Do you think agile project management and Scrum are the same? That is not true! Rather, agile project management comprises a generic term for more than 50 different agile methods, frameworks or approaches that are used in an agile project environment. The term does not describe an independent method, but rather represents a philosophy or an approach to product or service development that is based on defined values and principles.
What is agile project management?
Agile project management is characterized by self-organized teams, the quest for continuous improvement, a focus on high-quality services and intensive communication.
The desire for clear processes and rules has resulted in various frameworks and methodologies based on agile guidelines. The basic idea is to develop rules and descriptions of processes and roles with which agile ideas can be implemented in practice. In this article, we present the agile manifesto in detail so that you can further advance your project management processes.
What does agility mean?
How often do you use the term “agile” in everyday language? Probably not very often. That is why it is worth taking a closer look at this word. Derived from the Latin term “agilis” (movable), this describes Gabler Business Encyclopedia Agility In the economic environment as
“... the agility, agility or mobility of organizations and people or in structures and processes. You react flexibly to unforeseen events and new requirements. When it comes to change, for example, you are not only reactive but also proactive.”
In summary: Someone who acts agilely is not a slow-acting block, but reacts flexibly and proactively to changes. But: How did this term find its way into our current project management? Surprisingly, agile approaches have not just existed since the upsurge in the software industry.
The Agile Manifesto — 4 Values & 12 Principles
Today, we experience agility everywhere: In the company, In teamwork and in projects. Even though the agile manifesto was developed by 17 representatives from the software industry, it can be applied to all industries in today's business world — including project management. The agile manifesto defines four important values:
- Individuals & Interactions before Processes & Tools
- Working software before comprehensive documentation
- Customer Cooperation before Contract Negotiation
- Respond to change before following a plan
The 4 core values of agile project management
Agile values provide a basis for making projects successful and efficient by focusing on the key aspects of collaboration and development. These values emphasize the importance of people and interactions, functioning products, close collaboration with customers, and the ability to respond to change:
- The priority is on individuals and interactions over processes and tools: Too much dependence on processes and tools could impair the rapid response to changes. Instead, people's role as decision makers is rated higher.
- Functional products have priority over comprehensive documentation: Does that mean documentation is redundant? Absolutely not. However, the agile value underlines that a functional product is more valuable than its documentation. This should not be abolished, but reduced to the essentials. The approach is: As much as necessary, not as much as possible.
- Cooperation with the customer has priority over contract negotiations: This agile value emphasizes the importance of involving the client and in general internal and external stakeholders throughout the development process. By regular feedback It can be ensured that the final product meets the expectations. The approach is: Communication takes place not only at the start and when the project is approved, but throughout the entire project period.
- Responding to changes takes priority over strict adherence to a plan: In traditional, strictly planned projects, adherence to the plan is desirable. Changes often cause costs and should therefore be avoided. Agile projects, on the other hand, welcome new requirements and requests for changes at any time. The approach is: We want to be able to react flexibly to changing requirements.
The 12 principles that define agile project management
What can you do with these values now? The following 12 principles of the agile manifesto bring these values to life and provide you with concrete courses of action on how you can approach agile project management:
- The top priority is Customer satisfactionby providing valuable services early and continuously.
- Changes in requirements Are welcomed, even if they only occur late in the development process. Use agile processes to give your customers a competitive advantage.
- Set At regular intervals Powerful services are available to your customers, with periods ranging from a few weeks to a few months — the shorter the better.
- Managers and Developers Must Throughout the Project Work together on a daily basis.
- Projects are carried out at motivated people built around. Create the environment for this and provide the support you need. Important: Trust your team!
- Personal conversations Are the most efficient and effective way to communicate information within a project team.
- The most important indicator of progress is Powerful Services.
- Agile processes promote a sustainable development. All project participants should be able to maintain a constant pace for an indefinite period of time.
- Optimize your agile project management through a constant focus on technical excellence and good planning.
- simplicity Is essential and means the art of maximizing the amount of work not done.
- The best architectures, requirements and designs are created in self-organized teams.
- At regular intervals, do you reconsider Self-employed teamHow it can be more effective and adjust its behavior accordingly.
These 12 principles provide basic guidelines for an agile Project Management In your company. Process models and frameworks such as Scrum Are based on the values and principles of the agile manifesto. They provide a clear framework within which you can complete your project. To work successfully in an agile environment, you should regard the manifesto as a kind of code of conduct from everyone involved — from the top manager to every single member of your Project teams.
Transparency & flexibility: Discover ZEP for your project management!
Agile Project Management has developed in various industries such as Software development, engineering, construction and business consulting Established as an important way of working. The principles of the agile manifesto form the basis of this methodology, and methods such as Scrum, which are based on these values, support practical implementation. Tools for Project time recording Like ZEP Facilitate Practical Implementation and Documentation in Agile Project Management. that Ticketsystem In ZEP enables detailed planning and management of tasks and helps to integrate the agile principles of the manifesto into everyday project work. This method promotes structured planning and monitoring of tasks, creates transparency and improves collaboration within the team.
The ZEP additional module Tickets, Tasks & To-dos is central to efficient agile project management. It enables a clear allocation of tasks to projects and transparent communication within the team. Flexibility is an essential aspect of agile project management and ZEP supports this by easily adapting tasks and priorities. The Integration of Customer Feedback also plays an important role; the module makes it possible to create tickets directly from emails and involve customers in the project process. This not only promotes customer centricity, but also enables a quick response to customer needs and Agile work In a team. By documenting tasks in a structured way, teams can carry out retrospective analyses to learn from successes and failures.
Agile methods in the business environment: A review
Project management is slow and heavily focused on planning — this is the widespread idea of project management. The development of agile approaches and the replacement of the outdated waterfall model was made possible by digitization and the increased emphasis on software projects. But: Even before that, there were agile methods:
- 1950s: NASA and IBM Implement Iterative and Incremental Development (IDD).
- 1960s: NASA Project “Mercury” Is carried out with iterations.
- 1987: Department of Defence (DoD) Takes iterative approaches In its guidelines.
These are a few examples, but the breakthrough of agile methods was ultimately achieved in the software industry. Since the late 1980s, agile approaches have prevailed across the board. Here, work increasingly focused on the importance of self-responsible and self-organized teams. In 2001, then The agile manifesto Developed by Leading Minds in the Software Industry. The agile manifesto provides basic guidelines for the efficient development of software. The underlying approach is to avoid inefficient and redundant elements.
Agile Project Management: Advantages and Disadvantages at a Glance
Agile project management, when used correctly and tailored to the right industry, offers numerous benefits. However, this method of working is not suitable for every project and can also have disadvantages if used improperly:
The variety of agile methods: These are the different representatives
Are you always looking for effective methods to optimize your work processes and organize your team? The following agile methods have proven to be extremely effective in this context:
Scrum
Scrum Is a proven and popular agile framework that enables teams to achieve iterative progress and short time frames — so-called sprints. It is based on the principles of transparency, inspection, and customization, which promotes effective collaboration and continuous improvement of products or services. Scrum defines clear roles and events that structure and optimize the development process. Artifacts are also used to track project progress.
Roles: Product Owner, Scrum Master, Development Team
events: Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, Sprint Retrospective
Artifacts: Product backlog, sprint backlog, increment
Kanban
Kanban Is an agile method that originally comes from lean production and was later adapted for software development. It focuses on optimizing the flow of work to identify bottlenecks and improve efficiency. Kanban is based on a flexible approach that enables teams to work continuously and adapt to change.
Principes: Visualize work, limit work in progress (WIP), track workflow
practices: Kanban Board to Visualize Workflow, Limit WIP to Avoid Bottlenecks, Regularly Review and Adjust Processes to Increase Efficiency
Metrics: Lead time to visualize tasks from project start to finish, cycle time to show when a task was completed after start, WIP to reveal how many tasks are being processed in parallel.
Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)
OKRs Is an agile method for setting goals and measuring performance that helps companies focus on the most important goals and track progress transparently for all team members.
Objectives: Clear, ambitious goals that support the company's vision and mission, but are achievable and motivating for the team.
Key Results: Measurable results that quantify progress in achieving goals. Specific, time-bound key events help support team focus and direction.
Classic vs. agile project management: Comparing the two approaches
Conclusion
Agile Project Management offers a flexible and effective solution for dynamic projects with changing requirements. By applying agile principles and tools correctly, teams can improve collaboration and increase project success. However, it is important to understand the challenges and manage them appropriately in order to minimize potential risks and take full advantage of the benefits.
FAQs
When is agile project management suitable?
Agile project management is particularly suitable for projects that are characterized by high dynamics, changing requirements and close cooperation with customers. It is ideal for situations where flexibility, rapid response to change, and continuous improvement are essential. For example, agile project management is particularly effective in software development, product development or innovative projects.
What are good agile project management tools?
Good agile project management tools help teams optimize their processes, promote collaboration, and keep track of tasks and progress. Popular tools include Jira, Trello, Asana, Monday.com, and Zoho Projects.
Why do agile projects fail?
Agile projects can fail if they are not properly planned, implemented, or managed. The reasons may include inadequate planning, poor communication, team or management resistance, complex requirements, and lack of experience.
