For years now, the success of top software development companies has been gauged by the methodologies they use to work. Ultimately, it is the productivity of a software development team that makes or breaks its success. Agile development methodologies have earned all the praises for enhancing the development pace, and improving collaboration and workflow within a team. However, the methodology requires diligent implementation, which is fostered by tools and tech!
In this blog, we will discuss the top tools and technology frameworks that top software development companies utilize for agile processes.
Agile Project Management Tools Used by Top Software Development Companies
Jira
Almost all the top software development companies work with Jira as their go-to tool for project management. Jira is one of the first agile methodology tools, and its interface offers a Kanban-style overview of tasks. The tool also offers a choice to users to select between Kanban, Scrum, and Hybrid agile models to utilize for project management.
Custom software development companies in the USA use Jira as it allows assigning specific tasks to team members and track their individual progress. The platform also allows to identify and solve issues and blockers. In Jira, you can smoothly generate sprint reports, burndown charts, and velocity charts. All these reports are based on real-time data and it further helps teams to get an up-to-date view of the overall productivity of the team.
Confluence
Jira and Confluence are both made by Atlassian, and hence they are great when used together. It is an efficient document management solution that helps to create collaborative spaces for the team. It functions as a central repository for all the project documents of top software development companies.
There’s an additional editor feature in Confluence that enables the team to create meeting notes, product reports, and other research reports. They can further send it across to their respective managers for feedback. The knowledge management module of Confluence enables the team at top software development companies to access relevant project documents whenever required. There is also scope to control access to confidential information and create closed group space to secure collaboration between teams.
Microsoft Teams
While Microsoft Teams is not specifically an agile development tool, it has quickly dethroned Slack, Zoom, and Discord as the preferred workplace communication tool. Teams, launched in 2017, bring together chat, video conferencing, document sharing, and a host of Office 365 tools such as Word, Excel, SharePoint, etc.
The sudden demand of every agile software development company for remote working tools further amplified the demand for Teams. This tool has become central to the productivity and collaboration strategy of top software development companies. As it brings all communication functionalities in one place, the demand for Teams is constantly growing as the most impactful workplace communication tool.
Popular Agile Build Management Tools and Technologies
Jenkins
First built as an automation tool for Java applications, Jenkins has now become the standard for continuous integration servers. This open-source platform offers 1,400+ plugins for seamless integration with other platforms. Jenkins is super easy to use and set up, making it a great choice for a web-based dashboard for project management.
TeamCity
When we are talking about tools and technologies in use by top software development companies, we just cannot miss out on CI/CD servers. TeamCity is known as a fully-featured commercial continuous integration as well as a continuous delivery server (CI/CD server). The most significant work of TeamCity is to connect Jira to integrated development environments (IDEs) such as Eclipse or Visual Studio. Additionally, TeamCity also supports .NET framework and an efficient build artifact repository.
IntelliJ IDEA
IntelliJ IDEA is an IDE for Java development that empowers and improves productivity for enterprise, web, and mobile development in Java, Groovy, Scala, and Kotlin. It is built in a way that it supports all the latest technologies and frameworks used by the top software development companies. The UI of IntelliJ IDEA is simple, even for newbie users. The entire environment offers immense flexibility to incorporate a wide variety of projects.
PyCharm
When it comes to an IDE for Python development instances, PyCharm is the most trusted choice for top software development companies. PyCharm offers developers a powerful set of features to support all the latest development practices, including agile forms. Some of the striking features of PyCharm include-
- Smart code completion
- Automated code refactoring
- Integrated debugger
- Test runner, and
- Code Inspection features
Also, the PyCharm professional edition offers support for web development and the integration of data science tools. Custom software development companies in USA prefer the PyCharm professional edition because of its immense ability to highlight syntax errors and anticipate upcoming code lines.
Conclusion
In wrapping up this exploration of the essential tools and technologies leveraged by top software development companies for agile processes, one thing is clear! The right blend of project management platforms, collaboration tools, and development environments is key to achieving the agility and efficiency in the process.
From Jira’s robust task management capabilities to Confluence’s central knowledge repository, and from Microsoft Teams’ comprehensive communication solutions to Jenkins’ automation prowess, each tool plays a pivotal role in enhancing team collaboration, streamlining workflows, and ultimately, driving project success. As agile methodologies continue to dominate the software development landscape, the importance of these tools cannot be overstated. They not only facilitate a more dynamic and responsive development process but also empower teams to deliver high-quality software at an accelerated pace. For companies striving to remain competitive in the ever-evolving tech industry, adopting and mastering these tools is not just beneficial; it’s essential.
