“The biggest potential impact comes from the improved ability to select valuable features for development, based on feedback loops.”

Gartner® Hype Cycle for Agile and DevOps, 2024

We live in a time of increasing change, where digital transformation is no longer optional but a must have. Companies and organizations across all sectors face the challenge of quickly adapting to new technologies and ever-growing customer expectations. In this context, Agile methodologies play a crucial role by enabling swift and effective responses. But how prepared are we to harness this potential?

Adopting Agile goes far beyond implementing technological tools or following a set of practices like sprints or retrospectives. It is a cultural transformation that demands constant collaboration, autonomy, and an unwavering focus on delivering value to the customer. While there has been growing interest in Agile methodologies, change is often limited by traditional hierarchies and the fear of altering established processes. However, what may be a limitation for organizations presents a clear opportunity for individuals within them – whether by being early adopters or by playing the vital role of a catalyst for change.

Agile methodologies are not exclusive to the tech sector. Industries such as healthcare, education, and public administration have increasingly benefited from their implementation, leading to significant improvements in efficiency and service quality. The truth is, as all sectors experience astounding technological advancements, they all double the benefit from adopting Agile methodologies.

Agile itself is constantly evolving. Its core ideas are flexible and adaptable, shaping themselves to the needs of different organizational cultures, sectors, and strategic goals. These global success stories illustrate this point:

• Tesla, one of the most successful companies in the world, has embraced these ideas, experimenting with them to develop its unique approach to Agile. It is, undeniably, one of the fundamental ingredients of their success.
• At BMW, a vision was developed on how Agile can be scaled and used to drive the company’s global transformation, keeping pace with technological evolution and streamlining processes. Without bias or predefined ideas, this is a process of continuous learning and change – highlighted in the article as “forever”.

These are very recent cases demonstrating global interest in Agile, but this journey has been unfolding throughout the 21st century. Renowned companies like IBM, Cisco, and PwC regularly publish research and case studies on Agile success. Microsoft dedicates parts of its website to explaining these methodologies, developing technologies that support them and evolve alongside them. Google adopted Agile methodologies to challenge its culture, promote transparency and efficiency, fostering transformation in a company that itself is a symbol of transformation.

As these organizations have understood, given today’s challenges, it is essential to promote programs that empower professionals to understand Agile principles, the mindset and actions that underpin it – focusing not only on teaching techniques and tools but also on cultivating an agile mindset driven by adaptation, innovation, and value delivery.

Agile is more than a methodology – it is a transformative approach that redefines how we innovate, collaborate, and deliver results.

André Carreiro

Director of Application Development, Consultant, Trainer, and University Lecturer