As the expectation of constant collaboration between the IT and business branches of companies becomes more standard, the importance of clear, consistent communication between the two is paramount. This communication is generally achieved through the use of agile methodology and business agile software. However, as the UK puts more and more money into agile project management software, the numbers show worrying trends in lost funds, incomplete projects and a general failure of agile methodology. Here are just a few ways in which business agile software isn’t living up to its promise.
Problems with a Decentralized Workforce
A decentralized workforce, with an increasing amount of employees working from home, traveling frequently and enjoying more flexible hours, is a reality of the current workplace. According to a 2016 report from the Trades Union Congress, nearly 1.5 million people work from home at least once a week in the UK. This is still a relatively low number compared to how working situations are developing in the US.
The trend has been steadily growing for the past few years, however, agile methodology has not found a consistent way to turn theory into practice in terms of keeping decentralized team members on the same page. According to a report by an IT consultancy firm this year, 32% of agile projects fail because of decentralization. 34% of these fail because of a lack of planning and communication between team members.
A Steep Learning Curve
Agile technology is new enough to have flooded the market and not been sufficiently tried and tested enough to come with any guarantees of higher success rates. While many aspects of agile technology have considerably helped project management, such as the highly proficient standard of cloud-based software offered by platforms like Planview AdaptiveWork, other aspects of agile management have failed to show progress.
With the technology being so new, even experienced IT teams are struggling to keep up. The agile management style prides itself on focusing on customer needs, simple software and fast, versatile delivery of results. But compared to the more traditional waterfall approach of management, agile keeps falling short.
A High Failure Percentage
A report from last year shows that up to 12% of agile projects are “failing completely.” This relatively high percentage corresponds to one in eight projects a year. For teams that require a consistent, successful track record, such a high failure rate creates doubt about the agile process and is leading UK businesses to lose investments over time.
Software Released Too Soon onto the Market
The market for business agile software, though only a few years old, has already become saturated with new platforms claiming to boost efficiency and accountability. However, out of these new products, a large number are not living up to their promise of increased efficiency and completing projects on schedule. Until agile software can stop competing with itself and create a reliable, operational gold standard, it’s possible that UK businesses will continue to lose money on agile projects.
