Acceptance Criteria are specific conditions or requirements that must be met for a User Story or a product increment to be considered complete. They are a crucial part of Agile development, where they provide a clear definition of done for each Backlog Item. In the following we will touch upon […]
Adaptive planning is a key concept in the context of business agility, which refers to an organization’s ability to quickly and effectively respond to change, uncertainty, and disruptions in its operating environment. It involves the capacity to adjust strategies, tactics, and plans in a flexible and responsive manner. Being able […]
According to several of the authors of the Agile Manifesto, the word agile refers to adaptability and how quick a team or an organization is able to respond to changes. As a consequence, this means that the “Manifesto for Agile Software Development” might as well have been called the “Manifesto […]
An Agile Coach is a professional who plays a crucial role in guiding and supporting individuals, teams, and organizations in adopting and implementing Agile methodologies and practices effectively. Agile Coaches act as mentors, facilitators, and change agents, helping teams and organizations navigate the complexities of Agile transformations and optimize their […]
An Agile Center of Excellence (CoE) is a centralized team or group within an organization that provides leadership, guidance, and support for the successful adoption and implementation of Agile practices. The Agile CoE serves as a hub of expertise, sharing best practices, providing training, and promoting consistency across Agile initiatives. […]
Agile Contracting is an approach to procurement and vendor management that aligns with Agile principles and methodologies. It involves structuring contracts and agreements in a way that promotes collaboration, flexibility, and adaptability to accommodate the dynamic nature of Agile projects and development processes. Key aspects of Agile Contracting include: Agile […]
Agile Decision-Making refers to the process of making informed and timely decisions in an Agile environment. It involves embracing Agile principles and practices to enable quick, collaborative, and value-driven decision-making that aligns with the organization’s strategic goals. Key aspects of Agile Decision-Making include: Agile Decision-Making recognizes that in a dynamic […]
An Agile Governance Framework is a set of guidelines, practices, and processes designed to govern Agile projects, initiatives, and organizations effectively. It provides a structured approach to decision-making, risk management, and performance measurement in Agile environments, ensuring that Agile principles are aligned with organizational goals and objectives. Key aspects of […]
Agile HR, also known as Agile Human Resources, is an approach to human resource management that aligns with Agile principles and values. It involves transforming traditional HR practices to support Agile ways of working and create an environment that fosters collaboration, innovation, and employee empowerment. Key aspects of Agile HR […]
Agile Marketing is an approach to marketing that applies Agile principles and methodologies to the planning, execution, and measurement of marketing activities. It emphasizes adaptability, customer-centricity, collaboration, and continuous improvement in the marketing process. Key aspects of Agile Marketing include: Agile Marketing is particularly beneficial in fast-paced, competitive markets where […]
Agile Metrics and Reporting refer to the collection, analysis, and presentation of data to measure the performance and progress of Agile teams and projects. The goal is to provide valuable insights that support data-driven decision-making, continuous improvement, and transparency within the organization. Key aspects of Agile Metrics and Reporting include: […]
The Agile Mindset is a set of beliefs, attitudes, and values that underpin the Agile approach to software development and project management. It is the foundation upon which Agile principles and practices are built. The Agile Mindset emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, customer-centricity, and continuous improvement. Key aspects of the Agile Mindset […]
Agile Organizational Design is the process of structuring an organization in a way that embraces Agile principles and methodologies. It involves creating a flexible and adaptive organizational structure that supports Agile ways of working, promotes collaboration, and enables faster decision-making and value delivery. Key aspects of Agile Organizational Design include: […]
Agile Principles are a set of guiding values and beliefs that underpin the Agile Manifesto, a foundational document for Agile software development. The principles provide a philosophical foundation for Agile methodologies and practices, emphasizing the importance of collaboration, customer focus, flexibility, and continuous improvement. The 12 Agile Principles, as stated […]
Agile Performance Management is an approach to managing employee performance that aligns with Agile principles and practices. It shifts the focus from traditional, annual performance reviews to a more continuous and collaborative process that supports the needs of Agile teams and fosters employee growth and development. Key aspects of Agile […]
Agile Project Management is an iterative and incremental approach to managing projects, primarily used in software development but applicable to various industries. It emphasizes flexibility, adaptability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Unlike traditional project management methodologies that follow a linear and predictive approach, Agile Project Management allows for changes in project […]
Agile Release Planning is a collaborative and iterative process in Agile software development that focuses on creating a high-level plan for delivering valuable increments of a product over multiple Sprints or iterations. The goal of Agile Release Planning is to align the development team, stakeholders, and business objectives, and to […]
An Agile Release Train (ART) is a key concept in the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) and represents a long-lived team of agile teams that work together to deliver value in a coordinated and synchronized manner. It is a large, cross-functional group of Agile teams aligned to a common mission and […]
Agile Risk Management is the practice of identifying, assessing, and proactively addressing risks in an Agile project or development environment. It is a crucial aspect of Agile project management that helps teams and stakeholders understand potential challenges and uncertainties and take timely actions to mitigate or capitalize on risks. Key […]
Agile Sales is an approach to sales and selling that aligns with Agile principles and methodologies. It involves applying Agile practices to the sales process to adapt quickly to customer needs, provide value-driven solutions, and build stronger customer relationships. Key aspects of Agile Sales include: Agile Sales is particularly beneficial […]
Agile Scaling, also known as Scaling Agile, refers to the process of extending Agile principles, practices, and methodologies to larger and more complex projects or organizations. It involves applying Agile principles across multiple teams, departments, or business units to achieve alignment, collaboration, and coordination on a larger scale. Key points […]
Agile Strategic Planning is an approach to creating and executing organizational strategies that aligns with Agile principles and methodologies. It involves developing a flexible, iterative, and customer-centric strategic planning process that enables organizations to adapt quickly to changing market conditions and customer needs. Key aspects of Agile Strategic Planning include: […]
Agile Strategic Portfolio Management is an approach to managing an organization’s portfolio of projects, initiatives, and products that aligns with Agile principles and practices. It involves optimizing the allocation of resources, prioritizing initiatives based on strategic objectives, and fostering a culture of adaptability and customer-centricity. Key aspects of Agile Strategic […]
Agile Strategic Themes are high-level, long-term strategic objectives that guide an organization’s Agile initiatives and align them with the overall business strategy. They serve as a unifying thread, connecting various Agile projects and efforts to the organization’s strategic goals and customer value. Key characteristics of Agile Strategic Themes include: Agile […]
Agile Talent Management is an approach to talent acquisition, development, and retention that aligns with Agile principles and practices. It involves adapting traditional talent management processes to support Agile ways of working and create a workforce that is agile, collaborative, and adaptable. Key aspects of Agile Talent Management include: Agile […]
An Agile Transformation is a comprehensive and strategic effort undertaken by an organization to adopt Agile principles, values, and practices across the entire organization. It involves a fundamental change in the organization’s structure, processes, and culture to become more adaptive, customer-centric, and responsive to change. Benefits These are some of […]
An Agile Transformation Roadmap is a strategic plan that outlines the steps and initiatives required for an organization to adopt Agile principles, practices, and methodologies across its various teams, departments, and projects. The roadmap serves as a guiding document for the organization’s transition from traditional ways of working to a […]
An Agile Transformation Team is a dedicated group within an organization responsible for leading and facilitating the organization’s journey towards adopting Agile principles and practices. This team plays a crucial role in guiding the transformation process, driving change, and supporting the successful implementation of Agile methodologies across the organization. Key […]
Agile Vendor Management is an approach to managing relationships with external vendors and suppliers in an Agile environment. It involves applying Agile principles and practices to vendor management processes to foster collaboration, responsiveness, and value delivery. Agile Vendor Management is Benefits Challenges Agile Vendor Management is especially relevant in Agile […]
A Backlog Item, also known as a Product Backlog Item (PBI) or simply an item, refers to an individual unit of work or a specific task that is included in the Product Backlog. The Product Backlog is a prioritized and dynamic list of all the work that needs to be […]
Business Agility is the ability of an organization to respond rapidly and effectively to changes in the market, customer needs, technology, and other external and internal factors. It is about creating an adaptive and resilient organization that can continuously innovate, deliver value, and thrive in a dynamic and unpredictable business […]
A Business Agility Framework is a structured and flexible approach that organizations adopt to enhance their agility and adaptability in response to changing market conditions, customer needs, and competitive landscapes. It is designed to help organizations transform and thrive in today’s rapidly evolving business environment. Key points about a Business […]
Business Value refers to the measurable benefit or worth that a product, project, or initiative brings to an organization. It represents the positive impact that the outcome or result of an activity has on achieving the organization’s strategic goals, meeting customer needs, or generating financial returns. Key points to understand […]
Capex stands for Capital Expenditure, which refers to the funds a company invests in acquiring, upgrading, or maintaining physical assets or long-term investments. Capex is typically distinguished from Opex (Operating Expenditure), which covers day-to-day operational expenses like salaries, utilities, and rent. In an Agile context, managing Capex can present both […]
A Customer Journey, also known as Customer Journey Map or Customer Experience Journey, is a visual representation of the end-to-end interactions and experiences that a customer has with a company or organization across various touchpoints and channels throughout their entire relationship. Key points about a Customer Journey include: Customer Journeys […]
Cycle Time is a performance metric that measures the time it takes to complete a single work item or task from the moment it enters an active, work-in-progress state until it reaches completion. It is a key concept in Lean, Agile, and Kanban methodologies and is used to assess the […]
The Decision Distance Index (DDI), developed by Allan Rennebo Jepsen in 2018, is a dynamic Key Performance Indicator (KPI) that assesses an organization’s proficiency in making timely and effective decisions, particularly when confronted with evolving demands. The essence of DDI lies in striking a balance between the speed of decision-making […]
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DevOps is a set of cultural, organizational, and technical practices that aim to improve collaboration and communication between software development (Dev) and IT operations (Ops) teams. The goal of DevOps is to enable organizations to deliver high-quality software more quickly, reliably, and efficiently by breaking down silos, automating processes, and […]
In the context of agile project management and software development, an Epic is a large, high-level user story or initiative that represents a significant piece of work. Epics are used to capture and manage large-scale features or requirements that cannot be easily implemented within a single iteration or sprint. They […]
In the context of agile project management and software development, a Feature is a distinct piece of functionality that delivers value to users or customers. It represents a higher-level user story and is larger in scope than individual user stories, but smaller than an Epic. Features are used to group […]
In the context of Business Agility, “Flow” refers to the smooth and efficient movement of work, information, and value across an organization’s entire value stream. It extends beyond the software development process and encompasses the end-to-end flow of activities, from ideation and customer engagement to product delivery and support. Flow […]
Inspect and Adapt is a fundamental practice in Agile methodologies, particularly in the Scrum framework. It is a continuous improvement process that involves regularly reviewing and assessing the work done in a project or iteration (Sprint) to identify areas for improvement and make adaptations for future iterations. Key aspects of […]
INVEST is an acronym used in Agile software development to define a set of criteria that help ensure that user stories or requirements are well-defined and ready for implementation. It was introduced by Bill Wake as a mnemonic for remembering these essential characteristics of good user stories. Each letter in […]
An iteration, in the context of software development and Agile methodologies, refers to a time-boxed development cycle during which a team works on a specific set of tasks or user stories. It is a fundamental concept used in various Agile frameworks, including Scrum and Kanban, to manage and deliver work […]
Kaizen is a Japanese term that means “change for better” or “continuous improvement.” In the context of business management and Lean methodologies, Kaizen refers to the philosophy and practice of making small, incremental improvements to processes, products, or services over time. Key points about Kaizen include: Kaizen is a cornerstone […]
Kanban is a visual management method used to improve workflow efficiency, collaboration, and productivity in various contexts, including software development, manufacturing, project management, and service delivery. The word “Kanban” originates from Japanese, where “kan” means “visual” and “ban” means “card” or “board.” The core principle of Kanban is to visualize […]
Lean is a philosophy and management approach that focuses on maximizing value while minimizing waste in various processes and systems. It originated from the Toyota Production System (TPS) and is widely associated with manufacturing, but its principles have been successfully applied across diverse industries, including software development, healthcare, and service-oriented […]
Lean-Agile Budgeting is an approach to budget management that aligns with Lean and Agile principles, enabling organizations to fund and manage their initiatives in a more flexible, adaptive, and value-driven manner. It moves away from traditional annual budgeting practices that may be inflexible and rigid and instead embraces a more […]
Lean-Agile Leadership is a leadership approach that combines the principles of Lean thinking and Agile methodologies to foster a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, and value delivery in organizations. It emphasizes empowering teams, promoting a growth mindset, and aligning leadership practices with the values and principles of Lean and Agile. […]
Lean-Agile Marketing is an approach to marketing that combines principles from Lean and Agile methodologies. It focuses on optimizing marketing processes, improving efficiency, and delivering value to customers in a fast-paced and dynamic business environment. Key aspects of Lean-Agile Marketing include: Lean-Agile Marketing aims to optimize marketing processes, eliminate inefficiencies, […]
A Lean-Agile PMO (Project Management Office) is a Project Management Office that operates in alignment with Lean and Agile principles. It plays a critical role in supporting the successful implementation of Lean and Agile practices across the organization’s projects and initiatives. Key characteristics and functions of a Lean-Agile PMO include: […]
Lean-Agile Procurement is an approach to procurement and vendor management that aligns with Lean and Agile principles. It seeks to foster collaboration, flexibility, and value-driven decision-making in the procurement process, enabling organizations to work effectively with vendors and suppliers in Agile environments. Key aspects of Lean-Agile Procurement include: Lean-Agile Procurement […]
Lean Portfolio Governance is a management approach that aligns with Lean and Agile principles to govern the portfolio of projects, products, and initiatives within an organization. It provides a framework for making strategic decisions, allocating resources, and managing investments to optimize the delivery of value and achieve strategic objectives. Key […]
Lean Portfolio Management (LPM) is an Agile approach to managing a portfolio of projects, initiatives, and products within an organization. It aims to align the organization’s strategy, investment decisions, and execution with Lean-Agile principles to deliver valuable products and services efficiently. Key components and principles of Lean Portfolio Management include: […]
The Lean Startup is a methodology and mindset for developing businesses and products, popularized by Eric Ries in his book “The Lean Startup.” It applies principles from Lean manufacturing and Agile development to the process of building startups and new products. The main goal of the Lean Startup is to […]
Lean Thinking is a management philosophy and approach that originated from the Toyota Production System (TPS) and was popularized by the book “The Machine That Changed the World” by James P. Womack, Daniel T. Jones, and Daniel Roos. Lean Thinking focuses on creating value for customers while minimizing waste and […]
A Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is a version of a product with the minimum set of features that allows a team to quickly test its core hypotheses and gather feedback from early adopters or customers. The concept of MVP is commonly associated with Lean Startup and Agile development methodologies. Key […]
Opex stands for Operating Expenditure, which represents the funds a company allocates for day-to-day operational expenses. These expenses typically include salaries, utilities, rent, marketing, office supplies, and other costs associated with running the business on a regular basis. Unlike Capex (Capital Expenditure), which covers long-term investments like equipment or infrastructure, […]
Organizational Design in Business Agility refers to intentionally structuring and reshaping an organization. This enables it to adapt effectively to changing market conditions, customer demands, and competitive landscapes. It is a crucial aspect of implementing and sustaining Agile principles and practices within an organization. Traditionally, organizational design aimed for efficient […]
PDCA stands for Plan-Do-Check-Act, and it is a four-step iterative management cycle used for continuous improvement and problem-solving. PDCA is also known as the Deming Cycle or the Shewhart Cycle, named after its creator, Dr. W. Edwards Deming, who is considered one of the fathers of modern quality management. The […]
A product can be defined as a tangible or intangible item that is created and offered for sale in the marketplace. It is the result of a manufacturing, production, or creative process aimed at satisfying a consumer need or want. A tangible product refers to a physical object that can […]
A Product Backlog is a prioritized and dynamic list of all the work items, features, enhancements, and bug fixes that need to be addressed to create and maintain a product. It serves as the single source of truth for the development team, product owner, and other stakeholders regarding what needs […]
A Product Manager is a professional responsible for the strategic planning, development, and management of a product or product portfolio throughout its lifecycle. They play a critical role in bridging the gap between the customer’s needs, the business goals, and the development teams. Key responsibilities of a Product Manager include: […]
Purpose-driven leadership transcends traditional leadership paradigms, centering around a clear and meaningful purpose that extends beyond mere financial success. This approach aligns the organization’s mission and values with the goals and actions of its leaders, employees, and stakeholders, which is at the core of Business Agility. A purpose-driven leader, in […]
SAFe stands for “Scaled Agile Framework,” and it is a widely-used framework for implementing agile practices at scale in large organizations. SAFe provides a structured approach to scaling agile principles and methodologies to address the challenges of coordinating work across multiple teams, business units, and departments. The main objectives of […]
SMART objectives are a framework for setting clear and specific goals that are both achievable and measurable. The term “SMART” is an acronym that stands for: Example of a SMART objective: “Increase website traffic by 25% in the next quarter (Q3) by implementing SEO optimization techniques and publishing weekly blog […]
Test Driven Development (TDD) is a software development practice that can also be applied in the context of Business Agility to drive product development, enhance quality, and foster a culture of continuous improvement. In TDD, the development process is guided by writing tests before writing the actual code. This practice […]
In the context of the Spotify Model, a Tribe is a collection of squads that share a similar business domain or area of expertise within an organization. It is a large organizational unit that brings together multiple cross-functional teams (squads) working on related products, services, or components. Key characteristics of […]
Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is a visual tool and Lean management technique used to analyze, optimize, and improve the flow of materials, information, and activities required to deliver a product or service to customers. It provides a holistic view of the end-to-end process, from the initial request to the final […]