Agile methodology has been impactful for many software and product development teams since 2001. Previously software development relied on the waterfall approach — a less flexible method with little feedback — but this changed thanks to the 17-person team who originally articulated the Agile Manifesto. Since then businesses have been getting their products quickly to the market with increased revenue. In fact, the 17th State of Agile Report revealed the top benefits of using Agile include improved collaboration and better alignment with business.
While all the benefits of Agile methodology are evident, many still question its effectiveness in business management processes and software development. However, many of these criticisms stem from misinterpreting Agile’s values and principles.
As an Agile manifesto supporter who has helped many organizations scale through hefty development processes using Agile methodology, we will clarify the misconceptions around its usage.
Read on to find out about the actual values of Agile manifestos.
Top 6 Misconceptions About Agile
Many who have questioned the effectiveness of the Agile approach have in one way or another missed the critical elements of Agile. While they’ve refused to dig into their processes and spot where inconsistencies lie, they have attributed their projects’ failure to Agile methodologies.
Now let’s unravel the top 6 misconceptions about Agile methodology and the truths about them.
Misconception 1: Working Software over Comprehensive Documentation
Today, many experts believe Agile processes negate the use of documentation and that working software is the only element that matters in a software project. This is an apparent misunderstanding of one of the Agile Manifesto principles: “Working software is the primary measure of progress.”
Since every business operation requires documentation for communication, compliance, adaptability, and improving workflows, Agile doesn’t discard the impact of documentation. It only prioritizes working software over comprehensive documentation. Again, the Agile Manifesto says,
“That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more.”
What happens with Agile is that it only supports necessary documentation as the process evolves. This approach encourages flexibility in the process of achieving working software.
Misconception 2: Responding to Change Over Following a Plan
Some say Agile means no planning. One thing to understand about the Agile approach is that it is customer-focused and prioritizes the needs of the end users. So instead of working strictly based on a plan that may no longer fit into the end users’ changing behavior, Agile emphasizes adaptability and flexibility in plans.
Generally, customers’ needs evolve, leading to adjustments in business management. And if Agile processes are designed to help businesses grow, a synchronized methodology is critical for success.
Furthermore, in typical Agile development, the first stage is the “Concept,” where projects are envisioned and prioritized – implying planning. Likewise, for any framework chosen, planning is infused to address the goals and priorities of the team’s project at every stage, such as the sprint planning in the scrum, the To-Do in Kanban visual board, the value stream mapping in Lean, etc.
This means Agile planning is incremental compared to other business project management processes which may be sequential or linear.
Misconception 3: Agile Only Works with Small Projects
Agile teams are usually small, between 5 to 10 people collaborating with required skills to complete a project. However, this doesn’t imply large projects can’t benefit from this model.
For example, JP Morgan Chase, one of the largest U.S. businesses, is a perfect example of large businesses leveraging Agile in their business processes. In 2018, this banking institution implemented Agile methodologies to improve product development while slashing training costs.
Now, in 2024, JPMorgan Chase & Co. CFO Jeremy Barnum said this during their Management Discussion Section of 2024 Investor Day:
“At this point, agile practices are extremely widespread. But as one of my tech leads says, it’s not about doing agile; it’s about being agile. It’s not about the lingo, it’s about actually improving measurable outcomes, and we are seeing that. And as happy as we are about the improving dynamism of the development environment, we also need to recognize that given who we are, we run a lot of critical infrastructure.”
This statement is evidence that the banking institution still benefits from agile methodologies. Agile works for projects and organizations of any size, depending on your approach and the project’s unique needs.
Misconception 4: Agile Is All About Scrum
Scrum is a popular Agile framework often used to break large projects into smaller iterations. Its popularity has made people consider it the central concept of being agile in a business process management solution. The 17th Annual State Of Agile Report revealed 63% of Agile users leverage Scrum.
This could be because of the modalities of the projects that were handled. Likewise, Scrum happened to be widespread because of its simplicity, flexibility, teamwork focus, empirical process control, and widespread adoption.
However, other frameworks exist, such as Kanban, Lean, Extreme Programming, and more. Regardless of the framework chosen, Agile ensures the incremental delivery of working software, customer collaboration, and adaptation to changing needs.
Generally, a framework doesn’t define agility; the project situation determines the framework to use. A typical scenario of considering Scrum as the only robust framework for every business process is a popular U.S. Airline that thought the Scrum framework and other processes would best fit to scale their product and get to the market quickly. In the long run, the Nexus framework was the perfect fit for their situation and it helped them achieve 100% ROI in just 2 weeks.
This is why working with experts for guidance and support is imperative to unfold the right business process management solution and avoid any mishap. At GAP, we offer guidance and support, helping businesses scale with the right approach and resources.
Misconception 5: Stakeholders and Developers Must Work in a Single Location
The Agile Manifesto states “The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.” The emphasis on face-to-face has brought about the misconception that stakeholders and developers need to be in the exact physical location. However, taking this claim literally, especially in today’s technologically advanced world, could be limiting.
With modern technology, teleconferencing tools can be a great way to facilitate face-to-face communication, especially among remote teams. Screen-sharing tools and other business management software solutions like Jira, Trello, GitHub, Bitbucket, etc., can be beneficial to achieve smooth collaboration remotely.
According to the Agile Manifesto, the main idea is that business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project without any friction or intermediary. This eliminates communication barriers, saves time, and speeds up the project processes.
Misconception 6: Agile Is the Answer for Any Software Development Challenges
Agile doesn’t work for every product or software development process. This is where many organizations miss the capability of Agile methodology.
Again, the Agile approach in software development involves an incremental delivery approach, stakeholder involvement, and adaptive changes throughout the process. As a result, the Agile approach may not be suitable for the following kinds of projects:
- Project where stakeholders can’t get involved
- Projects that can’t adapt to incremental delivery
- Projects that are bound by precise regulatory requirements
- Projects that have a strict delivery timeframe
As a result, many business projects may need custom solutions such as a hybrid or other solutions for flexibility.
Ready to Be a Part of the Agile Methodology Success?
Many still hold on to some or all of the misconceptions mentioned above, which prevent them from enjoying the benefits of the agile approach in their business process.
The bottom line is that with proper implementation and expert support, the Agile approach may become your business’s turning point.
At GAP, we understand the intricacies of an agile approach to managing business processes. We leverage Agile values to help businesses and development teams across many verticals such as:
- Software development for cloud and mobile applications
- Data analytics and data science
- Information systems
- Machine learning and artificial intelligence
- Predictive modeling
- QA and QA Automation
Frequently Asked Questions About Agile
What is true about Agile?
Agile is a flexible and adaptable approach to business processes such as software development. Its values include collaboration, working software, regular communication, customer satisfaction, and attention to technical excellence.
What is considered the most common problem in Agile development?
The most common problem in Agile development is the continuously changing requirements which many teams may not be adequately prepared for.
Which statement about Agile is false?
Some false statements about Agile include:
- Agile development does not require planning
- Agile is the same as Scrum
- Stakeholders and developers must work in the same physical location
- Agile is suitable for all business projects
- Large organizations can’t benefit from Agile methodology
Contact us today to discuss how agile methodology can be optimized for your business process.
