The Agile Methodology for Project Management
Easy Transition to Agile Project Management with CloudOffix
The Agile Approach to Project Management
Agile approach to project management methodology was originally created for software development, however, has quickly gained popularity and has been adapted by more than IT teams.
The word ‘Agile’ was derived from the word ‘agility’, which means ‘mobility, nimbleness’, as well as the Latin version ‘agere’ which means ‘to do, to act’. This indicates the ability to move something forward in a quick way which allows for effortless changes of direction. Agile project Management does just that. It allows the team to be able to change direction quickly, according to requirements.
Basically, the agile management is an iterative approach to the software development process aiming for continuous improvement within the project plan.
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User Stories
User stories are basically a simple description of what kind of project is expected by the user.
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Sprints
Sprints are iterations where teams work on determined tasks and usually take one to three weeks to complete.
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Scrum meetings
Scrum meetings are daily get-togethers with the project teams usually lasting between ten to fifteen minutes.
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Agile Board
Agile boards help keep track of the development progress and visualize them for you.
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Backlog
Backlog is where your outstanding project requests become once they enter your intake system.
What is Agile Project Management?
The iterative approach to project management which focuses on breaking down larger projects into smaller, more manageable tasks, that are completed in short iterations throughout the life of the project is known as agile project management.
The agile approach aims to continuously release deliverables to the market as they are completed instead of waiting for all of them to be completed as is the case with traditional project management. Agile project management requires teams to be flexible and to be in constant collaboration to change and adjust as necessary throughout the project. The agile manifesto and 12 principles of agile sets out the values and and serves to help development teams reach their goals more efficiently through the development cycle.
User Stories
User stories have just enough information for the team to be able to produce an estimate of the work required to be put in to complete the request. This request is written as a short, simple description, from the users perspective and focusing on their goals and reason for it.
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Sprints
This is the short bursts of time given for teams to complete certain tasks. The next sprint consists of revising what has been done and what needs to be done and update of further process and tools for improvement if necessary
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Scrum Meetings
Scrum meetings are also known as ‘stand-up’ because some organizations require the participating members to stand throughout the duration of the meeting. This helps keep the meetings short and to the point. However, the 'stand-up' isn't always practical, so scrums also sometimes tak place 'sitting-down' but within the given timeframe, so as not to defeat the purpose.
Agile Board
Agile boards can be physical, on whiteboards with sticky notes, or they can be digital Kanban boards within your Project Management Software.
CloudOffix Project Cloud Kanban board caters for this type of Agile board with its easy to use, visually beautiful user interface, not to mention its drag and drop capability. It allows settings for stages to be named and set-up as is required by your organizational workflow
Backlog
These backlogs will be moved into the sprint to be completed during iteration. In other words, Backlogs are the jobs that need to be completed, waiting to enter the workflow process. They are usually discussed and taken on during sprints.
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Meet the Agile Team
There are many methodologies for agile project management, which require different and specific team roles. However, organizing teams in such a way that suits them is up to the company to solve, since every company has their own way of doing business and working.
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Scrum Master
Scrum master is the teams advocate. They make sure that everything runs smoothly during the sprint sessions and help resolve any issues or challenges or even remove them if necessary.
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Product Owner
The product owner defines the goals of each sprint, manages, and prioritizes the backlog. Overall, the product owner speaks for the customer.
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Team Members
Teams are usually made up of three to seven people. They are the ones who execute the work in the sprints. These team members can be of diffiering backgrounds and they don't all have to be software developers
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