{"id":43857,"date":"2011-02-08T17:32:00","date_gmt":"2011-02-08T17:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sticky-highjinx.flywheelsites.com\/?p=43857"},"modified":"2025-03-04T03:23:03","modified_gmt":"2025-03-04T08:23:03","slug":"agile-vs-waterflow-software-deployment-methodologies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/envistacorp.techyscouts.dev\/en-au\/2011\/02\/08\/agile-vs-waterflow-software-deployment-methodologies\/","title":{"rendered":"Agile vs. Waterflow Software Deployment Methodologies"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>\n

Over the last year, I have personally been involved with two e-commerce companies that used Agile software development and deployment approaches for their e-commerce sites requiring integration to both Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Supply Chain Execution Systems (WMS). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Agile is a Project Management approach used primarily for product and software development. The approach is based upon iterative work cadences or “sprints” that build collaboration between cross-functional team members. For those of us who cut our teeth in manufacturing, think of Waterflow as manufacturing large batches of work in process inventory (WIP) vs. small batches of work in process inventory. We all know from JIT principles and Toyota Production Systems (TPS) techniques that small batches reduce variability and allow for agile shifts in production with the goal of meeting unpredictable customer demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may presume I am going to jump on the Agile band wagon… Not exactly! Waterflow deployment approaches, on the other hand, are sequential in nature: design, build and test. The downside to waterflow is: 1) it is sequential, 2) the major steps take longer, resulting in increased variability between steps and 3) if you get the design wrong, the end product delivered could be wrong. The assumption by Agile disciples is that it is impossible to define 100% of your functional and technical requirements and that 80% is “good enough.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is one methodology better than other? The answer is no. Both methodologies are valuable with respect to implementing and integrating software applications and technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the aforementioned projects, both were successful not because Agile was superior over Waterflow, but rather because the project managers for both projects brought a great deal of experience (15+ years) and defined what I refer to as “a common picture of success.”<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t

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