Agile, Adjusted

Vincent is a Senior Project Management Consultant and e-Learning Developer.

  Agile   Scrum   Strategy   ProjectsAtWork  

Choosing the right process to manage your projects is a decision that should be based on need, not rhetoric. What works in one organization might not be suitable for another, or it may require modification. Agile is no different. What is important is the success of the project, not how well it adheres to a specific approach.

Agile is generally presented as a distinct, self-contained development process — an alternative to the supposed myriad dysfunctions of “waterfall” project management. Some even present it as a universal process that should be used on all projects. Unfortunately, Agile alone is not suited for all projects. For some organizations, the aspects of their processes that Agile proponents consider to be unnecessary or unproductive are actually critical to success. So replacing their existing processes with an Agile-only process will lead to disappointment. However, that does not preclude such organizations from embracing Agile.

The major benefits of Agile can still be obtained when using it to improve a traditional process. In these cases, Agile is reduced to a development approach rather than being the total process. The way it is applied will differ from the more common Scrum implementations, but can meet the spirit of the Agile Alliance guidelines.

Myths about traditional approaches

Agile books, papers, presentations and discussions …

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