Innovative Solutions, Proven Results -
Professional Leader in Global Business Management
Pacific Northwest - Project Life Cycyles
Laurie Lopez
AGILE
Today, the demand for "being agile" is higher than ever. The debate over the best path to agility continues to keep the conversation and innovation evolving. One truth remains constant - inspection, adaptation, and transparency are critical to successfully delivering value.
Project teams are using agile approaches in a variety of industries beyond software development. There are multiple ways to achieve successful project delivery through a broad range of: tools, techniques, frameworks, approaches and practices.
"Agile techniques are used to provide focus on prioritizing competing priorities."
The first principle of agile places customer satisfaction as the highest priority and is key in delivering products and services that delight customers.
With the widespread use of social media, organizations can no longer be internally focused, but need to focus outwardly to the customer experience.
Project work ranges from definable work to high-uncertainty work
Definable work
Definable work projects have clear procedures that have proved successful on similar projects in the past. For example, the production of a car.
The processes involved are usually well understood and there is typically low levels of uncertainty and risk.
High-uncertainty work
High-uncertainty work projects are often new designs, problem solving and not-done-before work which is often in the exploratory stage. It requires subject matter experts to collaborate and solve problems to create a solution. Examples of people encountering high-uncertainty work include: software engineers, product designers, and many problem-solving engineers. High-uncertainty projects have various rates of change, complexity and risk.
"Agile approaches were created to explore feasibility in short cycles
and quickly adapt based on evaluation and feedback."
The Four Values of the Agile Manifesto
"We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it. Through this work we have come to value:
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Individuals and interactions over processes and tools.
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Working software over comprehensive documentation.
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Customer collaboration over contract negotiation.
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Responding to change over following a plan".
While there is value in the items on the right , we value the items on the left more.
The Twelve Principles of the Agile Manifesto