What Is the Agile Project Management Process?

What Is the Agile Project Management Process?

Agile takes an iterative approach to project management. The Agile project management process is cyclical, repeated over several fixed iterations or “sprints.” While the Agile process may vary slightly depending on which framework you choose, the necessary steps remain the same.

Step 1: Pre-planning

During the pre-planning phase of your project, you’ll select your Agile framework, assign your project team, define any known requirements, and create a high-level project plan. This plan will detail the number and length of the project’s sprints and estimates the overall scope, budget, and project schedule. 

Step 2: Plan the initial sprint

Once you complete pre-planning, you and your team will create a detailed plan for the first sprint. When planning the sprint, you’ll determine which components, features, and functionalities will be in the initial version of the final product. Then you can create a detailed plan to schedule and budget for those requirements. 

Step 3: Execute the initial sprint

Depending on the type of product, execution may include design, production, testing, etc. During sprint execution, there’s typically a daily meeting with the team to discuss progress and tackle any problems. The customer is often included in these meetings so that feedback can be elicited and changes approved quickly. The sprint ends when the customer receives a working model or prototype of the deliverable(s).

Step 4: Hold a sprint review

At the end of the sprint, you’ll have a review meeting (often called a sprint retrospective) with your team to discuss the outcomes of the sprint and any changes to incorporate into the next one. 

Step 5: Repeat steps 3 and 4

Once you’ve completed the initial sprint successfully and conducted a review, you can plan the second sprint. This cycle repeats itself until you complete the last sprint and deliver the final product to the customer.