From our combined experiences, we found agile techniques alone were ineffective for infrastructure projects. For the projects we work on, we must plan and prepare for future activities in a much more intentional way than just designing a piece of software. On the other hand, with a purely traditional waterfall or sequential process, we knew there would be too much detail upfront. If we got to the delivery point and only used waterfall, much of the work put in would be wasted because we would have to deliver something slightly different than what the client really needed.
The video above describes the hybrid-agile methodology we developed for complex IT infrastructure transformations. To ensure a solid framework guides teams to success, we use best practices for upfront planning to develop a governance framework, charter, budget controls, and reporting. To increase productivity, our agile approach to execution is team-based, iterative, transparent, and reflective. This empowers teams to consistently work better, avoid rework, and adapt to change.
Some of the value I get out of the work I do here is the way it makes a real difference for the clients, the physicians, the nurses, and the people who actually use our technology. After we come in, they have an easier time getting their job done and are able to spend more time with their patients because they spend less time working with the technologies.
Clients get value out of our project management style because they get to tangibly see early results. The iterative approach built into the agile execution method along with transparent progress reports delivers small pieces of the project the client can touch and feel. Then, the client can decide if that’s still the direction they want to go, and they can input to the process and adapt what they actually want delivered down the road much sooner than they would if we used more of a fixed process.