INSIGHTS

Agile Model- Not Just Software Development Projects

Moore Management Consulting

Moore Management Consulting

Up until the early 1990s, the software development methodologies that dominated were highly regulated, over-designed, and micromanaged. These methods were described as a ‘waterfall’ because each phase started only after the preceding phase was completed- characterization of requirements, content building, code development, and testing. These methods lost their effectiveness as the world became a place where technological changes are accelerating, and development teams are required to adjust while on the move. Out of this necessity, the Agile approach was born.

The Agile Project Management Model (=Agile Project Management) is considered to be the most innovative model designed for the rapid development of solutions. Although the Agile concept grew within software organizations, it is possible and even welcomed to apply its principles to non-software related projects as well. One common feature of these projects is not knowing the nature and form of the final product from the beginning. The Agile concept is suitable for the management of these projects thanks to its support of learning processes, which enable progress in project management while gradually improving and understanding the client’s needs. Throughout the project management, interactions between the consultancy team and the client exist, providing feedback and revisions of the original project requirements according to market demands, solutions by competitors, or insights gained during project implementation.

An incomplete solution provided in a short time– In an Agile managing project, both the client and the consultancy team know that the initial solution provided to the client is not the end product, rather a working version designed to change. There is an assumption that you cannot fully define a product before its actual development, so the methodology focuses on improving the team’s ability to deliver products quickly and respond to rising demands as the project develops. In actuality, quality control is carried out while working with the solution itself and serves as a basis for future developments

Key Principles– The goal for an existing Agile model is to produce a solution in the fastest possible time, assuming that there is more than one cycle of development during which early characterization may change. Management in this environment is based on focusing on the human component of the development process rather than on the tools or processes themselves, establishing direct working relationships and continuous collaboration to deliver a product that most meets customer needs and requirements. Responding to change should be prioritized over following a plan, understanding that many of the elements are best understood during development work.

Key Features- The Agile Approach is implemented in several key methods that belong to the Lean Software Scrum family, Extreme Programming, which share several key features that match this approach:

  • Work in sections or rounds that present a temporary version of the product to receive customer feedback. The next version is built on the new feedback and/or requirements.
  • The consultancy team operates in a collaborative work environment with the high involvement of all team members in all stages of the process and is made up of all positions involved in the development process.
  • The clients play an essential part in the ongoing process and decision making.

Project management using the Agile methodology requires skill and flexibility- both from the project management team and the operational side, dividing the project into small parts and getting feedback for further development for that part of the project.

We at Moore Management Consulting believe that this methodology is the right solution for managing projects characterized by high uncertainty and not knowing the final product details in advance. This insight is adapted based on the fact that the approach supports learning processes that are integral to the software development process in particular, and the management of the project whose final product is unknown, at large.

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