Agile Project Management is a different approach to project management.
This approach to project management allows you to make a small division of tasks making it manageable in short sprints.
Hence, We are allowing you to be flexible and adaptive with changing demands of the project.
So, Agile Project Management is standard in businesses related to software companies or marketing. With time across various other industries.
Hence, This method is suitable for making changes in the process of development of the project as it is based on review and improvement cycles.
In agile methodology, the result may be different from the predefined idea of the project.
As there are many improvement cycles in the development process. These also help in avoiding large scale-failure.
WHAT’S IN IT
4 Core Values of Agile Management
1. Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Without a doubt, it can be easily understood that people are more valuable than any process or tool in any business.
Because if any problem arises, it is less likely that the tools or process will adapt automatically to solve the problem or handle the problem.
Instead, it is the people who will be more likely to adapt, change and tackle the problems.
It is essential to realize that humans and technology altogether will make your business grow.
That is why relying specifically on tools or process make you less adaptive day by day.
2. Working software over comprehensive documentation
So, It takes a lot of time and it was difficult to maintain a lot of documents even all the previous records.
Hence, This extensive amount of data and documentation was often a burden for the developer.
Agile project management does not necessarily focus on completely removing documentation, but instead, it focuses on streamlining it.
It provides particular information that is necessary and optimizes the data.
Hence, not over-burdening the developer and enabling him to work with a clear mind.
Agile manifesto values software more than documentation.
3. Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
In the negotiation process, the customer discusses the details of the project and its delivery with the project manager, in the process, aspects get renegotiated later.
Customers often negotiate the details of any project with the project manager in great detail before the project.
Meanwhile, With the purpose in mind to convey the message as clearly as possible.
In agile management, the customer is active, i.e. collaborating throughout the development process of the project, making it comparatively more accessible for the project to meet customers’ expectations.
So, You can do this if you involve your customer on a timely basis with your project in its development phase.
Whether internal or external customer, you can involve them in making the product better and more useful.
4. Responding to change over following a plan
For instance, In a traditional project, management changes are considered bad for the business.
Because it was a considerable expense, and with this in mind, You can change by avoiding them.
In an agile project, management changes are not seen as an expense and instead considered as a necessity to improve the product with time for being more useful and valuable.
Hence In the agile manifesto, the project is broken down into small sprints.
To review simultaneously, and necessary changes are built along the process.
So, This facilitates constant improvement and changes, making it more useful, as features can be added to every sprint, avoiding any large-scale mistake or expensive modifications.
12 Principles of management methodology
Hence, These 12 principles of agile management methodology will act as your guide in your decision making.
In brief, these 12 principles will help in forming a culture that is primarily focused on welcoming changes and by all means, keeps the customer in the focus.
Following are the 12 principles of agile project management:
Customer satisfaction-early and continuous software delivery
Our highest priority is to meet the satisfaction and needs of the customer by early and timely delivery on software or anything you deliver.
Customers are happy and satisfied when they get their products regularly and timely. They don’t like to wait for a very long time.
Accommodate changing requirements throughout the development process
This simply refers to the culture of welcoming changes when it is needed or demanded by the customer.
And the ability to deliver the demanded changes without any delay in time gives a better competitive edge and trustworthiness.
Frequent delivery of working software
This principle focuses on software development projects with a system to deliver regular and frequent delivery of software varying from a couple of weeks to a couple of months.
Collaboration between the businesses and developers throughout the project
Often there are better results when businesses and technical developers work together in collaboration.
Coordinating teams should work together through the process for better outcomes and a higher level of satisfaction.
Support, trust, and motivate the people involved
Without a doubt, it is a well-known fact that motivated individuals and the team will come up with much better ideas and solutions when compared to any individual or group that is not motivated or unhappy.
This is why it is essential to provide the teams with a proper environment and give the necessary boost so that they give their best.
Enable face-to-face interactions
The most effective and efficient way of communication is face to face communication as your tone only plays a 7% role in communication.
This is why it is essential to communicate face to face with your team to explain better and avoid misunderstanding.
The end working product is the primary measure of progress.
Your progress is primarily measured based on your delivery of the final product to the customer.
And, whether it can meet the customer, needs, and satisfaction with all the features and changes that the customer demands.
Agile processes to maintain a consistent development speed
The agile process simply means that the teams maintain a constant speed to keep up with the changing needs and demands of the customer.
And the market and continuously improving and delivering the better version of their product on a timely and regular basis.
Technical detail and design enhance agility.
Another critical point is that monitoring and maintaining proper technical details and focus on design enables easier integration and acceptance of any change in the product.
Thus, making the product more useful and helpful.
Simplicity
This means that you need to focus on developing those features that are enough to get the work done, do not overemphasize on extra unnecessary features.
Most often, customers don’t even use those extra features that you spend the most amount of time and resources in developing.
Self-organizing teams encourage great architectures and designs.
Self-organizing teams those who take ownership of their work and are motivated to work better and communicate properly.
And regularly always deliver better quality products or results comparatively.
A regular process on how to become more effective
Self-improvement and regular improvements in processes of development and other crucial areas lead to better efficiency and growth in every field of project management.
6 steps in the Agile Management Methodology?
1. Project planning
Similar to any other project, before starting any project, it is very crucial that
you and your team correctly understand the impact and value of the project on the business or end consumer.
As well as remember that you are adopting agile project management methodology.
This means that you must be able to address and welcome any change in the development process and easily modify it.
The results in agile methodology may be very different from the planned result at the beginning of the project.
2. Creating a product road map
This is the proper breakdown of all the planned and demanded features that you are required to deliver in the result to your client.
You will develop these features systematically and step-by-step in each sprint of work and simultaneously develop a backlog, i.e. a list of all the features that are to be delivered in the final product.
3. Release planning
Unlike traditional waterfall project management in agile methodology.
The project is developed by short working cycles known as sprints, and at the end of each period, there is a separate featured release.
4. Sprint planning
Before starting any spring, the project manager needs to conduct a spring planning.
To determine what will be accomplished in each spring and what tasks are to done y whom and when.
5. Daily stand-ups
You hold these short daily stand-up meetings which do not extend more than 15 minutes.
These are managed by standing up to keep it brief and short.
These meetings will be conducted daily to summarize what they have accomplished the day before, and what are their today’s goals.
After that, you should not extend it to a problem-solving session.
6. Sprint review
To improve the product and better meet customer needs and satisfaction at the end of each sprint, conduct a meeting with your client.
Discuss three main questions with your clients
- What went well?
- Secondly, what went wrong?
- Finally, what could be better?
This enables your team to understand the clients and requirements better and strengthen the relations between them.
Conclusion
Here I have discussed with what is Agile Project Management and who uses it and how it is beneficial.
Also, what are the four core values of Agile Project Management that will act as your guild in decision making in your project management?
I have also talked about the 12 principles of agile methodology and 6 steps that are adopted in this method of project management.
Also you can read our blog on A Step-By-Step Guide To Learn About Project Management, Top 15 Skills You Need To Master.