Agile Methods: What Are They and How Do They Impact Your Business?
Time Lumis
Publicado
We've already talked here on the blog about how organizations are always looking for ways to increase the productivity of their team. In this sense, the company culture can play a fundamental role, as it is through it that you can implement processes that encourage the increase of team productivity. When we talk about increasing productivity, agile methodologies are becoming increasingly important. But do you know what agile methods are, how they can influence your business, and how LumisXP can be the perfect complement to this approach? No? Then stay with us, because that's what we'll talk about in today's article.
Before we know what agile methods are, it's important to understand what an agile culture represents. Although many people confuse it, an agile method is not the same as an agile culture. In a way, they are connected but they are not the same thing. While the former refers to how the company views its processes, that is, the "why" of adopting agile practices. The methods are the processes that the organization needs to adopt in its daily operations to ensure that the agile culture is absorbed by employees. In other words, if on the one hand culture represents the "why," the methods are the "how" it needs to act to promote an agile culture.
What are agile methods?
Agile methodologies are a way of speeding up the delivery of a specific project. It involves breaking down final client deliveries into smaller cycles. This way, potential issues can be addressed more quickly, and plans can be revised. Although its application started and is very common in development teams, the strategy can be used in any type of project.
With a final client focus and value delivery, agile methods aim to stimulate process management that ensures control and frequent adjustments. It's a philosophy that promotes teamwork, collaboration among employees, and collective intelligence. Essentially, agile methods are a set of effective practices designed to speed up high-quality product delivery, taking a business approach that aligns project development with the client's needs and the company's goals. This process gives the client the opportunity to know the work results in advance, increasing the synergy between the company, the client, and the project.
As we've already mentioned here on the blog, digital transformation is already a reality in large companies. In this sense, using agile methods is fundamental. According to a study conducted by CA Technologies, 81% of executives believe that agile methodologies are necessary for a successful digital transformation and better business performance. That's exactly why agile culture is becoming more common, especially in IT companies.
Cyntia Albernaz, Scrum Master at Lumis, highlights that agile methodologies are essential for companies today because the strategy focuses on delivering value to the client. Various methodologies and frameworks place clients as the central point of their processes. This approach offers a competitive edge in the increasingly aggressive market. And with the right tools, like LumisXP, this approach is enhanced, ensuring that delivered solutions are even more aligned with the client's needs.
Inspired by the agile manifesto, which consists of 4 sentences (agility, multiple deliveries, intense client participation, and product customization) and 12 principles (value, frequency, flexibility, union, motivation, communication, functionality, sustainability, review, simplicity, organization, self-assessment). The main difference with agile methodologies is in delivering with a focus on client benefit and incrementally. In this sense, the client will have a greater approach to project development, and in addition, will benefit from the deliveries being executed. While in traditional models, the concept is that the client receives the product only when it's fully finalized, thus using or collecting benefits only at the end of the entire project.
What is the impact of agile methods on your organization?
Well, as we've seen, implementing agile methods requires a cultural change in the company. This can often not be a simple task. In this sense, knowing the real impact that their adoption causes in the organization is essential. It is only then that business leaders and their teams will be engaged and genuinely open to a paradigm shift and a new way of seeing and conducting their projects.
But before we talk about the impacts brought to the company, it is worth emphasizing that there are currently several methodologies that are part of an agile culture. Your company can work not only with one but with several of them simultaneously. This is exactly what makes your company's culture recognized as agile. Below, we list the main agile methods that can be implemented in your company, check them out:
Scrum;
Lean;
Feature Driven Development (FDD);
eXtreme Programming (XP);
Microsoft Solutions Framework (MSF).
As we have seen, there are several methodologies (Scrum and Lean) that can be part of your organizational culture. It's important to note that there isn't a "best methodology," but the most suitable solution within the context of your business or project. Although there are several method options in an agile culture, the impacts on the company tend to be the same. Counting on agile methods is an action that will bring benefits not only to your company but also to your client. Below we list the main advantages that agile methodologies can generate for your business.
- Significant increase in productivity:
Indeed, the main impact of adopting agile methodologies is on your team's productivity. Since its main goal is to reduce project delivery time, it contributes to the company experiencing a significant gain in productivity. Additionally, in a company with an agile culture, teams are self-managed, which leads employees to hold themselves accountable for deadlines and goals.
- Multiple deliveries:
Another significant advantage of adopting agile methods is the multiple deliveries the organization can make to its final client. As methodologies involve breaking deliveries into smaller cycles, the company can generate value for the client even before the project is complete.
- Product quality:
Agile methods are based on frequent and incremental development. This means the project undergoes various revisions and corrections throughout its compilation. This process of constant improvement guarantees a superior quality final product.
- Greater engagement of employees with the project:
Working with agile methods requires greater dedication from employees. This is because, in its development, teams become self-managing, meaning the employees themselves handle task distribution and deadline adherence. This results in increased focus and commitment of professionals to the project.
- Reduction of issues and failures:
Another noteworthy benefit is the reduction of risks and issues. Still benefiting from division into smaller cycles in project development, risks less impact significantly. As processes are divided into phases, error and adversity recognition occurs more quickly, facilitating management and correction.
- Increased client satisfaction:
Besides the increase in productivity, perhaps the main impact that adopting agile methods generates for your organization is increased client satisfaction. We know all companies constantly aim to ensure deliveries that generate value for their clients, thereby increasing their satisfaction. An agile culture encourages this, with a strategy premise that involves the client having a more active role in project development. This guarantees that the final product indeed meets the requester's needs.
How does LumisXP enhance agile methods?
At Lumis, we have a team of professionals specialized in agile methods, contributing to building an agile culture within the company. And with LumisXP, we enhance this agile culture, offering tools and solutions perfectly aligned with agile practices, ensuring faster, more efficient deliveries aligned with client needs.
Furthermore, she highlights: "I believe that when we focus on creating products that solve the client's problem, we give a purpose to the team, and this naturally brings engagement. The methodologies help us organize and keep the value delivery pipeline running effectively, resulting in happy clients and a team working with purpose. For me, this is the success formula: having a focused and engaged team providing the best solution for the client's issues."
Pedro Gomes, our Project Manager, sees the primary advantage of using agile methods as the ability to meet market demands faster. He emphasizes that the adoption of agile methodologies leads to better and faster deliveries, strengthening client relationships.
Another great benefit for companies, highlighted by Pedro, is that in projects developed with agile methods, teams use the inverted pyramid, ensuring that costs and deadlines remain unchanged, unlike traditional methods where constant changes in these aspects may occur.
A Digital Experience Platform, like LumisXP, offers more autonomy to marketing and technology professionals, with features for content management, A/B test creation, AI assistant, analytics, and experience personalization! Simplifying routine tasks and contributing to the company's adoption of agile methodologies, delivering more results to the client, in a shorter span of time.
As we've seen, adopting agile methodologies in project development undoubtedly brings various gains to your business. And with LumisXP, these gains are enhanced, ensuring your organization stays ahead in the market, delivering high-quality solutions aligned with client needs.
Discover more about how LumisXP can help your company!