In the project management world, Agile Methodology is a way to organize a task by breaking it into smaller steps. This kind of method requires constant collaboration with stakeholders and constant improvement of every step, to ensure successful results. Therefore, when the work starts, small teams cycle through the steps of planning, executing, and evaluating. During those steps, it is crucial that both the team members and the project stakeholders keep a continuous collaboration.
Overview of Agile Methodologies:
- Individuals and interactions over processes and tools;
- Working software over comprehensive documentation;
- Customer collaboration over contract negotiation;
- Responding to change over following a plan.
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Agile Methodologies considers the most important aspect of success is having the right people working on your software. Having the right individuals working as a team will take your software to the next level, bringing the best results in the short, mid, and long-term.
Having the best possible tools and the most optimized process is worthless in the wrong hands. So, without the right team, even the best process crumbles, and even the most effective tools are worthless. Even more important than the individuals though, is the way those individuals communicate with each other.
The way your people collaborate and work together is the way those individuals turn into a team, capable of solving even the most complex problem that may appear.
Working software over comprehensive documentation
Although having an extensive document detailing every step of the way may help a team improve its methods, there comes a moment when delivering working software to the client is more important than the documentation.
Don’t misunderstand, a cohesive documentation of the process is still an important part of any successful project. However, the delivery of working solutions that can be revised by the client and provide feedback should always be the priority.
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
There was a time when the contract was the most vital part of a project. A place where the client would detail everything they wanted and then you, the company, would deliver what was specified. This resulted in 3 different projects:
- Contract said;
- Product did;
- Customer actually wanted.
Although the contract is still a vital part of any project, a good team should be more focused in achieving a state of constant feedback. Where the product can be improved after every customer comment, in order to achieve the best possible result in the final delivery of the project.
Responding to change over following a plan
Plans are essential for any project, but a plan that doesn’t work like the real world is useless in the long run.
The world presents new, unforeseen challenges at every moment, so your team’s roadmap should reflect that, not by being a static roadmap, but by being a dynamic, flexible plan of multiple actions, that can change and adapt over any circumstances. A dynamic roadmap, as we call it, should be able to change every month, if necessary, by responding to the client’s demands and new demands as they arrive. Good, agile teams are able to keep up with these changes, ensuring that the client receives the best possible result.
Therefore good, Agile Methodologies works on the belief that an idea can improve and evolve all throughout its existence, with constant changes being implemented without changing the due date. This is one of the most famous approaches to project management, due to the fact that it is flexible, adaptable to change, and possesses a lot of room for customer input.
Agile Methodologies Frameworks
Now it’s time to talk about the Scrum method. Agile project management is not a single framework, it’s actually an umbrella term that includes different frameworks such as Kanban, XP (Extreme Programming), APF (Adaptive Project Framework), and of course, Scrum.
Scrum is a project management methodology where a small team of workers is led by a Scrum master. Whose job is to remove all obstacles in the way of the workers, so the job is completed faster. The work is done in short cycles called sprints, and the team makes daily meetings to talk about the tasks and possible blocks found by the workers.
The Agile Methodologies may be the key to take your company’s plan of action to the next level. It brings countless benefits such as project transparency, better predictions, freedom of change, and quality improvement, just to name a few. This is what we bring here at Luby. Better results, in the fastest way possible.
Even the best tools are useless without the right team. That’s why we provide the best possible team that can reach the best results in a timely manner. If you’re interested in knowing more about Luby, or schedule a meeting, browse our website.
