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Agile, Six Sigma and No Principle

In the last article, we started diving into the development process. The first stage of this process is planning. At this stage, the project manager, together with other team members, forms a pool of tasks in accordance with some kind of project management methodology. 

Methodology is a tool. And there is always some kind of philosophy behind the choice of a tool. In this publication, we will look at the main philosophies that are applied in the IT field (and not only in it).

Agile

This approach is based on flexibility, adaptability and cooperation. Agile methodologies allow teams to work effectively on projects, especially in conditions of rapidly changing requirements and uncertainty.

Key principles:

Iterativity. The project is divided into short cycles called sprints. A certain amount of work is carried out within sprints. Each sprint leads to the creation of a product suitable for demonstration.

Cooperation and communication. Agile implies close interaction between team members and the customer. Communication contributes to a better understanding of requirements and changes.

Flexibility and change. Agile is a very flexible approach. It involves rapid adaptation to changes in priorities, requirements and other factors.

A working product as a measurement of progress. At the output of each iteration, a tangible result is obtained. This allows the customer and the team to see real progress and give feedback.

Self-organization. The team is given freedom in decision-making and work planning. This contributes to a more effective use of skills and motivation of participants.

Six Sigma

This principle is based on striving for excellence, increasing efficiency, quality of products or services and, as a result, improving customer satisfaction.

Key principles:

Focus on customer needs. The product or service must fully meet the expectations and requirements of customers.

Data usage and analysis. The focus is on data analysis to determine which aspects of the process need improvement. Decisions are made based on evidence, not based on assumptions.

A strategic approach to improvement. Within the framework of this principle, improvement is a strategic process. It should be integrated into the organizational culture and business strategy.

An iterative approach. The improvement process goes through several stages, including definition, measurement, analysis, improvement and control, or definition, measurement, analysis, improvement and design. But unlike Agile, iterations can be lengthy.

Employee training. Employees should develop regularly. With the development of employees, the quality of services improves and overall customer satisfaction increases.

Top-level leadership and support. In such projects, managers are involved in the process and provide various assistance at each stage.

Lack of principle

This is a very common project management philosophy. It is based on the oral formulation of tasks, the absence of any tools to track the progress of their implementation and the implementation of the project as a whole. All control rests on the entries in the manager's diary.

The gurus of this philosophy assume that it leads to the fastest result, since there is no need to spend time on additional planning, development, and so on. But as the company grows, this approach leads to chaos, the consequences of which can be deplorable. 

Conclusion

Agile is often used in the IT field. It is flexible, dynamic, minimizes the main risk for any team — burnout. This approach is often combined with other philosophies, including production ones.