By: Victor Sanchez, PMP, CSM, Certified Agile Coach at Avyanna Technologies

Agile is dead! It is in the graveyard alongside numerous methods designed to accelerate delivery. Have you heard this narrative before? I certainly have. However, those criticizing Agile often overlook its essence, fabricating a micromanaging, KPI-driven, communication-starved version imposed on teams.

Using Agile solely for KPI tracking was the initial mistake. But what truly defines Agile? It’s about flexibility, effective communication, and continuous improvement. Agile is vibrant, serving both customer and team, nurturing workplace culture! It’s like cooking with friends, where collaboration and adjustments lead to a perfect dish. The more feedback gathered early on and throughout, the greater the satisfaction with the final dish.

Agile is a mindset where we embrace change, foster collaboration, and advocate continuous communication.

I know, I know—we need data! Data is key, right? So, shall we dive into the numbers after successful Agile implementations?

• IBM reported a 20% productivity boost, along with fewer defects and improved customer satisfaction, post-Agile implementation.
• Microsoft celebrated a 30% increase in product quality and a 20% faster time to market, as well as enhanced employee satisfaction and collaboration.
• Cisco saw 40% decrease in critical and major defects, Improved employee satisfaction by eliminating the need for after-hours work and reducing meetings/calls.
• Sony PlayStation Network saved the company 30 million a year.

These organizations saw boosts in productivity, savings, product quality, customer and employee satisfaction, and enhanced collaboration and retention rates. The data demonstrates Agile’s potential to uplift underperforming organizations. However, many inquire, “Which Agile version led to this success? I want to adopt it!”

It’s not only the Agile version that matters but also how it’s implemented. These organizations fully embraced Agile, customizing the mindset to benefit both the team and the customer. Agile is meant to be customized to suit your team’s needs and the products/services you deliver.

At Avyanna Technologies, we advocate that these three essential factors can help lead you to success with Agile.

1. Provide comprehensive Agile training and education. Tailor the training content to match the unique requirements, roles, and skill levels of team members. Conduct workshops focusing on essential Agile principles and applicable tools that align with their daily tasks.  The key priority is to gain team and individual buy-in by clarifying the rationale behind Agile practices and their relevance to work. This can be achieved through various learning opportunities like workshops, online courses, hands-on exercises, and role-playing scenarios, fostering discussion, shared experiences (make it personal!), and collaboration among team members to deepen understanding and application of Agile concepts.
2. Foster close customer collaboration. Let’s make sure our customers feel like an integral part of our team from day one! We’ll always keep the lines of communication wide open, welcoming their feedback on features, priorities, and where we’re headed with the product/service. We’ll set up regular meetings, demos, and feedback sessions to keep the conversation flowing smoothly between our team and our customers. And hey, we want to hear their thoughts and ideas loud and clear – after all, they’re the ones using the product/service! We’ll empower them to get hands-on with the development process, inviting them to join us for user testing, sprint reviews, and decision-making sessions. And here’s why our team will love it: When we communicate more, there are fewer surprises along the way!
3. Promote open communication and transparency within teams and across the organization. Encouraging open communication and transparency within teams and across the organization is crucial in Agile! When we create an environment where communication flows freely and everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts, it sparks a real sense of teamwork. This openness allows team members to express their ideas and concerns without hesitation, which really boosts our problem-solving and decision-making skills. And when our leaders actively join the conversation, it builds even more trust and unity among us. Together, we’re all set to achieve those awesome project outcomes.

By embracing these factors we’re paving the way for a collaborative environment where everyone feels valued and encouraged to contribute their ideas openly. This collaborative spirit will not only enhance our problem-solving skills but also lead to more effective decision-making, ultimately ensuring successful project outcomes. Successful project outcomes mean happy customers, which in turn leads to team satisfaction and repeat business. As leaders actively interact with the team, we’ll foster trust and unity, propelling us forward toward our common objectives. With these strategies in action, we’re ready to navigate the agile landscape with confidence and deliver exceptional results that benefit both our customers and our organization.

So, Agile might have been declared “dead” by some, but here at Avyanna Technologies, we know better. It’s not about burying Agile; it’s about understanding its true essence. Agile isn’t just a set of rules or procedures; it’s a mindset—a way of embracing change, fostering collaboration, and advocating continuous communication and improvement.

Agile is alive and doing well! But remember, full-time results require full-time effort; part-time won’t cut it.

Sources Cited:

Scaled Agile, Inc. “Cisco: Creating a Framework for Sustainable Agile Transformation.” Scaled Agile. Retrieved from: https://scaledagile.com/case_study/cisco/

IBM. “Agile Software Development and Agile Methodology.” IBM. Retrieved from: https://www.ibm.com/ibm/devops/us/en/agile/

Denning, Steve. “Surprise: Microsoft Is Agile.” Forbes. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2015/10/27/surprise-microsoft-is-agile/?sh=366618db2867

Kendis. “Intel, Sony, Standard Bank Transformed with SAFe.” Kendis. Retrieved from: https://kendis.io/scaled-agile-framework/intel-sony-standard-bank-transformed-safe/#:~:text=Dependencies%20had%20now%20become%20clear,%2430%20million%20in%20one%20year.

OpenAI. (2024). Image generated by ChatGPT using DALL·E. Retrieved from ChatGPT.