Waterfall to Agile : A Paradigm Shift
Desperate to outpace their competitors and gain market share, many organisations are migrating their software development processes away from the sequential, traditional Waterfall methodologies to the iterative, incremental Agile framework.
And for good reason: Agile can foster greater innovation, accelerate time to market, boost the customer experience, enhance product quality and improve employee morale.
Despite these distinct benefits, however, many companies are not prepared for the organisational hurdles that must be overcome in order to achieve greater agility. These are some examples of the most common problems experienced during the transformation to Agile.
· Lack of Senior leadership buy-in
· Skills shortage
· Cultural backlash
· Resistance to change
Many organisations are keen to embark on the journey to embrace Agile but are frequently unprepared for the frequently bumpy road ahead. It is sometimes incorrectly assumed that the move to Agile just requires simple changes in certain processes.
Far from simple, the transition to Agile requires a paradigm shift in project development.
The decision to become agile must be intentional.
Here are six key recommendations whose deployment may mitigate some of the pitfalls and challenges on the path to greater Agility.
1. Obtain Leadership buy-in
The decision to become agile must be intentional. Companies don’t become agile by chance. That requires an organisational shift and buy-in from senior leadership.
2. Identify business needs beforehand
Some organisations are simply not ready to move away from Waterfall. Others may not have the capacity to make the required changes. It is recommended that companies first assess what they want to gain from Agile. The answers to these questions will highlight the value proposition of Agile and dictate how to embrace a more iterative approach to project development.
3. Establish a strong communications structure.
Communicating with all stakeholders is a vital key to a successful Agile transformation. Implement a strong communication structure to break down formalities and enhance the collaborative process.
4. Foster collaboration
Along with better communication, teams must get used to working together with entities from whom they may have traditionally been silo-ed. Testers, developers and business analysts will need to adjust to working in small focussed squads together. Organisations can also look to engage customers in testing to ensure that requirements and functionality are up to standard. Through collaboration and the ‘melding of minds’, Agile team members integrate ideas to produce the best overall manner of reaching the development goal.
5. Invest in Training
Agile transformation requires participants to be trained so that they understand the Agile Manifesto, Agile principles, and other practices. By teaching employees the key aspects of value-driven development and introducing them to Agile methodologies such as Scrum, organisations can ease tensions and demonstrate how Agile benefits employees.
6. Enlist 3rd party support
Internal or external Agile coaches can offer an in-depth understanding of the practices and principles of Agile and Agile methodologies such as Scrum. In addition to this technical knowledge, the coaches would have knowledge of organisational change and real-world experience with actual Agile transformations—a perspective that can help organisations find their own path, approach and solutions to migrating from Waterfall to Agile.
Transitioning away from the familiar, predictable Waterfall SDLC to the more flexible, nimble Agile framework is never a simple undertaking. It is usually a journey fraught with obstacles along the way. By considering the recommendations listed above, organisations can make the adoption smoother and achieve faster results.