Pros and Cons of Agile Working

Nowadays, Agile is one of the most popular development procedures worldwide. The rise of Agile was most notable at the start of the 21st century, and since then, It has evolved by leaps and bounds and has been in use for more than 20 years. 

However, just like any other methodology for development, Agile is imperfect and has its share of criticisms. Hence, it's essential to learn both sides of the coin, when it comes to the drawbacks & working towards the benefits of Agile. 

What is the Agile methodology?

Before we discuss the advantages & disadvantages of Agile working, it's crucial first to obtain a deeper idea about the Agile methodology. The Agile methodology is defined as a project management approach that includes breaking up projects and procedures into incremental phases or pieces. Hence, instead of trying to do it all at once, such as in the Waterfall approach, Agile teams will divide their work into multiple discrete modules, which they can test as well as perfect before continuing to work on the next one. 

It should be known that the Agile method was first developed in the manufacturing industry and eventually moved to other industries like banking, construction, IT industry, where it was utilized to create personalized & adaptive software that can respond in real-time to customer feedback. Software versions are delivered continuously in cycles known as 'iterations', instead of trying to offer a one-time software release. Regarding businesses, teams utilize the Agile process to complete projects efficiently and deliver value effortlessly. 

Also, check:Benefits Of Agile Methodology

Benefits of Agile workspaces

1. Enhances productivity & engagement

When a business provides the ideal kind of workspace that is designed by keeping the employees and the kind of work that is to be done in mind, it helps employees to become more efficient & productive. For example, if an employee is working on a critical project and needs the utmost amount of concentration, then having an open office can make the employee feel frustrated and thereby lose enthusiasm in the work that he or she is doing. Furthermore, less engagement can make employees feel detached from their workspace, leading them to seek refuge at their home or a coffee shop. 

Thus, with the advantages of Agile working, you’ll be able to provide your employees with the proper workplace setting so that they quickly transition from one task to another without having to leave their current workspace. Such a practice helps the employees save time while obtaining the equipment they need to complete their tasks and engaging with their colleagues at the same time. 

2. Helps in optimizing workspace

Apart from paying employees salaries, businesses or organizations need to pay the mortgage or rent on the amount & type of space they’ll acquire for their office & employee needs. So, the best way to make the most out of your office space is to simply use it properly & efficiently. Thus, by implementing some floor plan changes, you’ll be able to ensure that your office space will deliver a proper return on your investment. 

Before you decide to make any changes, think about the work your employees perform daily and the time required to sit at their desks to complete their tasks. Depending on how much time your employees spend sitting at their desks, you can change your office space. For instance, if you have part-time workers working at your business, then you can optimize your office space so that the part-time workers and other employees will benefit. Moreover, the utilization of multipurpose furniture can also help you optimize office space.

3. Promotes the culture of openness, trust & transparency

One of the major benefits of Agile methods of working is that you can give your employees the choice and control over where and when they want to work based on the job requirements. As a result, you can build an organizational culture that relies on trust. 

Successful businesses these days don’t judge an employee's productivity based on the time he or she spends sitting at his or her desk. Instead, productivity is measured by the quality of work completed and whether every employee is working as a team.

4. Reduction of carbon footprint

Since every part of your office workspace will now be fully optimized for usage, there will be no waste of energy. A business workspace needs electricity to remain operational, and the more electricity used, the greater the carbon footprint. 

However, with the assistance of Agile working, you can reduce or eliminate your workspace's electricity usage and overall carbon footprint. As a result, your business will contribute to environmental sustainability. 

5. Enhanced innovation

One of the primary reasons Agile working is implemented in business procedures is to increase overall creativity and innovation in the workplace. By promoting an effective office design, employees can perform more creative brainstorming while stimulating diverse thinking among themselves

Also check:Agile Best Practices for Effective Team

Drawbacks of Agile workspaces

1. Too much employee engagement can be a productivity barrier

Just like employee engagement should be there, workspace diversification should also be there so that employees can work privately. Too much employee collaboration without any personal workspace can lead to a drop in employee productivity.

Similarly, normalizing open office spaces will mean less room for privacy, making it difficult to hold sensitive meetings or focused work sessions. Hence, even though Agile working is great, not every workspace needs to be Agile. 

2. Risk of employees working in isolation

Since Agile working allows employees to work how they want, it can sometimes lead to isolation. For instance, if most of the employees in a business prefer to work from home, then that means that employee engagement will be lowered and thus, employee isolation might creep in.

However, the good news is that – with the technology that we have today – employee engagement wouldn't be an issue anymore. Still, this is a significant drawback to keep in perspective while working Agile. 

3. Employee resistance

Even though implementing the Agile methodology in your business can prove to be a game-changer, not every employee will be up for the challenge and, therefore, will be reluctant to change. This is because it's difficult to break old human habits, and since humans need time to adapt to change, the alteration from traditional workspace to Agile working can be delayed. 

However, if proper communication, transparency, and an open mindset are maintained with the employees, then such a hurdle can easily be overcome. 

4. Requirement to invest in a work management software

Investing in proper workplace management software can be the difference between a successful Agile working and a failed Agile experiment. Even though Agile working gives businesses dynamic workspaces, control is still essential. Without control, the many moving parts of an Agile work environment will be uncontrollable. 

5. Territorial disputes among employees

As Agile working is all about openness, transparency, and employee engagement, employees will often encroach on the workplace territories of other employees, leading to disputes (otherwise known as ‘turf wars’).

Since humans are already territorial animals, Agile working can easily aggravate such an issue, leading to additional workplace problems. However, such disputes can be solved with a little bit of understanding among employees. 

Conclusion

In the end, knowing the pros and cons of Agile working will help you decide whether your business or organization requires the addition of the Agile methodology. The answer to the aforementioned question will depend on several factors, such as the kind of business your company is running and the type of projects your company is working on. 
There’s no denying that Agile always tends to suit adaptive, smaller businesses with a strong core team and a very fluid communication style. However, communication deteriorates when companies scale up because processes become more complex and teams become difficult to control. Still, Agile can also be used for larger organizations only if the implementation is done properly. Simpliaxis offers Agile courses, providing individuals and organizations with the knowledge and skills necessary to implement Agile practices effectively