Agile Project Management Foundation (AgilePM®)

What is Agile?

The Agile methods are iterative as well as incremental. This method is helpful in getting maximum productivity out of the project. Using this, you can get desired output. The team will work with more creativeness.

Principles of Agile:

• Every team member should contribute effectively.
• Team members can take decisions.
• During project implementation, the necessities can change, but duration remains same
• Requests can be handled at higher level
• Integration testing is done
• There is cooperative method among all stakeholders

 What are the benefits of taking the course?

The benefits are:

• Acquire project management knowledge for handling projects sufficiently.
• Get ready for Agile Foundation and Practitioner
• By learning business agility, you can quickly respond to change.
• Gain skills to work in complex adaptive environments.
• Learn to divide the project into splints.
• Learn prioritisation to get competency for working with a team.
• Learn to plan, execute and deliver projects efficiently.

Which Agile methodology is best used in the industry?

Agile can be implemented with various methods. DSDM is one of the agile technology.  It stands for Dynamic Systems Development Method. It was invented in 1994 for setting standards regarding project delivery. This terminology focuses on the faster execution of the project. DSDM helps in planning, managing, executing and scaling agile processes. 

It has nine principles that are the base for faster delivery of project, integration testing and stakeholders collaboration. The DSDM approach is widely accepted as it helps in the organisation of the system in lesser time.

According to DSDM, the requirement analysis is done, and development processes are made reversible. The planning of requirements is done based on MoSCoW rules which are:

• M: Must have requirements
• S: Should have if all are likely
• C: Could have but not the critical ones
• W: Won ‘t have now but may rise late

Business Agility:

Business agility is business’s capacity to respond to change by implementing initial stable configuration. Every organisation requires agility. Agility is a term which is used to measure the performance of business according to opportunities.

Distinguish between Waterfall model and Agile:

• The software development procedure is divided into phases in case of waterfall model and into sprints in the case of sprints.

Rigidity is the base of waterfall model whereas flexibility is the base of the agile approach.

Process Groups:

Project management involves following five process groups:

1. Initiation: This is the first step of process groups and defines the nature and scope of the project. It involves the identification and reporting of all the weaknesses or deficiencies and provides a corrective measure to fix them. This stage includes the following areas:

• Examining the needs of businesses
• Determining objectives of the business
• Analysis of financial costs
• Investigating stakeholders
• SWOT analysis for recognising powers and threats to businesses

2. Planning: This phase comprises planning of time, cost and resources adequately to examine work requirements and discuss risks during project execution. It includes:

• Strategies for how to plan
• Management of scope
• Selecting team planning
• Defining work breakdown structure
• Identifying methods for delivering deliverables
• Estimation of resources requests
• Planning of risks
• Formation of methods of quality assurance
• Taking approval to start work

3. Production or execution: While implementation of a project, the terms are planned. This phase guarantees that deliverables are implemented. It includes distribution, organisation and coordination of human resources.

4. Monitoring and controlling: This phase includes processes to detect the potential problems. Then corrective actions are taken to control project execution. The project managers not only manage the teams but also cultivate the teams. The cultivation procedure is done by team building exercises.

This phase includes:

• Examining project actions
• Handling project variables for project planning and performance baseline

5. Closing: Closing phase involves the formal ending of the project. The administration includes the formal receipt of the project and the ending thereof. Administrative actions include the archiving of files and record. In this stage, the managers should formally close the project by archiving and closing records. The teams are made relaxed. All the information should be centrally collected for future use of projects.