The Pros and Cons of an Agile Framework

I recently caught up with a CTO at a large business that had just undergone a transformation from a Waterfall model to an Agile framework (Scale Agile, specifically) and we had a good long chat about some of the challenges (and opportunities) he was facing. Here’s some of the things we talked about.

• There were some quick and easy wins. For example, the job title change of Software Engineer to Quality Engineer meant that engineers took on the responsibility of quality assurance, stimulating some efficiency within the team, particularly because they were able to pick up on bugs much earlier on in the release train.
• There was better collaboration in the team. Daily stand ups meant communication and orientation jumped forward almost immediately; the horizontal structure meant ideas were more likely to be shared and implemented.
• However the horizontal structure can also mean there’s a risk of staff stepping on each other’s toes – there’s an overlap of responsibilities and it can, at times, become a little more inefficient if not managed carefully.
• An Agile framework means that there’s a need to create ‘Scrum Masters’ and ‘Tribe Leaders’ managing a particular part of the lifecycle. Obviously there’s some negatives in suddenly having to recruit and manage this new role and skillset, but there’s also a lot to be gained from having staff who specialise in people management. After a brief learning period the feedback tends to be quite positive. Staff feel heard and that they are being managed professionally by an expert. Again, however, the responsibilities of this position can get difficult to define, and sometimes bleed into each other. Scopes needs to be well thought out and verbalized, before recruiting.
• Given the risks and challenges of making such an instrumental change to the framework of your team, it can often be an intelligent decision to bring on a specialized contractor to help make the transformation. The risks (and rewards) above are a point of expertise for these professionals, and it can be a very wise allocation of resources to ensure a smooth transition.

If you’ve got any needs or questions around Agile methodology or transitional change feel free to give me a shout.