Implementation of Agile methodology at Zomato
Problem Statement:
Zomato is an online platform that is responsible for powering amazing dining experiences for the customers both at home and whilst dining out. Zomato started with a vision to ensure that no one ever has a bad meal! Over 10 years Zomato has steadily built both a search and discovery platform that fuels stable and growing transaction businesses. Today Zomato has multiple products and services that ensure their customers have a great experience whilst improving the food industry.
This post is about the development of features like rate/review restaurant, filters for search, online ordering for next releases at Zomato using the Agile methodology.
Let’s first understand what is Agile methodology?
Any product development process consists of a series of steps through which a product goes through while it’s being developed. A typical development process consists of the following steps:
. Conceptualizing the Idea
· Market and Customer research
· Product planning
· Design
· Development
· Testing
· Deployment
· Maintenance
Any methodology allows the communication of the steps involved in the development of the product to the team effectively. There are two major methodologies:
- Waterfall methodology
- Agile methodology
Let’s briefly discuss these methodologies before moving ahead for the development of the features.
Waterfall methodology:
The waterfall method is a linear way of executing projects in which activities flow from high level to low level. In waterfall methodologies, we do heavy up-front analysis, documentation and planning with a proposed solution, which then gets built, tested and finally gets delivered to consumers.

Since this method follows a sequential pattern, any change in the requirement at a later stage amounts to scrapping the process altogether. So, the requirements have to be detailed out at the beginning before developing them, but the risk of a failure is inadvertently high. This method is highly suitable when requirements are known in advance but this is hardly the case due to changing technology, competition and requirements. Agile was developed as a solution to the shortcomings of the waterfall method.
Agile methodology:
Agile is a combination of iterative and incremental process models with a focus on process adaptability and customer satisfaction by rapid delivery of working software product.

Incremental software development: This enables the team to deliver finished components of the whole in parts. It allows the team to stagger the release of features thus allowing for a better understanding of the market.
Iterative software development: This approach allows the team to build upon an idea or a solution which might not be clear at the beginning, but constant feedback at all levels from the customer encourages development in the form of iterations.
The Agile method combines the iterative and incremental approaches and encourages a flexible environment. It is iterative as it plans for the work of one iteration to be improved upon in subsequent iterations and incremental because completed work is delivered throughout the project.

Scrum is one of the Agile methodologies practised by most Agile practitioners.
In a traditional method, the sequential phases of product development dictate that only one phase of development can be carried out at a time. This means that the analysis phase would be carried out for all features, followed by design, implementation, and then testing.
However, in the Scrum framework, phases overlap each other. This means that you only work on one feature at a time and conduct all the phases of development such as analysis, design, implementation, and testing. Then you move on to the next feature.
Agile emphasises the following core values:
- Individual and team interactions over processes and tools
- Working software over comprehensive documentation
- Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
- Responding to change over following a plan
The Scrum framework includes different roles, artifacts and events:
- Product owner
- Scrum master
- Product backlog
- Sprint
- Sprint backlog
The typical steps in the agile development process are:
- The product owner creates and maintains a prioritized wishlist of product features to be delivered. This is in the form of user stories.
- During sprint planning, the team picks up the top priority items from the backlog and discusses the work to be done.
- During the duration of the sprint which is typically 2–3 weeks, the team meets daily for 15 minutes to discuss the progress of the work, which is known as the daily stand up meeting.
- In between the sprint, Scrum master removes impediments from the team’s path and ensures a smooth development process by keeping the team focused towards achieving the sprint goal.
- Sprint ends with a working software ready to be shipped followed by sprint retrospective meeting gather the learnings and improvements which can be applied on the further sprints.
And this is how sprint by sprint, the working product/feature is delivered to the customers by incorporating customer feedback as well in the development process to increase adoption and better conversion.
Now that we have a clear understanding of how the agile development process is being carried out, let’s use the iterative and incremental ways of Agile methodology to deliver the features of rate/review restaurant, filters for search, online ordering for Zomato.
Rate/Review restaurant
Zomato started its services as the platform for providing information and reviews of restaurants including the images of the menus where the restaurant does not have its own website. Ratings and reviews add more value to the end customer as it increases the credibility of the restaurant and customer can make an informed decision before ordering the food.
Version 1
1. Rate a restaurant on a scale of 1 to 5
2. Review a restaurant
Version 2
1. Display average rating of the restaurant on the listing and detail page
2. Display all reviews of the restaurant on the detail page basis recency
Version 3
1. Option to add images while reviewing the restaurant
2. Option to add #tags and @freinds while reviewing the restaurant
Version 4
1. Option to share the review on social media
2. Like and comment option against the user reviews
Filters for Search:
As Zomato is a huge database of restaurants in multiple locations serving a variety of cuisines, the search feature is imperative as it would give users the flexibility and ease the selection process thereby increasing the conversions/food orders.
Let's break the search filters into multiple versions so as to launch the feature with minimum functionality and enhance it in the subsequent versions.
Version 1
- Search by location
- Search by restaurant
- Search by cuisines
Version 2
Add few more search options like:
- Search by category (e.g dine out, delivery etc)
- Search by offers & promotions
We can add filters on search as follows:
- Filter by location, cuisine
- Filter by Cost for two (e.g less than Rs 500, Rs 500 to 1000 etc)
- Filter by Establishment types (e.g. Pubs, Bars, Fine dining etc)
Version 3
In the next version we can add the following sort features:
- Sort by restaurant rating
- Sort by cost
Version 4
- Trending searches
-Suggested searches
Online food ordering
As Zomato was started only as the platform for restaurant ratings, reviews and menu, a user had no option to place an online order from Zomato itself and had to switch to Swiggy or Foodpanda. Zomato further integrated the online food ordering to their own platform thereby giving a tough competition to the other online food ordering platforms. In order to launch online food order let’s break up the release into multiple versions.
Version 1
- Display restaurant menu
- Add items to the cart
- Edit/View items in the cart
- Add delivery address
- Pay by credit card
- Delivery boy’s name and number
Version 2
- Online order tracking
- Add COD as another payment options
- Integration of mobile wallets
- Integration of promotional coupons/discounts
Version 3
- Rate the food ordering service
- Integration of customer support service
Version 4
- Customer loyalty program
This way we can implement Agile methodology at Zomato which would clearly define the business by incorporating user feedback at each level.
Summary
- Agile development, in its simplest form, offers a lightweight framework for helping teams, given a constantly evolving functional and technical landscape, maintain a focus on the rapid delivery of business value (i.e., bang for the buck). As a result of this focus, the benefits of agile software development are that organizations are capable of significantly reducing the overall risk associated with software development.
- Agile assumes that the end users’ needs are ever changing in a dynamic business and IT world. Changes can be discussed and features can be newly introduced or removed based on feedback. This effectively gives the customer the finished product they want or need.