Agile : Change is inevitable

Markets change, which can make features set out at the beginning of projects no longer desirable. Businesses change internally, which can rush the date by which a system may be needed, or change many of the stakeholders. Technologies change, which can affect the design choices made at the outset of a project.

We've come to realize that in order for projects to be successful, the ability to change our projects has to keep up with the rapid pace of change in the real world.

Change should be expected, not discouraged.

Past methods of planning projects involved a heavy expectation that no changes to requirements could be introduced, or there would be significant delays or financial penalties to the client. Agile Consulting means that we believe change is part of the learning process, and will support this by structuring our project in short cycles (or "iterations") that allow us to introduce changes along the way (without penalties!). Agile Consulting allows our clients the freedom to not only learn and adapt, but remain competitive when market needs change.

Clients should be involved in the process.

We believe that clients are the owners of their solutions, and should have control over what the end product looks like. Instead of taking documents away and coming back with a solution months later that may not fit the client's needs; Agile Consulting means we include the client throughout the process, encourage frequent communication and solicit constant feedback. This ensures that the end result will not only meet, but in most cases exceed the client's expectations.

Quality is non-negotiable.

Through the use of short iterative cycles of work to introduce change, and because we constantly look for client feedback; Agile Consulting allows us to deliver a higher quality product. These processes mean that bugs are caught earlier in the project, and client visibility into the product is extremely high (so the end result is never a surprise).

Improve Return On Investment (ROI) by delivering fast and under-budget.

Structuring our projects into short iterative cycles means that at the end of every cycle, the client has a working product. By developing features with the highest business value first, Agile Consulting means that ROI (and profit) can be realized much sooner.