Will an Agile Process Help Your Company Adopt Agile Overall?
There are numerous benefits the Agile methodology brings to the process of software development – most notably improved efficiency and higher productivity. Other functions within your organization also stand to benefit by following the principles of Agile. This includes customer service, sales, engineering, accounting and more.
Here are a few ideas on how to leverage Agile for the benefit of your entire organization – not only your software development team. Soon, your company will truly be a 21st century business.
Business Agile Outside of Software Development
Agile is definitely making inroads in areas unrelated to application development. According to the Harvard Business Review, NPR uses the methodology to help devise and schedule radio programming. John Deere and Saab leverage Agile techniques in their engineering and manufacturing processes.
Many other organizations in nearly all business sectors are now using Agile outside of IT. The bottom line is simple. Embracing Agile brings your company benefits that go beyond faster code development.
Steps to Implement Agile at Your Business
Analyze the areas within your company you feel would benefit from Agile process improvement. Research other businesses using these techniques in those same areas at their organization. Armed with this information, prioritize the departments within your business where implementing Agile makes sense.
Determine the expected costs to transform those departments’ operations to Agile in addition to the anticipated benefits. This gives your managers and staff a goal to aim towards during the implementation process. Consider a pilot project with one smaller department before transforming your entire organization.
Don’t forget to take advantage of the expertise of your IT team to help get the rest of the company “talking” Agile. Any Scrum Masters or project managers would be well-suited for this role.
Metrics Are Vital for Determining Success
Knowing the right metrics for each department is an important part of determining whether Agile is making the positive impact you expected. Ensure your entire management team has access to a reporting system so everyone can offer input on the process as it reaches other areas within your organization. This transparency is especially important with something as revolutionary as Agile.
Once your pilot project is determined to be a success, use what was learned as the rollout is repeated within other departments. Soon, your entire company will reap the benefits of higher productivity.
Work With a Leader in Software Solutions
If you need additional advice on Agile, talk to the experts at SDE USA. As one of the leading co-sourcing application development companies, we are experienced with Agile projects at businesses of all sizes. Connect with us as soon as possible.
