Agile Project Management – The benefits for you and your organisation

Agile Project Management encompasses different styles of management compared to traditional project management. Its main use is more commonly aligned with running ‘fast and efficient’ projects.

In saying this, when making the decision as to whether applying the Agile approach to a project and it’s suitability, as a Project Manager you need to have an understanding of the projects specification. The notion that ‘one size fits all’ is not supported in an agile methodology and it’s certainly not the perfect solution for all projects.

Whilst Agile is largely implemented for IT projects its techniques over the years have slowly been adapted to suit other projects paradigms. In today’s market Agile can be seen as a blend of older established ideas and newer proven methods that have been implemented to create innovative products and services for the customer or organisation.

The DSDM Consortium – Agile Project Managers Handbook provides a summation of why Agile is so widely used and needed within the industry based solely on current pressure to deliver quality products on shorter timescales.

“There is increasing pressure on organisations to deliver working solutions to business problems and opportunities in even shorter timescales without compromising quality.”

The DSDM Consortium – Agile Project Managers Handbook

The drive to deliver a product that is on-time and within budget supports why the Agile approach proves to be such a popular project tool of choice. Its simplistic framework provides a Project team the ability to implement a lightweight, collaborative, and adaptable method that is flexible to frequent change, yet highly disciplined when progressing through projects.

The key is to understanding the real benefits of Agile and how it can be advantageous to you and your organisation, consider the following:

Benefits for organisations

• Agile implements speed to deliver an effective result. The Agile way of working provides a Project team with the necessary tools to deliver change faster, at a lower cost and with lower risk by continually validating project milestones against business objectives.
• Ability to integrate into proven practices and processes, for example PRINCE2® methods. Running the two together often places more checks in-place to ensure the project is aligned to business strategy and therefore on-track to provide value. Having project milestones provides visibility should change be required.
• Improved Return on Investment – Agile projects are structured to deliver change into Business as Usual as soon as it is ready. The successful completion of a project within a short period essentially means the business starts recouping the investment sooner.
• After years of being at the forefront of project management, the Agile way of working is a tried and tested project method that delivers the right business results when implemented correctly. There are numerous Agile approaches to adapt to and integrate a company-specific agile management process.
• Agile project management allows a project team the ability to respond to issues as they arise and therefore provides the flexibility to change a project at the right time and ultimately help to deliver a successful project that is on time and within budget.
• Agile provides a clear channel of communication and control over projects at all times. It ensures that all stakeholders have visibility to the progression of the project, therefore, are informed to make a business decision knowing all risks involved.

Benefits for individuals

• Have the ability to operate an advanced, applied level of project management knowledge. Run faster, efficient projects that deliver targeted business results
• Show leadership qualities by promoting your understanding of the management styles required to run successful agile projects and be able to tailor these to the situation.
• Facilitate business communication channels that promote trust and interaction between both the business and developers. Ensure visibility is present amongst stakeholders during each project stage.
• Knowing the required skills to improve time-to-market. Drive results by encouraging stakeholder involvement, feedback and effective controls to ensure the project reaches each stage and provides the necessary business value.
• Agile provides a unique working environment that empowers a team to collaborate and deliver new ideas. Daily stand-ups with the Project team encourages effective communication and team cohesion.

For more information on how PM-Partners can assist your business in up-skilling your staff around their current level of Agile certification, speak to one of our qualified customer service team today on 1300 70 13 14.