9 reasons to implement agile methodologies in a company#

Introduction

A few months ago in an article called "The agile methodologies 101" we covered what agile methodologies are and their different versions. Due to the relevance of this topic we believe it's important to talk a little more about it.

Despite the digital revolution and the technological changes we are currently facing, many companies have fallen behind in innovation and are not responding to the demands of the market. Therefore, the aim of this article is to list 9 benefits of implementing agile methodologies in a company.

What are agile methodologies?#

Google, Spotify and Netflix are global giants that have been using this method within their teams for some time now.

These methodologies used in agile project management (such as Scrum, XP, Kanban and others) follow the Agile Manifesto which is based on continuous improvement, flexibility, team input and delivering high quality results.

If you are interested in knowing more about these methodologies we invite you to visit this article "The agile methodologies 101" where you will find more information.

Companies that are committed to a complete Digital Transformation end up including, implementing and developing agile methodologies within their departments to deliver products and/or services with higher quality and with much lower costs and shorter delivery times.

How can a company benefit from agile methodologies?#

1. Risk and cost reduction: Thanks to these methodologies, flaws are identified as the project is being developed. This greatly reduces the costs of having to re-evaluate and redo what was done without optimal results. Agile techniques virtually eliminate the chances of outright project failure.
2. Fast response to changes: It is no longer necessary to wait until the product is finished to modify a part of the initial project. This allows teams to implement solutions as they go along, correcting possible flaws and adding improvements in a shorter time.
3. It puts the emphasis on people: In many companies, more relevance is given to processes and tools than to the people themselves. However, having employees who are motivated, in the right environment and who feel they are supported leads to better results.
4. Encourages accountability within the team and increases autonomy and transparency: Collaborative work, fluid team communication and equal participation of all parties towards a common, clear and concise goal helps teams to be more effective and autonomous.
5. Allows for better sizing of projects: Continuous reviews allow adaptation to change in a more efficient way, which avoids surprises for both the team and the client in terms of delivery times and costs.
6. Facilitates prioritization and decision making: As everyone is involved in a constant rhythm of work and hierarchies are avoided, operations are faster and results are maximized by seeking efficiency and optimization.
7. Improved customer experience: Using a more collaborative and closer communication model, where the client is part of the team, allows for faster and more accurate feedback. Thanks to that, a higher level of satisfaction is achieved. With agile methodologies, the person or company requesting the services is involved and committed at all times, which increases their satisfaction. Due to the delivery of prototypes and demonstrations it is possible to know in real time the progress of the product and all the new innovations applied.
8. Delivery of products and services in intervals: The implementation of Agile as a methodology provides a flexible structure that allows different versions to be delivered in a very short period of time.
9. Improve code quality: With these methodologies, testing is integrated during the cycle, allowing regular checks to see if the product is working during development, ensuring higher quality in the final delivery.

Conclusion#

When using older methodologies companies had to wait until the solution was fully developed to test it and detect bugs.

On the other hand, agile methodologies facilitate the detection of bugs in deliveries and partial tests. In essence, companies that opt for this methodology manage their projects in a flexible, autonomous and efficient way, reducing costs and increasing productivity.

These methodologies are part of the most relevant trends in the market and they are key to the success of many companies.