We’d like to talk about a new approach to mobile development, dubbed Mobile-D. The method’s purpose is to establish a functional, agile archetype for software development. It’s also useful in other applications, such as financial or logistical applications.
Mobile-D comprises of 9 components:
In their own phrasing, The School of Informatics reports that these 9 constituents must be enmeshed within the various methods associated with the cycle of development:
1) Phasing and Placing
2) Architecture Line
3) Mobile Test-Driven Development
4) Continuous Integration
5) Pair Programming
6) Metrics
7) Agile Software Process Improvement
8) Off-Site Customer
9) User-Centered Focus
Team cohesiveness, grounded in agile development practices
Mobile-D aims towards product delivery within 10 weeks. How does the method achieve this? It grounds itself in agile development practices, which All About Agile reports focus on trusting the judgment of the team, communication with customers, quick turnaround on products, and frequent testing during the project’s lifecycle.
There’s a crucial importance placed on team cohesiveness, harmony, and confidence in each other. Because a close knit, committed team is required, small teams of no more than ten members are suitable for Mobile-D.
Communication is crucial within the team and vertically throughout the organization. “Being one of the most challenging tasks, communication often determines the success of the project in general,” as stated in the PDF version of the slideshare provided by University of Zagreb.
Continuous interaction and communication with customers allows project managers to discern priceless information on the target market and its needs. This area presents unique challenges as the customer base isn’t always willing to cooperate, communicate or provide relevant insights.
The Mobile-D process comprises of 5 phases:
1) Explore
In the first phase, a strategy and the project’s components are determined by the development team. Three stages are required to complete this phase:
- Stakeholder establishment
- Scope definition
- Project establishment
The team will complete tasks specific to this phase such as determining which customers will take an operative role in the process of development.
2) Initialize
The team meets with active stakeholders to understand the product and assemble crucial assets, such as communications, technological and physical resources, to commence with production activities. The three stages involved in this phase are:
- Project set-up
- Initial planning
- Trial day
3) Productionize
The majority of implementation takes place and should be completed during this phase. Planning days, working days, and release days are the structural driving force behind this phase.
- Planning days: “Planning days are aimed at enhancing the development process, prioritizing and analyzing requirements, planning the iteration content, and creating acceptable tests that will be run later in release days,” according to The School of Informatics.
- Working days: During working days, functionalities are implemented using the Test-Driven Development (TDD) practice.
- Release Days: Release days are spent creating a working prototype which will be certified through acceptance testing.
4) Stabilize
During the stabilization phase, product finalization occurs. This may encompass fine tuning and modifications, or in a multi-team project “ integrating subsystems if needed,” according to the presentation component of the slideshare provided by University of Zagreb.
5) System Test & Fix
As its name implies, this phase involves testing the product and ties in closely with the fourth phase, stabilization. Stabilization and system test & fix may continue to cycle until the product meets expectations and client requirements are met.
A summary of Mobile-D methodology in bullet points
- Grounded in agile processes
- No more than 10 team members
- Organized but flexible game plan
- Product turnaround in 10 weeks
- Cohesive, communicative team
- Continuous testing and fine tuning
- Contact with customer base
Resources:
http://www.allaboutagile.com/what-is-agile-10-key-principles/
http://www.inf.ed.ac.uk/publications/thesis/online/IM100767.pdf