It seems that the rise in popularity of agile development and project management is set to continue apace for a long time to come. This methodology has become the preferred choice in the financial and professional services and continues to be employed by the vast majority of the software sector.

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What is agile?

Agile is an iterative approach used in project management whereby results are delivered one project at a time using short iterations called ‘sprints’. A sprint is simply a fixed period of time in which the team involved must finish a certain quantity of work so that it is ready for review.

The agile technique first appeared in the software industry at the start of the 2000s and was initially used in software development alone; since then, a number of the key concepts have transferred into many other work areas, particularly as a highly-effective tool in projects where a degree of change is anticipated.

Agile emphasises the following four values:

– Individuals and interactions are more important than processes and tools.
– Working software should come before comprehensive documentation.
– Customer collaboration is better than contract negotiation.
– Responding to change must be prioritised over any plan.

If you are looking to boost your business value using agile techniques – whether you need scrum master training Dublin or agile training in Dundee – there are plenty of companies that can help you, such as https://www.althris.com/courses/scrum-master/. There is also a lot of useful information available online.

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What are the benefits of agile?

The benefits of this technique include higher productivity, better team morale, more rapid delivery times, and improved capacity to deal with change within an organisation or project. A key reason to switch to agile methodologies is the impressive success rates that can be delivered – agile projects are reported to be an impressive three times more likely to success than projects that use traditional methods, such as waterfall.

The focus on ‘sprints’ can facilitate quick turnaround times, with potential business value realised faster than with traditional methods. Using collaboration internally and with external customers, creativity and ideas are allowed to flourish and product quality is improved. Good communication is the key driver in this technique and is a key focus of agile and scrum master training.