The Key Components of Agile Project Management You Must Know

There are a lot of project management methodologies available in the market today. But Agile is the most popular methodology for a reason. The more you read about Agile, the more you realize the potential of this approach. Agile is not just an IT buzzword, it delivers to the T.

Agile development is a direct and systematic software development approach. When Agile is deployed accurately, it helps teams to deliver high-quality software on time and economically.

The efficiency of Agile is reaped through a series of stages commonly known as the software development lifecycle.

What is Agile project management?

Agile project management is a sequential method where large projects are broken down into smaller manageable tasks. This is followed throughout the project life cycle. Teams working on Agile methodology have been able to complete work faster, transform according to dynamic project requirements and improve their workflows.

Who uses Agile project management?

Agile methodology was created for IT teams and used extensively by IT companies, but today many other fields have realized the potential of Agile and have started embracing it in the educational sector, marketing teams, military, and automotive industries.

Since it is simple to set up and utilize, Agile methodology and other Agile frameworks are used to deliver innovative products in volatile environments.

Agile brings flexibility to the project flow and eases out any confusion in the workflows.

While Companies leverage the benefits of Agile software, books, or Agile coaches, it is important to know that each Agile team is unique. Getting to know the basics of Agile methodology will surely help various teams in any organization.

Essential components of Agile project management

• User Stories

User story is an exclusive work request. It contains all the necessary information available for the team to analyze the time and effort required to accomplish the request. The request is generally a short and simple description from the user’s standpoint and focuses on the client’s requirements.

• Sprints

Sprints are where teams work on pre-determined tasks within a short iteration (between 1 to 3 weeks) to complete Sprint planning is done in advance and the objective is to continuously repeat these sprints until the product is feature-ready.

Once the sprint is over, you review the product see what is and isn’t working, make adjustments, and begin another sprint to improve the product or service.

• Stand-up Meetings

Stand-up meetings or daily scrum meetings are done for 10 minutes every day to ensure that everyone is on track and well informed. Since the meetings are short, it is called stand-up.

• Agile Board

An Agile board is used to track the progress of the project. This can be anything, a whiteboard with sticky notes, a simple Kanban board, or a function within your project management software.

• Backlog

Sometimes requests that are added to the projects become incomplete stories in the backlog. Teams must assess story points during Agile planning sessions for each task. In this phase, stories in the backlog are moved into the sprint to be completed during the iteration. Backlogs can be managed efficiently by project managers in an Agile environment.

• Agile Team Roles

Depending on the Agile methodologies, there are specific team roles that are required in the process. Though not all Agile implementation may not require all of these roles, below mentioned are a few common Agile team roles:

• Scrum Master is like a team advocate. They are there to make sure that each sprint stays on track and issues are resolved without hindering other workflows.
• Product Owner defines the objectives of each sprint, maintains and prioritizes the team backlog, and supports customers and internal stakeholders.
• Team members execute the work in each sprint. These teams consist of different specialties and strengths, or they can be teams of people with the same job roles.
• Stakeholders are updated on the product and sprint goals, they have an option to review and approve work during a sprint and provide feedback during the sprint inspection.

Each Agile methodology and Agile Team must have a few universal role characteristics like the ones mentioned below:

1. T-shaped: A valuable Agile team member who has profound knowledge and the ability to perform specific tasks.
2. Cross-functional: These Agile team members have expertise outside their traditional areas. They might know some basic graphic design principles, data analysis, and some HTML/CSS.
3. Adaptable: These skilled members have diverse capabilities and irrespective of the environment their output is consistent.
4. Curious: They optimize the workflow by asking the right questions and ensuring the work is completed efficiently.
5. Entrepreneurial: They pitch in and develop campaigns whenever needed.
6. Team-oriented: Team success is their priority.
7. Committed to excellence: They do not wait for perfection but execute the best work of the team quickly and efficiently.

Conclusion

With Agile, teams are well equipped to adapt to dynamic changes in the workflow. With Agile, teams can re-evaluate their work and make changes immediately without affecting the rest of the teams and tasks.

If someone is new to Agile project management, it might seem complex and tough to manage. Agile plays an important role in executing shorter development cycles and frequent product releases. But what one really needs is support from providers who are experts in this field. Embitel has been an industry leader in providing quality services across the industries for many years.