Agile pilot project

Do you want to use agile working methods for your complex development projects in order to be able to react better and faster to changing market and customer requirements?

The initial step is to build up an agile mindset in order to internalise the values and principles. You gain your first practical experience in a pilot project. Here you can test agility and evaluate what benefits this way of working brings to your company.

But what should you look for in your first agile pilot?

We have summarised 6 important success factors for you:

A good product idea

Organise your pilot for a product project that you are convinced will be successful in the market. With your pilot, you will not yet create the best possible customer proximity, so efficient product development may take place, but it will not necessarily create the product that customers value. With the following agile projects, you will get closer and closer to the customers and can correct mistakes at the roadmap level.

Dedicated & competent team members

Pick competent employees for your pilot who are keen to try out the agile way of working. With Scrum, more changes than one would assume at first glance. People who enjoy the new are more likely to embrace these changes than others who are hesitant and have reservations. It is easier to dispel these concerns through a successful project and to involve these people later.

Pay attention to the team size

An efficient team has no more than 11 participants. In the development of mechatronic products, however, more people are often needed to bring the product fully to series maturity. In this case, many people do not spoil the broth but reduce efficiency. Be consistent and scale your teams if more than 11 people need to be involved.

Promote agile culture and values

An agile mindset can only emerge if the agile values are anchored throughout the company - even in the non-agile areas. Here, there is a focus on the company management to practise these values in their daily actions.

Start close to the ideal Scrum

The Scrum Guide describes a method that is usually not feasible in the development of mechatronic products. That is why it is often quickly clear that deviations have to be allowed. However, this often happens in places where it is not absolutely necessary, but is due to convenience or comfort zone. Therefore, if possible, start with the ideal Scrum and learn which element brings which advantages. If you then know what benefits your project and what rather harms it, you can always deviate from the Scrum Guide.

Take the leaders with you

When introducing agility, changes do not only take place in the agile (pilot) team, but also very noticeably in middle management. This change must be accompanied and supported. If you succeed, this management level in particular will become an important promoter of agility.

Conclusion

For agility to benefit your organisation, something has to change - especially in the minds of those involved. The external framework conditions, such as sprint logic, help to drive this change. But usually additional persuasion is needed from managers and employees. But once everyone has formed the agile mindset and it is noticeable in practical action, you will feel the impact on the company's success. We are happy to help you prepare your team for the new way of working with training and workshops.

Your benefit

  • You set up your first agile pilot project quickly and efficiently.
  • You gain concrete experience in practice and can better assess the benefits for your company.
  • You achieve an unprecedented degree of transparency about the project status.
  • The satisfaction and motivation of your employees is significantly increased.