You cannot attend a conference or event about management without discussing agile or scrum. It sometimes seems like the new magic word for managers and specialists in the field of project management. If your team does not work agile, you are no longer part of it in 2019. But what exactly is agile? And is it a hype, or is it actually the hero for your organization? In this blog we will discuss agile working from all sides.

What is Agile?

Agile originated around 2001 through a manifesto in which 17 people, born out of frustration, described a new, more 'lightweight' way of approaching software development. Traditionally, (web) development has a very structured way of working. At the beginning it is determined what requirements the product must meet at the end and what the steps are to be taken. However, practice all too often shows that circumstances change during a development process. Or that certain pre-conceived matters turn out to be different. The frustration is great if, after delivery, it turns out that the software or application does not actually meet the needs. Agile working was born from this frustration.

In summary, Agile is a way of working that is much more based on flexibility during the process and the application of less strict rules about development. It consists of three important principles:

• Move quickly and easily: adaptability in a complex changeable environment, such as software development.
• No-nonsense focus on results, where unnecessary rules are ignored.
• Input from all stakeholders. Do you work for an internal or external customer? Then it is very important within agile to make that person, or persons, part of the process and to regularly ask for feedback (sprint reviews).

Agile working has been given numerous variants and names. Scrum, SAFe, LeSS and so on. They all represent a slightly different approach and approach to agile working. In this blog we will not discuss the various variants, but if you would like to know more about them, you can of course ask us for an explanation.

What are the main benefits?

Agile has a number of clear advantages over more traditional working methods. We have listed the most important ones for you.

Speed

Agile is characterized by the speed and regularity with which decisions can be made. By all stakeholders involved. So viscosity should be a thing of the past. Deliveries are divided into so-called sprints. Short development processes of often 2 weeks, in which a working part is produced before moving on to the next part. This way you can quickly work towards a so-called MVP, a 'Minimum Viable Product'.

Quality end product

Instead of coming up with a solution that, in retrospect, is suboptimal, agile working generally results in a solution that is satisfactory for all parties involved. Short feedback rounds and rapid improvements ensure fewer disappointments in the long term.

Less expensive

Long meetings and enormous predetermined budgets are a thing of the past within agile. Sprints are reviewed briefly and concisely and the priorities are briefly discussed daily through a short day start (also called stand-up). Product introductions can be accelerated and the risk of failure is limited.

Fun and happiness

Many people experience this more flexible version of work as a relief. No more meetings that last hours, no more bureaucracy. But, above all, more interaction between the stakeholders during the process. And, perhaps most importantly, satisfied stakeholders.

Does agile also have disadvantages?

Is it just hosanna when it comes to agile? Of course not. Every working method has advantages and disadvantages or pitfalls. So is agile. We have listed a number of pitfalls for you, so that you can take them into account.

Is long-term action still in the picture?

Working in a pragmatic, hybrid way in which development is approached flexibly sounds very nice indeed. However, it is crucial for you as a manager to monitor the long term. There is no freewheeling, but results must be achieved. So make sure that you have formulated concrete end goals to work towards and make sure that your team is also aware of them.

Monitor the composition of your team

To make agile work well, it is very important that your team contains the right diversity. Not just specialists and their manager, but a composition of all stakeholders. In practice, you often see that agile is mainly applied within teams, which maintains silos. For example, the ultimate client is often only involved to a limited extent or shows little interest in it.

Watch out for a rut

Where traditional working methods often cause a rut, this is also the case with agile. A short stand-up takes place every day, in which your team briefly discusses everyone's priority for the day. Even though it only takes 10 minutes and avoids long meetings, it can feel like a grind. The same applies to the weekly or biweekly reviews and week-end closings.

What conclusion can we draw?

Agile undeniably has a number of advantages compared to traditional working methods such as Prince2 or Waterval. But in practice we often see that agile is only partially introduced or watered down after a while. How did that happen? Agile is not easy. It really requires a different way of working and, above all, thinking, which everyone must really participate in. This requires managers in particular to play an important role as ambassador and leader. Implementing Agile can certainly be an effective step to make your organization operate more efficiently and flexibly, but don't be discouraged, it will cost you a lot of blood, sweat and tears.

Are you curious whether your organization's working methods are in balance? Would you like to take a closer look or test agile, or one of its variants? Within us Business Improvement offer, we look at how your processes and strategies are doing.