How to Determine Timeframe & Scope in Agile Development
In agile mobile app development, building a product is a collaborative, integrated process. Unlike the waterfall approach, it is not a pass off. For the majority of the project, 80% of the team will be involved throughout.
The custom agile app development process typically involves 5 key components: Product Definition, Project Management, UI/UX, Development, and QA. Each of these components is active to different degrees throughout the project, with involvement varying depending on the level of completion.
Project Timeframe
The question of how long it takes to build a mobile app is relative, dependent on the scope and requirements of each particular project. On the very low end, mobile app development for a single platform can take 6-8 weeks (less for an MVP or rapid prototype). Depending on the complexity and scope of the project, development can reach 16+ weeks. Understanding the resources required and their involvement in the process helps to provide a better estimation.
Resources Required for Each Project
- 1 Project Manager
- 1 Business Analyst
- 1 Solutions Architect
- 1 UI/UX Designer (Minimum)
- 2 Developers per platform (Minimum)
- 1 QA Engineer per platform (Minimum)
Sprints
A sprint is a 2-week period which produces a release candidate (build). Depending on the progress of the project, different members of the team will be involved to varying degrees.
Product Definition & Design
Product Definition & Design includes solutions gathering, business requirements, research and strategy, wireframes, mockups, storyboards, styling, design feedback, and more.
Estimated Time Involved: Minimum 2-6 weeks (1-3 sprints, depending on scope)
Resources Involved:
- Heavy Involvement: Business Analyst, UI/UX
- Light Involvement: Project Manager, Solutions Architect, Developers
Development & Quality Assurance
The solutions architect will work to understand the requirements needed to create a solution and then plan and implement the design activities required. They are responsible for UML diagrams, technical flow and stacks, product stability, as well as reusability and scalability solutions. Testing begins concurrently as features are developed.
Estimated Time Involved: Minimum 4-6 weeks (3 sprints, depending on scope)
Resources Involved:
- Heavy Involvement: Developers, Solutions Architect, QA Engineer, Business Analyst
- Light Involvement: Project Manager, UI/UX
User Acceptance Testing & Delivery
The application is tested against all requirements. The project manager is responsible for the successful initiation, planning, design, execution, monitoring, controlling, and closure of the project as it goes to market.
Estimated Time Involved: Minimum 2-4 weeks (1-2 sprints, depending on scope)
Resources Involved:
- Heavy Involvement: Developers, QA Engineer, Business Analyst
- Light Involvement: Project Manager, Solutions Architect, UI/UX
Example Project Estimation: 12 week project
Let’s assume an app developed for a single platform and a project timeframe of 12 weeks (6 sprints). Here is a breakdown of what the resource involvement may look like, depending of course on the scope and nature of the project.
Obviously, this breakdown can’t be applied to every project, but nonetheless, it provides a good framework for how resources might be allocated for your particular project. It is meant to demonstrate that in the agile methodology, you can’t view a project linearly. Understanding that the process is integrated allows for a better understanding of how to scope your project, allocate resources, and determine budget and timeline.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the nature of each particular project determines how heavily each part of the team is involved and the timeframe of the project. That said, the one truth of the agile development methodology is that it requires an integrated, collaborative process that differs from the traditional waterfall method and allows for the development of higher-quality, market-ready products. Understanding how this process works can provide you a better estimation of the timeframe and resources required for your project.
