MEGA SALE

MARCH Exclusive Offer

UPTO 60% OFF

GET COUPON
Agile Adoption vs Agile Transformation

Agile Adoption vs Agile Transformation

Empower yourself professionally with a personalized consultation,

no strings attached!

In this article

In this article

Article Thumbnail

Agile organizations have been one of the most growing industries in the past few decades as it provides all the solutions to the issues caused by the traditional software methodology. As new companies emerge, they choose to use Agile Methods to develop their products. However, many professionals do not understand the differences between Agile Adoption and Agile transformation and fail to know the purpose of Agile transformation. Both the terms may seem synonymous, however, both are very different from one another. Agile adoption happens when the organization adopts the practices, frameworks, and processes which result from the Agile development movement. However, Agile transformation is the complete change in the work culture and adopting a growth mindset in the work environment. This article aims to explain both the terms in detail and churn out the variances between the two processes. 

 

Definition of Agile Adoption

 

Agile adoption includes following the Agile principles and values from the Agile Manifesto, a manual that creates a change in the ways that people work. The aim of Agile is to reduce the gap created between the Developers and the customers. This is achieved by establishing communication between both parties, and getting feedback from the clients. The Developers also respond to the needs of the customers quickly and provide valuable solutions. Agile Adoption mainly concentrates on the Agile teams as they create products by using Agile methods and practices to increase the quality and value of the product. Agile Adoption is the changes that take place which is parallel to the Agile values and principles. It means that the organization is moving from one process to another such as SDLC, or waterfall to an Agile framework or process. 

 

Many organizations change processes by implementing one of the Agile frameworks such as Scrum, Kanban, Lean Software development, etc. When a company newly adopts the Agile practices and methods, it is termed Agile adoption. Usually, a company starts using the Scrum framework to get used to the Agile tools and techniques. This makes the company form many dedicated cross-functional teams which are supported by a Scrum Master and a Product Owner. The Scrum Master helps the Developers in the process of development by removing any impediments. The Product Owner communicates the idea of the product from the client to the Scrum team and manages the Product Backlog. Scrum works on timeboxed iterations called Sprints which last up to one to four weeks.

 

Definition of Agile Transformation

 

Agile Transformation involves a set of people to revolutionize how they deliver value to serve the customers in a better way. This aims to create an environment that is sustainable and can rapidly counter changes by increasing its foundational strength. This is achieved by increasing the quality of the product, shortening the delivery time, and concentrating on satisfying the end-users. This process of transformation occurs after the company has adopted Agile practices, and tries to build a culture that stays relevant and helps the organization to grow.

 

The main aim of the transformation is to enhance the profitability and sustainability of the organization and help the company be prepared for the opportunities that evolve in the market. It mainly concerns the four components- technical Agility, cultural Agility, change management Agility, and technical Agility. The scope may stick to a particular department, product, or another area of the company, but can also target the entire company. 

 

Agile Adoption Vs Agile Transformation

 

Agile Adoption translates to the company employing Agile practices for the first time and learning about the Agile practices and methods. However, Agile transformation is more of an abstract concept where the entire organization slowly transitions from traditional methodology to Agile methodology and inculcates growth mindset, and welcomes change. Here are few major differences between Agile Adoption and Agile transformation.

 

1. The difference in Agile Practices

 

Agile adoption uses practices of other people whereas Agile transformation creates their own Agile model. One of the best examples of this difference is the Spotify application. When the Spotify app was released, it was one of its kind and gained popularity among many end-users. Other companies started to implement similar features from the model and adopted the Agile practices. Organizations that copied the model have adopted Agile in their company, which was the process of Agile adoption. However, Spotify which had created something of its own and constantly builds its structure and process underwent Agile transformation. Spotify, just like any Agile company is constantly working which means that Agile transformation is a continuous process. Hence, the teams which were trying to implement a similar process to Spotify were implementing Agile adoption, and Spotify underwent Agile transformation by innovating and making something that was needed by the end-users.

 

2. Team vs Organization

 

Agile adoption involves teaching the Agile methods and practices at the level of the Agile team. These practices require the Agile team members to master new and relevant skills which would transpose the thought process of the team members. The Agile adoption also changes how the teams engage with the stakeholders, but fundamentally would not change how the stakeholders work. However, Agile transformation looks at the overall function of the organization and not only how the value is delivered by the organization. Agile transformation mainly focuses on rapid innovation, validation by the market, and fast value delivery. The Agile transformation affects not only the Agile teams, but also affects the operations, finance, marketing, and all the other departments that impact the speed of delivery and validation, and the quality of innovation. 

 

3. Both terms focus on different things

 

Agile adoption is mainly concerned about teaching the skills and Agile practices to the team. This includes pair programming, user stories, test-driven development, iterative development, Scrum Method, the Kanban Method, and emergent architecture. These are practices that any team member has to learn to understand the practices used in Agile. Every Agile industry that starts should have a “why they are working” attached to it. As long as the employees understand why they are working so hard and what is the purpose or vision of the organization, they cannot fully implement Agile. Often, companies use JIRA and call the requirements as user stories, and change the business analytics title to Product Owners. 

This missing piece of vision in Agile adoption becomes a major focus in Agile transformation as it focuses on how people work, and what the purpose of the company is. It also addresses the concern of measuring the difference in the workplace and makes the company responsive towards the internal organizational disruptions, and market conditions. The transformation also discusses the risks that need to be mitigated and collaboration and innovation that would increase the business value of the company.

 

4. Learning in Agile Adoption Vs Agile Transformation

 

Experts in Agile development teach the basics of Agile in Agile adoption, whereas the learning in Agile transformation is by understanding the concepts of experts in Agile organizational design. Creating user stories in a newly adopted Agile company is taught by an expert in the field. It may be by reading books of the experts or having the expert give a lecture to the Agile team. Most of the focus is on the technical part of Agile which is educated by the expert to the team. The trainers are highly qualified individuals that transfer their knowledge to the people building things in the organization. Agile transformation, however, requires the organization to work beyond the delivery teams. If an organization has to transform, they need to guide people about structuring and creating an adaptable environment that grows even in a constantly changing culture.

 

5. Executing Agile in Adoption vs Transformation

 

Agile adoption is led by Scrum Masters, Developers, and Agile coaches whereas the transformations are executed by experts in Agile change management. Agile adoption is led by hiring an army of coaches who can train the employees about using Agile for an organization. But in Agile transformation, the people who have the influence, power, and skills to navigate the people in the company have the responsibility of transition. These people help the Developers to change the way they deliver value to the company and nourish the work culture, process, and tooling so that a growth mindset is built in the organization. This requires an excellent leadership quality along with execution in change management.

 

6. Life of Both Processes

 

Agile adoption has a short-life whereas the transformation has a longer horizon. In Agile adoption, new skills and behavior have to be identified, training has to be provided, and the mentors and the coaches have to explain the real-world scenario to the Scrum Team. This training process could vary among different teams as it depends on the ability of each team member to grasp knowledge. It typically takes 1-6 months to stabilize the new working patterns which is a short period. On the other hand, Agile transformation is not as linear or predictable as Agile adoption. It has many people involved such as customers, stakeholders, members of the organization, etc. The very nature of transformation is to change the culture of the entire organization which includes changing the mindset of the people working in the company. This means that the time horizon of Agile transformation would be much longer and very unpredictable as compared to Agile adoption.

 

7. Enhancement in Both Processes

 

Agile adoption helps the organization to increase the productivity of the team, whereas the transformation increases the value-delivery and sustainability. The focus of adoption is on the Agile teams which makes them productive and later increases the sustainability and profitability of the company. But, this enhancement only takes place in a small part of the company. Agile transformation focuses on enhancing the entire company as a whole which includes all the departments in the company and does not stick only to development. The main aim of Agile transformation is to holistically upgrade the organization to receive benefits at the level of the organization.

 

Simpliaxis is one of the leading professional certification training providers in the world offering multiple courses related to Agile methodologies. We offer numerous Agile related courses such as Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)® Certification Training, Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO)® Certification Training, Certified Scrum Developer (CSD) Certification Training, Agile and Scrum Training, PMI-ACP® Certification Training, Professional Scrum with Kanban™ (PSK) Training, Certified Scrum Professional® - Product Owner (CSP®-PO) Certification Training, Agile Sales Management Training, Behaviour Driven Development (BDD) Training and much more. Simpliaxis delivers training to both individuals and corporate groups through instructor-led classroom and online virtual sessions.

 

Conclusion

 

Agile adoption is a small change that brings enhancement to a small part of the company. This adoption would benefit the company but cannot make a significance at an organizational level. Agile transformation is revolutionizing the entire thought process of the organization that would show results that would be visible to everyone in the company. The main goal of Agile adoption is to educate the people about the practices and ways in which they can use the tools to design and develop the software. However, the goal of Agile transformation is to be equipped effectively to respond to changing environments and, ultimately, serving the customers in a better way by increasing the quality of the product and delivering value faster.

 

 

Join the Discussion

By providing your contact details, you agree to our Privacy Policy

Related Articles

Scrum Master Anti-Patterns

Sep 07 2021

What Is An Enterprise Agile Coach?

Jan 23 2024

Complete Details on Lean-Agile Leadership

Jul 20 2022

About Self Organizing Teams in Agile

Feb 01 2024

5 Events in Scrum

Sep 08 2021

Empower yourself professionally with a personalized consultation, no strings attached!

Get coupon upto 60% off