What 2022 Taught Us About Agile Management Success
Agile management has become a popular approach to project management in recent years, with many organizations adopting agile methodologies to increase efficiency and adaptability. Since the codification of the Agile Manifesto in 2001, the adoption of agile methodologies has grown significantly over the years and used by a variety of industries and sectors, from marketing, finance, healthcare, to software development. All of this can be attributed to its general focus on continuous improvement, collaboration, and the focus of sprints, all of which align with today’s fast-paced and rapidly changing business environment.
In 2022, we saw firsthand the benefits and challenges of agile management as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted businesses and forced them to pivot in unexpected ways. It gave businesses around the world unprecedented hurdles with varying degrees of uncertainty, depending on their individual situations. A seismic shift to remote work also came as a huge influence, as it affected the ability for businesses to effectively communicate and collaborate.
From these experiences, we have learned valuable lessons about the importance of agility in times of uncertainty and the ways in which agile management can support organizations in navigating change. More specifically, we found out how success is defined in the context of Agile Management.
Agile is measured by on-time delivery and achievement of business objectives.
Digital.ai recently conducted the 16th annual State of Agility survey, which included over 3,000 Agile experts and practitioners all over the world in organizations of different sizes. IT and software teams that use Agile practices report that they have two primary success metrics in achieving a company’s digital transformation goals: 47% of them believe in on-time delivery, while 44% of them believe in how much business objectives are achieved.
On-time delivery refers to the timely completion and delivery of a project or task. In the context of software development and IT teams using agile practices, on-time delivery may refer to the delivery of software or other products within the agreed-upon timeline. This could involve delivering features or updates on a regular schedule, meeting deadlines for projects, or ensuring that the final product is delivered to the customer by the agreed-upon date. It’s an important metric for measuring the success of agile teams, as it helps to ensure that projects are completed efficiently and that the organization can meet its commitments to customers and stakeholders.
Business objectives, on the other hand, are the goals that an organization sets for itself in order to achieve its overall mission and vision. These objectives can be specific, measurable, relevant, and time-bound such as increasing revenue by a certain amount, or more general, such as improving customer satisfaction or expanding into new markets. Business objectives can be set at various levels within an organization, from the overall strategic goals of the company down to the goals of individual teams or departments.
In the context of software development and IT teams using agile practices, business objectives may refer to the goals that these teams are working towards in order to contribute to the overall success of the organization. For example, an IT team may have a business objective of developing and launching a new software product within a certain timeframe, or of improving the reliability and performance of an existing system. Business objectives are often closely tied to the achievement of a company’s digital transformation goals, as they help to guide the focus and direction of the organization. By aligning their work with business objectives, agile teams can ensure that they are contributing value to the organization and helping to achieve its overall goals.
Do both go hand-in-hand? Is on-time delivery the key to achieving business objectives?
On-time delivery can certainly be an important factor in achieving business objectives, as it helps to ensure that projects and tasks are completed efficiently and effectively. By delivering products or services on time, an organization can meet its commitments to customers and stakeholders, which can help to build trust and credibility. This, in turn, can contribute to the overall success of the organization and help it achieve its business objectives.
However, it is important to note that on-time delivery is just one aspect of achieving business objectives. There are many other factors that can impact an organization’s ability to achieve its goals, such as the quality of the products or services it delivers, the efficiency of its processes, and its ability to adapt to changing market conditions. Therefore, while on-time delivery is certainly important, it is not the only key to achieving business objectives. Overall, a combination of factors, including on-time delivery, quality, efficiency, and adaptability, are all important for achieving business objectives.
Nevertheless, both point to the main ideals that Agile points to: productivity on one end, and progress/achievement on the other. It’s all the more reason as to why companies, startups and businesses of all shapes and sizes should start adopting the Agile practices today if they haven’t already. In the same survey, one-third of product/application owners have adopted said practice, while 32% have been adopted by engineering and R&D teams. It won’t be long until these percentages slowly increase over time.
The survey also highlighted the challenges of Agile as well as its top priorities. All of these will be elaborated further in future blogs, so stay tuned for more deep dives!
Do You Want to Get Started with Agile?
Are you implementing Agile values in your organization but you’re not receiving any ideal results? Look no further! We’ve handled various clients of all shapes and sizes with their transformation through Agile. You’ve read the essentials of what Agile is all about, and now it’s your turn to get started! Learn more on how can we implement Agile to your business through this link. You can also learn more about our Agile courses here.
Feel free to also check out our Adaptive Leadership Masterclass to understand the necessary meta-skills required in implementing Agile!
