Agile Doesn’t Always Work
The Agile methodology has become increasingly popular since the publication of the Agile Manifesto in the early 2000s. It offers arguably the most preferred approach for development work in many software companies today. The popularity has extended beyond the software industry into other industries as well.
It’s been about two decades since the comprehensive guide on Agile principles was released. The methodology continues to have critics to this day, however. Some organizations and executives have had experiences that are less than desirable with the approach that they had to conclude that it doesn’t work.
The opponents may actually appear to be right in their conclusions in some cases. But what seems to be missing sometimes is a good grasp of what Agile is.
Reasons Agile Doesn’t Work
Agile is an iterative approach to product development. It entails delivering software or a product in small increments. The method is one of continual learning, planning, and improvement. We build something, ship it, learn, and iterate based on our learning.
In theory, Agile seems a very brilliant approach (and indeed it is!). But like any system, it is optimal for somethings and not others. Many teams that have gone ahead to give it a shot have found it to not be so easy in practice, depending on the company culture, team structure, and nature of the product.
If we are coming from a Waterfall background, some of the things that agility entails might sound ridiculous. Allow the team freedom to determine what to build? Won’t we be allowing too much chance for failure right there? Some things just don’t feel right. And some that went ahead to try these relatively new methodologies without the right mindset and knowledge have been frustrated. That brings us to some reasons Agile seems not to be working in certain organizations.
Wrong team structure
The way we constitute an Agile development team can determine whether we’d be successful or otherwise. If we don’t have the right persons on board or we choose the wrong size, frustration and disillusionment could result. A team that is large or lacks the necessary expertise can reduce or maybe eliminate the benefits we get from Agile.
Planning issues
Some teams fail with Agile implementation due to ineffective planning. These methodologies require some preparation before starting to build anything. We have to do sprint planning, create and groom the product backlog, and do story estimation, among other ceremonies. After shipping, we also need to gather and analyze customer feedback to decide what to do next.
Planning requires us to pay attention to both the customer value and business value of whatever decisions we’ll be making. And if we aren’t doing it right, Agile might seem a waste of time. Another related issue that could make Agile not work even if the team does proper planning is unplanned work. Sometimes, teams are concurrently tasked with other “projects” different from the core work in hand.
No immediate gains
People sometimes conclude that Agile doesn’t work because they do not see instant benefits. Many organizations adopt the methodologies hoping to start reaping the monetary rewards at once. They soon become disillusioned when they do not get this, even though development time may be faster.
Of what use is faster development if we are not getting instant financial gains? Such a question could come up. However, the idea with Agile isn’t to start reaping huge financial benefits as soon as we ship.
Unsuitable organizational culture
The team may be Agile in all senses and still not make much difference. If agility isn’t company-wide, the conclusion will likely be that the methodologies are crap.
Achieving success with Agile requires a joint effort. Everyone needs to be on the same page. We should not be saying one thing while top management is saying something different. If the Agile mindset isn’t promoted across the organization, we could find that the methodologies aren’t working to expectation.
Low flow efficiency or long waiting times can also hurt the success of Agile. The approach might not work well in industries subject to strict government regulations as well.
The Goal of Agile
What is the primary aim of agility? No, it’s not to deliver immediate financial benefits. Rather, it is continuous improvement. Agile methodologies aren’t just intended to help us ship something quickly. They are meant to promote quick learning that will enable us to build something better. So, it’s nothing to be alarmed about if financial results don’t seem to awe immediately.
Agility is about us reducing the risk that comes with shipping a product. It is guarding against taking our time to build the “perfect” product and then ship only to find that customers don’t want it. Being Agile is taking incremental steps to reduce such a risk. It is doing work that really matters.
Success requires adopting the Agile mindset across all levels in the organization. It won’t be easy to do this, but it is attainable with dedication and the right support. Promoting agility in the entire organization will require some investment. We may, for instance, have to spend money on educating or training people in the organization to establish the right culture.
Agile isn’t Short-Term
In summary, Agile isn’t something to adopt when all we’re interested in is an instant improvement in financial results. The results in the short term will more often than not be disappointing or discouraging from that perspective. These methodologies will, therefore, not be the right fit if we wanted to start getting financial benefits at once.
Agility is something we consider when we’re comfortable with benefits accruing over time. We ship an MVP, gather feedback, make changes based on our learning, ship an improved version, and repeat the process. This is how we create a product that customers love and that potentially makes all our efforts and investments well worth it.
