How to make the leap to a truly agile business

The pandemic forced many businesses to adopt agile methods, but being truly agile is about more than stand-up meetings and iteration cycles

Agility has entered the lexicon of many companies over the past two years. Once limited to a niche corner of organisations, agile has become a core competency for all types of businesses operating in an ambiguous and volatile environment. 

In the early days of agile, teams – known as squads – would comprise software developers, testers and analysts. As spelled out in the 68-word Agile Manifesto published in 2001, these squads would focus on putting customers at the heart of the delivery process and take a flexible approach to project management, ensuring they were able to adapt to change rather than just stick to a plan. 

Many industries have since realised the benefits of an agile approach and are now applying it to not only survive volatility, but to stay ahead of the innovation curve