In an Agile Environment, Staff Augmentation Can Help Maximize Productivity
The pace of change in the IT world is only getting faster. Ambitious corporations know that to stay on top, they have to do more with less. For businesses interested in creating cutting-edge software, agile development allows teams to cope with uncertainties and produce the best product possible.
What is An Agile Team?
In the past few years, “agile” has become a buzzword in the software development sector, and it’s only increasing in popularity.
On a base level, an agile team is a cross-functional team with everyone and everything necessary to produce a functional and testable increment of a product. Agile software development differs significantly from traditional linear approaches like waterfall, where employees work in predetermined sequential phases to complete the project.
Though both methods have their merits, agile development is most often used by big companies seeking to disrupt an industry with true innovation. By testing the product incrementally, the agile approach produces impressive, customer-centric software that addresses end-user pain points.
Don't Miss Out On...
Get Your First 5 Candidates for FREE
Enter your information bellow to claim the offer.
The Four Values of Agile
The agile development methodology has four core values laid out by software industry leaders. These values increase the efficiency of development projects by cutting unnecessary waste and emphasizing communication.
One: Interactions Over Processes and Tools
Agile software development puts communication at the forefront. An open line of communication means agile teams have more flexibility in the development process.
Two: Working Software Over Comprehensive Documentation
Non-agile development methodologies can become overburdened with documentation. Agile development puts a higher priority on user expectations so that developers can build tools with a better end-user experience.
Three: Collaboration Over Contract Negotiation
Traditional waterfall development has developers negotiate a contract with their customers before starting any work. Agile development leaves room for collaboration and communication over the development process, eliminating wasted time by including the customer in every step.
Four: Responding to Change Over Following a Plan
The crux of agile development is flexibility.
Even the most airtight plans have the potential to go awry. Sometimes customers demand a shift; other times, the order of operation might have to change for optimal results. By adopting a fluid, resilient agile strategy, software development can move faster.
How to Keep Your Agile Team Motivated
The main drawback associated with the agile development method is the inherent lack of structure. With no rigid deadlines, it can be difficult to motivate employees.
Though agile can help produce the best software possible, project managers and stakeholders need systems in place to create structure and drive productivity and enthusiasm.
For optimal outcomes, ensure you follow this checklist:
Work With the Right People
The best way to guarantee success is to staff the project with the right people from the onset. Projects that can best benefit from agile often require multidisciplinary development. Because of this unique blend of disciplines, each member of the team must be able to pull their weight and have excellent interpersonal skills.
The agile method leaves no room for inexperienced employees who require constant wrangling and attention. Executives must hire nimble candidates who are able to adapt and switch directions when the project requires.
Work With the Right People
The best way to guarantee success is to staff the project with the right people from the onset. Projects that can best benefit from agile often require multidisciplinary development. Because of this unique blend of disciplines, each member of the team must be able to pull their weight and have excellent interpersonal skills.
The agile method leaves no room for inexperienced employees who require constant wrangling and attention. Executives must hire nimble candidates who are able to adapt and switch directions when the project requires.
Find the Balance Between Flexibility and Organization
Don’t become married to a method or strategy just because it worked in the past. As a team, developers must maintain flexibility in both their mindset and strategy.
However, that doesn’t mean project leaders can just put the project on autopilot. As you work through iterations, you must be vigilant about keeping track of what’s working and what’s not. Before beginning a project, ensure that your skillset is rounded out and all team members are on the same page.
Trust Your Employees
Though it’s tempting to be on top of every element of a project at all times, micromanaging can harm confidence and performance. Trusting your agile team members and expressing appreciation for their work will keep them dedicated to your projects.
In the end, agile is about meeting roadmaps with exceptional end products. To ensure they’re hiring trustworthy talent, many corporations turn to staff augmentation to build their agile teams.
Work With a Staff Augmentation Partner
The best way to maintain agility while outsourcing is by taking advantage of the staff augmentation model. With staff augmentation, you can keep all your projects in-house and maintain your company culture, work standards, and agility.
When the project parameters are less certain, staff augmentation gives you the option to scale up or scale back fast without the risk. Your augmented agile engineers will learn your culture and processes to deliver the best results possible.
The Bottom Line
Staff augmentation in an agile environment prioritizes quality over commodity. Your augmented team will merge with your in-house staff to build great products. This outsourcing model is especially valuable in uncertain times because it offers the ability to scale up quickly and scale back if needed without the cost and risk associated with full-time hires.
Schedule a Consultation with NZ Labs
NZ Labs builds agile teams to accommodate fast-moving timelines. We help you determine what specialists you need and when you need them, so you can maximize productivity and profitability.
