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What Is Agile Training? (And Why Your Business Should Start Using It)


Another big deadline is approaching and it appears that the team in charge is feeling the pressure. Have you ever thought that having teams be more organized will help complex projects get done efficiently, without the pressure of a looming deadline?

If not, then you’ve never heard of Agile training. Agile is a methodology used to help teams break up large and complex projects into smaller, timed tasks. These tasks are planned up to the deadline and help to organize and prioritize jobs that need to be completed for a great launch.

If you’ve never heard of Agile training or want to learn more before having your team certified, you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading below to learn more about Agile and Agile training.

What Is Agile Training?

The best way to think of Agile is to think of it as a mindset. It’s the way people think about software development. It’s also the way people solve problems and gives a new perspective on the bigger picture or overall goal. 

Agile training is when your team or company takes the steps to improve project performance by learning about Agile. Training will consist of taking Agile classes, Agile training courses, and learning how to apply it.

One of the key points of Agile is to put together a team with the right talents and abilities to get the project done. Having a strong team can sometimes be more important than the tools and mindsets used to complete a job. After putting together the perfect team, it’s time to start Agile training.

Are There Benefits to Agile Training?

Training your team in Agile will help to limit issues when it comes to trying to execute the Agile method. By having Agile methodology training, your team will be up to date on the methods and will know how to troubleshoot when something doesn’t go as planned. 

Agile training will also help with team communication. When a group can understand the same concepts, messages, goals, and tactics in the same language, it’s easier to reach a common goal and see the bigger picture. This shared understanding will help the team adapt and grow together, reducing conflicts and disagreements in the future, while helping them to reach a common understanding. 

Teams that are well versed in Agile will lead to higher product quality by developing software in fast and incremental cycles. It will also help to improve customer satisfaction due to updates being released regularly to fix any bugs. 

How Does Agile Training Work?

To be trained or even become certified in a specific Agile framework, you must take and complete a class. These classes are tailored to the framework you would like to learn more about or become certified in.

Classes are usually offered and taken online and can be done at the office or from the comfort of your home. Websites like beLIthe offer multiple Agile training courses through their website, helping to make training uniform and easy. 

Courses will consist of lectures, readings, exercises, assignments, and tests. It’s recommended that a team take the courses together to open up communication and to bring the team closer. By completing a course the team will be on the same page when utilizing Agile frameworks.

Even if your team has had Agile training before, they can take more complex classes to help further their knowledge. This will help team members freshen up their memory on Agile while learning new concepts to make each project a breeze. 

Is Agile the Right Decision for My Business?

If your company handles large projects every day that can be complex, the Agile mindset and framework might be for you. 

Agile is met to break these large and complex projects into smaller tasks that will organize the team and hopefully take less time to finish. Especially if you’re dealing with complex software products, Agile is a must to keep the team on the same page and organized.

If you’ve decided that Agile is the perfect decision for your company, now the question of what framework will my team need to be trained in arises. We have laid out the most popular frameworks in the following section. 

Now Let’s Talk About Different Agile Frameworks

Agile training consists of a few different paths or frameworks. The framework your team studies depends on the work or projects they will be doing.

Scrum

Scrum is one of the most popular Agile frameworks. Scrum can even be applied to projects outside of the software development sector. 

Scrum is organized and easy to understand for anyone familiar with the Agile methodology. It may take a bit of time to get used to if you are new to this concept. 

This software is great for teams of 10 or less. Development goals are broken up into sprints. The sprints unit gives you two weeks to complete a goal, it can be extended but it will never be more than four weeks long.

After each sprint, teams are encouraged to meet and discuss the project and tasks at hand. In these meetings, team members should adjust their tasks due to the overall goal of the project.

To become certified in Scrum you should take the Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) class. This class will teach you how to use the framework and help you to understand the overall Agile mindset.

Scaled Agile Framework

Scaled Agile Framework is a lean Agile framework that focuses on scaling. It helps your team to see the overall picture of the project (the end result) and then breaks up tasks to achieve it. These tasks will be small and timed units put in place to ensure the project is finished on time.

To become certified in the Scaled Agile Framework you must take the SAFe class. This class will help you to break up your ultimate goal into reasonable tasks and give you a run-down of the software.

Kanban 

Kanban is a lean Agile framework. Its goal is to eliminate inefficiency and waste in your project without sacrificing productivity. 

Using the Kanban Board team members can see the overall progress as well as each team member’s individual progress. This helps the team to be organized and efficient. 

Kanban encourages team communication by letting the team discuss solutions to a problem given by their manager. This can all be done through the framework in real-time so a solution can be found fast. 

To get training in Kanban you should seek out the Certified Kanban System Design (KMP I) class. This class will show you to properly use Kanban properly to drive continuous improvement.

PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)

The PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) is one of the newer Agile frameworks to hit the market. It is projected that this framework will become the industry’s standard within the next few years.

This framework combines working on agile projects while examining the fundamentals and tools needed to accomplish the overall picture. It will help to teach teams about the importance of breaking up a project into smaller jobs and the tools and resources needed to complete each step.

To become certified in this framework you must take the PMI-ACP course and complete the exam. 

The Team Has Been Trained, Now What?

Now that your team has completed their classes and holds a certification in an Agile framework, it’s time to begin applying what they know to a project. After training it’s common for an Agile coach to step in and assist.

An Agile coach is someone who will help direct the team in using Agile methodologies and frameworks in real life. Coaches help to take the class to the real world, offering teams a hands-on training experience. Coaches are also great for when teams have questions about Agile or run into any issues. 

After coaching comes to an end, your team will be able to apply Agile efficiently. This will lead to better organization, closer teams, and better customer service.

Now It’s Time to Make Your Teams Well Versed in Agile

If you have a software company or a company that handles large and complex software projects, implementing an Agile framework is the right decision. To efficiently utilize Agile in your business you must make sure teams complete Agile training on the methodologies and framework you want to implement.

We have discussed the overall benefits of teams using Agile as well as the different frameworks your company can use. Now it’s time to find the right framework and to sign your team up for classes. 

For more small business tips, be sure to check out the rest of our website. 



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