In the last post we discussed the benefits of choosing the proper Agile tool stack for your Agile migration. Another very important aspect of migrating to, and being successful in, an Agile implementation is also # 6 on our countdown of the Top 10 Agile Success Factors; selecting the right Agile project management partner.
As you can probably imagine, I don’t just mean a tools partner. I am talking about much more than that. I’m talking about a partner that offers training, provides coaching. I’m talking about support and professional services, I’m talking about tools, and most importantly, I’m talking about how all of these pieces of project puzzle fit together during a successful Agile implementation.
You’re going to need experienced people who actually know how to do Agile and know how to do Agile right. That means knowing the pitfalls too, knowing where the landmines are and knowing how to avoid them. Your developers have been refining and perfecting their development methodology, their traditional methodology, for years. It’s tough to break habits. Knowing how to do Agile right and knowing where to watch out for pitfalls is very important. Without that knowledge it can be very easy to fall back into old habits when you run into your first set of speed bumps.
It’s also very important to have somebody who is very experienced in Agile project management, not just project management. Agile project management, as many know already, is in fact very different. So to make sure the project is successful we need to make sure that somebody is experienced in Agile project management.
If you are looking at putting tools, services, training, and coaching in place, another important aspect is having a single point where you can go with any questions or issues. Services and support gives you that “one neck to ring” when you require assistance. The last thing anyone wants to do is have eight vendors in the mix, and every time you have a problem you’ve got to go check with each one of them, and then they start pointing the finger at the other folks in the room. So having all of that information from a single vendor is obviously very, very critical, and can ease the implementation and rollout, thus making your Agile implementation more successful.
Lastly, it is making sure the partner can not only implement at a team level, but also to help you expand across the organization. So not only somebody that can get your Pilot team up and running and maybe some of the smaller teams that are beginning to explore Agile, but be there as a resource to guide you through your Agile maturity on the road to a successful Agile adoption across the enterprise.
In summary, the right partner? I would recommend a single vendor with Agile project management experience and the ability to scale Agile across your organization.
