Agile Methodology: innovation meets common sense

Perhaps you’ve heard about the Agile Methodology, and maybe you’ve even used this approach to work without knowing what it’s called. What’s clear is that Agile Methodology has recently become a must for day-to-day business and comes highly recommended, and not just in the IT world.

But…what is it, really? It’s an “innovative” practice (I say ironically) that serves to streamline projects to increase their flexibility and speed. This makes it possible for organizations to restructure projects immediately in response to market and sector changes without the “high cost” that later project adaptation implies.

Projects are broken down into deliverables that are submitted in stages, with all parties involved –that is, the multidisciplinary teams– in permanent contact. It’s like dividing a meal up into rations and then eating it little by little to keep from getting stuffed. Daily timely meetings are held where all team members share information about what they completed since the last meeting, what they are planning on completing now, and any impediments that keep them from meeting the goal (if applicable).

In short, work teams that adapt to constantly evolving requirements and solutions according to the needs. Maybe it’s more about common sense than it is innovation?

A wide variety of techniques could be included under the principles of Agile Methodology, but two of the most used are:

• Scrum: This is a framework where the work structure is broken down into actions that can be completed within timeboxed iterations, called “sprints”. With Scrum, the deliverables must provide a complete result, that is, they must be available for use regardless of whether or not the rest of the project is finished. At the same time, Scrum makes it possible to overlap different stages of development and to detect errors at every stage that would have a negative effect on later stages.

• Kanban: This is a scheduling system which visually tracks open processes and their status (to do, in progress, done, etc.). This “signboard” makes it possible to visualize work through tasks that are moved through different stages until each of these mini projects are completed. Thus, each team member can see the tasks and their status, track their evolution and identify any bottlenecks at a glance. Colored labels can be used to set priorities, deadlines, task types, etc.

Software such as Trello and JIRA provide a virtual Kanban system so that all team members are able to see the board and track project status, no matter where they are physically located.

Speed is crucial in a constantly shifting world like the one we live in today, and organizations that ignore these methodologies do so at their peril, with a potentially high cost to development.

But above all, what truly drives the implementation of these work methodologies is a change in mentality, the work team understanding and incorporating an agile philosophy, turning it into a success.

MoraBanc’s use of these methodologies in our innovation and digitalization projects has made it possible to more efficiently and quickly launch digital products and services than ever before and with outstanding results. We place special emphasis on all innovation processes and incorporate all possible methodologies to remain at the industry’s forefront.

Because digital transformation has become a critical project at MoraBanc. MoraBanc Digital was launched as a result of this desire for change and is a clear commitment to financial innovation and to offering the best multi-channel experience in Andorran banking. Visit our website to learn more about this crucial project.