Creating an Agile Future
Winter 2021
More businesses and industries are embracing this
innovative management methodology, born in Silicon Valley.
Agile project management revolutionized the tech industry in
the ‘90s, helping to propel titans in software development
such as Apple, IBM, and Microsoft, transforming the world in
the process. Now it’s doing the same for a wide range of
companies such as John Deere, National Public Radio, and
even Mission Bell Winery.
This popular and innovative management methodology is
more in-demand than ever, a proven tool for navigating an
ever-changing business landscape with small, self-managed
teams dedicated to finding creative solutions for each
project.
The idea is to transition from traditional process-driven
culture to a flexible, customer and value-driven approach that
increases production, profits, and customer satisfaction. Its
growth has created a booming job market for Agile-trained
professionals, accelerated by challenges posed by the COVID
pandemic, said Lori English Garcia, instructor for the Division
of Continuing Education (DCE) Agile Project Management
certificate program.
“Agile is the hot trend today and growing at a rapid pace,”
she said. “Agile is actually a mindset and leverages quicker
ways of bringing incremental innovations, new products, and
services to the market, including the project management
skills to oversee the effort. By using Agile, companies can
cater to the changing needs of their customers and provide
continuous improvement along the way.”
The Agile Manifesto lays out the basic principles that guide
the philosophy and process. Created in the early days of
Agile software development, it mandates a focus on
individuals and interactions over processes and tools; working
software over comprehensive documentation; customer
collaboration over contract negotiation, and responding to
change over following a plan.
“With Agile, the main skills you need to have are
communication, flexibility, sound judgment under pressure,
and problem-solving,” Garcia said. “I would say another
one of the key skills is providing motivation and recognition
to your team throughout the projects.”
Agile’s success has been phenomenal in embracing change
in an increasingly disruptive climate. In recent years, Agile
has branched out from its Silicon Valley origins to non-tech
companies that incorporate it into many aspects of their
business operations.
“I’ve read about Agile being incorporated into the travel
industry, food industry, along with museums and wineries,”
Garcia said. “I would say it’s mainly useful for software developers
and project managers, although with its expansion,
we’re seeing management and onsite workers utilizing Agile
and its mindset in all these industries as well.”
Becoming Agile
Harvard Business Review offered a succinct summation of
Agile leadership: Rather than give orders to be carried out,
Agile leaders guide teams with questions like “What do you
recommend?” and “How could we test that?”
Teams tackle projects with flexible, innovative exercises,
most notably Scrum, which emphasizes creativity in solving
complex problems. Small teams of usually no more than nine
people or so are assigned a project to work on full-time.
Scrum teams are self-managed and led by one member who
is ultimately responsible for the outcome.
Agile also employs Lean methodology to eliminate wasteful
practices, and Extreme Programming (XP) is aimed at
increasing customer satisfaction and teamwork. Kanban is a
useful scheduling tool that helps determine what products to
produce and when.
Mastering the Agile mindset can provide a major career boost
for candidates looking to advance in their company or set off
on an entirely new path — and the DCE Agile Project
Management certificate program is a perfect entry point for
aspiring professionals.
The program is designed for anyone looking to expand their
Agile skillset to optimize business performance in a range of
industries. An Agile Project Management certificate represents
the next career step for project and program managers, team
members, and those with Project Management Professional
certification.
“The Agile Project Management certificate program covers
the essential concepts and processes to implement key areas
of Agile,” Garcia said. “By taking these courses, students will
have the methods and techniques to apply Agile practices for
producing high-quality products, solutions, and services for
industries they work in. Experienced Agile professionals are
in high demand across all industries.”
Demand for Agile is accelerating, attracting a growing number
of candidates who want to take their career to the next level,
she added. “More and more job openings will continue to be
posted. I personally wouldn’t want to be left behind without
the certifications and learning required to enter this Agile
methodology space.”
A 21st-century movement
Although Agile has been around since the ‘90s, it’s just now
coming into its own, perfectly suited for today’s fast-evolving
business world. Sudden challenges such as the pandemic
shutdown only accelerate demand for Agile, Garcia said.
“Since the majority of organizations have recently seen
revenue decreases, they are looking for ways to streamline
their processes and cut costs. The need for organizational
speed has never been greater, so it’s imperative they bring
their products and services to market at a faster pace, not
only to outperform competitors but sometimes as a survival
mechanism.”
Companies that had embraced Agile prior to the pandemic
are in a much stronger position today, she added, with many
releasing products and services at up to twice the rate
compared to their competitors.
“I see Agile still in its baby stages. Although it has been
around for years, many companies are just now realizing
the benefits and bringing the Agile methodology into their
organizations. There is still a lot of room for it to grow.”
Popular Agile software tools such as Smartsheet and JIRA are
continually being updated and introduced, driving innovation
in collaboration, scheduling, and results-tracking, powering
the evolution of this relatively nascent movement.
“I personally use Smartsheet quite a bit,” Garcia said. “There
are so many advanced technology tools out there; it’s a
personal or company preference for selection. Some examples
include tools for real-time collaboration, estimating and
reporting for development cycles, and management of work.
It’ll be fun to see even more technologies come our way.”
Learn more about the Agile Project Management program.