Understanding ‘agile’ in a project management context
Using the agile approach to project management is gaining ground as a methodology. However, people in project management teams may have a few misconceptions about what it is and how it works, and they may view it as inferior to the more traditional waterfall approach due to a lack of understanding of this newcomer.
An agile approach to project management uses a continuous reiterative method for completing a project. These are incremental stages as opposed to a signing off each stage before proceeding to the next one. The agile method is often used for developing software.
We clear up the confusion around agile project management by comparing it with the waterfall method and dealing with misconstrued views of the former.
Waterfall versus agile approaches
The waterfall approach to project management differs substantially from the agile one. The former method has been around much longer and is better known to most employees working in project management. The first thing to note is that each method has its place in software development for various kinds of projects.
The waterfall approach follows a linear path. Each step is completed, tested, and approved. Only then can the next phase commence. Previous phases are not iterated as this would impose additional costs on the project. On the other hand, the agile method allows different teams to handle each stage at the same time. This permits incremental improvements.
Agile principles
Empowered employees work on agile projects and can add value at the stage they are assigned to. The agile approach is faster than the waterfall one as teams are concurrently occupied on different phases. This can lead to budgetary savings and incremental wins. The agile principles are:
- There is greater collaboration between the client and the agile team.
- Agile is self-adjusting through iterations and can obtain continuous input from the client.
- It is more adaptable to non-fixed requirements. For instance, the client may have a skeleton idea that is gradually fleshed out and changed to meet the client’s shifting requirements as the result becomes clearer.
- Teams can work independently.
Agile is not only for software development
Some project management employees or contractors view agile as solely an IT approach. It is also seen as only being relevant to software development. In reality, the agile approach can be used for engineering, finance, and marketing projects. What is vital to remember is that the agile approach cannot be used and adapted to every single project. Some projects need a waterfall method.
Agile does not do away with governance
Another misconception is that agility cancels out the need to apply governance. Experts on agility decry this opinion. Agile projects must have a clear purpose. They need stakeholder alignment and must be handled objectively. Documentation with controls have to be used, and decisions should be taken with transparency.
One of the big advantages of an agile methodology is that it can reduce the total time taken to complete a project. It shows benefits early as each team working on concurrent phase strives independently to achieve the result. Agility also encourages a learning approach. You can undertake agile courses for business to ensure that you feel comfortable working on agile projects.
With the right mindset and the right projects, an agile approach will save you time and money.
