The History of Agile

Gantt Chart

1917

Henry Gantt created the Gantt Chart.

The Critical Path

1957

The critical path method was created by Dupont. It is a technique used to predict how long a project will take.

The PERT Method

1958

The United States Department of Defense’s US Navy Special Projects Office developed the Program Evaluation Review (PERT) which focuses on the time needed to complete each task, subsequently identifying the minimum amount of time needed to finish the project.

The Creation of Waterfall Methodology

1970

Waterfall methodology was successful because it created clear guidelines for a project to follow. Discipline was essential in delivering a product. However, its downfall began as the internet was launched.

RAD

1980

James Martin created Rapid Application Development (RAD) to reduce the preparation and planning stages of a project and get to the development phase quicker. This was a crucial step in the direction of reaching agile methodology.

Launch of the Internet

1990

The internet era contributed to the downfall of waterfall methodology due to the flexibility and speed that was now needed in projects. The rigid structure of waterfall methodology did not benefit rapid software development.

Scrum

1995

Jeff Sutherland and Ken Schwaber created the scrum process in the early 1990s which believed small self-organizing teams worked best on the development of complex products. It gave them independence and flexibility on how to meet objectives. Nowadays, many organizations and teams that utilize agile methodology, use scrum.

The Agile Manifesto

2001

Agile was invented with the creation of the Agile Manifesto which highlighted four key principles:
- Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
- Working software over comprehensive documentation
- Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
- Responding to change over following a plan