Imagine you order an Uber, as usual you see the approximate time and cost for the ride, but once your driver arrives, he tells you that there is a 50% chance that he can have an accident while driving. He also tells you that he will charge you triple the amount of your quote and will actually take 5 times longer than quoted.
Would you still get in the Uber?
This is an unfortunate example of the experience many have when buying traditional software development… they get an initial estimate, but it ends up costing much more, taking more time and with a very high risk of not completing the project.
According to an analysis of 50,000 software projects conducted by The Standish Group, **77% of traditional software development projects either failed or were challenged (**went over budget, over time, were not completed, etc).
In traditional project management, we usually find ourselves immersed in a detailed, meticulous and rigid set of processes to follow in order to achieve a certain goal. We work rigidly, following a strict long list of requirements, until our product is completely finished, so there isn’t much room for flexibility and the ability to adapt is majorly absent.
On the other hand, agile focuses on responding to change rather than following a plan. Agile also focuses on working “software” over comprehensive documentation. We do not see deadlines as dates set in stone. We face the fact that the market is changing day to day, so we rely on the power of iterations, gathering constant feedback and adapting while staying true to the product vision. This ensures that we achieve the best outcome for our customers.
Software development inevitably places you in changing environments. We know that VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity) environments will be our day to day. This is why we have invested so much into Agile training for our teams. We truly believe that Agile is the perfect match to deliver your project or product.
Some things to consider when thinking of adapting agile:
- Prioritizing feedback and learning, promotes flexibility and collaboration. Agile seeks to have clients and decision makers actively involved in each phase of the product development, which ends not only in stakeholder satisfaction but also of final customers.
- Agile frameworks are suitable in changing environments because of new practices and principles that enable a team to develop a product in a short duration.
- People who work in agile environments tend to improve employee engagement and job satisfaction, teams are led through influence and not authority, making them feel part of something big and valuable.
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About Cognits
Cognits is a design and development company that specializes in user centric digital products which improve your value chain. Our mission is to empower your company by using design and development best practices to improve your existing processes in an agile, efficient, and affordable way. We strive by making your company succeed in the digital world.
References: Mountain Goat Software, Agile Manifesto, LinkedIn Article