.
In waterfall management, each project is divided into separate stages. A team goes to the next stage only after the previous one is complete. For example, testing starts only after all the coding was done.
On the other hand, an agile company supports the non-vertical type of project management. The project is divided into “sprints” – short-term tasks that combine coding, testing, reviewing, and presentation all in one process. The main advantage is that there is a faster response to any issues, quicker delivery time, and more flexibility in terms of adjustments.
For example, in the waterfall model when the mistake is done in the code, it will be found only on the testing stage. After that, the team has to go back to the previous stage. And it the mistake is critical to software architecture, it might mean that a lot of work has to be done from the start all over again.
The Popularity of Agile Software Development Projects
Why are agile consulting experts in such high demand in the modern business landscape? It was named the most popular innovation engine by Forbes once. And the survey The State of Scrum shows that more and more companies adopt this approach to their project management. Here are some key statistics from this study:
- Half of the respondents confirm that agile methodology is used by their companies in 50% of projects;
- And almost half of them (49%) said that the main reason to turn to Scrum is higher client satisfaction. Also, they named such reasons as business growth and effectiveness.
- 87% of respondents confirm that Agile and Scrum improve the quality of the team’s work. They also admitted to liking this methodology.
According to PwC, agile projects are usually 28% more successful than those that use traditional project management methodology. Services of an experienced agile consulting company bring satisfaction both for developers and end-users.
Nowadays, agile consulting experts are in high demand. Implementation of these principles has immense benefits for business growth and productivity
Agile Ukraine: 5 Trends to Look Out For
Ukraine is one of the top outsourcing destinations for the IT industry in general. And when it comes to finding the right Agile agency, the tendency is the same. Overall, companies here follow the global trends in this sphere and stay on top of the market. Here are 5 main trends in agile consulting services to look for:
1. Focus on more distributed teams
In the beginning, agile principles were developed for teams working together physically close. But the global trends for remote teams, outsourcing, and flexible employment are changing that. As agile principles mature, there will be more focus on adopting them to distributed development teams.
2. Application of Agile across the whole organization
The services of an advanced agile software company will be needed not only for team agility but for organizational one as well. There is a trend of applying those principles to the entire organization as well as engineering and development teams. For example, the adoption of the Scaled Agile Framework signifies this turn.
3. It is not optional anymore
Agile has already been set in place in project management. From July 1, 2020, the official PMP certification program requires candidates to know not only waterfall and hybrid methods but agile as well. It means that any certified project management professional from now on will have to learn it as well.
4. The number of consulting services will continue to grow
As a result, agile consulting services will continue to be in high demand all over the world. The will include full-cycle packages like “agile transformation” for organizations opting to increase their performance, revenue, and clients’ satisfaction.
5. Agile tools will be simpler
The wide adoption of these principles will result in simpler interfaces and more intuitive functions. The software designed for teams will demand a much lesser learning curve to start with it. They’ll get more and more optimized and automated.
Services of Agile Consulting Experts
Agile development offers high-quality software, increased customer satisfaction, increased transparency and teamwork, a more productive environment, and fast product delivery. It is all about fast response to any changes and a collaborative environment. This is what businesses look for when they opt for the best Ukraine app development companies with an agile approach.
Whether it is one of the FinTech startups or big eCommerce enterprise, they all can benefit from agile consulting services, which include:
- Assessment – evaluation of current pain points and processes that can be improved, finding unique challenges and requirements of a business;
- Strategic Planning – working together on KPIs, goals, and expectations. Creation of strategic plan in alignment with business objectives and road mapping;
- Training of the teams and employments in new methodology;
- Setting roles like Scrum master, product owner, etc;
- Planning processes and sprints;
- Setting the metrics for evaluation of performance;
- Implementation of the applicable software solutions;
- Coaching and consulting for beginners or organizations, which scale up.
Agile and DevOps
DevOps and Agile come from similar places and ideas – collaboration, responsibility, and optimization. Although they are not similar, they are extremely compatible and work together perfectly. That’s why many DevOps consulting companies are also knowledgeable in agile methodology.
So what is the difference? DevOps is designed to bring such departments as development and operations together, hence where the name comes from. Agile means continuous iterative approach as well as customer feedback, and small and rapid releases.
They have a similar aim – get the end product released faster and increase collaboration between teams. The main difference is that DevOps brings two huge teams together and Agile ensures collaboration within a small team. So those two methodologies do not exclude each other, they work on different levels. When working in tandem, they can complement each other and increase overall benefits.
15 Best Agile Consulting Firms in Ukraine
1. BrainRain
BrainRain specializes in agile transformation and consulting services. Established in 2015 in Ukraine, the company has built a solid reputation in the industry. BrainRain offers a range of services including agile coaching, Scrum and SAFe implementation, and tailored training programs. Their team comprises experienced professionals with expertise in various agile methodologies. Notably, BrainRain has assisted numerous companies in enhancing their agile practices and achieving business agility.
2. Symphony Solutions
Symphony Solutions specializes in Agile transformation and consulting services. Established in 2008 in Lviv, Ukraine, the company has built a solid reputation in the industry. Symphony Solutions offers a range of services including Agile coaching, SAFe implementation, and tailored training programs. Their team comprises experienced professionals with expertise in various technologies and methodologies. Notably, Symphony Solutions has assisted numerous companies in enhancing their Agile practices and achieving business agility.
3. IT Svit
This is an experienced DevOps, Agile, and Big Data service provider located in Kharkiv. It was founded in 2005 and has lots of experience in the industry as well as an impressive portfolio. It has an amazing team of 60 specialists working with cutting-edge technology and custom optimization solutions. The firm has completed more than 800 projects and has a 5-star rating on GoodFirms. Among their clients, there are Mice Portal, Darby, and Codeta.
4. Impressit
This is a Lviv-based agency that focuses on cloud computing and mobile application development. It also offers management team extension for international partners as well as Agile expertise. The provided remote team work according to this methodology. The agency has 5 stars on GoodFirms and a great team of professionals.
6. Everlink
It is a Lviv-based agency founded in 2008 with a lot of experience in custom software product development and DevOps. It is all about robust solutions, an innovative tech stack, and a custom approach. Everlink partnered with multiple businesses from the US, Canada, and the EU. Among the services, there are IT outsourcing and outstaffing, software development, IoT, IIoT, QA, architecture consulting & design, and DevOps.
5. Sii Ukraine
Sii Ukraine specializes in IT consulting and agile transformation services. Established in 2006 in Odesa, the company has built a solid reputation in the industry. Sii Ukraine offers a range of services including software development, testing & quality assurance, IT infrastructure, and agile consulting. Their team comprises experienced professionals with expertise in various technologies and methodologies. Notably, Sii Ukraine has assisted numerous companies in enhancing their IT capabilities and achieving business agility.
7. Dysnix
Dysnix has 7 years of experience on the market and a great team of qualified professionals. It focuses almost exclusively on DevOps and DevSecOps services. The team delivers full-cycle DevOps and architecture services, AI/ML development, Blockchain development, and Big Data solutions as well as cyber security. It works with small and medium-sized businesses in such industries as Financial Services, Gambling, IT, Advertising & Marketing, and eCommerce.
8. Maxitech
Maxitech is based in Lviv and has an outstanding track record of projects completed since 2011. The expertise of the agency covers all things cloud, from migration to setting up the private one. It delivers such services as cloud consulting & SI, cybersecurity solutions, IT managed services, and IT strategy consulting. The majority of their customers come from small and mid-market companies. Danish Textiles, GM Group, and LEV TV are their clients.
9. DevBrother
DevBorther is a Kharkiv-based development firm that has deep expertise not only in Agile and optimization tools, but also in Cryptocurrency. It has been delivering outstanding services since 2017 primarily in the Healthcare industry. Among its clients, there are PurplePass, SHIFT, and Jobtip. DevBrother also offers remote teams for businesses that work based on efficiency and optimization principles.
10. Adimen
This is a relatively new agency founded in 2018 in Odesa. But it has already established its expertise when it comes to Agile development, Big Data, and AI. It provides a multitude of DevOps, DataOps, and Data Science services to international and local partners. It is all about managing Data for business value and optimization of processes.
11. Blaize
Blaize’s key competency is Blockchain technology but its services in terms of software development and DevOps and Agile are also on the highest level. The agency was established in 2016 in Dnipro and has a strong reputation in the industry. The experts deliver custom development, audit, optimization, and consultancy for international businesses. SnglsDAO is one of their satisfied customers.
12. E5 Consulting
E5 Consulting specializes in Agile transformation and training services. Established in 2014 in Kyiv, the company has built a solid reputation in the industry. E5 Consulting offers a range of services including Agile coaching, SAFe implementation, and tailored training programs. Their team comprises experienced professionals with over 15 years in IT and Agile methodologies. Notably, E5 Consulting has assisted numerous companies in enhancing their Agile practices and achieving business agility.
13. Dedicatted
This company is all about DevOps as a service. It was established in 2016 in Kyiv and has acquired a great reputation. This B2B vendor helps partners with cloud computing or migration strategies, architecture decisions for mobile and web applications, as well as DevOps automation (CI/CD, deployment, backups, and disaster recovery).
14. Corewide
Corewide is also an exclusively DevOps service provider. It has been on the market since 2015. The agency has a powerful team of DevOps and automation engineers, which ensure excellent consultancy. It has an impressive portfolio of more than 500 completed projects. Among their customers, there are Dahmakan, Funtomic, and Raccoon Gang.
15. boredDevOps
It is an excellent Kyiv-based firm with a qualified team of professionals. It delivers such services as continuous development, infrastructure as a code, security and compliance solutions, infrastructure audit, and multi-channel automation. The team focuses almost exclusively on DevOps consulting and implementation, which adds to its expertise.
The adoption of agile methodology continues to grow and penetrate all industries because of the multiple benefits it provides.