Conflicting priorities − agile project work in traditionally run companies

For many years, the digitization of sales channels has been one of the factors driving the structural transformation in the Swiss retail sector. SMEs with strong competition from abroad in particular are investing in digitization projects to enhance their competitiveness.

Projects aimed at building digital customer relations are regarded as complex. This is because, even though customer behaviour is not clear at the start of the project, the aim is still to increase customer satisfaction in the digital shopping experience. For these projects, the agile approach is the ideal choice.

Agile project work is based on interdisciplinary teamwork and personal responsibility, alongside other principles including fast learning and continual product improvement. The procedure is supported methodically through tried-and-tested models such as Scrum and KANBAN. The efficacy of this teamwork, however, is decisively impacted by the “agile” social behaviour of those in the team.

Agile project culture is a paradigm change compared to the established working culture of traditionally run firms. Scrum, for example, brings new roles and responsibility, its own processes, changed management principles and rules. But if there is no connection to the established organization of structures and processes and a lack of understanding of what management is, it can lead to frustration, a lack of support and resistance. Interference in the project from above undermines the agile principle of personal responsibility and decision-making authority in the team. These conflicts are reflected in the results of various surveys from studies looking into agile project work.

So, what can be done to help? Hybrid project management helps to combat resistance to agile project processes at management level. The combination of traditional and agile approaches to a hybrid project process is designed to take into account the needs of upline management for transparency, e.g. by maintaining established status reports and committees.

The hybrid approach “Water-Scrum-fall” features higher-level project management using sequential phases and milestone planning, combined with project implementation in accordance with Scrum. Phase-oriented project management is synchronized with iterative sprint execution via milestones.

A selective deployment of agile methods and practices within the context of a traditional project procedure is also an alternative. The methods and practices for project implementation are chosen as part of project-specific design in the initialization phase.

As a supplement to the hybrid project procedure, it is also a good idea to continue transforming the established managerial and corporate culture into an agile organization through targeted measures. However, this should be approached through a separate change project.

Dörte Bräunche speaks on this topic at Connecta Bern.