Agile Project Management

Agile project management is a methodology that aims to deliver viable products faster while promoting adaptability under changing circumstances. The process divides project initiatives into short increments that receive iterative improvements after multiple cycles of review and refinement. It was adapted from Agile, a software development philosophy. 

In a nutshell

• Agile is a project management approach derived from The Agile Manifesto. It splits work into increments that are improved upon iteratively 
• Agile project management moves projects through five stages (envision, speculate, explore, adapt, and close) 
• While Agile originated in software development, the Agile project management methodology makes Agile viable for projects outside of technology

What is agile project management?

Agile project management is an iterative project management approach built on Agile software development, a philosophy that arose in 2001 as an alternative to the traditional waterfall approach. The Agile software development approach focuses on delivering product requirements in increments and iteratively making changes based on customer feedback. 

The philosophy makes working products readily available early in the development cycle instead of deferring execution until the end of a comprehensive planning stage. Because Agile allows for faster idea testing, teams have more space to adjust plans for changes in forecasts, requirements, or other circumstances. 

The Agile Manifesto

The Manifesto for Agile Software Development, or The Agile Manifesto, is a collection of concepts that guide Agile thinking. It consists of four key pillars:

1. Individuals and actions over processes and tools
2. Working software over processes and tools
3. Customer collaboration over contract negotiations
4. Responding to change over following a plan

While these pillars were written with software development in mind, they can be adapted for project management in general. Our comprehensive guide to Agile covers the Agile manifesto in greater detail by providing explanations and examples. 

Frameworks 

Agile frameworks are sets of prescriptive principles, techniques, and tools that provide greater structure and guidance for approaching Agile-oriented projects. While many of these frameworks predate Agile as a concept, they remain aligned with the Agile methodology and are helpful for implementing Agile thinking. 

Examples of Agile frameworks include:

• Scrum: A team collaboration framework that has teams divide work into short sprints and hold regular meetings for sprint planning, sprint review, daily standups, and more. ‍
• Kanban: A framework that uses columns and cards across a board to visualize completion levels across individual work items. ‍
• Extreme Programming: A coding-focused framework that aims to speed up technical processes. ‍
• Feature-Driven Development: A framework that divides work feature by feature, prioritizing a project’s most essential features first. 

Agile vs. other project management methodologies

Another way to understand the advantages agile can bring is to compare it to other known project management methodologies, namely Waterfall and Lean. After all, agile was created as a response to the shortcomings of both.  

Agile vs. Waterfall

The waterfall approach is a project management methodology that follows a non-iterative or linear progression. It takes projects through planning, execution, and release without revisiting previous steps. Projects completed using the waterfall approach depend on comprehensive overhead plans to guide execution. 

Agile project management spawned from correcting the waterfall approach’s inflexibility and slow product delivery. Unlike the waterfall approach, it breaks work down into iterations within short time intervals rather than spreading all stages across a single development cycle. Not committing to a fixed plan leaves room for course correction in case requirements evolve. 

Agile vs. Lean

Where the Agile methodology aims to speed up project releases while promoting adaptability, the Lean methodology aims to maximize value while minimizing waste. Lean follows five basic principles:

• Define Value: Identify the aspect of the project that provides the most value to the stakeholders. 
• Map Value Stream: Outline all actions that add value to the project. 
• Create Flow: Cut out all obstacles that slow down, add waste to, or provide no value to the value stream. 
• Establish a Pull System: After building the foundation for smooth workflows, ensure that future work only occurs when demand exists. 
• Pursue Perfection: Strive for technical excellence and maximize value added. 

Unlike waterfall and Agile, Lean and Agile are not diametrically opposed and can be used in tandem. However, because their core goals differ, so do the processes they prescribe. 

The five stages of agile project management

Agile project management consists of five stages: envision, speculate, explore, adapt, and close. As an iterative process, it cycles between the speculate, explore, and adapt stages until the project is deemed ready for closing. 

1. Envision

The envision stage is for developing the basic project vision. It involves meeting with stakeholders to establish a baseline agreement about the project's purpose and goals. 

Critical tasks:

• Define scope and objectives
• Determine key project requirements
• Identify potential risks and challenges
• Develop project strategies

Plans need not be comprehensive in Agile project management. However, they should still provide a clear direction for the team to follow as they approach execution. 

Example: 

Your community bank tapped your team to build an online banking app that works for both iOS and Android. Their main objective is to increase customer satisfaction by providing convenience.

The first thing you might do is narrow down all the features a good banking app might have. This could include:

• Real-time account information
• Bank transfers
• Bill pay
• Mobile check deposit
• Financial planning tools
• Alert customization
• Customer support chats

You would then estimate what resources you need to complete the project, including the individuals who will be involved in the development process. You would also need to identify potential challenges, such as security, regulatory compliance, and cross-platform functionality. 

2. Speculate

The speculate stage breaks the direction set in the envision stage into a specific plan of attack. It outlines how the team intends on completing the project.

Critical tasks:

• Break objectives down into actionable tasks
• Sort tasks by priority
• Identify necessary resources per task
• Delegate tasks to team members 
• Create a flexible project timeline

A good project management software can help you turn objectives into work-ready tasks. Shortcut Objectives let you break work down into smaller work items. You can measure success through key results or Epic progress, which reflects a task’s level of completion.

Example: 

During the speculate phase, your team determines which part of the project you want to work on for the next iteration. Iterations in the early stages of development will cover the project’s most essential features. In the case of a mobile banking app, this includes the ability to log in, view your account information, and transfer funds. 

You can translate these features into user stories. For example:

• I want to log into my bank account
• I want to view my account balance
• I want to view my transaction history
• I want to transfer funds to other accounts

You will break these user stories into actionable work items and assign each to your team members. You will also need to create a roadmap that outlines due dates for each feature. 

3. Explore

The explore stage is where actual project execution occurs. Teams build deliverables within short timeframes and release them for feedback and testing.

Critical tasks:

• Build deliverables according to the project timeline
• Submit deliverables to stakeholders
• Create necessary documentation 

Under Agile project management, the explore stage is iterative and will repeat in cycles along with the adapt stage. Constant iteration ensures that the project is up-to-date with evolving requirements. 

Example: 

The explore stage is straightforward. It involves working on the user stories outlined in the speculate stage. You will return to this stage after receiving feedback during the adapt phase and adjusting planning during the speculate phase. 

Let’s say you want to work on providing comprehensive account information. Your first iteration might allow users to view their balances in real-time and get basic transaction history records. Future iterations might increase the speed of balance updates, or provide more information for past transactions, depending on stakeholder feedback. 

4. Adapt

The adapt stage has the project team assess existing outputs against expectations and objectives. It reviews not just the project but also the people, processes, and tools involved. 

Critical tasks:

• Receive feedback from stakeholders, users, and team members
• Review increment deliverables and actions
• Compare outputs with objectives and feedback
• Evaluate the effectiveness of processes and tools
• Prescribe adjustments for future iterations

The adapt stage repeats along with the explore and speculate stages until the team moves closer to completion. 

Example: 

You developed a working prototype of your mobile banking app’s bank transfer feature. During the adapt phase, you would submit the prototype to stakeholders for input. 

Stakeholders might generate ideas based on the capabilities your prototypes present. If they are impressed by your app’s ability to categorize transactions, they might ask you to add financial reporting tools, such as graphs that outline where most of your spending occurs.

The adapt stage is also when you identify areas of improvement. You might speed up when balance updates reflect on user accounts to give them better information. You might also make the UI simpler to improve the user’s experience. 

These processes will repeat until you’ve completed all features your stakeholders need. You might also launch the product for customer feedback if all necessary features are functional. 

5. Close

The close stage is for finalizing the project. It involves reviewing all past increments and documenting learnings for future projects. 

Critical tasks:

• Finalize project and documentation
• Receive final feedback from stakeholders
• Compare final output against initial objectives
• Document lessons learned 
• Identify areas of improvement

Proper documentation and review at the close stage helps the team pass learnings on to future teams.

Example: 

During the close stage, you hand the project over to the stakeholders. You might need to finalize any documentation necessary for the app’s maintenance. You would also evaluate whether the project met its objectives, which can involve checking the App Store and Google Play for user ratings. 

Then, you review the entire project management process, describing any events that significantly impacted the project. Your review would suggest future actions based on the lessons learned. Examples include:

• Observation: Using a new project management software sped up workflows.some text
  • Recommendation: Continue using the software
• Observation: The app’s technical documentation is difficult for anyone outside of the team to understand, leading to the stakeholders frequently contacting the team well after the app’s launch.some text
  • Recommendation: Establish standards and guidelines for documentation grammar, clarity, and conciseness. 
• Observation: The graphic designer the app usually works with increased their hourly rate.some text
  • Recommendation: Negotiate a better rate or start the search for a new graphic design partner. 

Adding these observations and recommendations to a lessons-learned document can help future teams work more efficiently. 

When to use agile project management

Here are a few scenarios where teams stand to gain from Agile project management adoption:

You’re working on a long-term project

Long-term projects can cause burnout, especially if teams fail to distribute their energy effectively. Agile project management uses incremental work to set an even pace: teams get to tackle projects one piece at a time. 

Additionally, Agile’s emphasis on regular feedback validates ideas in development rather than waiting for the end of the project, giving teams a more solid sense of progression. 

The project’s scope and requirements are not clearly defined

Traditional project management approaches, like the waterfall approach, require significant upfront planning. Generating ideas can be difficult if your client’s requirements or expectations lack detail. 

The waterfall methodology also leaves little room for creativity beyond the initiation and planning stages. You come up with a plan; you follow it. Any new ideas generated while building the project will be difficult to incorporate.

Agile promotes ideating as you build. Its emphasis on experimentation lets you generate ideas that are grounded in observation rather than theory or research alone. The empirical ideation process makes Agile well-suited to projects where scopes and requirements are not well-defined. 

You expect changes in constraints and requirements

Agile teams forgo comprehensive planning and cut straight to project execution. The lack of rigid rules makes it possible to easily adjust outputs should unexpected problems occur. 

Flexibility in Agile also allows you to capitalize on opportunities when they arise. 

For example, let's say your project relies on a resource whose cost recently dropped. A project planned with the waterfall approach would have only accounted for the resource’s original cost, sparing you from the opportunity to do more now that the product is cheaper. Agile lets you adjust your plans based on new information. 

Your customers need a functional product more than a complete product

In the modern age, particularly in the tech space, it is common for companies to release projects for public consumption before all features have been added. Early releases for games, websites, apps, and software will offer basic functionality and promise new features in future update rollouts. 

Companies employ this open-ended release approach to build customer confidence. Early releases also help you improve your product by giving you access to customer feedback. 

Agile frameworks give you the tools you need to accept and apply that feedback effectively. Dividing work into time-boxed iterations also helps you deliver improvements consistently, increasing customer satisfaction. 

You work with an involved client

Choosing Agile over the waterfall approach lets you show clients tested ideas earlier in the development cycle. By painting a clearer picture of the project’s feasibility, you ensure that they keep their ideas within project constraints. The feedback you get becomes more useful and realistic. 

Agile also increases customer satisfaction. Consistent access feedback also ensures that you and the client are always on the same page. Meanwhile, the waterfall approach leaves most client discussions in the early project stages. You risk the possibility of overlooking misinterpretations until the middle or end of the project management cycle. By then, it will be too difficult to backtrack. 

Agile project management challenges 

Adopting and executing agile project management can be challenging, especially considering the number of new variables the methodology introduces. Ensuring a smooth transition into an Agile mindset means anticipating possible setbacks and conceptualizing solutions.

Below, we’ve listed a few common Agile project management challenges and tips for resolving them. 

Resistance to change

The specificity of Agile project management might contradict practices that are already in play. Teams might be reluctant to embrace changes that disrupt their long-established work habits. 

A gradual introduction can help them get acquainted with Agile project management without overwhelming them. Start by identifying if any tasks in your existing workflow resemble Agile practices. Then, align the task with Agile principles. 

For example, if you intend to implement Scrum, you can use Scrum events as guidelines for meeting agendas. In Scrum, daily meetings called Daily Scrums aim to evaluate progress toward sprint goals. 

Even if you have not implemented sprints, you can use your typical meetings to discuss your team’s latest progress updates. This way, once you introduce Scrum, the concepts won’t look as foreign. 

Don’t forget to inform your team of Agile’s purpose. Knowing the benefits of the change will compel them to buy in. Daily Scrums, for example, paint a clearer picture of team progress and provide a direction for day-to-day work. Establishing this understanding with your team will encourage them to adopt the task into their workflow. 

Inconsistent understanding of Agile principles

A wealth of Agile resources is available online. While this makes research easier, allowing your team to draw from different sources might create inconsistencies in understanding. To ensure uniformity, draft a comprehensive internal document or compile a master list of verified references. 

Below are a few relevant reference suggestions:

• The Agile Manifesto contains the Agile pillars and principles as written and signed by the original authors. 
• The Agile Alliance is a non-profit organization formed by some original Agile founders. They provide a comprehensive overview of Agile and its history. 

Implementing an Agile framework might also help make the transition simpler.The specific techniques, steps, and tools outlined in Agile frameworks provide a clear guide for approaching Agile projects. 

Lack of experience and training

While many free Agile resources are available online, adopting the information for real-world use might still be difficult. Investing in an Agile-trained professional, such as an Agile coach, might help the team transition. An Agile coach can provide hands-on demonstrations, answer questions, and correct any misinterpretations about Agile and related topics. 

If possible, hire experienced Agile practitioners for your team. They’ll have an easier time incorporating Agile principles into their workflow and can lead by example. 

Risk aversion

Agile is more lenient on failure than the waterfall approach. While the waterfall approach requires following plans to a T, Agile encourages experimentation and learning from mistakes. A team that is used to the waterfall structure might instinctively avoid risk.

Get your team more comfortable with imperfection by providing support during the feedback process. After every iteration, treat honest and unforeseen mistakes as learning experiences rather than punishable offenses. Additionally, reward any experiments whose results added value to the project. 

Summary

While traditional project management approaches help provide a clear structure for project execution, their inflexibility makes them ill-suited to dynamic environments.

Incorporating Agile principles into project management helps you adapt to evolving requirements. With Agile’s iterative approach, you can release viable projects quickly while adding improvements based on feedback and observation. The methodology is particularly suitable for projects where scope, constraints, and requirements are not set in stone. 

Help your team build an Agile mindset by using Agile-adjacent project management tools. Shortcut’s project management software offers Kanban boards, burndown charts, sprints, and more. Learn more about our features by visiting Shortcut’s homepage!