[00:00:00]
[00:00:09] Nichola: hi, I'm Nichola and I'm here with Dan.
[00:00:11] So how does Agile foster a culture of continuous improvement?
[00:00:16] Dan: Yeah, good question Nic. agile, specifically Scrum fosters a culture of continuous improvement by allowing teams.
[00:00:24] constant, areas of inspection and adaption. So these are done through scrum events, the sprint review, the sprint planning, but specifically the sprint retro. So teams get together to review what has been done, and then adapt any processes to need that, to improve that process.
[00:00:41] Nichola: So I know you mentioned scrum there.
[00:00:43] What, what is a scrum?
[00:00:45] Dan: So scrum is a framework that fits essentially within Agile. It's, it's its own methodology, if you like to think. It allows teams to be collaborative and it's built on these three pillars, which are inspection, adaptation and transparency. So transparency in terms of the whole team understand the process, the clients see what we're doing when.
[00:01:08] adaptation, we adapt our processes when we review. So that's where that inspection comes in. So yeah, Scrum allows teams to be more efficient.
[00:01:19] Nichola: It's something that I've definitely noticed when we brought it into the company, that everyone just feels like they're a bit more on the same page, which really helps with, the whole process really.
[00:01:27] Dan: Absolutely. I think. if people feel accountable and they've got their roles, but equally we're all pulling in the same direction. It makes projects feel smoother, and then ultimately more efficient for the client.
[00:01:40] Nichola: Yep, definitely. can you provide an example of how continuous improvement has led to long term growth?
[00:01:47] Dan: Yeah, absolutely. Companies that regularly, continually improve their processes tend to deliver better results. So they can respond faster to change within the environments, different technologies that come up. So if we inspect regularly, yeah, companies can adapt quicker and therefore be more efficient.
[00:02:04] Nichola: How can SMEs encourage innovation and employee engagement through Agile practices?
[00:02:10] Dan: Agile teams, or Agile in general, gives teams ownership and responsibility, essentially. So it fosters a sense of creativity and innovation. So it allows them to be free within a framework to deliver the best results for our clients. So That's where we see employees having better engagement, customers getting better results, and ultimately an overall better experience.
[00:02:35] Nichola: What are some of the benefits of continuous feedback loops? in driving customer satisfaction
[00:02:40] Dan: Yeah, so both internally and externally those feedback loops are crucial. So For externally for the customer to see real time customer feedback on terms of their products So we release something to market we get that feedback and then we iterate so we can use that to mold the next release Internally, it's just as important.
[00:03:00] So we need to make sure the team's feedback is incorporated, whether processes need to change and make sure that they're heard. and we can adapt as needed.
[00:03:11] Nichola: How do Agile principles help businesses stay competitive and adaptable in the long run?
[00:03:16] Dan: Yeah, great question. It's about being iterative and that's what Agile allows you to be. And by being iterative, it allows companies to adapt quickly to market changes, ensuring that they stay above, and beyond their competitors.
[00:03:31] so they're relevant in the marketplace. if you break down agile, it's about defining what needs to be done, prioritizing it quite rigorously. You then plan what is going to be done within that sprint. You then build on it, you then review, and then you go again and repeat. So it's just constant cycle.
[00:03:50] That's the idea. So it allows you to inspect and adapt throughout the process, and stay relevant for our customers.
[00:03:57] Nichola: Is there any situations where agile just doesn't work?
[00:04:00] Dan: Yeah, I think sometimes during critical deadlines, we might not be able to flex so much. but in those situations we can just prioritize rigorously, communicate with the stakeholders and clients, effectively and make sure that what is being delivered is a priority.
[00:04:18] Nichola: Great. Thank you for that, Dan.
[00:04:20] Dan: Thank you.
[00:04:21] We are the home of unreasonable progress. We are distinction.
