Agile/DevOps Research Center
Tools and advice you need to be successful with Agile.
Talk to an AnalystAre You an Agile Skeptic?
I Don't Believe in This Agile Stuff
So you're not buying into all the hype around Agile. That's not surprising. It's estimated that about half of all Agile transformations fail, and about two-thirds of those failures will be terminal (Scrum Inc.), meaning it will be a long time before the organization is willing to give Agile another shot.
That's enough to make anyone at least a little skeptical.
The truth is that Agile transformations
are difficult and complex to pull off (Vitality Chicago), requiring fundamental changes in behavior that
most organizations are
not prepared to make. Research has shown that there are over 30 common challenges that organizations need
to overcome for Agile to be successful (Journal of Systems and Software).
Make no mistake about it:
becoming Agile
is hard, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth doing. As digital transformation continues to disrupt every
aspect of our lives, organizations who can't adapt are unlikely to survive (Harvard Business Review).
Embracing Agile can
be the difference between success and failure of your digital transformation (Forbes, 2019).
In
much the same way that Henry Ford's popularization of the assembly line permanently transformed
manufacturing around the globe,
Agile promises to fundamentally change the way all organizations work in the future. It's not surprising
that today's largest and most successful companies have gone all in on Agile (Forbes, 2018).
Ford Model T's dominate in this 1923 parking lot photo at the Canadian National Exhibition (they were the iPhone of their day). Ford's adaptation of the assembly line to manufacturing revolutionized the way things would be made for the next hundred years. Today, organizations that adopt Agile practices at their core are dominating Industry 4.0 and trailblazing the path forward.
If you still aren’t convinced about the benefits of moving to Agile, have a look at the 2015 edition of Standish Group's CHAOS Report, which highlights the significantly higher project success rate Agile has over Waterfall (almost 4X) based on a sample size of more than 10,000 projects:
Adopting Agile Is Hard!
(That's why you're going to need help if you want to be successful.)
Talk to an AnalystAre You Thinking of Moving to Agile?
I Want to Understand the Agile Journey
If you're exploring whether a move toward Agile is right for your organization, it’s important to know
that Agile transformation is a journey that will involve your entire organization and often requires a
phased approach to be successful.
Organizations that are accustomed to Waterfall often move initially to an iterative (aka Wagile*) approach
before moving to a more fully Agile approach. Info-Tech offers a series of blueprints that provide
guidance on this step-by-step
journey. Consider four of our most popular blueprints (right), which will help move your organization
incrementally through an Agile transformation.
*Wagile (or iterative development) is sometimes scoffed at by Agile purists, but the truth is that it can act as a powerful intermediate step toward successful Agile adoption in your organization.
Are You Trying to Improve or Expand Your Agile/DevOps Practices?
I Want to Improve/Expand My Agile Practices
So you've managed to get Agile/DevOps established in your organization. That's great news. But your journey isn't over: you will want to continuously improve your practices to make your organization even better, and Info-Tech can help. We provide highly practical research and advisory services that will help you to improve your Agile/DevOps practices and expand their use in your organization.
What Do You Want to Do?
Here's How We Can Help...
Establish Good Agile/DevOps Practices
Have you established a foothold in your organization with Agile/DevOps but feel you can be doing
more/better?
Or maybe you want to sharpen your existing practices to make them more efficient or
effective?
Spread Agile/DevOps Practices
Have you managed to get Agile/DevOps working in a few teams and now you want to expand it to
others?
Or maybe you want to spread the Agile mindset into the rest of the organization?
Troubleshoot Your Agile/DevOps Practices
Are you struggling with the move to Agile/DevOps?
Or maybe you have challenges with a particular
aspect of Agile/DevOps?
Help Management Understand and Support Agile/DevOps
Does senior leadership understand and adequately support your move to Agile/DevOps?
Would your transformation benefit from better management buy-in?
Improve Product Ownership and Requirements Management
Are you struggling with how to manage requirements gathering, prioritization, or elaboration?
Or
maybe your organization could benefit from more effective product ownership?
Establish Effective Metrics
Are you interested in establishing effective metrics for your organization?
Do you realize that most
metrics are misused or mismanaged and don't actually help the organization?
Improve Software Quality and Development Speed
Do you need to get high-quality deliverables into production faster?
Are you struggling to keep your
customers/stakeholders happy?
Do You Need Help With Agile Right Now?
Agile Transformations Can Be Difficult. Sometimes You Just Need a Helping Hand.
It's not uncommon for organizations to struggle with the move to Agile, and new-to-Agile teams often need some hands-on help to establish healthy and effective practices ("classroom training" on Agile often isn't enough).
Thankfully, Info-Tech offers mentoring for Agile teams, which can help by:
- Attaching an experienced Agile Mentor to your team.
- Providing guidance and advice to help troubleshoot real-life problems in real time.
- Sharing techniques for adapting Agile practices to work in your organization.
- Facilitating Rapid Improvement Events to help your team overcome specific obstacles and solidify their Agile practices.
If you need help with an in-flight Agile project, we're here for you.
