Agile methodologies offer companies a lightweight framework to execute their software and other projects. It is therefore not a surprise that companies are increasingly looking to adopt agile as their preferred method of software development. Although the benefits to adopting agile are numerous, during the process some of the drawbacks emerge as well. In order to make sure that you do not make one of those mistakes when adopting agile, below is a quick rundown of some of the more common pitfalls that arise when adopting agile.
1. Lack of proper training and education
This is probably the most common mistake made by organizations hoping to adopt agile. The teams sometimes believe that they can cut corners by saddling the internal team with the responsibility of learning scrapes of agile and passing on the information to the members of the team. It is important to take into account that the team members are busy with their daily jobs, and might not have the time to ensure smooth adoption of agile. It depends on the situation, but it often makes sense to invest a bit of time into learning agile methodology of choice, or bring in experienced agile coaches and consultants.
2. The Silo syndrome
The Silo syndrome occurs when the evolvement of Agile is out of sync with what is practiced in the rest if the organization. The result is that different teams in the company are trying out and developing different methodologies and standards until there is outright confusion. While it is fine to start with a pilot team in an organization when adopting agile, the processes in the rest of the organization should not be ignored as well.
3. Abandoning other aspects of the business
This mistake in evident when the company ignores other areas of their business and focuses too much on their technology teams. While agile is often about software methodology, it is also about a shift in corporate culture as well as the building of infrastructure for the overall wellbeing of the company. Shift in corporate culture should not take place on Agile teams alone, it should also happen in other departments and offices in the company.
4. Over-complicating the process
Agile adoption is a simple process that need not be complex. When there is an inclination to the introduction of new policies, additional process and extra layers of management, it can easily cause block adoption or at least decrease the adoption speed. When adopting agile, it makes sense to cut out the extra processes and policies, and make the process as simple as possible.
5. Failure to have proper infrastructure in place
Finally, when the company does not take into account the infrastructural changes needed to support scaling agile processes, it might be difficult to establish agile as the project management methodology for the organization. The infrastructure, including agile tools and the work processes, might have to be adjusted, especially as agile becomes the methodology of choice for the whole organization.
Therefore, if you are looking to adopt agile, make sure you do not make these mistakes – and good luck!
