Why would you want to spend time and effort to adopt agile?
That's a good question and one that should be asked and answered by your organisation before you attempt an agile transformation. First you need to define what you want to gain (or recognise a problem that you want to overcome). Then you need to agree how you will measure progress to ensure you are actually achieving what you set out to do.
As an example, an organisation might decide that it needs to quicker at responding to changes in the marketplace. They will measure this by the time it takes a new idea to become working software. They might then adopt agile as a means to achieving this goal and they will measure their success throughout the transformation process.
Here are 4 good reasons to chose agile:
1. You want to be able to react more quickly to changes in the marketplace
A core principle of agile is responding to change. If your organisation needs to respond quickly then agile may well suit you.
2. You want better products
The agile iterative approach is intended to help an organisation get the product they want quickly. Constant feedback and the engagement of business users and customers helps to continually redefine what is good.
Agile also encourages prioritisation and so helps you to get the most important features first.
3. You want to have a quicker conversion of new ideas in to working software
If your process is slow to adapt to change it is difficult to introduce new ideas.
4. You want a pleasant and rewarding working environment and a happy workforce
Agile encourages transparency and is people focused. A good agile implementation will be rewarding and enjoyable.
Know your reasons to chose agile and you will have a better chance of meeting them.