Curtin IT Services has recently begun “agile” software development – a new approach to creating software which does away with some of the constraints of traditional development and allows software to be delivered to our teaching staff with a much shorter turnaround.
Agile methodology allows project teams to adapt to changing needs more effectively and promotes face-to-face communication over written documents.
Curtin’s new Rapid Application Development team employed the methodology when they recently developed a pilot iPad application for the School of Physiotherapy. The application, designed to facilitate the marking of practical exams, offers teaching staff an alternative to traditional paper grading. Developed in only two and a half weeks, the application was successfully trialed among 32 physiotherapy students.
Lecturer Leo Ng was delighted with the results.
“The communication with the RAD team was excellent and the ability of the team to manage unexpected issues that arose from implementation of this project ensured it was a success”, he said.
A number of high profile organisations have adopted the agile approach to IT projects including Microsoft, Salesforce, Telstra, Suncorp, BankWest and the Western Australian Department of Mines and Petroleum.
“Using an agile methodology allows us to deliver projects more successfully by ensuring we work closer with our clients to deliver the business value they need”, said Robert Moore, Senior Developer within the RAD team.
“Agile is about working smarter and accepting that change is inevitable.”
