The Agile Manifesto and Business: A Complete Guide to Creating a Culture of Innovation and Change
The topic of business agility is an important one to discuss. When it comes to digital transformation, companies need agility to succeed. We are in the era of automation and technology, and business strategy needs to change accordingly.
In this article, we will discuss how organizations can use agile principles to build a business model that is more scalable and easier to maintain. We will also talk about the type of methodologies that can be used to adapt an agile framework in your organization.
What is Agile?
Agile is a strategy for software development that focuses on incremental iterative changes. It was created by an industrial engineering team in the late 90s to help address the challenges of software development.
The agile manifesto was written to create a common understanding of what agile is and describe how it could be used to transform processes in general. This manifesto outlines values, principles, and practices that are used by agile teams. It introduced some of the following principles to help improve the efficiency of software development:
*Individuals and interactions over processes and tools *Working software over comprehensive documentation *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation *Responding to change over following a plan *A culture of inspection and adaptation over a culture of following orders *Sustainable pace: making progress despite changing requirements
Agile projects tend to have shorter release cycles with features being delivered continuously or every two weeks. The principle “putting the customer first” means that companies should be working with their stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle. Instead of having one big release at the end, they should now break projects down into smaller pieces, each with its own delivery milestones.
The concept of Agile is quite different compared to traditional methods of project management, which may be more suitable for certain types of projects or if your company has specific rules on how projects should be completed.
How the Principles of the Agile Manifesto are Shaping Business Today
In 2001, software development company Scrum gained popularity as a way for companies to manage their projects. In 2006, the manifesto originally written by 19 people was released which would help shape the future of software development and business as a whole. The manifesto has been used in countless organizations from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies.
These principles have been a smashing success and are quickly becoming a popular and powerful business tool. The agile processes have radically changed how we work and think about development. They provide rapid feedback, shorter schedules to test new ideas, and the process of continuous improvement that is so widely used today in software development.
These principles help organizations to increase speed and agility with their products, services, and projects. Some principles like “Individuals and interactions over processes and tools” and “Working software over comprehensive documentation” focus on building products that work well rather than spending time on documents that may not be used for a long period of time. The other principle like “Sustainable pace: making progress despite changing requirements” focuses on keeping up with changes in the business environment while maintaining business continuity at all times.
Major Challenges Facing Organizations That Refuse to Adopt Agility
With the increasing speed of change, companies are forced to make changes to stay competitive. But many companies are reluctant to adopt agility due to the fear of financial losses, but they are unaware of the fact that they are missing out on opportunities to innovate and compete.
There are a few major challenges that organizations face when they refuse to adopt agility. They include:
*High time-to-market risks *Decreased customer stickiness *Slow revenue growth
The concept of agile work is just “emerging,” and companies might not be fully aware of its benefits. As a result, they might struggle with managing their workforce effectively. They might also struggle with generating revenue as relying on traditional methods of running their business may become difficult for them.
However, with time, these companies are finding themselves in a situation where they are struggling to keep up with the changing market conditions, as their old ideas do not seem to work anymore. This is why some companies are deciding to change their mindsets and adopt agility in order to evolve with the times.
It’s time for them to think differently about how they view customers, markets, and new opportunities that come up.
How an Organization Can Adapt Its Systems to Embrace the Principles of Agility
The key to being agile is being adaptive and being able to change quickly with minimal risk. Some of the most popular methods that companies use for adapting agility are lean startup methodologies like scrum, agile development methodologies like Kanban methodology and DevOps methodology. It is also possible for companies to co-create their own agile methodology by collaborating with their customers or stakeholders through an agile design thinking process.
DevOps Methodology
Agile and DevOps methodologies are shifting the way software is built and management is done. Agile & DevOps are perfect partners; they have been adopted by the IT industry and the way we work.
In recent years, DevOps has been able to provide a significant hand in the success of agile software development. In short, you can use both Agile and DevOps together depending on your business’s needs.
[Learn More: Adapting DevOps Culture: What is DevOps and how to explain it to a non-DevOps?]
Kanban Methodology
Agile and Kanban methodology are both intended to improve the way that teams work together to deliver a project. The common point between the two is that they both help teams stay focused on their current work and stop dead in their tracks when needed instead of going off looking for new things.
Kanban is a process management tool that helps organizations move from a process-driven to a value-driven approach as it allows them to set up work as opposed to focusing on tasks. With these two methods together, you will get a more holistic view of how your business functions. You can see where delays are happening so you can prioritize them accordingly.
Scrum
Scrum is an agile software development process that provides a framework for product development through short development cycles. Its name comes from its three-person-team structure – the team members are called Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Development Team. The Scrum method is relied upon by many software development organizations because it promotes transparency and accountability in all phases of development.
The scrum method has helped many companies adopt Agile practices successfully. For example, HubSpot uses scrum as their main process for developing products which have helped them become one of the most successful businesses across the world with over $1 billion worth of sales in just two years
Conclusion: Embrace Agility Today to Achieve Success
The world of business has changed significantly in recent years thanks to digital transformation. With digital technologies being more prevalent, businesses are forced to adapt quickly or risk losing out on market share. This means that leadership has to be agile and able to think out of the box when it comes to business strategy.
Companies have found success in adopting agility through automation which allows them to reduce costs, improve efficiency, increase customer satisfaction, and achieve better results overall.
It is not about moving fast; it is about taking the right decisions at the right time!
If you feel like your company is stuck and in need of a boost, then Planet of It can help you create that change for your company help you achieve your next phase in the journey of Digital Transformation.
Reach out to us now to get started! Contact Us at info@planetofit.ca
By: Bakhtawar Shafqat