Agile, a buzzword in the corporate world, is used along with the same ranking words like synergy, out-of-the-box and disruptive. Executives around the globe are using it in their day-to-day communication. However, it has become a ‘Who is more agile than whom?’ race. A business can be ‘disruptive’ or innovate with out-of-the-box thinking. But to be Agile, it is necessary to know what agile exactly means. Agile is not just the word, it’s a methodology, don’t misuse the word!
Today, more than 70% of organizations and developers use agile methodology, and such projects are 28% more successful than traditional ones. If your business isn’t using this methodology, you might be holding the growth back. Here is a brief view of what agile means and how it is beneficial for your business.
The Agile Methodology
When we dig into the agile methodology, we talk about the tested & proven method of project management and software development which is iterative and incremental. The Methodology aims at helping teams in an ever-changing environment whilst also remaining focused on delivering business value expediently. Scrum, XP, Kanban, and other flavors all adhere to the agile manifesto, which emphasizes continuous improvement, flexibility, team input, and high-quality results delivery.
The Agile Manifesto
Twenty years ago, in Snowbird, Utah, 17 software developers gathered to propose a new way of developing software: “by doing it and helping others do it.” The signers of this manifesto realized how much these principles would help them in the field of software development as a result of their work, but they had no idea how quickly their ideas would spread outside of their industry.
The manifesto’s creators listed the following values as the most important:
- Individuals and Interactions are more important than Processes and Tools.
- Values technology-based platform than being dependent on traditional comprehensive documentation
- Client involvement is needed rather than focusing on contract negotiation.
- Being flexible for changes then being stuck with plans.
5 Benefits of agile project management
Excellent product quality
The agile development cycle integrates testing. It means that there are regular check-ups to ensure that the product is working during development. This allows the product owner to make changes as needed, while also notifying the team of any issues. Each release is rigorously tested in order to ensure software quality.
Higher customer satisfaction
In the agile methodology, there is an involvement of the product owner. Here, development progress is highly visible with the flexibility to modifications. This implies customer satisfaction and engagement. With each release, businesses can bring products to market faster and more frequently. During the product’s life cycle, clients have early access to the product. This all collectively results in higher customer satisfaction.
Increased project control
It gets easy to monitor projects at each step for team members, managers as well as clients.
Reduced Risks
Such methodologies virtually eliminate the possibility of a project failing. Having a working product from the first sprint onwards ensures that no agile project fails. Sprint development ensures a short time between project investment and either failing quickly or knowing that a product or approach will work. With valuable feedback, you can reduce project failures early in the project. This enables developers with headroom for amendments.
Faster ROI
Because agile development is iterative, features are delivered incrementally, allowing for early benefits to be realized while the product is being developed. The team understands what’s most important to the client’s business and can deliver features in an even more valuable order by allowing the client to determine feature priority.
In short, the this methodology assumes that the user is the most integral part of the development of a product. It means that the work begins with the identification of the target audience and their demands. Moreover, companies that would like to start taking the agile path should capture user/customer feedback as it is the only way to learn what their customers really want. Agile work focuses on collaboration. Members collaborate and discuss all moves so everyone is aware of what is happening. And most importantly, agile is a flexible approach that helps you to make changes and introduce innovations.
Words do matter, the Concept behind them matters the most!
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