Iteration
A single cycle of development within an iterative process, where a working increment is planned, built, tested, and reviewed before the next cycle begins.
In-Depth Explanation
An iteration is one complete cycle through the development process. In Agile, iterations create a rhythm of building, reviewing, and adapting that enables continuous improvement and frequent value delivery.
Characteristics:
- Fixed duration: Same length each time (typically 1-4 weeks)
- Complete cycle: Includes planning, building, testing, and reviewing
- Incremental delivery: Each iteration produces a working increment
- Feedback-driven: Results inform planning for the next cycle
- Self-contained: Delivers something of value independently
Benefits of iterative development:
- Early feedback: Stakeholders see results frequently
- Risk reduction: Problems discovered early
- Flexibility: Direction adjusted based on learning
- Predictability: Regular cadence builds trust
- Quality: Continuous testing prevents defect accumulation
- Motivation: Frequent completions provide progress sense
Iterative vs incremental vs Agile:
- Iterative: Repeatedly refining through cycles
- Incremental: Adding functionality piece by piece
- Agile: Combines both - each iteration delivers an increment of value
Business Context
Iterative development reduces the risk of large-scale failure by delivering value in small increments, enabling course correction based on real feedback.
How Clever Ops Uses This
Clever Ops delivers all projects for Australian businesses iteratively. Rather than building behind closed doors, we deliver working increments every two weeks, incorporating client feedback at each iteration to ensure the result matches real needs.
Example Use Case
"Through 6 iterations, a customer portal evolves from basic order tracking (iteration 1) through account management (iteration 3) to a full self-service platform (iteration 6), shaped by user feedback."