The (Agile) approach to managing technology projects is one of the newest management techniques applied by technology companies around the world. If you have been looking for a job in informatics recently; You must have noticed that some jobs have new names and skills that were not needed a few years ago, such as:

Agile Project Manager
SCRUM Master
Product Owner

So what is this approach? Why is it important?

Before we talk about agile methods; Let’s take a look at the traditional project management method known as the waterfall model. Waterfall method: It has always been a traditional method used in project management. This approach depends on interconnected successive stages and varies according to the nature and size of the project, and it is not possible to start from a certain stage without completing the previous stage. Following is a brief description of the stages required to implement a project according to the (waterfall) method:

Analysis: Understand project requirements and expected outputs after the project is completed.

Design: Decide how the project will be implemented, and what actions and processes should be taken.

Build: Refers to the start of a planned task.

Experimentation: is the process of testing the product produced by the project and seeing if it meets the required specifications.

Production and Maintenance: Work aimed at product tracking and improvement after project completion.

It should be noted that the (waterfall) method in project management is a proven method, but its implementation takes a long time, which makes it difficult to implement it in some projects, especially technical projects and software development projects. The main reason is that the technology market in general is developing rapidly and the needs of customers and consumers are changing rapidly; It is therefore necessary to find a faster way to implement projects and manage teamwork, which is the (Agile) methodologies.

agile method:
The Agile Software Development Manifesto was one of the first initiatives to document agile principles for managing technology projects. This post was written by a group of software developers and technical project managers. The statement includes 12 detailed principles as well as 4 general principles, and the wording of the statement is as follows: “We reveal the best way to develop software, by applying it and helping others to do so. Through this work, we have come to the following: individuals and their interactions with each other are mentioned above. Systems and tools. Available software is higher than full documentation. Customer cooperation and participation is higher than contract negotiation. Responsiveness is higher than commitment to specific action plans. Things to the left of the project have value, and we value things to the right more.”

What are the most important changes after applying the agile methodology?

1.  Divide a large and complex project into small subprojects, each called a sprint.
2. The (Agile) methodology welcomes changes, and seeks to adapt to and benefit from them.
3. The team should develop the product in cooperation with the customer, and test it in coordination with the customer.
4. Deliver usable software at regular intervals of two weeks to two months, with the desirability of a shorter period of time.
5. The work team reviews at regular intervals how to become more effective, and then checks and adjusts its behavior accordingly.
6. Simplicity is essential in all phases of the project; It means the art of reducing unnecessary work.

If you are interested in project management according to the (agile) methodology; You will find many free trainings and lessons on the Internet, and when you find that you have acquired sufficient technical knowledge; You can apply for the International Agile Project Manager Certificate. The PMI certification is one of the strongest and most widely accepted. Many universities around the world have provided free trainings and lessons on various online platforms such as EdX and Coursera, and you can see details of some of the trainings and certifications in the resources.