Note: if you are not familiar with Agility at all, you can visit www.AGILITE.pro or read the article “Agility in Industry?”.
Agility is nothing new
My experience in the video game industry from 1981 to 2002: a pioneer of Agility without knowing it. Since 2004, SolidCreativity has been deploying ASIT in industrial groups, and I have crossed paths with some Agile initiatives with moderate success. "Agile? It doesn't work for us."
Agility? Everywhere? All the time?
The company suddenly decides to BECOME Agile. It finds a consultant who confirms this incompatible objective. "Becoming Agile" = a fad. What matters: integrate Agility and know where, for what result, on which projects, with which teams.
Where to add Agility?
Company breakdown: Product, Team, Project management, Portfolio management. Agility focuses on team and project management first (not on the individual or procedures, those are consequences).
Does Agile management replace other approaches?
Hybrid management: just enough Agility. Keep your milestones (TRL, gates), be truly Agile between them. Also differentiate early phase management.
The Manifesto!?
Industrials who visited Wikipedia mention the Manifesto and how it doesn't suit them. They're right!
The Manifesto was written in 2001 for software. 17% of its principles are not really Agile (confusing process and result: 7, 9). 42% are far from industrial reality (2, 3, 4, 6, 11). 58% incompatibility.
For industrial Agility: skip the Manifesto, go back to Agility sources. See also our article on why the Manifesto hurts Agility.
Agile and Scrum
Confusion between Agile and Scrum
Great confusion. A project can be Agile without Scrum, and Scrum doesn't guarantee Agility. IT Agilists don't always know the difference. They think Scrum = Agile.
Bugs when an IT Scrum Master runs an industrial project
Managers follow IT Scrum Master trainings. But the quality of IT Agility is overestimated:
- The SM becomes de facto project manager because the PO doesn't do their job
- IT projects are actually managed in V-cycle with Post-its
- Many teams are in "body shop" mode, not Agile
A Scrum project in industry?
It works, but beware of the pitfalls:
- Train cross-functional services
- Respect existing V-cycle projects
- Answer reporting requirements
- Accept milestones
- Learn iterative incremental for physical objects
- Integrate 3-month subcontractors
- Specify just-right quality
- Don't only train SM + PO
- Don't deploy without a plan
Your turn
Yes, you can insert Agility in industrial companies through hybrid project management.
Discover the Agility in Industry training, visit agilitehardware.fr to go deeper, or check our client references.
