What is Agile project management?

Agile project management is a methodology that is commonly used to deliver complex projects due
to its adaptiveness. It emphasizes collaboration, flexibility, continuous improvement, and high quality
results. It aims to be clear and measurable by using six main “deliverables” to track progress and
create the product.

The deliverables

1. Product vision statement: A summary that articulates the goals for the product.

2. Product roadmap: The high-level view of the requirements needed to achieve the product
vision.

3. Product backlog: Ordered by priority, this is the full list of what is needed to be done to
complete your project.

4. Release plan: A timetable for the release of a working product.

5. Sprint backlog: The user stories (requirements), goals, and tasks linked to the current sprint.

6. Increment: The working product functionality that is presented to the stakeholders at the
end of the sprint, and could potentially be given to the customer.

There are various frameworks within Agile project management that can be used to develop and
deliver a product or service. While they each have their own set of characteristics and terminology,
they share common principles and practices.

Two of the most popular ones that support the Agile development life cycle are Scrum and Kanban.

Agile Scrum methodology

Scrum is an Agile framework that is used to implement the ideas behind Agile software development.
Created by Jeff Sutherland and Ken Schwaber (who were also part of the 13 individuals who
cemented the Agile Manifesto), it’s comprised of five values: commitment, courage, focus, openness,
and respect. Its goal is to develop, deliver, and sustain complex products through collaboration,
accountability, and iterative progress.
What distinguishes Scrum from other Agile methodologies are the roles, events, and artifacts that it
is made up of, with which it uses to operate. Here’s what they are:

Scrum team roles

 Product owner: Product expert who represents the stakeholders, and is the voice of the
customer.

 Development team: Group of professionals who deliver the product (developers,

programmers, designers).

 Scrum master: Organized servant-leader who ensures the understanding and execution of
Scrum is followed.

Scrum events

 Sprint: Iterative time boxes where a goal is accomplished. Time frame does not exceed one
calendar month and are consistent throughout the development process.

 Sprint planning: Where the entire Scrum team get together — at the beginning of every
Sprint — to plan the upcoming sprint.

 Daily Scrum: 15 minute time boxed meeting held at the same time, every day of the Sprint,
where the previous day’s achievements are discussed, as well as the expectations for the
following one.

 Sprint review: An informal meeting held at the end of every Sprint where the Scrum team
present their Increment to the stakeholders, and discuss feedback.

 Sprint retrospective: A meeting where the Scrum team reflect on the proceedings of the
previous Sprint and establish improvements for the next Sprint.

Scrum Artifacts

 Product backlog: Managed by the Product Owner, it’s where all the requirements needed for
a viable product are listed in order of priority. Includes features, functions, requirements,
enhancements, and fixes that authorize any changes to be made to the product in future
releases.

 Sprint backlog: A list of the tasks and requirements that need to be accomplished during the
next Sprint. Sometimes accompanied by a Scrum task board, which is used to visualize the
progress of the tasks in the current Sprint, and any changes that are made in a ‘To Do, Doing,
and Done’ format.

Kanban

Kanban is a highly visual method popularly used within Agile project management. It paints a picture
of the workflow process, with an aim to identify any bottlenecks early on in the process, so that a
higher quality product or service is delivered.

Its six general practices are:

1. Visualization

2. Limiting work in progress

 3. Flow management

4. Making policies explicit

5. Using feedback loops

6. Collaborative or experimental evolution

A concept that was developed in the production line of Toyota factories in the 1940s, Kanban
achieves efficiency through visual cues to signal certain stages of the development process. The said
cues are a Kanban board, Kanban cards, and sometimes even Kanban swimlanes.

 Kanban board: A visual management tool used to visualize the development process. It can
be either physical (a whiteboard, sticky notes, and markers) or virtual (like Zenkit’s online
project management tool), and can be used for personal productivity, as well as professional
use.

 Kanban cards: Cards that depict a work item/task in the work process. Used to communicate
progress with your team, it represents information such as status, cycle time, and impending
deadlines.

 Kanban swimlanes: A visual element on the board that allows you to further distinguish
tasks/items by categorizing them. Flowing horizontally, it offers distinction and provides a
better overview of the workflow.

Other Agile development life cycle approaches

Extreme Programming (XP)

Based on the five values of communication, simplicity, feedback, courage, and respect, XP is a
framework that aims to produce a higher quality of life for the development team, as well as a higher
quality product, through a collection of engineering practices. These practices are:

 The Planning Game

 Small Releases

 Metaphor

 Simple Design
  Testing

 Refactoring

 Pair Programming

 Collective Ownership

 Continuous Integration

 40-hour week

 On-site Customer

 Coding Standard

Crystal

Crystal is comprised of a family of Agile methodologies that include Crystal Clear, Crystal Yellow, and
Crystal Orange. Their unique characteristics are guided by factors such as team size, system criticality,
and project priorities. Key components include teamwork, communication and simplicity, as well as
reflection to regularly adjust and improve the development process. This Agile framework points out
how each project may require a tailored set of policies, practices, and processes to meet the
project’s specific characteristics.

Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM)

DSDM is an Agile methodology that focuses on the full project lifecycle. It was created in 1994 after
users of the Rapid Application Development (RAD) wanted more governance and discipline to this
iterative way of working. Based on eight principles, its philosophy is ‘that any project must be aligned
to clearly defined strategic goals and focus upon early delivery of real benefits to the business.’

It promotes the use of the following practices so that it can offer best practice guidance for on-time,
in-budget delivery of projects:

 Facilitated Workshops

 Modelling and Iterative Development

 MoSCoW Prioritisation

 Time boxing

DSDM is designed to be independent of, and can be implemented in conjunction with, other iterative
methodologies.

Feature-Driven Development (FDD)

FDD is a lightweight iterative and incremental software development process. With an objective to
deliver tangible, working software in a timely manner, it is an Agile methodology that entails specific,
very short phases of work, which are to be accomplished separately per feature.

Its development process is established on a set of best practices with a client-value aim. The eight
best practices are:

1. Domain Object Modeling

2. Developing by Feature
 3. Component/Class Ownership

4. Feature Teams

5. Inspections

6. Configuration Management

7. Regular Builds

8. Visibility of progress and results

Agile methodology best practices

It’s always handy to know how to do things best. Here are seven things you and your team should be
doing when implementing any type of Agile methodology:

Customer collaboration

One of the core values stated in the Agile Manifesto, customer collaboration is a vital part

of Agile methodology. Through consistent communication with the development team, the
customer should always be aware of the progress, and the combined effort will result in a higher
quality product.

User Stories

A tool used to explain a software feature from an end-user perspective, the purpose of a User Story
is to create a simplified description of a requirement. It helps to picture the type of user of the
product, what they want, and the reason(s) for it. A common User Story format that is used is:

As a [role], I want [feature], because [reason].

Continuous Integration

Continuous Integration (CI) involves keeping the code up to date by producing a clean build of the
system few times per day. With a rule stating that programmers never leave anything unintegrated at
the end of the day, it enables the delivery of a product version suitable for release at any moment.
What CI seeks to do is to minimize the time and effort required by each integration.

Automated tests

Performing automated tests keeps the team informed about which of the code changes are
acceptable, and whether or not a functionality is working as planned. Regression tests are run
automatically before work starts.

Pair programming

Programming in pairs aims to enhance better designs, less bugs, and a sharing of knowledge across
the development team. One of the least-embraced Agile programmer practices, it involves one
programmer ‘driving’ (operating the keyboard), while the other ‘navigates’ (watches, learns, provides
feedback). The roles can be rotated.

Test-driven development (TDD)

TDD aims to foster simple designs and inspire confidence. Instead of a process where software is
added that is not proven to meet requirements, it is a method based on the repetition of a very short
development cycle where requirements are turned into test cases, and then the software is
improved to pass the new tests.

Burndown charts

A burndown chart is a graphical representation of the work that is left to do versus the time you have
to do it. Using one as part of your Agile project management plan enables you to forecast when all
the work will be completed. A detailed burndown chart will also include the amount of User Stories
per unit of time.

Agile methodology is an effective process for teams looking for a flexible approach to product
development. No longer exclusive to the software industry, it can be implemented to any business
venture that requires a non-linear plan of attack that also needs to value customer
collaboration, effective teamwork, responsive changes, and of course, quality results.

The Lean Method in Agile is a lightweight, iterative approach to software development that focuses
on minimizing waste, maximizing customer value, and continuously improving processes. It is derived
from Lean Manufacturing principles and aligns closely with Agile methodologies like Scrum and
Kanban.

Key Principles of Lean in Agile

1. Eliminate Waste – Remove non-value-adding activities, such as unnecessary features, delays,

or inefficient workflows.

2. Build Quality In – Ensure software quality at every stage by using test-driven development
(TDD), continuous integration, and automated testing.

3. Create Knowledge – Encourage learning through experiments, feedback loops, and

documentation.

4. Defer Commitment – Delay decisions until enough information is available to make the best
choice, avoiding premature commitments.

5. Deliver Fast – Prioritize shorter development cycles with quick releases to get feedback early
and often.

6. Respect People – Empower teams, encourage collaboration, and support autonomy in

decision-making.

7. Optimize the Whole – Focus on improving the entire development system rather than just
individual parts.

The Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) is a structured approach for applying Agile principles at an
enterprise scale. It is designed for large organizations that need to coordinate multiple Agile teams
while maintaining alignment with business goals.

Key Components of SAFe

SAFe operates at different levels:

1. Team Level – Follows Scrum or Kanban for small Agile teams (5-9 members).
 2. Program Level – Manages multiple teams using an Agile Release Train (ART), which
synchronizes teams to deliver incremental value in Program Increments (PI).

3. Large Solution Level – Coordinates multiple ARTs for complex systems (used when multiple
departments work together).

4. Portfolio Level – Aligns Agile development with business strategy, ensuring investment in
the right initiatives.

Core Principles of SAFe

1. Take an Economic View – Prioritize work that provides the best economic benefit.

2. Apply Systems Thinking – Optimize the entire system rather than individual parts.

3. Assume Variability & Preserve Options – Keep multiple possible solutions open before
committing.

4. Build Incrementally with Fast, Integrated Learning Cycles – Use rapid feedback to improve.

5. Base Milestones on Objective Evaluation of Working Systems – Measure success through

real results, not just plans.

6. Visualize & Limit Work in Progress (WIP) – Improve efficiency using Lean principles.

7. Apply Cadence, Synchronize with Cross-Domain Planning – Ensure teams align and work at
a steady pace.

8. Unlock the Intrinsic Motivation of Knowledge Workers – Empower teams and encourage
collaboration.

9. Decentralize Decision-Making – Let teams make tactical decisions while leadership focuses
on strategy.