Guide to Agile Project Management 2023

The software development process is incomplete without project management. It is an important step in making the product more efficient and successful.

According to a study, companies that employ project management practices tend to waste 28% less money and their projects tend to be 2.5 times more successful. Project Management helps developers finish a project successfully while staying within budget and delivering benefits.

A Project Management lifecycle usually involves five phases:

1) Initiation
2) Planning 
3) Execution
4) Performance/monitoring
5) Closure 

Over time, a bunch of Project Management methodologies have been developed. The traditional methodology works step-by-step through the Project Management lifecycle, starting with initiation and ending with closure. This approach includes internal steps within each phase that take place in a chronological order.

This method came to be known as the Waterfall model. It was initially used in the manufacturing industry and soon found its way into software development.

The Waterfall Model includes the following steps:

◙ Requirements specification 
◙ Design 
◙ Implementation 
◙ Verification 
◙ Maintenance 

In this method, more than 40% of the time and budget is spent on planning and specification, the first step. Moreover, the order of the model has to be strictly adhered to. When working with properly structured projects in the case of just one product, the Waterfall Model almost never misses.

But employing the intensive planning, documentation and controlled environment of the model in software development doesn’t work all that well. It tends to be time-consuming, heavy on the pocket, and lacks flexibility. This, in turn, leads to the wastage of a lot of resources and eventually, project failure.

This is where the Agile approach to Project Management comes into the picture. Before discussing it in more detail, let’s take a look at the topics we’ll be talking about in this blog.

A) What is Agile methodology?
B) The different phases of Agile methodology
C) What are the benefits of Agile methodology?
D) Are there some drawbacks of Agile methodology?
E) Agile Project Management methodologies
F) Scrum
G) Kanban
H) Scrumban
I) Agile Project Management Certifications

What is Agile methodology?

The philosophy of Agile Project Management was introduced to help make software development a more flexible and efficient process. Approximately 94% of organizations have successfully adopted Agile, which has become the industry standard for Project Management.

Agile has its roots in 1957, when three software developers were trying out techniques for IBM and Motorola. They didn’t classify the approach they were taking but, they did acknowledge its dissimilarity to Waterfall. It took another few decades for the modern Agile approach to be introduced. In 2001, 17 software developers sat down to find alternative methods of Project Management. Their approach was properly explained in the Manifesto for Agile Software Development.

Agile Project Management is a repetitive approach to software development that works on continuous releases and includes customer feedback in every iteration. Teams using Agile Project Management have reported an increase in speed, collaboration, and responsiveness. In APM, the project is broken down into small cycles called sprints. This is known as a single development cycle. A project team composed of project stakeholders critiques each sprint and the next step in the project is based on their review.

Get trained in Agile Project Management! Join our Agile Training courses today! 

The different phases of Agile methodology

There are five main phases in the Agile Project Management process:

A) Envision – The first phase of the model, this is where the project is first conceptualised. The team identifies what the customer needs are and who all will be working on it.

B) Speculate – In this phase, the first requirements are listed down. The team then brainstorms together to create a list of features for the product and then creates milestones for the timeline.

C) Explore – At this phase, the team members come up with alternatives to reach all project goals while staying within constraints. This phase works parallelly to the Adapt phase.

D) Adapt – Teams review the results delivered and then adapt as required. In this phase, corrections are implemented according to the customer’s perspective. Feedback is really important, and each part of the project needs to meet the customer requirements.

E) Close – In the final phase, all teams make sure that the project is completed. The deliverable is tested against the customer requirements. Whatever mistakes are pointed out, are mulled over and a contingency plan is put in place to avoid these mistakes in the future.

Become a certified Agile project manager. Find our more in our Agile Project Management Foundation & Practitioner (AgilePM) course today! 

What are the benefits of Agile methodology? 

Now that we know what it is, let’s talk about the advantages of Agile Project Management.

◙ Agile project managers choose designers to create models according to their strengths
◙ Resources are used efficiently, which reduces the deployment time
◙ Teams are more flexible and adaptable to the changing requirements
◙ Problems are identified and resolved quickly
◙ Better collaboration
◙ Goals and processes can be defined as the process goes on

Are there some drawbacks of Agile methodology?

There are a few disadvantages of Agile Project Management as well:

◙ Since goals and processes aren’t clearly defined at the start, the project could go off track. This would lead to the project not meeting requirements

◙ Agile Project Management is dependent on quick decisions and hence, it isn’t ideal for companies that like to dwell on their issues

◙ Communication hurdles could affect potential collaborations which can have a negative impact on the end product

Want to get certified in the Scaled Agile Framework? Check out our SAFe 5.1 Training! 

Let’s talk about the Agile Project Management methodologies

 Let’s delve deeper into Agile Project Management and discuss some of the most popular Agile Project Management methodologies  

What is Scrum? 

Scrum is frequently mentioned under the Agile Project Management methodologies but it’s actually a framework that utilizes intervals of fixed time and divides projects into sprints. The work is divided into four ceremonies or events that structure every sprint.  

There are three fixed roles in Scrum: 

◙ Product Owner 
◙ Scrum Master 
◙ Team 

The customers and stakeholders are the Product Owners as they manage and organise the product backlog. A product backlog is a task list of all the work items required according to priority. The Scrum Master is the team leader who makes sure everyone understands and follows the rules. The Team is composed of cross-functional team members who get work done.  

Work items are chosen from the product backlog and added to the sprint backlog. This process is repeated until the sprint capacity is reached.  

The Four Ceremonies of Scrum 

 Now, what is a Scrum Board? 

Scrum teams use a Scrum Board to help visualise all the work in each sprint. The moving of items within backlogs is also done on the board. Scrum Boards usually have work items categorized into columns like To-Do, In Progress, and Done. It was introduced to increase transparency and collaboration in Agile Project Management. 

Become a Scrum Master. Join our Scrum Master Certification course! 

What is Kanban? 

Kanban is an Agile Project Management Methodology that focuses on continuously improving processes and matching work to a team’s capacity. Kanban makes sure the work is done quicker so the teams can respond to changes faster. 

Work in Kanban is always in the To-Do column and there are usually no backlogs. As soon as one work is done, the team is able to quickly move on to the next one. There are four main components: 

 What is a Kanban Board now? 

A Kanban Board is similar to a Scrum Board. It helps the team visualise their work and plan resources. The board is divided into columns the work passes through as it is done. Work stays in the To-Do column until the WIP Limit deems it feasible for it to be worked on.  

Get your Kanban certification today! Check out our Certified Kanban Foundation and Practitioner Training! 

Scrumban? 

Scrumban is an effective and efficient amalgamation of Scrum and Kanban. It includes the philosophy and practices of Kanban and mixes it with Scrum.

The combined philosophy includes the following components:

◙ Work visualisation – The board stays, and helps teams visualise all the work.
◙ WIP Limits – Taking the best of Kanban, the WIP Limits helps shift the focus on finishing work.
◙ Extended Board – In Scrumban, more columns are added to the board. This helps increase transparency and everyone knows where things are.
◙ Priority List – Work is sorted according to the priority and is assigned in that order.
◙ Less Planning – Scrumban keeps the planning sessions short so people spend more time working instead of predicting results.
◙ Planning on Demand – In Scrumban, the team can plan for work if a need arises.

Become a certified professional in Agile Project Management! Enrol in our Certified Professional in Agile Project Management (CPAPM) training today! 

Considering getting an Agile Project Management certification?

If reading everything about Agile Project Management has got you considering it as a career choice, we’ve got all the information you need! The best way to become an Agile Project Management professional is by obtaining certification. A certification will help validate your skills and your dedication to project management.

Let’s look at some of the best Agile Project Management Certifications you can consider:

PMI Agile Certified Practitioner

The PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) certification is recommended for managers who have extensive experience in Agile. This certification can help you make better decisions about choosing the right methods for projects, increasing productivity, and therefore finishing projects quicker.

The average annual salary for someone with this certification is £49,000 according to Payscale.

Become a PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)! Enrol in our PMI-ACP Certification Training today! 

AgilePM Foundation
 

The AgilePM Foundation certification is meant for people who want to become Agile project managers. It will help you develop your decision-making skills and teach you how to manage projects. You will also learn how to properly assign roles and responsibilities to members in different departments.

According to Glassdoor, individuals with an AgilePM Foundation certification can earn a £50,943 average annual salary.

Want to become an Agile Project Manager? Join our AgilePM Foundation certification course today! 

SAFe Agilist

The SAFe Agilist certification is best suited for individuals who have some experience in Scrum and professionals who want to advance their careers. This certification will help you learn the scaled fundamentals of Agile so you can develop workflow patterns.

The average annual salary of a SAFe Agilist is £57,000 according to Payscale.

Check out our SAFe Agilist certification course and take the first step towards a better future! 

PRINCE2 Agile Project Management

The PRINCE2 Agile Project Management certification combines Agile methodologies with PRINCE2 (Projects in Controlled Environments 2). This certification will teach you how to better manage projects in Agile.

According to Payscale, the average annual salary for individuals with a PRINCE2 Agile Project Management certification is £47,000.

Prepare for the PRINCE2 Agile certification exam with our PRINCE2 Foundation & Practitioner course! 

Certified Scrum Master

The Certified Scrum Master certification is meant for team leads who want to become Scrum Masters. This certification will teach you how to assign tasks, manage them, and use flexibility to your advantage.

The average annual salary for a Certified Scrum Master is £59,000.

Take the next step in your career, check out our Scrum Master Certification course today! 

Conclusion  

Agile Project Management and its methodologies offer flexibility and adaptability to companies. With Agile, companies are better equipped to handle changes. The methodology a company decides to go with depends on its specific needs and what they want to achieve. If you want to know more about Agile Project Management, check out our Agile Project Management courses!