Agile Project Management in 2018 - Evolution and Best Practices

As we progress through 2018, Agile project management continues to evolve beyond its software development origins to become a mainstream approach across industries and functions. With 71% of organizations now reporting the use of Agile approaches, the methodology has reached a maturity inflection point—moving from experimental adoption to enterprise transformation.

The Evolving Agile Landscape

Several significant shifts are reshaping Agile project management in 2018:

• Enterprise Adoption: Agile scaling beyond individual teams to entire organizations
• Hybrid Approaches: Pragmatic combinations of Agile with traditional methodologies
• Business Agility: Expansion from IT to marketing, HR, finance, and other functions
• Tool Maturation: More sophisticated platforms supporting distributed Agile teams
• Measurement Evolution: Greater focus on business outcomes over process metrics

These changes require a more nuanced understanding of Agile principles and practices.

Core Agile Frameworks in 2018

While the Agile landscape has diversified, several frameworks remain foundational:

1. Scrum in Practice

The most widely adopted Agile framework continues to evolve:

• Scrum Fundamentals: Sprints, daily standups, product backlogs, retrospectives
• Scrum Master Evolution: Shifting from process enforcement to servant leadership
• Product Owner Maturity: Greater emphasis on strategic product management
• Technical Practices Integration: Combining Scrum with DevOps and technical excellence

Best Practice: Focus on the outcomes Scrum is designed to achieve rather than rigid adherence to ceremonies.

2. Kanban Systems

Visual management approaches gaining broader adoption:

• Kanban Principles: Visualizing work, limiting WIP, managing flow, explicit policies
• Advanced Kanban: Implementing classes of service, cadences, and feedback loops
• Kanban Metrics: Using cycle time, throughput, and flow efficiency measurements
• Upstream Kanban: Applying flow principles to discovery and planning work

Best Practice: Start with visualizing your current process before implementing WIP limits or other changes.

3. Lean-Agile Approaches

Integrating Lean thinking with Agile delivery:

• Value Stream Mapping: Identifying and eliminating waste in delivery processes
• Hypothesis-Driven Development: Using build-measure-learn cycles for validation
• Minimal Viable Products: Delivering the smallest solution that creates customer value
• Set-Based Design: Exploring multiple options before converging on solutions

Best Practice: Regularly identify and eliminate activities that don't contribute to customer value.

Scaling Agile in the Enterprise

As organizations move beyond team-level Agile, scaling frameworks have gained prominence:

1. Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe)

The most widely adopted scaling approach:

• Key Elements: Agile Release Trains, Program Increments, Portfolio Management
• Implementation Levels: Essential, Large Solution, Portfolio, and Full SAFe
• Business Benefits: Alignment, built-in quality, transparency, program execution
• Evolution in 2018: Greater emphasis on Lean principles and business agility

Best Practice: Start with Essential SAFe and add complexity only as needed for your organization.

2. Scrum@Scale

Scaling through a network of Scrum teams:

• Scaling Principles: Minimal viable bureaucracy, cross-team coordination
• Scrum of Scrums: Coordinating dependencies between multiple Scrum teams
• Executive Action Team: Aligning organizational policies with Agile values
• MetaScrum: Coordinating product priorities across multiple product owners

Best Practice: Focus on establishing effective Scrum teams before attempting to scale.

3. Large-Scale Scrum (LeSS)

Scaling while maintaining Scrum simplicity:

• Core Framework: Single product backlog, synchronized sprints, overall retrospective
• Organizational Design: Feature teams, component mentors, self-managing teams
• Technical Practices: Continuous integration, acceptance test-driven development
• Product Focus: Strong emphasis on whole product focus and customer centricity

Best Practice: Invest in organizational redesign rather than adding coordination layers.

4. Disciplined Agile (DA)

Context-sensitive approach to scaling:

• Process Decision Framework: Providing options based on context and constraints
• Full Delivery Lifecycle: Covering inception through production and support
• Goal-Driven Approach: Focusing on outcomes rather than specific practices
• Enterprise Awareness: Considering organizational impacts beyond the team

Best Practice: Use DA as a toolkit for tailoring your approach rather than as a prescriptive framework.

Hybrid Agile Approaches

Organizations are increasingly adopting pragmatic combinations:

1. Agile-Waterfall Hybrid

Combining methodologies for complex environments:

• Water-Scrum-Fall: Waterfall planning, Agile execution, stage-gate governance
• Incremental Delivery: Breaking waterfall phases into smaller increments
• Hybrid Teams: Agile teams operating within traditional project structures
• Transitional Approach: Using hybrid as a stepping stone to greater agility

Best Practice: Clearly define which aspects follow which methodology to avoid confusion.

2. Agile-Stage Gate

Integrating Agile with traditional product development:

• Agile Within Phases: Using Agile methods within stage-gate phases
• Flexible Gates: Adapting gate criteria for iterative development
• Continuous Customer Validation: Incorporating user feedback throughout the process
• Risk-Based Governance: Adjusting oversight based on risk profile

Best Practice: Adapt gate reviews to focus on demonstrated results rather than comprehensive documentation.

3. Bimodal Approaches

Managing different types of work with different methodologies:

• Mode 1: Traditional approaches for predictable, well-understood work
• Mode 2: Agile approaches for exploratory, innovative work
• Governance Integration: Unified oversight across both modes
• Capability Development: Building skills for both approaches

Best Practice: Base methodology selection on work characteristics rather than organizational structure.

Agile Beyond Software Development

Agile principles are expanding to new domains:

1. Agile Marketing

Applying iterative approaches to marketing activities:

• Marketing Sprints: Planning and executing marketing activities in short cycles
• Customer Feedback Loops: Testing campaigns with real users before full launch
• Kanban for Marketing: Visualizing and managing marketing workflows
• Cross-Functional Marketing Teams: Breaking down specialist silos

Best Practice: Start with visualizing marketing workflows before implementing timeboxed iterations.

2. Agile HR

Transforming human resources with Agile principles:

• Talent Acquisition: Iterative approaches to recruiting and onboarding
• Performance Management: Continuous feedback replacing annual reviews
• Learning and Development: Just-in-time learning over comprehensive programs
• Organizational Development: Experimental approaches to culture and structure

Best Practice: Apply Agile principles to HR's own operations before trying to transform the organization.

3. Agile Finance

Adapting financial processes for greater flexibility:

• Beyond Annual Budgeting: Quarterly or rolling budget allocations
• Value-Based Funding: Allocating resources based on business outcomes
• Lean Financial Approval: Streamlining processes for faster decisions
• Agile Financial Reporting: More frequent, focused financial updates

Best Practice: Start with small experiments in financial processes before attempting major transformations.

Agile Leadership and Culture

Successful Agile implementation requires leadership and cultural changes:

1. Agile Leadership Development

Evolving leadership approaches for Agile organizations:

• Servant Leadership: Focusing on removing obstacles and enabling teams
• Decentralized Decision-Making: Pushing authority to where information exists
• Outcome Orientation: Measuring success by results rather than activities
• Continuous Learning: Creating psychological safety for experimentation

Best Practice: Leadership should model Agile behaviors rather than just mandating them for teams.

2. Cultural Transformation

Building organizational cultures that support agility:

• Transparency Practices: Making information visible and accessible
• Collaboration Mechanisms: Breaking down silos between functions
• Continuous Improvement Mindset: Normalizing regular reflection and adaptation
• Customer-Centricity: Orienting all activities around customer value

Best Practice: Identify and address specific cultural barriers rather than attempting wholesale culture change.

3. Agile Change Management

Implementing Agile transformations effectively:

• Pilot-Based Approach: Starting with small, visible successes
• Communities of Practice: Building networks for knowledge sharing
• Metrics Evolution: Shifting measurement from outputs to outcomes
• Training and Coaching: Providing ongoing support for new ways of working

Best Practice: Treat Agile transformation as a change management initiative, not just a process change.

Agile Tools and Technology

The Agile tooling landscape continues to evolve:

1. Integrated Agile Platforms

Comprehensive tools supporting end-to-end Agile:

• JIRA and Advanced Customization: Tailoring workflows for different team types
• Azure DevOps: Microsoft's integrated development and delivery platform
• VersionOne: Enterprise-scale Agile management and reporting
• Digital.ai (formerly CollabNet VersionOne): Unified value stream management

Best Practice: Select tools that support your process rather than adapting your process to tools.

2. Specialized Agile Tools

Purpose-built solutions for specific Agile needs:

• Miro and Mural: Digital whiteboarding for remote Agile ceremonies
• Trello and Monday.com: Lightweight Kanban and task management
• Aha! and ProductPlan: Agile roadmapping and product management
• SonarQube and Cucumber: Technical quality and testing automation

Best Practice: Start with minimal tooling and add capabilities as needs emerge.

3. Remote Collaboration Tools

Supporting distributed Agile teams:

• Zoom and Microsoft Teams: Video conferencing with breakout capabilities
• Slack and Microsoft Teams: Persistent chat and asynchronous communication
• Confluence and Notion: Collaborative documentation and knowledge management
• MURAL and Miro: Virtual whiteboarding and visual collaboration

Best Practice: Establish clear collaboration protocols for remote teams beyond just providing tools.

Measuring Agile Success

Effective measurement approaches are evolving:

1. Outcome-Based Metrics

Focusing on business results rather than activities:

• Customer-Centric Measures: Net Promoter Score, customer satisfaction, retention
• Business Value Metrics: Revenue impact, cost savings, market share
• Quality Indicators: Defect rates, technical debt, system stability
• Time to Value: Concept to cash cycle time, feature lead time

Best Practice: Establish clear linkage between team-level metrics and business outcomes.

2. Team Health and Capability

Assessing team effectiveness and improvement:

• Team Morale: Engagement, satisfaction, and psychological safety
• Technical Excellence: Code quality, test coverage, architecture fitness
• Learning Rate: How quickly teams adapt and improve
• Predictability: Consistency in delivering forecasted work

Best Practice: Use regular team self-assessments to identify improvement opportunities.

3. Agile Maturity Models

Evaluating organizational agility:

• Comparative Assessment: Benchmarking against industry standards
• Capability Mapping: Identifying strengths and improvement areas
• Maturity Roadmapping: Planning progressive improvement steps
• Value Stream Analysis: Measuring end-to-end flow efficiency

Best Practice: Focus maturity assessments on outcomes and capabilities rather than practices and ceremonies.

Common Agile Pitfalls and Solutions

Even experienced organizations encounter these challenges:

1. Mechanical Agile

Focusing on practices without understanding principles:

• Warning Signs: Ceremonies without purpose, rigid process adherence
• Better Approach: Connect practices to principles and outcomes
• Practical Tip: Regularly ask "why" about each Agile practice you follow

2. Agile Theater

Appearing Agile without meaningful change:

• Warning Signs: Terminology changes without behavior changes
• Better Approach: Focus on mindset and culture, not just process
• Practical Tip: Measure outcomes rather than compliance with practices

3. Scaling Prematurely

Attempting to scale before mastering team-level Agile:

• Warning Signs: Complex coordination mechanisms for immature teams
• Better Approach: Establish effective teams before scaling
• Practical Tip: Address team-level impediments before adding scaling frameworks

Looking Ahead: Agile Trends for 2018

Several emerging trends will shape Agile throughout the year:

1. AI and Automation in Agile

Intelligent tools augmenting Agile processes:

• Automated testing and quality assurance
• AI-assisted estimation and planning
• Predictive analytics for team performance
• Intelligent backlog prioritization

2. Product-Led Agile

Shifting from project to product orientation:

• Stable, long-lived product teams
• Outcome-based funding models
• Product-centric organizational structures
• Continuous delivery of customer value

3. Technical Agility

Renewed focus on technical excellence:

• DevOps integration with Agile practices
• Continuous delivery and deployment
• Test automation and quality engineering
• Architecture that enables business agility

Conclusion: The Path Forward

As Agile continues to mature in 2018, success depends on balancing fundamental principles with pragmatic adaptation. The most effective organizations will be those that:

• Focus on outcomes rather than dogmatic adherence to specific practices
• Adapt Agile approaches to their unique context and constraints
• Build cultures that support continuous improvement and experimentation
• Measure success in terms of business value and customer outcomes
• Invest in both technical and organizational capabilities

By embracing these principles, organizations can move beyond "doing Agile" to "being Agile"—creating the adaptability and responsiveness needed to thrive in today's rapidly changing business environment.

This article was written by Nguyen Tuan Si, an Agile transformation specialist with experience implementing Agile approaches across various industries and organization types.