Agile Workflow Is Great For Any Project And Not Just Tech

For quite some time, Agile Workflow has been reserved for the techies. Agile was developed to create faster and better software but has outgrown itself into something more. Any company that has team-based projects needs to know its core principles.

What is an Agile project management workflow?

Agile workflows are for teams of less than 10 people. I’ve recently completed a project with a group of 4. We used Agile to create Power BI reports and it was very effective. There are 4 basic principles you need to know.

The Backlog

A project is a collection of tasks and subtasks. In the beginning, you determine the tasks that make up the project and place them in a bucket called the “backlog.” The backlog will morph overtime because some items will be deemed unnecessary or added in.

Sprints

Sprints are when you take action on your backlog. These usually last 2-4 weeks, during which time you focus on a few essential items. Prioritize the things you will be working on and give all focus to them during the sprint.

Meetings

There are three types of meetings:

1. Sprint Planning
   1. This meeting is held on the first day of each sprint. The goal is to determine the most essential tasks to pull in from the backlog.
   2. Sprint planning sessions usually last 1-2 hours.
2. Daily Standups
   1. This is a daily 15-minute meeting where each team member shares what they accomplished yesterday and what they will work on for the day.
   2. This provides the team with clarity as some tasks need to be cleared before others can be worked on.
3. Retrospective
   1. Retrospectives are conducted after each sprint. This is where the team discusses what went well and what could go better next time.

Testing & Release

Testing & release is the most critical step. At the end of every sprint, your team should be demoing or if possible, releasing some version of your project to customers. These customers can be a focus group, but the purpose is to get immediate feedback. Let this feedback guide your project from sprint to sprint. Don’t waste recourses making a product nobody wants.

Conclusion

The agile workflow will bring clarity to your project and hasten its deliverables. Take your team to the next level with the core concepts listed above.