Digital transformation of your organisation is a deeply complex, challenging and dynamic activity – so how do you deliver it successfully? An expert digital transformation consultancy can help you make things run as smoothly as possible, by applying an increasingly prevalent project management methodology – Agile software development.
Delivering transformation by Agile methods
Most digital transformation delivery processes today are run using this Agile methodology. Agile focuses on improving delivery of software – such as digital products and services – through the collaborative work of self-organising and cross-functional teams. Agile is an iterative approach to software delivery where teams build digital products incrementally – releasing improved versions with each step, rather than working to deliver one final finished version.
Working in Agile teams
Agile’s original focus was on teams of software engineers – but today, product designers and other digital specialists also work highly effectively as integrated members of Agile product delivery teams. An Agile team – and the engineers and designers within it – will work responsively, collaboratively, pragmatically – and with focus on user and customer needs. Scrum is a popular framework used in Agile delivery, in which a project team will have meetings to share their progress and agree what they need to achieve in upcoming sprints for the next release of the product.
Recognising that no other approach can deliver better results
The Agile model of software development has been widely adopted in recent years to address the problems of traditional “waterfall” processes. In the Agile methodology, engineers and designers work in small and nimble teams, breaking development into a series of short sprints that deliver incremental advances and improvements. This gives teams the ability to adapt and pivot to changing circumstances and emerging factors. The goal is to quickly and efficiently deliver a working product – rather than cling to an inflexible pre-formed plan.
Making Agile work for you
A digital transformation consultancy can help you integrate designers into your Agile development teams. This means that designers and engineers work closely together throughout the product creation process. The problems that can come with a single major handoff are avoided, as handoffs become an ongoing series of small and incremental collaborations. Bringing design and engineering together prevents many typical handoff issues, as you form one strong Agile team with a deep shared vision.
