There is a simple technique that helps companies respond to issues better and faster as they work their way to finishing a project. It is known as Agile Project Management or APM, Implementing an Agile Project Management Approach.
The process of agile method utilizes short production outbursts or cycles, called “sprints.” Therefore, an agile project is one that uses a repetitive approach and focuses on one small section, sometimes pertained to as an increment, of a project at a time.
The Agile Principles
To implement an agile project approach, there are usually 12 principles to follow. These are the following:
- Focus on customer satisfaction through continuous and faster delivery of the software.
- Remain open to changes. APM is a continuous process that does help spot change early in the development stages.
- Try your best to shorten the agreed timeline by delivering outcomes more frequently.
- Encourage teamwork by continually coordinating with each member of the team.
- Empower your people by creating a friendly yet stern working environment. Also, try to give them the support they need whenever possible,
- Even with modern technology, face-to-face communication is still the most effective way of collaborating with team members.
- Although you submit increment outcomes, the final product is still the most important key performance indicator.
- One of the goals of the agile process is promoting sustainable development. Everyone must be able to keep a persistent work pace as the project is still on-going.
- Technical excellence and pleasing aesthetics are essential in enhancing agility.
- Simplicity, or “the art of maximizing the amount of work not done,” is a crucial part of the APM.
- Self-organizing teams deliver fascinating architectures, designs, and requirements.
- There should be a team reflection set at regular intervals. It would increase each individual’s work ethics and helps keep everyone in tune with each person’s behavior.
The Process
While there are a lot of frameworks with this kind of project management, it still follows the same basic processes.
1. Project Planning
Everything begins with project planning. It would help each member of the team understand their primary goals — why it needs to do, and how it is achieved.
2. Roadmap Creation
A roadmap means the analysis of each feature of the final product. It would help each member analyze what their role would be in the process.
3. Release Planning
During the release planning part of the process, each one would release a “foretell” of how they think the end outcome should look like with the features. It usually happens by revisiting and re-assessing the release plan.
4. Sprint Planning
Sprint planning means tackling what needs to be done per increment. It would help promote coordination and collaboration by discussing what should occur per team member, how it will be achieved, and how heavy is a person’s workload.
5. Daily Meetings
Daily meetings would help each member assess what they have done and accomplished for the day. It should not exceed 15 minutes long.
6. Sprint Review and Retrospective
During the sprint review, the team will meet with the stakeholders of the project to showcase the final product. In a retrospective, everyone would discuss what happened during the sprint, what went wrong, and how it could be better.
Benefits of an Agile Approach
Using an Agile Project Management approach is one of the times where the placebo effect is beneficial. In a group of people, for example, it encourages each individual to finish his/her task because it would affect the job of the next person. Therefore, it promotes empowerment, accountability, and teamwork.
At the same moment, by focusing on one increment at a time, it also increases the chances of overseeing what needs to be changed or altered early on the project. Therefore, it would avoid further problems as the development gets bigger.
Furthermore, since the changes are spotted before moving on to the next process, it helps everyone save time, money, and other resources.
