The agile software development team is an interdisciplinary group of professionals with the required skills and abilities to create a functional product. It is a unique team due to differences between classic development and agile methodology. The team members have to communicate intensively to find solutions. So, if each member possesses a different set of knowledge and belongs to a diverse background, it can push new ideas and approach the project with multiple perspectives. In this method, all team members know what each other is working on and can offer help or trade tasks if needed.
An agile software development team maintains a flexible approach regardless of the project’s complexity. As the Agile process flow is iterative, with each new iteration, members’ roles can slightly change, depending on the goals of the next sprint. In agile methodology, a sprint is a period set for completing specific tasks and getting them ready for review.
The agile methodology excessively depends on human collaboration, so it’s essential to highlight the types and roles of each member in an Agile software development team structure. The general responsibilities for each position are pretty understandable, but assigning the tasks can vary greatly. Here are 3 types of Agile teams that can explain the concept:
Generalist
A Generalist Agile Software Development Team is usually formed of all-rounders. The versatile members can perform a wide variety of software development tasks and send them to each other. They fully view the bigger picture, but they focus on small bits and ensure that significant parts don’t face any such issues. Ideally, this type of team works well on smaller projects that require a simple tech stack.
Specialist
The specialist Agile Software Development Team consists of experts specializing in various technical and creative areas. They perform advanced tasks that require complicated problem-solving skills and suggest creative solutions. Developing innovative software and complex architectures are part of their core competencies. They focus more on detail and highlight flaws in products with respect to their knowledge. Such teams are best for assigning niche projects that require innovation.
Hybrid
The hybrid Agile Software Development team is a mixture of generalists and specialists who enhance each other’s usefulness. This is the most recommended type of Agile team model if you want to create a high-quality product and, at the same time, save money where advanced expertise is not needed.
After identifying the types of teams, it is also essential to make sure roles are clearly distributed among groups. Some of the basic roles in an Agile team are:
Product Owner
The product owner visualizes how the project will be and makes sure the finished product contains all features that can prove to be helpful for the users. This person can be the representative of the vendor or the client, depending on the expertise required for specific projects.
Team Lead
The team lead serves as a link between the client and developers. They streamline workflows for the Agile software development team, assign tasks, track progress, arrange meeting sessions, and maintain documentation regarding the project.
Software Developer
A software developer is responsible for creating programs and applications based on the product’s vision and client requirements. There can be many developers in one project, each with different skills and experiences. Their role involves developing, testing, and monitoring the quality of the product.
Tester
Testers are vital components of Agile Software Development methodology. They are Quality Assurance (QA) engineers who make sure that the finished product works as intended. Their assistance is needed at the implementation stage in Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). They evaluate the quality of the product by analyzing the design and technical solutions added at every stage of engineering. After testing the final stage, they can create a list of essential changes that can further improve the product.