In the dynamic world of project management, traditional approaches often fall short when it comes to embracing change and coping with evolving customer needs and market dynamics.

In response, agile methodology – a flexible, collaborative, and iterative approach has come in handy, transforming project management in recent years. As the name suggests, Agile allows teams to be better equipped to quickly change direction and focus on the project.

 

Understanding Agile Methodology: What Is It and How Does It Work

Originally created for software development, Agile methodology is a way to manage large projects by breaking them up into several phases, which are completed in short iterations throughout the project life cycle.  It involves constant collaboration between team members and project stakeholders and allows for continuous improvement at every stage.

Thus, agile project management is an iterative approach that allows you to adjust the project rather than following a linear path by evaluating if the different phases are successful and, if not, fixing errors quickly.

But how does it work? Each phase or iteration of the project is reviewed and re-evaluated by the project team in collaboration with the various stakeholders. Then, the feedback and insights are used to determine what the next step should be in the project. This makes sure that as the work and customer landscape changes, the focus of the team also changes.

There is a wide range of agile project management tools available in the market, so choosing the best one depends on your business’ specificities. Some of the most popular frameworks to implement an Agile methodology include:

• Scrum
• Kanban
• Extreme Programming (XP)
• Crystal
• Lean Development

Agile Methodology vs. Waterfall Methodology: What’s The Difference?

As we stated in the previous topic, agile methodology is an iterative approach to project management that emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, and continuous improvement. It emerged, most of all, as a response to the limitations of traditional waterfall methods, which often struggled to cope with evolving customer needs and market dynamics.

In the Waterfall methodology, the lifecycle of a project starts by gathering all requirements before the work begins. The next steps are scoping out the resources needed, establishing budgets and timelines, performing the actual work, testing, and then delivering the project when all the work is complete.

On the other hand, the agile methodology doesn’t require as clearly defined goals and processes at the start of development when compared to traditional project management methods, like Waterfall. There are four key values, stated in the Agile Manifesto, that highlight the difference between agile and waterfall approaches to project management, reinforcing how collaborative and people-oriented it is in comparison:

• Individuals and interactions should be valued over processes and tools used.
• Creating working software should be valued over producing comprehensive documents.
• Customer collaborations should be valued over negotiating contracts.
• Being able to respond to changes should be valued over following a set plan.

Advantages of Agile Methodology in Project Management

Today, agile is one of the most popular approaches to project management due to its flexibility, adaptability to changing project requirements, and high level of customer input, which ultimately leads to the delivery of high-value results.

Flexibility and Adaptability: Agile methodology enables project teams to respond swiftly to changing requirements and priorities. The iterative nature of Agile allows for frequent feedback, reducing the risk of delivering a product that does not meet customer expectations and enabling them to quickly fix problems.

Transparency and Collaboration: Agile emphasizes close collaboration among team members, stakeholders, and customers, fostering transparency and ensuring that everyone involved has a clear understanding of project progress.

Faster Time-to-Market: By breaking projects into manageable stages known as “sprints,” businesses can bring products or features to market faster, gaining a competitive edge over their competitors.

Improved Quality: Agile methodology incorporates frequent testing and feedback inputs, which helps to identify issues early in the development process. As a result, teams can solve problems quickly, leading to improved product quality and customer satisfaction.

Steps Of Agile Methodology In Project Management

Agile methodology in project management follows a set of iterative and incremental steps. Here are the key steps involved in the Agile project management process:

 

Step 1: Project Planning

Before beginning the project, define the project scope (it shouldn’t be seen as unchangeable), the end goal, objectives, and requirements. Identify the stakeholders and form the project team.

 

Step 2: Product Backlog Creation

Create a prioritized list of all the features, functionalities, and tasks required for the project, known as the product backlog. This is typically done in collaboration with the project team and stakeholders.

 

Step 3: Sprint Planning

Before each sprint begins, the stakeholders need to hold a sprint planning meeting to determine the tasks of the team members during the sprint and how they will be achieved.

 

Step 4: Sprint Execution

The project team works on the tasks identified in the sprint backlog using the agreed-upon time frame (usually 2-4 weeks). They collaborate daily, and hold regular meetings to discuss progress and address any issues or impediments.

 

Step 5: Daily Stand-ups

To help your team accomplish their tasks during each sprint, conduct short daily stand-up meetings where team members briefly discuss their progress, accomplishments, challenges, and plans for the day.

 

Step 6: Incremental Development

During each sprint, the team develops a functional increment of the project, which can be a shippable product or a working prototype. The focus is on delivering value to the customer or end-users at the end of each sprint.

 

Step 7: Sprint Review and Retrospective

After the end of each sprint, your team should hold a sprint review with the project stakeholders and end-users to show them the finished product and gather feedback. You should also conduct a retrospective meeting with the project team to reflect on the sprint and identify what went well and what could be improved.

 

Step 8: Backlog Refinement

As new requirements emerge or existing ones change, continuously refine and reprioritize the product backlog. Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure it reflects the evolving needs of the project.

 

Step 9: Repeat Sprint Execution

Repeat the sprint execution process, selecting new items from the product backlog for each subsequent sprint. The team iterates and incrementally builds upon the project until the desired outcome is achieved.

 

Teams who adopt agile methodology in project management can experience enormous benefits, including rapid innovation and project success. If you are interested in getting to know more about Agile, talk to us! We are here to help you take your projects to new heights.