Check out the first article in this series, Be Agile Part 1, to learn the theory behind the SkyTouch Agile software development process. Read on to get an inside look at a day in the life of a SkyTouch developer and how their agility keeps technology moving forward!

The life of an Agile SkyTouch developer is active, both mentally and physically. In one day, they’ll standup, sprint, and scrum, so we’re giving you an insider’s look into what each of these terms mean and how they contribute to creating an innovative, cutting edge product that’s always ahead of the curve.

The Scrum
The word Scrum actually comes from rugby football, where it indicates a way of restarting a game after a minor infraction. When applied to software development, the idea of Scrum focuses on constantly adjusting project goals to a rapidly changing technical marketplace. «The philosophy matches what we’re actually doing,” explains Scrum master Billy Whala. “We’re a cloud-based company, so we have to make changes quickly based on our customer needs.»

In Scrum, the teams take a project goal and break it into pieces that take around two weeks to develop and deliver. “Say you have to make this application,” says Whala. “I’ll pick up a couple of tasks. He’ll pick up a couple. At the end of the Scrum, we will have this app ready.»

“It’s very collaborative,” Whala continues, “but you’re responsible for your own tasks, as well.” One of the developers in Whala’s team says this process is one of the best things about SkyTouch, because it allows developers to challenge themselves and learn from one another. “It’s just the way the environment is set up over here,” says Whala. “All the teams sit together, so it’s very collaborative.”

Sprint Sessions
At the end of a two week Scrum session, SkyTouch holds a Sprint Session, where Scrum teams present the deliverable they’ve developed. Anyone can attend these sessions, from the development department, to business or sales. This model allows all departments responsible for a product’s delivery to stay connected and informed about the project’s status, ask questions when needed, and provide innovative, collaborative solutions when problems arise.

Collaboration is one of the most unique aspects of SkyTouch, because all of the departments are in one building. Sales is on the first floor, business on the second, and development on the third. “It’s so important for someone to give you requirements for what you need to develop,” says Whala. “Like promotions: If they want our team to develop a promotion in the system, we can just walk up to them and ask them questions. They’re right there. The people who actually dictate what is going to be put out in the market, they’re right here in the building.”

The Daily Standup
One of the benefits of having business in the same building as development, is that every day SkyTouch can host a daily standup. A 10 to 15 minute meeting that the Scrum team leads every single workday, the daily standup lets the business side of SkyTouch know “exactly what is going on,” says Whala. “They can tweak things, and say, ‘Hey, this might be a better thing to do.’” And because SkyTouch operates in an Agile environment, with a project’s phases broken into two week increments, “we can make that change,” Whala says. Ultimately, the ability to adapt to market realities saves businesses money.

Whala explains, “Other companies say, ‘OK, I’m going to put this product out in six months. By then, the market has already changed. New apps are coming out; even normal people can develop apps. So you are way behind the market.” The SkyTouch Agile approach avoids the problem of lagging behind the market by changing the delivery schedule and the communications process. “Now, what we are doing is building small features one at a time, during a period of six months,” a member of Whala’s team continues. “So after four months we can realize, ‘Oh, we don’t need to do this small feature.’ So you save money that way.»

And saving money is something every business can get behind.