The Agile way of working within organizations has become very popular. Many companies transform go through an Agile transformation, and some companies have adopted Agile way of working from the start, such as Spotify.
But first, for anyone who is not familiar with Agile yet: What is Agile?
Agile is an approach to project management. According to the dictionary, the word Agile literally means ‘able to move quickly and easily’. In this project management approach, team members are stimulated to adapt to changes, give feedback and interact with each other and possible the clients in order to deliver efficiently. The Agile way of working actually finds its origin in the software development sector, where developers worked in sprints (iterations) of 2 to 4 weeks. In between these sprints feedback from clients was requested and based on this feedback, the software developers would start a new sprint until the software was finished to the wishes of the client.
If Agile would be implemented throughout the whole business, it is important that this approach is being introduced on every level:
- Organization & Governance – The organization should rather be decentralized than centralized in order for Agile to function.
- Capabilities, Services & Processes – Workers should learn the skills needed for Agile to function properly. This involves stand-ups, giving feedback and flexibility. Revising processes in order for them to work according to Agile is crucial as well.
- People & Skills – In order for an Agile team, it is crucial that the members are intrinsically motivated and flexible. Transparency is essential in an Agile environment and it would be wise to introduce an Agile coach in each team in order to guide the team.
- Performance management – Performance should be clearly measured in order to create a clear progress. Performance metrics should be implemented by board level management.
- Technology – Technology should be modular and easily interconnected in order for it to be flexible and easily adaptable.
- Sourcing – Current supplier contracts should be revised and closely checked on ‘constraints and impediments’ that could be in the way for your company to become Agile.
In order to implement the Agile way of working, a fitting transformation approach should be selected.
According to the article from Cohen, Lindvall and Costa, a focus on top-down approach should best support an organization to implement Agile.
References
Cohen, D., Lindvall, M., & Costa, P. (2004). An introduction to agile methods. Adv. Comput., 62(03), 1-66.
Wat is Agile? (Voordelen en manier van werken). (n.d.). Lean Six Sigma Groep. Retrieved October 9, 2021, from https://leansixsigmagroep.nl/lean-agile-en-six-sigma/wat-is-agile/
Coolen, J., Bos, V., de Koning, T., & Koot, W. (n.d.). AGILE TRANSFORMATION OF THE (IT) OPERATING MODEL. Opgehaald van Compact: https://www.compact.nl/articles/agile-transformation-of-the-it-operating-model/