Agile Methodology: What It Is and How It Works for a Distributed Workforce Business
We've got some great deals going on right now exclusively for our online customers... chat now to hear more! Agile methodology: What it is and how it can work for today's distributed workforce,Author: Heidi Vella,The Agile methodology is a widely adopted approach to software project management that was . Frustrated with the slow pace of software development, a group of 17 software leaders met during a ski trip to revamp the field. They captured their ideas in a document called the and later that year created the , a nonprofit organization to disseminate information about Agile. First popular with development teams, have evolved over time, and with the creation of the Agile Alliance's Manifesto, the Agile methodology quickly spread across the business world and beyond. In December 2021, U.S. Air Force Chief Technology Officer , Agile is the way to be responsive to customer needs — it needs to be transparent, quickly pushing capabilities from the core, and the heartbeat of innovation across the Air Force.,Agile was a direct of the time: Waterfall. The is highly linear and focuses on forward momentum. Project stages are sequential, progressing from one stage to another in a single series of planned steps and each stage depends on the completion of the previous stage. Let's dig deeper into what are the differences between Agile vs. Waterfall, and which factors and tools should to consider when deciding between the two methodologies?,What is Agile methodology?,As the : Agile is the ability to create and respond to change. It is a way of dealing with, and ultimately succeeding in, an uncertain and turbulent environment.,According to Forbes, the methodology and seeks to break projects into smaller units. For example, instead of long weekly meetings, Agile teams often hold short daily stand-up meetings. Larger project tasks are divided into more urgent sprints; each sprint tends to be broken down further into four stages: plan, develop, deploy and evaluate. Instead of top-down control, where a manager directs subordinates to focus on tasks that view the silo in isolation, the Agile collaboration approach forms nimble, cross-functional teams that can be self-organizing and have real decision-making authority, encouraging adaptive planning, flexibility and continual improvement. Agile vs. Waterfall,Agile methodology, which is further detailed in the and , relies on several systems that divide projects up into manageable segments, such as Scrum and Kanban. For example, Scrum, which is integral to Agile, requires snappy, daily 15-minute meetings to review progress and set priorities for workflows. This makes Agile different from Waterfall, where each stage depends on the completion of the previous one. In contrast, Agile focuses on simultaneous workflows and flexibility at its core. Who uses Agile methodology and why?,Agile was originally envisioned for software developers with an emphasis on in-person communication. But because the agile methodology is essentially a mindset that can be applied to any project or organization, the concept has evolved and been widely commandeered. There's now even a movement. , and are among the global companies often . Other major organizations, including and , have adopted it for specific projects in the past. Agile vs. Waterfall: Flexibility,According to an , around half of all organizations surveyed had been applying Agile practices for over three years. A top reason referenced was to improve flexibility amid a rapidly changing environment. Agile does this by focusing specifically on how people work together within, and importantly, outside of an organization, believing that solutions evolve primarily through structured collaboration. The methodology also believes that smaller, engaged groups can more readily take stock of evolving customer needs and adapt more quickly to changing external contexts. Agile vs. Waterfall: Budget,According to , Agile allows for greater budget flexibility, particularly to respond to developments not considered during the planning stage. Agile aims to improve financial results by preempting and avoiding mistakes and repetition and generally speeding up project processes and outcomes. Waterfall is better or those with a clearly defined end goal unlikely to change or be impacted by unforeseen developments. This allows for more defined budget planning but can also mean higher costs should unforeseen developments impact the project. Agile vs. Waterfall: Stakeholder engagement,Stakeholder engagement is a key element of the Agile methodology, with stakeholders included in the project development at every step. One of the states, Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software. Alternatively, Waterfall doesn't involve the client or project owner during the process once the end goal is established apart from specific check-ins or for deliverables. The course of the project is outlined at the start, meaning client feedback isn't an ongoing part of the process. Tools and technologies to help organizations embrace Agile,In today's remote and distributed working environment, are needed to replicate the connectedness that Agile relies upon when in-person meetings aren't possible. Collaboration tools,Collaboration tools are vital for Agile methodology to facilitate communication both internally within the organization and externally with partners, suppliers, customers, developers and contractors. For example, allows companies using Microsoft Teams to expand their calling capabilities outside of their organization so that employees can work with external partners the same as they do with internal colleagues. The best bring video meetings into conference rooms and huddle spaces for a blended meeting experience and include in-app intelligence to capture the most important discussion points, assign action items and replay meeting highlights to help bolster the effectiveness of each meeting. Integration tools,Bringing Agile methodology to life is more than just 15-minute meetings. It also involves information and document sharing, working off the same goal-setting sheet and quickly and easily visualizing ideas with co-collaborators. This requires cloud-based solutions that both remote team members and external stakeholders can access. integrate calling, video conferencing, chat, desktop sharing, voicemail, shareable whiteboards and more in a single intuitive interface that spans device types. These solutions allow businesses to connect onsite and mobile workers with the systems they use every day with a cost-effective, cloud-based, high-availability communication solution. Tools like , a cloud-based business phone solution, assign one number to ring multiple compatible mobile devices, desk phones and computers, which means fewer missed calls and more opportunities to connect. Users can move freely across devices and switch seamlessly between their desk phone and smartphone. The Agile methodology is proving to be as because the values, principles and guidance it offers still ring true. But it's up to teams to live it and achieve it, and that requires the right technology to succeed. Learn how can help make Agile possible for your business. If you'd like to receive new articles, solutions briefs, whitepapers and more—just let us know. . * Indicates a required field. We will follow up from your contact request using the information provided. The most popular Agile methodologies include Scrum, Kanban, (a hybrid of Scrum and Kanban), Extreme Programming (XP), Crystal, Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM), Lean Development and Feature-Driven Development (FDD). Agile breaks up a project into several phases. Once work begins, teams cycle through a process of planning, executing and evaluating. Teams work in sprints, or short development cycles where they work toward a release. A typical sprint should take about one to four weeks and needs to finish with some usable deliverables. It requires regular collaboration with stakeholders. You can implement Agile in seven steps:,Choose your country to view contact details. Manage your account or get tools and information. 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