Agile methodology: an introduction guide for beginners

In project management, to be effective and guarantee the success of your projects, there are a multitude of work methodologies. One of the best known is undoubtedly the agile approach, which combines several project management methods. What do they have in common? Agile methods are more flexible than traditional methods and place customer satisfaction at the heart of the project.

Originally created for web and IT development projects, the agile approach is now very popular and used in many companies in a wide variety of sectors.

Definition

The agile method is a flexible, responsive and adaptable approach that favors collaboration and dialogue between the client and the project team. It allows the modification of plans and offers flexibility in carrying out the project. It is characterized by the rapid delivery of a high quality product that takes into account the changing needs of the customer.

Origin of the Agile method

In the 1990s, IT projects suffered a significant failure rate, in particular because of the gap between customer expectations and the solutions delivered. IT techniques are evolving rapidly and constantly, and the traditional method of waterfall development is no longer suitable.

Faced with this observation, seventeen software development experts decided to meet in the United States in 2001 in order to unify their respective methods in order to define a new way of developing software. Among them are Ward Cunningham, the inventor of the Wiki concept, or Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland, the founders of Scrum. Of this meeting will be published on agile manifesto (agile manifesto in English).

The agile manifesto

This text is the reference for the agile approach. It determines the four values and twelve fundamental principles to follow if you want to adopt this project management method.

The agile approach encourages the promotion of:

• The team, that is, individuals and interactions rather than processes and tools;
• The application, i.e. operational functionalities rather than comprehensive documentation;
• The collaboration with the customer rather than contractual negotiation;
• adapting to change rather than following a plan.

Twelve general principles flow directly from these values:

1. Customer satisfaction is the top priority.
2. Change requests should be received positively, even if they come late in the project.
3. An operational version of the software must be delivered regularly.
4. The project team and the client must collaborate together daily throughout the project.
5. Work with a project team motivated. Trust and support your team and provide them with a pleasant environment in which to work effectively.
6. Face-to-face dialogue should be preferred because it is the simplest and most effective method of transmitting information.
7. To measure the progress of the project, ensure that each feature delivered is operational.
8. The project must move forward at a sustainable and constant pace.
9. Always pay attention to maintaining technical excellence and good design.
10. Focus on simplicity and get to the point.
11. Empowering teams improves the quality of work.
12. The project team must regularly adjust its behavior and processes in order to be even more efficient.

How does it work?

With the traditional waterfall method, the project team receives detailed specifications from the client, then plans, coordinates and carries out the entire project until it is delivered to the client on the scheduled date. The problem is that the needs or requirements of the customer may have changed, the market may have changed, or the fashion may have passed. As a result, the project is no longer suitable and the customer is not satisfied. The project team must then start the work all over again. You're wasting time and money, and your customer relationship is suffering. Also, there is no guarantee that the scenario will not happen again with the second version.

By choosing the agile approach, you avoid this type of setback. Why? Because customer satisfaction is the top priority. To do this, dialogue with the customer is privileged throughout the project in order to take into account the evolution of their needs and expectations in real time. The project team can thus react immediately by modifying and adapting the project according to the customer's request because nothing is fixed.

With the agile method, the project is divided into sub-projects. Each sub-project is validated by the client before moving on to the next stage, until the final objective is reached. This flexibility offers flexibility in case of unforeseen events or changes. Above all, you no longer waste time planning your entire project in detail and in advance.

Advantages and disadvantages

Here are 5 benefits of an agile approach:

• Flexibility : this is the major advantage of this method. The project is organized in such a way that there is room for the unexpected and potential changes. This facilitates the immediate reactivity of the project team.
• The dialogue with the customer : the customer is involved throughout the project. He collaborates and communicates with the team on a daily basis. In this way, you are certain that the customer is satisfied with the project and you maintain a relationship of trust with him.
• Greater visibility : the fact that the project is divided into sub-projects promotes better visibility on its progress. Both the client and the team know where the project is at and what the next steps are.
• Better control of the budget : At the end of each stage of the project, you know the status of your budget and you can decide whether or not to continue with the project based on the funds you have left.
• Greater autonomy for the team : empowering your team members is essential in the agile method. Your employees are therefore more autonomous and provide better quality work.

On the side of disadvantages, there are 4:

• The lack of documentation : direct dialogue is preferred, sometimes to the detriment of documentation. This can be a problem in the event of a change in the project team.
• Customer availability : the agile method requires the constant and regular involvement of the customer in the project. He must therefore be available and want to be fully involved in the realization of the project.
• The difficulty of knowing the total budget : the flexibility of the teams and the fact that they can modify the project as often as necessary have an impact on the total cost of the project that is difficult to predict.
• A method that is not suitable for all businesses: because of its collaborative mode, the agile approach can be difficult to implement in highly hierarchical companies.

You are now ready to start using the agile method. To find out more, discover how to work in project mode.