What distinguishes Agile from other methodologies is its manifesto, which consists of four important elements:
- Focus more on people and interactions than on processes and tools.
- Working software is more important than extensive documentation.
- Customer collaboration is more important than negotiation.
- The process should be open and responsive to change rather than blindly following a plan.
Implementing Agile allows you to quickly adapt to changing realities and create higher quality products or services that better meet customer needs. Does that sound interesting? Then let us introduce you to the Agile methodology.
What is Agile?
At the heart of Agile project management is the word “agility“, which means “mobility, nimbleness”. The Agile methodology is an iterative approach to project management that divides large projects into more manageable, short development cycles called sprints. This allows project teams to focus on continuous improvement of the product or service. In addition, they are able to get work done faster, adapt to changing project requirements and optimize workflow.
Agile methodology – in which projects will it be useful?
The agile methodology is particularly applicable to complex and unique projects with flexible deadlines. It can be used to manage the implementation of virtually any type of software or website project. It will also work well in marketing or when planning campaigns and events.
Typically, the Agile methodology is used when a project leads to the creation of something innovative or at least new for the team that implements it. If the team has already conducted comparable projects many times then using an agile approach will probably not be necessary.
How do you implement Agile into your team’s work?
Moving to Agile is a big step. At the outset, it’s crucial to identify and articulate the business goals you want to achieve by implementing Agile. It’s also a good idea to consider how this change will allow the team to better meet customer requirements and needs.
Next, it’s a good idea to ensure that the right technology infrastructure is in place to support the new technologies. This will ensure that the transition to an Agile methodology goes smoothly. It is a good practice to involve leaders and experts in the company at the very beginning of Agile implementation. This will allow you to quickly identify potential difficulties that may arise during the implementation of an agile approach and prevent them in advance.
Above all, it’s a good idea to run a few small projects first, rather than implementing changes to large projects right away. This will allow you to test the environment and assess the team’s flexibility to make adjustments where necessary.
Benefits of using the Agile method for IT projects
Many developers and project managers use Agile not because the methodology is new and popular. Agile methodology has much more to offer:
- Provides a flexible approach to software development – priorities and requirements can be easily adjusted throughout the project to meet customer needs.
- Strengthens the team – the team is expected to be self-organized. All its members are responsible for the project and thus are highly motivated to work.
- Accelerates time to market – Agile places more emphasis on what needs to be done rather than planning and documentation, so the team can spend more time and energy on software development.
- Stimulates creativity – Agile works really well when the product vision or features are not ultimately defined. Modifications can be made during the project to ultimately deliver the best possible product.
Roles in the agile methodology and their responsibilities
Each Agile implementation is individual, and not all of the roles distinguished by the methodology occur in practice, but in most cases, three specific roles can be identified in agile teams:
- Scrum Master: he/she is responsible for following the procedure and eliminates the obstacles that appear during the implementation. Scrum Master differs from a traditional project manager in that he/she does not lead the team on a daily basis and does not assign tasks to individual people.
- Product Owner: is usually the key stakeholder of the project. The Product Owner’s main job is to have a vision of what they want to build and communicate that vision to the Scrum team.
- Scrum Team: a self-organizing and cross-functional team that does analysis, implementation, design, and testing. A Scrum team typically consists of three to seven people who do the main work in each sprint.
Higher flexibility and productivity are key factors that are motivating other companies to move to Agile. However, traditional methodologies still play an important role. For a project to be successful, it is important to adapt the operating model to individual requirements and business goals each time.
Our team uses Agile methodologies a lot. Take a look at our work when it comes to web applications, mobile applications, and outsourcing developers. And if you would like to find out how we can help you, feel free to contact us now!