COVID-19 has presented organisations with a crash course in agility. Whether or not we’d focused on developing an agile framework, business owners across Australia found themselves in predicaments, trying to answer questions like these:
Project managers everywhere scrambled to make necessary adjustments as working conditions and economic instability fluctuated. But temporary fixes can’t substitute for a thoughtful, long-term project management strategy.
That’s why an agile project management approach is so vital. In this article, we’ll examine the reasons for adopting an intentional agile framework and outline how you can achieve AgilePM® certification and transition to a more productive project management approach.
With a disciplined agile framework, your project teams will focus on producing value for customers. Such a focus naturally leads to investing in processes and environmental improvements. Although these investments might seem burdensome at the start, they’ll lead to long-term wins. Let’s take a look at some of the advantages of using an agile methodology.
When everyone works together in the same location, it is easier to govern with a firmer hand. Managers could pop in on team meetings and make the rounds to see how everything was going.
Project managers learned this past year that traditional methods of keeping tabs don’t work in every environment. An agile framework allows team leaders to stay up-to-date on progress even if every member works in a different location.
A desirable benefit of agile project management is that it can significantly lower the risk of project failure. Unfortunately, most projects get scrubbed because the client is unhappy with the final delivery. At this point, it’s expensive to alter the project to the client’s needs.
With an agile approach, the client takes an active role in the development process, so it’s more likely that the client will be satisfied with the results. Also, agile projects tend to stay on schedule thanks to client involvement all along the way.
The agile management approach gives freedom to management regarding the implementation of new changes. In addition, since the review process takes place continually, team members don’t have to wait until the end of a phase to make necessary changes.
With traditional project management methodologies, managers use a waterfall model to describe workflows. Team leads define project parameters at the start, and the PMO’s formal processes outline workflows, reporting, documentation and customer involvement, which tends to be minimal.
With an agile methodology, on the other hand, managers divide projects into smaller tasks. Using an interactive feedback system, the customers are continually involved in the entire process, contributing input as necessary and keeping up with developments. This system is ideal for quick-moving projects and variable conditions. Because projects are divided into smaller tasks, workflows seem more manageable, even though the entire project’s scope remains the same.
With agile methodology, managers can exert more control over the project at any given time, keeping the process within its budget and time constraints. Typically, client requirements and input are kept somewhere near 40 per cent of the project scope. As a result, project managers only delegate a finite number of tasks to team members at any given time. Furthermore, with such rapid-fire reporting, the manager always knows what’s happening and can pivot reasonably quickly.
Clearly, organisations can benefit enormously from adopting Agile Project Management methodologies, and so can individuals. By achieving AgilePM® Certification, you can fast-track your career and set yourself apart from the competition.
More and more organisations are transitioning to an Agile approach for their project management. While it’s possible to learn many of these skills and concepts on the job, you’ll have a crystal clear understanding of the framework when you take the time to certify with a fully accredited AgilePM course.
By the time you’re certified, you’ll be able to do the following:
In an environment that evolves as a matter of course, AgilePM® Certification provides you with the ability to adapt, pivot and keep high-quality deliverables showing up on time. In short, you become invaluable.
With all that’s happened this year, you may have already taken some tentative steps toward an agile methodology. If you’d like to improve your understanding of the approach and solidify your company’s ability to deliver quality projects, consider becoming AgilePM® certified.
Often referred to as the ‘Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM),’ AgilePM® is a course and exam designed to help individuals and organisations adopt and implement an agile approach to project management.
Since its 2010 release, over 130,000 AgilePM® exams have been sat around the world. The course and exam focus on quality, clarity, stakeholder engagement, risk management, speed, adoption, and reducing bureaucracy.
Here at MetaPM, we offer AgilePM® courses regularly. These courses focus on enabling fast, flexible and controlled project delivery. In addition, AgilePM® provides ‘agility with rigour’. In short, the haphazard ‘agility’ you experienced this past year can be replaced by practical, intentional agile project management.
Our AgilePM® courses are currently delivered virtually for your convenience. You can reserve a spot in an upcoming class by registering online. Or, if you have questions about the course or exam, feel free to get in touch with us at MetaPM! All over Australia, project management teams are fine-tuning their processes and learning to produce deliverables in new and innovative ways. You can too!