Advantages Of Bringing 'Agile' To Digitalization!!

Nearly everybody working near an IT or advancement group will have heard the term 'Agile'. It's an unquestionably prevalent approach that will frequently be utilized when another product is being created, empowering groups to rapidly audit and react to any flighty conditions and moving objective posts.

To formally define the approach, Google explains it as: 'relating to a method of project management, used especially for software development, that is characterised by the division of tasks into short phases of work and frequent reassessment and adaptation of plans.'

Digital transformation is about revolutionizing the way business is done and future-proofing your organization for the continuously changing internal factors, external competitors, industry trends and new technologies. With this in mind, an agile approach to rolling out new initiatives across the business will ensure all teams involved can quickly adapt and deliver value often – the key to innovation and surviving in a rapidly developing digital world.

Benefits of Agile

1. Flexibility

At the core of agile is the adaptability it offers. Generally, new business activities are specced out forthright with extremely nitty gritty prerequisites and no place for change, especially as the undertaking commences. The lithe procedure, nonetheless, acknowledges change, and even expects it. In the event that the group finds that an alternate arrangement gives better outcomes to their particular difficulties, at that point they have the adaptability to test and switch. In like manner, if the business' needs change part of the way through.

2. Business value comes first

Agile perceives that innovation alone isn't an answer, and this couldn't be more genuine for advanced change. Just once a group has characterized the business difficulties, goals and down to earth utilize cases should any new activity start. The spry system guarantees you generally begin with the 'why' and the whole approach is adjusted and receptive to business' needs.

3. Continuous improvement

Agile teams are always learning, collaborating and adjusting throughout regular iterations, reviewing what is working well and what can be improved. It means everyone has the time to not only expand their own knowledge but all learnings can be identified, shared and applied to the project at each stage before moving forward.

4. Frequent value delivered

Working in short, productive sprints means that features are delivered incrementally as the project evolves. It is not surprising to hear digital transformation projects expected to last up to one or two years, if not more. In fact, digital transformation is a process that should never end. So, working in an agile manner ensures valuable outcomes are delivered in smaller chunks, more frequently, rather than waiting up to six months for an outcome that may, in fact, be overwhelming to the business.

5. Cost control

Keeping sprint lengths the same throughout a project allows the team to know exactly how much work can be accomplished, and therefore the cost for each sprint. It also allows for budget refinements on a regular basis and changes to be made often without exorbitant costs as a result.

6. Risk reduction

An agile approach to digital transformation projects practically eliminates the chance of failure. Daily updates, constant communication, regular testing and collaborative feedback at the end of each sprint ensures nothing is missed and every issue is captured and dealt with early.

7. Great communication and engagement

Digital transformation will never be achieved with just one team. To be successful, the business and IT units need to work in unison with a clear vision of the organizational challenges that need to be solved. Agile encourages regular communication, constant collaboration, feedback sessions and continuous stakeholder management, which is critical to the success of any transformation project.

8. Complete transparency

With regular collaboration, communication and updates between multiple agile teams comes higher visibility across the business. Agile ensures every team member up to the key stakeholders has the opportunity to know how the project is going. Daily updates and progress charts offer concrete, tangible ways to track progress and manage expectations at every level.

9. High quality

Quality of work improves within an agile environment because testing and optimization start from the very beginning. It naturally allows for the early sight of any issues and the relevant adjustments to be made quickly. Agile within digital transformation also encourages teams to embrace innovation and technological excellence.

10. Higher team morale

There is no change or innovation without people. To create a highly motivated, high-performing team requires a level of self-management, the encouragement of creativity, time to reflect, regular knowledge sharing and continuous learning – all of which are advantages of the agile process. Teams that are constantly working overtime to meet unrealistic deadlines will inevitably lack the inclination, or time, to think about anything else other than the task in hand, stifling the creation of any new and innovative ideas.

To summarize, digital transformation, although often seen as a buzzword, is not going anywhere. Organizations are now at a crossroad where they can either keep doing business as usual or change the way they work from the inside out. Adopting an agile approach to change encourages continuous innovation and enables businesses to become disruptive market leaders, shaping the future of their own industries.

“Agile is not just a methodology, but a set of principles and philosophy.”