More companies pursuing agile development processes

For many mobile development projects, users are expecting the software to debut faster and have less bugs than ever while still being able to meet all of their needs. However, depending on how programmers approach these tasks, they're often easier said than done. While there should be ample preparation for these efforts from what language to use to which features will be necessary, if developers are still following legacy app building processes, precautions won't amount to much. Instead of chasing waterfall methods, it will be more advantageous in the long run for organizations to pursue agile approaches to software creation.

Why waterfall is no longer effective
Waterfall development used to be the main program-building process that was used across the board, and for a time, it was effective. However, with the evolution of mobile devices and user preferences, this approach is no longer enough to support current needs. Gamasutra contributor Paul Nunes noted that his own method when working in a waterfall environment was segmented into phases: identify necessary changes, plan, implement and test. While this may seem reasonable, one step must be finished before the next is allowed to start, making it difficult to go back and fix any vulnerabilities that were introduced early on. This type of backtracking can waste significant time and resources in order to fully complete an application.

However, pairing agile development and HTML5 form can be a significant asset to programmers and their projects. Agile will enable a more collaborative type of approach, allowing coders to get feedback from users and actively improve their experience. HTML5 can help developers deliver changes across devices without needing multiple rewrites for each operating system that would be required in native approaches.

Agile can benefit businesses of all sizes
For agile workloads, it can be easy for hulking enterprises to believe it's beyond their capabilities to support such a quick-paced approach. However, InformationWeek contributor Eric Reed stated that agile can be scalable to businesses and large organizations can learn how to effectively handle these processes. While a faster time to market can certainly be an expected benefit, enterprises will also be able to better implement resources that users want, customizing the application directly to reflect employee input. With waterfall methods, this type of effort would take a significant amount of time to accomplish, while taking only days with agile development.

However, agile must become a culture for any business, which can be challenging. By learning from previous projects, organizations can constantly improve their approach and become more efficient with agile opportunities. Larger companies will see significant advantages from a faster, more polished delivery schedule, including a boosted interest in using the applications. This will help cut down on shadow IT practices and help create a more consistent workflow.

"We've learned a lot about becoming an agile culture, and we're still learning," Reed wrote. "Being willing to change, get support from the entire organization, and use simple trial-and-error are some of the best weapons to make sure an enterprise is poised to thrive in the age of agile."