Agile business concepts – How to put them in practice? (part 1)

Agile:

In a new era, agile has taken on a new meaning. The traditional definition, according to Webster’s, is: “quickness, lightness, and ease of movement; nimble; mentally quick or alert: an agile mind.”

An agile mind!

Working “agilely” creates an agile mind, and an agile process is possible with an agile mind. The purpose of the agile process is to create simplicity while minimizing unnecessary steps, tasks, work and issues. These are the basic tenets of the agile business model. As business people, we do not need to waste time, resources, and effort, so we need agile business solutions.

To be agile in terms of computerization, technology and electronic processes, we refer to early and continuous customer software delivery, while embracing changing requirements, even late in development. After all, change is essential, and today it is frequent and constant. This is a reality in today’s business process management.

Customer service

Providing customer service is a business focus. Obviously without customers, we have nothing. Customers are one of our strongest assets. Once obtained, we strive to retain them. Agile processes allow for change to assist the customer while placing him/her at the best market advantage. Working software that promotes customer-driven tasks is "agile- developed" and delivered within a few months, often within a few weeks.

The process

The agile process is one of conveying information within an agile development team via active participation and conversation; agile process developers believe in the ideal that working software is the primary measure of progress for the business: any business. Most agile processes promote development, teamwork, collaboration, and process adaptability throughout the project duration.

Teamwork

No man or woman is an island, and no one is perfect. We all bring to the table varied and essential backgrounds, skills, abilities and education. Our professional, personal and membership or hobby experiences color the situation – that’s the agile approach. So, two software developers who were educated at the same college and worked within the same organization have two entirely different sets of ideals, talents, and desires, along with differing backgrounds.

It is these differences that create and move teams forward. The importance of teamwork in an agile business process cannot be stressed enough. Collecting or encouraging teams of like persons and personalities can be negative, because an environment with too-similar skills becomes stagnant quickly. Diversity is important to create innovative, productive plans – one of the agile requirements.

Operating with a top-down mentality also causes some environments to suffer. Whereas, a team approach, where everyone is held accountable, can provide input, has idea buy-in and make significant decisions, is much more successful.