Characteristics of Agile technologies
While not all Agile solutions are the same, there are certain main characteristics that set them apart from traditional project management software.
Promote collaboration
The Agile mindset is all about communicating and collaborating between departments. Agile solutions include tools that promote best practices such as team collaboration, stakeholder and customer involvement, and real-time updates.
Automatic change management
Today’s marketplace is extremely competitive, and demands change more rapidly than ever. Nowadays, it is expected that within every project, requirements will evolve and change. The increasing popularity of social networks allows customers to express their need for change to a global audience. Project teams that have a set, sequential change management process in place may have a hard time keeping track of all required changes. Tools made with Agile methodologies in mind allow changes to be noticed, and reflected in any item’s dependencies as to not break any workflows.
Allows for traceability
Because they are made to enable teams to keep up with information that is constantly evolving, good Agile technologies allow for traceability. Even if requirements or other items change, these type of Agile tools enforce visibility and allow team members to trace them back to their origins. Traceability is enabled when the tool allows for items to be linked to each other.
Because of the above characteristics, Agile technologies allow teams to move quickly and responsively in a rapidly-changing environment. This allows teams to minimize risk and product high-quality projects/products in a more cost-effective way, faster.
OneDesk as an Agile solution
OneDesk is not your standard Agile tool, but many of it’s features were designed with Agile teams in mind. The terminology in the software are not standard Agile terminology but you can customize labels and terms to align with the terminologies your company uses, and with Agile lexicon. For example, our requirements application allows you enter stories and their details and attach any supporting documents. It was designed to manage requirements or stories the Agile way. They can be linked to dependencies, and all changes made to any dependency will automatically be reflected.
What features in OneDesk allow for…
Collaboration:
– Collaboration tools: Chat, blogs, wikis, messaging, discussion forums, real-time activity stream, updates and notifications.
– A customer portal that allows customers to stay updated on progress and get involved in the development process.
Automatic change management:
– An integrated social media monitoring tool that allows you to capture demands from customers and future customers, and directly pipe them into the development process.
– Ability to link items to each other and form dependencies; changes made to any item will automatically get reflected in dependent items.
– Ability to automate workflows
Traceability
– Ability to link items to each other and form dependencies; changes made to any item will automatically get reflected in dependent items.
– Activity history are automatically saved
– The ability to add details and attachments to any specific requirement, feedback, idea, task or help desk ticket.
Related blog posts:
Waterfall vs. Agile
Requirements Management Challenges Solved
Agile approach: Practicing it with OneDesk
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