Category: Agile

What are the tools every Scrum team should use? Scrum is a popular way of conducting any Agile project, but you can maximize your results with some handy applications of modern technology. Now, these don’t change how you work, but they will make things much easier on the whole. So, with that in mind, let’s […]

Developing solid metrics and a good toolchain is instrumental for the success of any Scrum project. If you’re just flying by the seat of your pants, you’re likely not maximizing the potential of both your team and the outputs of a given project. Success in Scrum is about delivering value, not so much about the […]

Scrum is synonymous with software development, a practice going back decades at this point. It serves as Silicon Valley’s killer app, the engine behind rapid deliverables that let tech giants pivot on a dime. As the global economy grows increasingly more volatile and customer expectations shift toward instant gratification, Scrum isn’t just for software these […]

Applying Scrum to non-software industries is a lot easier than you think. The most recent edition of the Scrum Guide has even prepared the approach for integration into other business sectors. As such, there has never been a better time for adapting and ultimately using Scrum in a non-software setting. With that in mind, let’s […]

Today’s marketplace is increasingly competitive, with organizations facing mounting pressure to reduce time-to-market while maintaining current quality standards. For Six Sigma practitioners, the answer is relatively simple to reduce shipping times, and involves the integration of Agile teachings and techniques. By taking a systematic approach toward iterative development, defect prevention, and integrating continuous improvement, organizations […]

Going from Waterfall to Scrum is a tall order, but is easily achieved with the right mindset and approach. You can’t just drop and turn tail, you’ve got to ease into things to the best of your ability. Scrum is a flexible approach to project management, putting people well before any processes or technology. This […]

The Scrum Guide is something of a living document, undergoing frequent revisions and changes to better suit the changes of today’s business needs. The most recent edition of the guide is the 2020 one, authored by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland. Now, for the average person, this is a fairly dense document, in part thanks […]

Kanban makes for a wonderful complementary tool in your Agile workflows. If you’re looking to optimize your software delivery workflow, then looking at a visual means of organization is a great way of keeping things centered on continuous flow. Further, it fits right into the somewhat looser principles around Agile, which focus primarily on results. […]

Agile isn’t supposed to be a state of permanent urgency. For many organizations, however, this proves to be the case. They undergo a relentless cycle of sprints, reviews, and backlog cleaning sessions that generate motion but don’t maintain any sort of long-term progress. Deliverables are shipped, processes are iterated upon, and the organization stays stagnant. […]

In Six Sigma, we’re often taught that variation is the enemy. We apply a deeply analytical lens toward complex projects to seek out wastes, excesses, and bring them back under heel. When applied to a complex workload like software development, the most feared and hated sort of variation you’ll come across is scope creep. It […]

If you’re not keeping up with the latest threats, your overall security posture is at risk. Cybersecurity is a central concern for any organization’s operational strategy. Managing security initiatives is inherently complex, owing to the sheer scale and scope of even minor networks. Further, threat landscapes are constantly changing, along with shifting compliance requirements. Teams […]

A missed deadline often is a symptom of a bigger problem centered around planning, communication, or execution. Regardless of your organization’s industry, whether you’re in software development or manufacturing, delays erode stakeholder confidence and increase costs. As such, the challenge lies in aligning multiple teams with dynamic requirements under tight delivery windows. Scrum, an Agile […]

It should go without saying that in the grand scheme of corporate life, whether your business is big or small, innovation can be your lifeblood. Whether it’s standing out from the competition or continuing to innovate on a product customers already love, there is so much to be said about consistently coming up […]

DevSecOps is built around the principles of speed, automation, and iteration, resulting in a flexible security environment. You can take the standard operations done under DevSecOps and create a far more powerful and versatile hybridized approach by implementing tools, principles, and concepts from Six Sigma. While the industry is still focused on shifting […]

It should go without saying that there are fans of both Lean and Agile in manufacturing, and for all the right reasons. Both of these business processes are well-loved in various circles for reasons that have been shown to work across hundreds, if not thousands, of businesses over the past few decades. The […]

Modern cybersecurity practices require speed, something that traditional ways of managing departments like Waterfall won’t accommodate. However, by utilizing Agile sprints and other tools from the methodology, you can set a rapid cadence that is focused on security, stability, and minimizing downtime. Further, you can make it so your security team is constantly […]

Agile and cybersecurity go together like chocolate and peanut butter. Traditionally, cybersecurity practices are largely reactive, siloed off from the rest of the company. Now, as we’ve seen with recent data breaches and incidents over the last decade, this isn’t the best way of handling things. In reality, the ideal of a cybersecurity […]

In any business, no matter what you are delivering to customers, whether it’s widgets, computers, or automobiles, the focus should first and foremost be on customer value. This is the reason you have customers, and if there is any reason why this customer value breaks or the customers no longer see a reason […]

Lean and Agile make for a potent combination when considering any cybersecurity operations. When taking a look at these two disparate methodologies, you’d be forgiven for thinking they might be ill-suited for building a culture of security. That said, finding the synergies between the two enables a more resilient, efficient organization that readily […]

One of the best-known job titles in the world of product and development, Scrum Master is arguably one of the most common terms you will hear today. While the job itself has evolved, there is no question that businesses still heavily rely on this individual or team of individuals to help everyone work […]

The Scrum framework’s history is relatively short, in the grand scheme of things. However, its introduction to businesses had a transformative effect seemingly overnight. At its core, Scrum seeks to address the rigidity and linearity of older methodologies to better suit the rapidly changing needs of customers. So, with that in mind, we’re […]

One of the most important things for any organization in today’s world is to figure out how to best handle remote work. For better or worse, remote work is here to stay, and millions of employees worldwide are happier for it. Enabling a stronger work-life balance, there is a good chance that employees […]

Lean Six Sigma and Agile make for a potent combination when deployed in several different environments. However, one area where you can leverage this powerful combination for exemplary results is in software development. Software development is a tricky business sector to hem in, thanks in part to the actively shifting targeted goals of […]

Six Sigma and Agile are two of the major methodologies behind businesses these days. While today’s article title might lead you to believe this is a shootout of sorts, I didn’t have that in mind. Instead, when it comes to the question of Six Sigma vs. Agile, I was wondering where these methodologies intersect […]