A detailed guide on adaptive software development

Rigid software development practices were the norm for decades. However, today's world is very different from a few decades ago.

Today, software development can not be about following a rigid blueprint. Software development must be adaptive to be valuable to businesses operating in complex and rapidly changing environments. It must make adequate provisions for the uncertainties that characterize today’s technological and business world.

Enter Adaptive Software Development or ASD. This agile and iterative approach values change and embrace it rather than resisting it like the waterfall methodology.

In this article, we’ll break down the key principles of ASD, explore its benefits and challenges, and discuss how teams can implement it effectively to build resilient, future-ready software.

What is adaptive software development?

Adaptive software development (ASD) is a flexible approach to building software. It recognized how different our world has become, the pace at which technologies enter the market, and the constant changes in the business world. It thrives on collaboration, flexibility, and learning. In many ways, it is a more refined and innovative approach than its predecessors, such as rapid application development (RAD) and waterfall development.

If you look at the origin of ASD, many believe that it grew out of the work by Jim Highsmith and Sam Bayer on rapid application development (RAD).

Key characteristics of adaptive software development:

• Mission focused: ASD projects are mission-focused, which ensures that the teams are mostly on the same page as to what needs to be built or achieved to align with the overall project goals and mission.
• Iterative: Adaptive software development is iterative in nature. Unlike the waterfall development model, ASD calls for shorter development cycles and contentious improvements in the product based on real-time feedback.
• Timeboxed: Each iteration or development cycle follows a pre-defined time limit, which ensures that unnecessary delays do not happen and the desired output is achieved within set timelines.
• Feature-based: The software is built by adding features incrementally, focusing on delivering value in smaller chunks.
• Change tolerant: ASD teams embrace changes in requirements and adapt to evolving circumstances during development.

If you closely observe how software is built under the Adaptive software development model, you’ll see that the entire lifecycle consists of three major phases: 1) Speculation, 2) Collaboration, and 3) Learning. Let’s discuss these phases one by one.

The adaptive software development lifecycle

The core of an ASD lifecycle is the ‘understanding that changes are inevitable and that they must embrace them as they come to build a better app or digital experience.’ The key phases of an ASD lifecycle reflect this spirit of adopting change as it happens.

1. Speculation (The planning and vision phase)

Adaptive software development replaces the ‘traditional planning phase’ with ‘speculation.’ Under this stage, product managers, consultants, developers, and other stakeholders determine the vision of the software. They do not go into details about the product or its features; instead the focus is on the ‘big picture,’ fully allowing room for ‘constant change’ based on future requirements.

Key steps performed under ‘Speculate’

• Vision and high-level goals are defined
• Initial requirements are gathered (High-level and not detailed)
• An initial product backlog might be created
• Risk identification and assumptions
• Set up a cross-functional collaboration
• A rather loose roadmap is defined (as compared to fixed plans under other models like waterfall)

2. Collaboration (The teamwork and execution phase)

This is the ‘speculation-in-action’ phase. Whatever stakeholders agreed on during the initial phase is implemented in the ‘collaboration’ phase. Cross-functional teams bring all their expertise and resources to one common platform and build more robust and secure enterprise applications.

While traditional software development is about predefined roles and rigid workflows, Adaptive Software Development (ASD) encourages real-time collaboration, frequent communication, and rapid iterations.

Key steps in the collaboration phase include:

• Cross-functional teamwork
• Iterative development and continuous feedback
• Real-time communication and shared ownership
• Rapid prototyping and testing

The focus on iterative development and frequent communication leads to better software. While teams mostly work in ‘silos’ under traditional development models, ASD brings all the teams together with an aim to build a better product.

3. Learning (Accumulating insights for new iterations)

Learning is imperative to a successful adaptive software development model. ASD teams work in shorter cycles. They work on mini parts of an application and actively seek feedback from users and other stakeholders.

The open and frequent communication and interactions sets the stage for massive learning. Teams accumulate all experiences, all mistakes and corrections, seek feedback and build on their knowledge base. Over time, the learning process helps the teams improve at what they do and release better code, eventually leading to better and faster software.

Benefits of adaptive software development (ASD)

Implementing an adaptive software development model can unlock new growth opportunities.

1. Faster time-to-market: Businesses can not wait for years to introduce a new app or app feature in the market. This used to happen in the era of waterfall. However, thanks to agile development philosophies like ASD, development teams release software in smaller and functional increments. The shorter release cycles ensure that companies can release new features or products in the market faster than their competitors and keep their customers and partners hooked to their products.
2. Improved collaboration and teamwork: One of the core pillars and benefits of implementing an ASD methodology is that you get teams that work and build together. An adaptive software development model sets the stage for a new kind of culture of cross-functional collaboration, where developers, designers, product managers, and stakeholders work together seamlessly. This results in better communication, shared ownership, and a more cohesive development process.
3. Customer-centric development: Adaptive software development prioritizes feedback loops, so the teams are always busy improving the final product, and thus the whole setup leads to greater customer satisfaction.
4. Continuous improvement: ASD teams constantly look for feedback and ways to improve the product (s) they have built. Each iteration yields new insights and areas of improvement, which sets the state for further product improvement. When this approach of mindful iterations and improvements is practiced by teams, the final product gets better with each new iteration.
5. Reduced project risk: The iterative approach allows for early identification and mitigation of potential risks, minimizing the chances of project failure.

We just talked about only a few key benefits that ASD is associated with. Believe us, there are many more. However, like any other development methodology, even ASD has a range of limitations. And it’s important that those issues are kept in mind while making a decision.

Key challenges associated with adaptive software development

The ASD model has significantly replaced traditional software development methodologies over the past few years. It’s because the benefits are too many to count when your teams embrace this new development mindset. However, this does not mean that ASD has no drawbacks. In this section, let’s focus on the challenges that often limit the adoption and usage of ASD in building new products and services.

1. Resistance to change: It’s in our genes to stick to what’s familiar and resist what’s new and has a learning curve. And your teams are probably going to resist the idea of embracing a whole new development philosophy as they have stuck with their ways of doing things for years or even decades. Implementing an ASD approach to software development would require you to communicate and convince many stakeholders across the board. However, with thorough planning and continuous communication and support, managers can effectively overcome this resistance to change to a great extent.
2. Managing uncertainty: In adaptive software development, teams assume a certain level of uncertainty and build plans around it. However, being open to uncertainties might not work best for teams accustomed to rigid planning and predictability. In such a scenario, the leadership must train the entire team enough to predict and be prepared for these uncertainties. It is also imperative to build a system that promotes open and frequent communication throughout the development and deployment process.
3. Ensuring cross-functional collaboration: ADS thrives when different teams come together and take ownership of the final product (usually a digital app or software like CRM). Unlike under waterfall methods, one team does not hand over a ‘thing-in-progress’ to the other team. Instead, all teams work together and support each other using shorter development cycles and real-time communication. Dismantling the ‘decades-old workflows’ requires strong commitment and continuous monitoring. However, creating a new culture is very much possible with transparent communication, regular feedback, and training.
4. Increased development cost: Conceptualizing, designing, and developing a complex software or application can cost millions of dollars. It is therefore imperative to choose the right development tools, teams, and methodology. In ASD, testing is integrated across the development lifecycle and this often leads to increased team effort and development costs. However, teams can control these expenses and reduce development effort by making use of AI-powered testing tools and development platforms. A clear strategy and a skilled team can further help curtail the development cost.
5. Documentation challenges: Due to the rapid pace of change in ASD, keeping comprehensive documentation updated can be difficult, potentially leading to confusion later in the development cycle.

Best practices for implementing ASD

In order to set the stage for ASD within your software development practices, it is essential to follow a set of practices that promote transparency, trust, collaboration, and frequent communication. Here are a few essential best practices to embrace ASD with minimal frictions:

1. Convince your team and other key stakeholders: Nothing worthwhile is likely to happen without your team being actively involved. So, it’s really important that you bring them onboard from early on and show them what they are missing out on. Similarly, switching to a different development model is very much likely to require approvals and support from other teams and department heads. So, it makes sense to have a plan to make them interested in what you are about to propose.
2. Strengthen cross-functional collaboration: The success of ASD model lies in how closely and passionately different teams work together and care for the final product or feature. To ensure greater team collaboration, you might consider taking steps like breaking the silos between designers, developers, testers, and product managers. You may also like to introduce new communication and collaboration tools such as Slack, Jira, or Microsoft Teams. And then you may also like to gradually promote a culture of shared ownership where everyone feels responsible for the final output.
3. Promote a fail fast and learn fast environment: In ASD model, all the failures or frustrations are learning opportunities. Therefore, it is important to encourage them to experiment, test new ideas, and quickly iterate on what doesn’t work. This reduces the risk of costly late-stage failures and fosters a culture of innovation.
4. Balance adaptability with strategic planning: Under ASD model, teams are trained to welcome change. However, at the same time, it pays to develop and follow a structured yet flexible roadmap to maintain focus. Use a high-level product vision instead of rigid long-term plans, and break work into time-boxed iterations to ensure steady progress. Define key objectives but leave room for adjustments based on evolving business and customer needs.
5. Prioritize customer-centric development: ASD focuses on delivering value to end users. Incorporate user feedback into every iteration, involve customers in the development process where possible, and ensure that new features and improvements align with real-world needs rather than internal assumptions.

Last, but not least, learn about the key tools and technologies leveraged by ASD teams, and get them for your teams.

Wrapping up

Adaptive software development (ASD) is a truly customer-centric approach toward software development. It enables companies to move away from the rigidity and complexity of traditional development methodologies and unlock a host of benefits such as rapid development and increased customer satisfaction.

The ASD model encourages teams to embrace a new mindset and build a more connected and transparent work culture with ample room for uncertainties.

However, embracing a new development culture calls for significant changes and shareholder buy-ins. To simplify your transition toward a new development model, it is essential to seek expert guidance and help. Transitioning to the ASD model isn’t just about changing processes; it requires a cultural shift within the organization. It demands identifying and dismantling silos, promoting transparent communication, and instilling a shared sense of responsibility among cross-functional teams. Leadership buy-in, stakeholder engagement, and the right set of tools play a crucial role in ensuring a smooth transition.

At Kellton, we are an AI-first digital transformation and software development company with offices across the globe. We help our customers succeed in today’s increasingly competitive marketplace with our comprehensive suite of mobile and web app development services and solutions. And we’d love to help you, too! Whether you are looking for someone reliable and professional to help you modernize your app portfolio or want to build a software application from the ground up, we can help.