Introduction to Agile project management
Agile project management is a productive and adaptable method of project management that places a strong emphasis on cooperation and iteration. It is not like conventional techniques, which often have clearly defined, sequential and rigid processes. In agile systems, projects are broken down into smaller and easily manageable parts, enabling the organisation to incorporate changes in the requirements and release value in stages.
Key Principles of Agile project management
There are some principles that need to be considered in agile project management. These are:
Iterative development: Here projects are divided into cycles or sprints, and at the end of each cycle, a working product is incremented.
Incremental delivery: Value is given in successive small portions thus permitting early and frequent customer feedback.
Collaboration: There is a lot of interaction between individuals who form the teams. This makes the working environment more cooperative and promotes accountability among the teams.
Flexibility: Flexible, means that work gets done in an iterative manner and moving from one phase to the other can be done flexibly depending on new facts or changes in the priorities.
Customer satisfaction: The main purpose of Agile is to meet and/or exceed the customer’s expectations and provide them with values through the products created or services offered.
Agile project management Frameworks
The following Agile frameworks came into existence as different approaches and practices emerged. Some of the most popular frameworks include:
Scrum: Agile Development Methodology which is based on Self Organising Teams, Sprints and Stand-Up Meeting.
Kanban: A visual system that deals with the need to draw, write and think in executable work, with a maximum work-in-progress (WIP) for each process and with the ongoing refinement and enhancement of process flow.
Extreme Programming (XP): A strict process that centers in coding techniques, testing and the customer.
Feature-Driven Development (FDD): A model that is centered on the availability of the features in the customer’s system at the right time.
Advantages of Project Management Using Agile Approach
There are many pros to using Agile in professional world but most commonly we can see:
Increased flexibility: It also means identifying that agile projects can be continually changed as per the requirements of the market.
Improved customer satisfaction: It means that agile teams can provide more value and on a regular basis to customers.
Higher quality products: Some of the software development methodologies such as iterative testing and approvals improves the quality of the final product.
Increased productivity: The productivity of an organisation may increase if it implements an agile team approach because these teams aim at collaboration, self-organisation and improvement.
Learning Agile Project Management
If you’re interested in learning more about Agile project management and applying it to your work, here are some tips:
Start small: It is proposed to begin an experiment with Agile in a specific project or a working sub-group in order to realise whether it will be effective in your enterprise or not.
Learn the basics: Ensure that you have identified some of the well-known Agile frameworks and some of the principles that are observed when developing Agile solutions. You can join some courses to understand the frameworks.
Join a community: Perhaps one should contact the Agile practitioners as one can always dig an interesting source or listen to the stories of other participants.
Get certified: Decide to enroll for an Agile certification course say CSM, (Certified Scrum Master) or CAP, (Certified Agile Practitioner) from a reputed organisation.
Conclusion
The application of agile project management, which emphasises the use of iterations and cross-functional teams, allows for fluidity in executing successful projects. When tasks are divided into sprints, it is easier to respond to the changes in the needs of a client and deliver utility in bits and pieces. The London School of Emerging Technology (LSET) presents an Agile project management course for those intending to move to the practical’s in Agile frameworks or develop the Agile knowledge, enrolling to a project management course with Agile can benefit anyone’s professional career in the tech world.