Find out in this article everything you need to know about agile project management.
For a business, the process of designing a product is just as important as getting it to market.
To optimize this creation phase as much as possible, there are different project management methodologies, including the agile method.
Let’s find out together what the characteristics and advantages of this type of process are.
What is agile project management?
There agile methodology allows you to manage a project by breaking it down into several stages.
Within a team, this process requires constant collaboration between its members (in particular through the use of planning software) as well as iteration and continuous improvement of each step.
As part of the agile project management methodthe teams in charge of managing a project first study the problem that their product is intended to solve for their end customers.
This step allows them to better understand the expectations and needs of customers and to understand the management of their project in a much more relevant way.
Subsequently, the team is required to follow a process of planning, execution and monitoring to more easily modify their product before final delivery.
In fact, collaboration between the different members of a team and other project stakeholders is essential to make the best possible decisions throughout the process.
Agile method vs SCRUM: what are the differences?
As we have just seen, the agile project management method is based on repetition and work in stages.
Like the Kanban method, the SCRUM method is a derivative of the basic agile method, which allows, among other things, to ultimately offer the best commercial product, while improving the productivity of teams by allowing them to develop only the elements they have. needed to design the final product.
Through the SCRUM method, teams deliver versions of the product to the customer at each stage (i.e. approximately every two or three weeks), with the aim of obtaining detailed feedback on both usage and adaptability. of the product to the needs of the market.
To help you better understand the differences between Scrum and Kanban project management methods, here is a small summary table:
| Agile method | SCRUM method |
| Recommended for small teams with expertise in their field | Ideal for carrying out a project whose final expectations change quickly |
| Requires establishing an organization based on leadership | Joins a multidisciplinary and self-organized team (no project manager) |
| More flexible regarding changes in its stages | More rigid in relation to changes in its stages |
| Frequent deliveries to the end customer for feedback | Delivery after each step completed to obtain detailed feedback |
| Monitoring each stage of development to ensure the proper functioning of the product | Feature demonstration performed at the end of each step to obtain detailed feedback |
| Encourages feedback from end customers throughout the design process | Obtaining customer feedback at the end of each new step |
| Recommended for the design and execution of a simple project | Recommended for the design and execution of a complex project |
What are the advantages of the agile method?
There agile methodology offers numerous advantages to teams dedicated to project management.
Here are five of the most relevant.
Better control of the final product
The staggered process, specific to the agile method, offers members of the teams involved in the creation of the product the possibility of modifying it at any time.
Even if the needs of end customers evolve very quickly, it is possible to adjust the product easily and quickly to always best meet user needs.
Improve team productivity
Project management teams applying agile methodology are self-organized and promote collaborative culture.
Therefore, thanks to the use of suitable project management software, each member is empowered and knows which essential task they must focus on, which greatly promotes the overall productivity of the team.
Ensure the quality of the delivered product
Thanks to the tests carried out during the different stages of the process that make up the agile method, it is possible to obtain feedback from end customers before final delivery.
This makes it possible to test and modify the product during its manufacture to best adapt it to the expectations of the end customer.
Improve end-user satisfaction
Because the agile method is based on customer satisfaction, the use of this type of process can ensure an adequate response to the needs of a company’s target.
The completion of the project involves both managers, but also users, which ensures the quality of the output compared to more traditional management.
Optimize your ROI
Thanks to the agile methodology, teams are able to quickly design a product that is perfectly adapted to the market and ready to be marketed.
Particularly useful for companies operating in an ultra-competitive market, this process allows you to get ahead of other players by obtaining customer approval before the product goes on sale.
The risk of design errors is thus greatly reduced, which significantly impacts the costs linked to this type of problem.
Also read: the best alternatives to Trello
Example of application of agile project management
For this example, let’s start from the principle that we must respond to a specific need expressed by end customers: travel.
To provide a concrete solution to the target, our project management team decides to design a car. Following traditional methods, the team would choose to build each element that makes up a car one after the other (wheels, bodywork, seats, steering wheel, etc.).
However, alone, these elements do not make it possible to meet the initial need of the target. You will have to wait until they are all assembled to be used for travel purposes.
If the team uses agile management, it could propose a simplified version of a vehicle dedicated to movement from its first stage. She could, for example, design a bicycle.
As this vehicle evolves, and thanks to rapid feedback from end customers, the team could be able to offer a scooter, then a car and thus continually respond to the needs of its target, throughout the process. and until final delivery.
We hope that this information on agile management methodology will give you a better understanding of this methodology.
Make good use of it!