What Is Agile Product Delivery and What Are the Benefits?

The term “agile product delivery” is often used in software development, but what does it actually mean? In its simplest form, agile product delivery is a methodology that helps teams to be more flexible and adaptable in their approach to developing products. It’s based on the principles of scrum, which is a type of Agile software development.

The main benefits of agile product delivery are that it helps teams to:

• Be more responsive to change

• Deliver working software more frequently

• Improve communication and collaboration

• Reduce risk

If you’re thinking of using agile product delivery for your next project, here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Define your product backlog

The first step in any agile project is to define the product backlog. This is a list of all the features and functionality that you want to include in your product. It’s important to get input from all stakeholders at this stage so that everyone is on the same page about what needs to be delivered.

2. Split your project into sprints

Once you have your product backlog, you can start to split your project into sprints. A sprint is a fixed period of time (usually 2-4 weeks) during which a team works on a certain number of items from the product backlog. This helps to break down the project into manageable chunks and ensures that everyone is always clear on what needs to be delivered.

3. Review and adjust your backlog regularly

As your project progresses, it’s important to review and adjust your product backlog regularly. This will help you to ensure that you’re still on track to deliver the features and functionality that stakeholders want. It also allows you to make changes if necessary, such as adding new items or removing ones that are no longer relevant.

4. Communicate regularly

One of the key aspects of agile product delivery is regular communication between team members. This helps to ensure that everyone is on the same page and aware of what needs to be done. It can also help to prevent misunderstandings and conflicts.

5. Be prepared to adapt

Finally, it’s important to remember that agile product delivery is all about being flexible and adaptable. Things will inevitably change as your project progresses, so you need to be prepared to adjust your plans accordingly. This might mean adding new items to the product backlog or changing the way that you work.

Now that you know what agile product delivery is and how it may benefit your team, let’s take a look at Amazon as a case study to contextualize this information.

Case Study: Amazon.com’s Use of Agile Product Delivery

Amazon.com is a prime example of a company that has successfully used agile product delivery to its advantage. Scrum, an agile development process, was independently chosen by several teams at Amazon in 2004. 

By 2009, its usage had spread to most of the software development teams at Amazon due to its effectiveness and compatibility with the company’s culture. This is due to the prevalence of small, independent teams at Amazon which makes Scrum a smaller step to take for development teams.

Scrum is characterized by cycles or “sprints” where development teams work to complete a set goal. These sprints are generally two weeks long. At the beginning of each sprint, the entire team meets to determine what can be completed within that time frame.

This is different from waterfall methodology, which is a more traditional approach to product delivery that involves completing one phase of the project before moving on to the next. With agile product delivery, teams can work on multiple parts of the project simultaneously which saves time overall.

The main benefits that Amazon.com has found from using Scrum are:

• Faster time to market: By nature, Scrum promotes delivering working software as quickly as possible. This is beneficial for Amazon.com as they need to be able to rapidly release new features and functionality to stay ahead of the competition.

• Increased customer satisfaction: Because agile product delivery results in working software being released more frequently, customers are able to get their hands on new features and functionality sooner. This leads to increased satisfaction as they are able to use the product in the way that they want.

• Improved team morale: Scrum also helps to improve team morale as it gives them a greater sense of ownership over the product. This is because they are able to see the results of their work more quickly and have a greater impact on the direction of the project.

• Improved communication and collaboration: Scrum encourages frequent communication between team members, which helps to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts. This is important for Amazon.com as it allows them to quickly resolve any issues that arise.

Overall, Amazon.com has found that agile product delivery has helped them to improve their software development process. As a result, they have been able to release new features and functionality more quickly, while also increasing customer satisfaction.

At Agileseventeen, we provide coaching and consulting services to help organizations adopt agile product delivery. We can work with you to assess your current development process and recommend changes that will help you to achieve your desired outcomes. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you improve your software development process: talkagile@agileseventeen.com