Category: Agile

Which methodology between Waterfall vs. Agile to choose? Every project comes with its own set of unique challenges, and this decision—whether to adopt a waterfall approach or embrace agile development—comes up in every scenario.

Now, more than ever, it is crucial to ensure that the development methodologies used by an organization are tailored to the specific circumstances.

In fact, each option affects the speed of the project and the overall chances of success differently.

In this article, therefore, we would like to provide insight into which methodology to choose for project management.

What is Waterfall methodology ?

The Waterfall model is a sequential methodology based on a clearly defined scope that centers on the collection of preliminary requirements and then follows a set order.

This means that when each of the Waterfall steps is successfully completed, the team members move on to the following step.

The more strict, linear nature of the Waterfall methodology makes it the perfect choice for simple, specific activities.

It is easy to manage, comes with specific deliverables and well-defined starting and ending points.

Nevertheless, it is easy to see how this methodology is less flexible than the alternatives.

Since this plan is sequential and linear, any changes become relatively costly and time-consuming.

Because the waterfall model relies on upfront requirements gathering, development teams must fully align with stakeholders before execution begins.

This means that a solid understanding must be met and shared by all parties.

The Waterfall methodology excels when project requirements are fairly static, but would not be adequate for the delivery of a complex product that could change frequently and abruptly.

For waterfall projects, a well-structured project plan is fundamental as it establishes final deliverables, deadlines, and responsibilities right from the start, promoting long-term planning without unexpected deviations.

What is Agile methodology?

The agile approach is designed around flexibility.

Teams typically begin with a basic project design and break it down into a small set of activities, which are reviewed, tested, and evaluated at the end of each so-called “sprint”.

These sprints allow them to identify issues, bugs or incorporate customer feedback into the design before the next sprint is performed.

With agile development, development teams work in short cycles—often two to four weeks—so that feedback can be incorporated quickly and the product can evolve organically.

Agile methodology is great for projects where the outcome is not clearly defined but the goal is.

Work can evolve based on team input, stakeholder feedback and customer opinions.

The result is a product that both incorporates updated end-user and stakeholder feedback and is therefore ultimately more likely to be successful.

On the other hand, agile project flexibility can also be its ruin, as it presents a greater opportunity for projected timelines and costs to be compromised as the project evolves.

A well-defined set of measurable goals is critical to ensure smooth alignment.

Without a defined end to the construction process, sprints can continue for many months.

The only clue is how close the product is to achieving the goals and how those goals are aligned with value.

This pattern depends on how much change tolerance a project demands.

If the requirements are tangible and merely have to be executed, the flexibility of Agile provides little value.

However, considering the increasing complexity of each market, this “certainty” becomes increasingly unlikely.

How to choose the right project management methodology

There is no one size fits all approach for choosing a successful project management methodology.

However, there are a few aspects to consider to ensure that the most appropriate approach is selected. These are:

Project complexity

First, it is important to regard the project in terms of simplicity or complexity.

For simple projects, a linear methodology such as Waterfall will ensure that time and budget expenses are in line with the simplistic nature of the work.

Conversely, in the case of complex products, an Agile approach ensures that every aspect of the project is refined iteratively, resulting in higher success rates.

Inflexibility

If you are working with set schedules, budgets and delivery requirements, a methodology such as Waterfall is almost certainly the best choice to ensure that metrics are met.

It is critical to consider this aspect thoughtfully, as choosing the wrong methodology due to the inflexibility of the project can greatly increase the risk of breaking time and budget constraints and ultimately cause the project to fail.

Project values

What do the customer, stakeholders, and end user value most?

For example, if stakeholders value the ability to consistently review and suggest iterative updates, the Agile methodology may be best option.

Business culture

Arguably one of the most important steps in choosing a suitable methodology is to conduct an in-depth study of what the team and organization value most.

Every organization have its own corporate culture, habits and values, and adopting a trending methodology that goes against it will most likely result in failure.

Waterfall and Agile: best practices for hybrid adoption

1. Define the macro-phases in Waterfall: identify the moments where deviations cannot be tolerated (e.g. production release, audits, contractual milestones) and set them as “Waterfall phases”.
2. Break down internal activities into Agile sprints: within each macro-phase, create short work cycles (1–2 weeks) to collect continuous feedback and adapt the product.
3. Integrate retrospectives: schedule a retrospective not only at the end of each sprint, but also at the end of each Waterfall macro-phase, to capitalize on lessons learned and refine the overall process.
4. Automate notifications and follow-ups: Automatically send reminders when a phase is nearing its deadline or a sprint is not meeting its predefined goals.

Why many organizations choose the hybrid model

• Optimization of time-to-market by balancing rigorous planning and reactive agility:
  Organizations can’t afford to wait months for a “perfect” product. With the hybrid model, critical macro-phases (release, compliance, audit) are planned using Waterfall, ensuring reliable roadmaps and deadlines, while development and improvement activities are handled through Agile sprints. This approach guarantees the continuous delivery of minimal but functional features, reducing time-to-market without sacrificing overall quality.

• Greater transparency through unified tools showing both linear and iterative progress:
  By using both Gantt charts and Kanban boards within the same platform, all stakeholders always have a clear view of progress: they see the “Waterfall” milestones and ongoing activities within the sprints. Integrated reports and dashboards make metrics such as completion percentage, hours worked, and remaining backlog visible, eliminating information silos and enabling fast, shared decisions.

• Risk reduction by breaking down complexity into manageable watdeliverables and adjusting through cyclical feedback:
  Splitting a complex project into Waterfall blocks and Agile sprints allows you to isolate areas of greatest uncertainty (new technologies, integrations, regulations) within short cycles, where problems can surface quickly and be addressed without impacting the entire plan. Retrospectives and Waterfall checkpoints serve as “release valves” for implementing course corrections, reducing the risk of major failures or delays.

Waterfall or Agile? Why choose, when you can have both with Twproject

As we saw previously, there is no single framework that is always the best choice.

Waterfall and Agile methodology both have their pros and cons, the important thing is to use them in the right way and at the right time, leveraging their strengths when the circumstances call for it.

As such, good project management software, like Twproject, can help integrate the two methodologies and gain the maximum benefits.

Thanks to a variety of features, Twproject allows you to assess the project circumstances and its elements and figure out which approach is best to follow.

Many organizations currently choose a mixed approach, using multiple methods where they are most suitable.

Furthermore, to ensure the success of a project, it is crucial to clearly define each phase of the process and assign roles to team members with the appropriate skills. A well-structured kickoff, a regular communication plan, and a retrospective at the end of each iteration help maintain high quality and motivation. 

Implementing performance metrics and continuous feedback loops allows for course correction early on, reducing risks and unforeseen issues.

Good project management software can therefore help in choosing and organizing work by increasing the likelihood of success.

Kanban vs. Scrum are two widely used project management approaches for organizing and managing work.

These two methodologies each have their distinct principles and practices and are best suited for different scenarios.

In this article, we will examine the key differences between Kanban and Scrum and when to use one or the other method.

Kanban method, what is it?

Kanban was born in the automotive industry, but its principles are now broadly used in other environments as well.

It is a visual project management method that tracks activities and minimizes project inefficiencies.

The core of the Kanban method is its distinctive Kanban board, on which project phases are divided into columns and tasks are written on cards that progress from one column to the next until they are completed.

The major benefit of using Kanban is improved transparency, which is achieved through a clear display of the tasks that need to be completed and their status.

Scrum method, what is it?

Scrum is an Agile methodology specifically designed for complex projects where it is often necessary to adapt to change.

This system is based on short development cycles called sprints, typically lasting from one to four weeks.

A Scrum team is usually self-organized, small, and includes a Scrum Master and a product owner.

As is typical in Agile frameworks, Scrum employs an iterative approach to project completion: instead of delivering the result all at once, the team completes and delivers tasks in several phases.

This makes it easy to adapt to changes and evolving priorities.

Kanban vs Scrum: key differences

Entrambe le metodologie, Kanban e Scrum, si basano su principi agili, ma sono Although both methodologies, Kanban and Scrum, are based on agile principles, they are applied differently for project and workflow management. Let’s explore in detail their main differences in structure, workflow, scope, roles, and metrics.

Structure

Scrum focuses mainly on iterations of tasks or small fixed time frames, called sprints. These, as earlier mentioned, last from one to four weeks and act as time intervals for increments of work.

On the other hand, the Kanban methodology does not involve sprints. Instead of focusing on task duration and predictability, in Kanban, one is more interested in task execution and cycle time reduction.

Workflow and visualization

Scrum uses a scrum board to keep track of tasks assigned to the team during a sprint.

Work components are presented in columns representing different phases, such as “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “Completed.” Yet, the number of tasks per sprint is determined at the beginning, and the team focuses on executing them during the established cycle.

Kanban, on the other hand, is more flexible. The workflow is displayed on a kanban board with similar columns, but the number of tasks per iteration is not limited.

Kanban implements the concept of Work-in-Progress (WIP) limits, which limit the number of activities that can be going on at the same time in each phase. This helps prevent work overload and keeps the flow continuous.

In short:

• Scrum: Board focused on sprints, with activities assigned to each iteration.
• Kanban: Flexible and seamless board, with limits on work in progress to optimize flow.

Scope

In the Scrum methodology, the team estimates how long it takes to build a feature to completion, using fixed sprints to gauge progress. The purpose of measuring velocity is not to assess productivity but to help the team properly plan the time needed to deliver a quality result.

Kanban’s main goal is to ensure a seamless flow with minimal bottlenecks. Unlike the Scrum method, Kanban is more suitable for projects without a backlog.

Roles

Scrum is based on three pre-defined roles:

• Product owner: In charge of initial planning, prioritization and communication;
• Scrum master: In charge of overseeing the planning and reviews of sprint and retrospective meetings;
• Team members: In charge of performing the work necessary for the completion of each sprint.

Kanban, on the other hand, has no specific roles or formal hierarchies. Any team member can be in charge of the work being done, and tasks can be assigned flexibly. This makes Kanban especially suitable for teams with a fluid structure and less dependent on defined roles.

In short:

• Scrum: Three well-defined roles (Product Owner, Scrum Master, Team Member).
• Kanban: No formal role, more flexible work management.

Performance measurement

Scrum makes use of several metrics to gauge team performance:

• Velocity: Team speed is the amount of work completed during a sprint.
• Burndown Chart: A chart showing how much work remains to be completed within a sprint.

Kanban focuses on other metrics:

• Cycle Time: The time it takes for a task to go from “Start” to “Completion.”
• Lead Time: The total time from a request’s receipt in the system until its completion.
• Throughput: The number of activities completed in a given period.

Kanban metrics are more flexible and suitable for monitoring ongoing workflow, while Scrum focuses on productivity within iterative cycles.

Kanban vs Scrum: how to choose the best approach

Between Kanban and Scrum, there is no best approach or definition.

The most fitting methodology is based on the specific objectives, corporate culture, team maturity, technical competence, and other factors.

Some key considerations for evaluating the best approach are:

• Learn about available methodologies: Many teams adopt the wrong approach because they do not know the alternatives.
• Asking for external help: Sometimes, it is difficult to objectively assess one’s own knowledge and performance. Getting input and feedback from external people can clarify one’s goals.
• Evaluate the maturity of the process: Is the team still increasing its technical expertise? Then, an approach that provides structure and consistency might be the best go-to strategy. Once the team has developed its proficiency with the technology, a framework providing more fluidity and flexibility may be worth considering. Alternatively, some teams simply prefer to have more structure in their process, whether they need it or not. Talking to team members, observing how employees work, and listening to what they say may be the key to choosing the best methodology.

Generally speaking, the Kanban methodology can adapt to existing processes.

If you don’t want to revamp your whole work process but want to reap the benefits of an Agile process, Kanban may be a good place to start.

Scrum has generally been associated with higher productivity, faster delivery, lower costs, and higher quality. Many project managers also consider Scrum to be an effective approach for managing complex projects or projects that might see frequent changes, such as those in the technology field.

…What about Scrumban?

Scrumban refers to an approach in which the team uses elements of both Scrum and Kanban to improve performance.

In the Agile framework, Scrum techniques are often already employed, such as defining overall work through sprints and managing the Kanban concept regarding limiting work in progress.

A project management software for Kanban vs Scrum vs Scrumban

Often, the type of software implemented in the enterprise drives the choice of framework, but this should not be the case.

Twproject is a flexible project management solution designed to fit different work management methodologies. It is ideal for teams using Kanban, Scrum, Scrumban, or a combination of approaches.  

Thanks to its flexibility, it offers customizable tools and features that allow teams to tailor the software to their needs while maintaining control over complex projects and dynamic workflows.

One of Twproject‘s major plus points is, as we have already discussed, its ability to adapt to different needs, regardless of the methodology used. 

Some of the key features that make it particularly versatile include:

• Board customization: Twproject allows teams to customize their Kanban boards or Scrum boards as needed. Columns can be renamed and adjusted to reflect team or project-specific work steps.
• Detailed reporting: It offers various customizable reports to track team performance. Reports can be set up to provide details on specific metrics, such as cycle time or team speed, and can be exported for sharing with external stakeholders.

Twproject not only helps manage workflow but also promotes collaboration among team members. Its collaborative features include:

• Resource management and task allocation: Project managers can easily assign tasks to team members, monitor progress, and balance workload among team members.
• Real-time communication: Twproject offers features designed to streamline communication among team members. Comments, status updates, and notes can be added directly to tasks, keeping the team informed and aligned on goals and progress.
• Time tracking: This software helps team members track time spent on each task, providing managers with precious data to improve planning and resource allocation in future projects.

Whether a Kanban-oriented team aims to optimize the continuous flow of work, a Scrum team working with sprints and fixed iterations, or a Scrumban team seeking flexibility and control, Twproject offers all the features needed to ensure project success.

A project backlog is the heart of planning and execution in an agile project management framework.

It’s more than just a list of tasks – it’s a strategic map that guides the team through project complexities and challenges.

This article will explore how to create an effective backlog, a crucial piece of any successful agile project.

What is a project backlog?

A project backlog is an ordered list of all needed to complete the project, including features, functions, technical requirements, improvements, and fixes to be undertaken.

In an agile framework, the backlog is dynamic and subject to change, reflecting evolving project and stakeholder needs.

A well-structured backlog is vital in providing clarity and efficiency. It helps teams quickly understand priorities and organize work more productively.

A clear and detailed backlog helps prevent misunderstandings and ensures all team members are aligned on project goals.

Core elements of a well-defined project backlog

Defining roles in the team

In the agile project scenario, role clarity is paramount to success. Team members are the drivers that turn ideas into reality.

In an agile environment, they work collaboratively, often in cross-functional teams, to complete backlog elements. Team members, specifically the Scrum Master and the Product Owner, have separate yet complementary responsibilities that directly influence the effectiveness of the project backlog.

The Scrum Master acts as a facilitator and coach for the team. Their role is to ensure that the team sticks to the agile methodology principles and uses the most effective practices.

This includes helping teams clear any hurdles that might hinder progress and ensuring that sprint planning meetings are productive.

The Product Owner is the project backlog keeper. This individual is responsible for defining the product vision and ensuring that the backlog reflects this vision.

The Product Owner prioritizes the backlog elements, ensuring that the most critical activities are addressed first. They also work closely with team members to clarify requirements and ensure user stories are well-defined and understandable.

Key elements of a project backlog

A well-defined backlog is more than just a task list; it is a comprehensive roadmap that walks the team through the project.

The backlog must be clear, organized, and strategically structured

 to be effective.

The key elements make it an indispensable tool in agile project management.

• Clarity and specificity: Every element of the backlog must be described clearly and precisely. This means that each task, user story, or requirement must come with well-defined goals and specific criteria for approval. A vague or generic description can lead to misinterpretations, causing delays and inefficiencies. Clarity helps the team understand exactly what needs to be done and what the expectations are.

• Strategic prioritization: Prioritization is crucial in a project backlog. Elements should be ordered according to their relevance and urgency. This helps the team focus on the most critical activities, ensuring that resources are allocated efficiently. Differentiating between what is essential and what can wait is crucial to project success.

• Flexibility and adaptability: The backlog must be flexible in an agile framework. It must be able to quickly adapt to changes, which may stem from user feedback, new findings during development, or changes in business priorities. A strict backlog can hinder progress; therefore, it must be regularly reviewed and updated to reflect the current reality of the project.

• Collaboration and team involvement: An effective backlog results from a collaborative process. Getting the team involved in creating and reviewing the backlog increases the accuracy and relevance of elements and improves team engagement and accountability. Each member should have the opportunity to contribute their insight and expertise.

• Visibility and accessibility: The backlog should be easily accessible to all team members. A clear understanding of the backlog elements ensures that everyone is aligned and aware of current priorities.

Agile methodology and project backlog

The agile methodology is a groundbreaking project management approach, emphasizing flexibility, collaboration, and swift response to change.

Here, the project backlog is crucial, serving as the backbone for the entire development process. Let’s take a look at how the backlog complements and supports the agile methodology.

In the agile methodology, projects are developed iteratively and incrementally – this means that work is broken down into small, manageable parts, often called “sprints.”  

The project backlog supports this approach by providing an ordered list of tasks and requirements that can be addressed in each sprint. This breakdown allows the team to focus on small, short-term goals, making faster and more flexible deliveries easier.

One of the core principles of agile is the ability to adapt quickly to changes.  

Indeed, the project backlog is dynamic; it is not a set plan but rather a list that evolves with the project. This means it can be tweaked and reprioritized based on stakeholder feedback, market changes, or discoveries made by the team during development.

An agile backlog allows the team to stay agile and responsive, ensuring that the final product is as relevant and high quality as possible.

The agile methodology puts heavy emphasis on collaboration among team members and stakeholders. The project backlog becomes a reference point for this collaboration.

Stakeholders, including clients and end users, can contribute to the backlog by providing feedback and suggestions. This ensures that the final product aligns with their needs and expectations. Likewise, the team can discuss and review backlog elements, ensuring they are realistic and feasible.

The prioritization of backlog elements is often based on the value each task brings to the customer or end user. This value-driven approach ensures that resources are focused on the most critical aspects of the project, maximizing the return on investment and impact of the final product.

User Story: the backlog heart

User stories are critical to the project backlog, particularly in an agile context. These short, user-focused descriptions describe what needs to be done and the value that each task brings to the end users.

A user story is typically worded using a simple but powerful structure: “As [user], I want [goal] so that [benefit].”

This format helps focus on the users’ needs and wants rather than detailed technical specifications. Each user story should be clear enough to provide a straightforward understanding of what the user needs and why it is important.

The focus of user stories is the value they bring to the user. This user-oriented approach ensures that the development team remains focused on creating functionality that improves the end-user experience.

Instead of getting lost in technical details, the team can ask, “Are we meeting the user’s needs with this feature?”.

User stories foster collaboration and open discussion within the team and with stakeholders.

They are excellent tools for facilitating mutual understanding and ensuring everyone is on the same page. They also help break work into smaller, more manageable parts, thus making it easier for the team to estimate effort and plan development.

Each user story should include clear criteria for acceptance, which define the specific conditions that must be met for the story to be considered complete.

These standards help ensure that the work accomplished meets expectations and provide clear testing and quality assurance guidelines.

User stories in backlogs should be prioritized according to their value and urgency. This prioritization process helps the team focus on the most important features to users, ensuring that resources are allocated efficiently and that the project makes meaningful progress.

Sprint planning and backlog management

Sprint planning and effective backlog management are critical elements in agile methodology, particularly in frameworks such as Scrum. These steps help teams organize work efficiently and ensure project goals are met systematically.

Let’s take a closer look at these aspects.

Sprint planning meeting

The sprint planning meeting is key when the team, jointly with the Product Owner and Scrum Master, establishes which backlog elements will be addressed in the next sprint.

During this meeting, the team assesses the complexity and time required for each backlog element, laying out a realistic plan for the work that can be completed during the sprint. This process requires a clear understanding of the team’s capabilities and project priorities.

 

Backlog elements selection

Choosing which backlog items to include in a sprint is a strategic process.

The team, headed by the Product Owner, must take into consideration various factors, such as the urgency of the user stories, their importance to the overall project, and their feasibility within that project’s time and resource constraints. The selected elements become part of the Sprint Backlog, a subset of the larger project backlog.

Project backlog management

As we have already discussed, the project backlog is not static; it is a living document that must be constantly updated and refined.

During a sprint, new information may come to light that requires adding new elements to the backlog or re-evaluating existing priorities. The Product Owner is responsible for keeping the backlog up-to-date, always reflecting current project and stakeholder needs.

A crucial aspect of backlog management is the active involvement of the team. Team members should be able to express their thoughts and feedback on backlog items, contributing to their definition and prioritization.

This collaborative approach increases the backlog’s effectiveness and improves team morale and commitment.

At the end of each sprint, the team should revise the completed work and get ready for the following one. This includes analyzing backlog elements that have not been completed and their possible inclusion in the next sprint.

This ongoing review and planning process ensures that the team remains focused and aligned with the project’s long-term goals.

Preparing for the next sprint

After a sprint is completed, allocating time to preparing for the next one is fundamental. This step is critical to maintain momentum and ensure that the project continues to progress efficiently and in a focused manner.

Let’s take a look at some key steps to effectively prepare for the next sprint.

1. Review of the ended sprint

It begins with an extensive review of the recently concluded sprint. This includes an analysis of what was completed, what was not accomplished, and the reasons for delays or obstacles. This analysis helps identify areas for improvement and lessons learned that can be applied in future sprints.

2. Project backlog update

Based on the review, update your project backlog. Remove or edit items that are no longer relevant and add new tasks or requirements that have come to light. Make sure the backlog reflects the current priorities and needs of your project.

3. Next sprint planning

With your updated backlog, the planning for your next sprint begins.  

This process should involve your entire team, ensuring the sprint goals are clear, realistic, and aligned with stakeholder expectations. Determine which backlog elements will be covered and define clear, measurable goals for the following sprint.

Ensure each team member understands the expectations and their role in achieving these goals.

4. Foster communication and collaboration

Emphasize the importance of open communication and collaboration within your team. Promote sharing of ideas, concerns, and feedback to improve the work process and team effectiveness constantly.

Twproject: the ultimate solution for your project backlog

Within the agile project management scenario, choosing the right tool to manage the backlog is crucial. 

Thanks to its dedicated functionality, Twproject stands out as an essential tool for agile backlog management.

It features a user-friendly UI streamlining backlog management, allowing users to easily add, edit and prioritize elements.

The platform fosters collaboration and effective communication within the team, which is critical to keeping everyone aligned on backlog priorities. It also supports progress tracking and provides detailed reports, helping project managers monitor project status and team efficiency.

Its integration with agile methodologies makes it especially suitable for backlog management in dynamic environments, while its support and security features ensure data protection and reliable support. 

Twproject excels not only in project backlog management but also in product backlog support. This helps project managers and teams get a holistic picture of product needs and priorities, making it easier for long-term strategic planning and agile adaptation to evolving market and user needs.

Ultimately, creating and managing an effective project backlog is essential to success in agile project management.

A well-maintained backlog and careful sprint planning empower project managers and their teams to successfully navigate the complexities of projects, maintaining a clear focus on objectives and ensuring that each step is aligned with the overall project vision.

Project managers can lead their projects to remarkable results with the right combination of tools, strategies, and team collaboration.

The goal of Lean Automation is to satisfy customers at the lowest cost possible.

To achieve this goal, it is better to follow the lean philosophy, which claims to remove those activities of low or no value.

But what exactly is Lean Automation and how does it benefit companies? Let’s find out in this article.

What is Lean Automation?

At the heart of lean production lies a shift in thinking: instead of improving individual process productivity, the focus should be on continuously improving the value customers get from products.

Likewise, the focus should also be on limiting and reducing costs.

In Industry 4.0, this ambivalent attention to the end customer and business costs sees the integration of automation.

The fourth industrial revolution requires the involvement of technology and digital transformation in virtually every industry, including lean manufacturing.

Therefore, Lean Automation becomes a key player in this context, due to its power to integrate lean principles by gradually automating processes.

Benefits of Lean Automation for companies

By choosing to integrate Lean Automation into production facilities, processes become faster and more efficient.

If executed correctly, this automation addition can yield a variety of benefits such as:

Lean Automation: Waste elimination

Automation provides the option of properly setting and programming a piece of equipment so that it yields results within certain ranges and can provide automatic alerts if the process does not meet tolerance limits.

This helps avoid scrap, rework and waste.

Even the most experienced operators cannot match the efficiency and repeatability of automation on routine or semi-routine processes.

Furthermore, automation systems can perform multiple tasks simultaneously, which is impossible in manual systems.

Lean Automation: Internet of Things

By connecting your equipment to your business systems, it will help reduce the effort required to report the state of production.

Internet of Things will allow for greater focus on productive work that will meet customer needs by eliminating the need to report any operation.

Lean Automation: Cost management

Manufacturing businesses in industrialized countries struggle to stay competitive in an increasingly aggressive market.

Automation cuts the number of people or shifts needed to achieve the same level of productivity, as well as reducing the need for goods handling machinery.

A way to increase automation is through the use of collaborative robotics and other automated machinery engineered to work together with humans.

These particular robots and machines may come at a relatively high initial cost, but they can deliver a quick return on investment.

Lean Automation: Improved security

Worker safety should be fundamental in any industry, especially the manufacturing industry where the most accidents occur.

By automating dangerous processes, you can keep employees safer by reducing production errors.

For example, an automated warehouse system keeps employees out of harm’s way on the warehouse floor, where accidents and collisions with forklifts can happen.

Lean Automation: Improved accuracy

Inventory management is one of the most important yet time-consuming activities in manufacturing.

No production facility can expect to satisfy its customers or operate effectively if its inventory is not accurate and controlled.

One of the most effective ways to guarantee its accuracy is to automate stock picking and storage processes.

Automated equipment can significantly reduce lost or misplaced materials and help ensure accurate lot tracking, which can cut down on obsolescence or waste due to expiration or spoilage.

Lean Automation: Front and back office automation

More than simple workflows or info alerts, today’s Lean Automation solutions can achieve a level of AI.

These automated processes can handle routine tasks and streamline business processes, ranging from accounting to prioritizing sales orders for shipment.

This can provide consistent quality and eliminate wasteful printing and document storage.

Lean Automation: Productivity maximization

Employee leaves and absences can impact overall productivity negatively.

Also, managing the workforce effectively can be challenging.

By implementing process Lean Automation, you can manage your workforce efficiently, streamlining those tasks that are time-consuming and repetitive, all while maximizing productivity.

Plus, by using an automated time and attendance software solution, organizations are able to automate payroll, work rules, and accrual rules along with vacation management, union contracts, and overtime reporting.

How to Implement Lean Automation

1. Analyze processes: When implementing Lean Automation, you should always prioritize your customers’ needs.

Lean manufacturing is about delivering the best value to your customer; therefore, automation efforts should focus on creating what the customer needs.

To properly set up the workflow, it is critical to distribute responsibility evenly.

The whole process should not be based on the operation of a single machine or person.

By distributing human responsibility and machine activities, the entire business can be better able to withstand change.

2. Vet people: Those people who shape the automation process are critical; thus, it is important to identify those with knowledge, experience, and expertise who can help during the process.

Also, it is important to maintain an open communication with all employees to create a culture of excellence.

3. Consider tools and technology: Any tools and technology that you will be using should work well with the people in the company.

In fact, automation should support employees’ work and not make it complicated or stall it.

Another medium to consider when implementing lean automation is training.

It is important to educate workers on how they can best use automated machinery to improve their work.

Bottom line, by implementing Lean Automation in a company, you can reduce waste and improve productivity.

However, to provide a truly efficient process, it is just not enough to be familiar with Lean Automation principles, but these must be adapted to the business structure.

One way to adapt a process to the business structure is to assign a role to all the resources involved by grouping them into a project and assigning a workload.

This workload must be spread out to avoid bottlenecks in the process while always ensuring customers’ needs are met.

TWProject helps in easily overcoming this issue thanks “Projects” tool, which helps to assign resources related to the process, execution time, and tasks to be performed in the process. Each resource involved in the process will be able to keep track of the project phases by managing the different tasks assigned and their execution times.

A product backlog is a list of work priorities for the development team that is derived from the roadmap and requirements.

Included within this document are new features, changes to existing ones, bug fixes, infrastructure changes, or other activities to achieve a specific outcome.

The product backlog is the only authoritative source for the things a team works on; this means that nothing is done that is not covered in the product backlog.

Conversely, having an item in the backlog does not guarantee that it will be delivered. In fact, this only represents an option the team has to deliver a certain outcome, but not a commitment.

It’s worth keeping in mind that the project backlog is a dynamic one that constantly changes as work progresses with new ideas appearing and different elements moving up or down.

How to manage the product backlog?

Managing a product backlog comes with several responsibilities.

Since the product roadmap is updated frequently, it must be closely linked to the product backlog. Therefore, accordingly, the backlog must be redefined to reflect changes and new findings.

In addition, care should be taken to keep this important document organized and easy to reference.

As stated earlier, the product backlog is a dynamic document and any member of the development team can add items, but only the product owner – who is responsible for it – decides the order of priorities and work.

How to create a successful product backlog

Here are some practical tips for creating and maintaining a successful product backlog:

• Keep it organized and up-to-date: The product backlog must be a trusted source of information for the development team. It’s essential to keep it manageable, and a typical mistake is to make the document too exhaustive and packed with items. The product manager must decide what to do to maximize the result while minimizing the output.
• Don’t create multiple lists: It is easier for everyone if you just work from a single backlog list. This way the work will be more transparent and no information will be lost.
• Focus on individual element value: if something doesn’t bring value, it shouldn’t be part of your product backlog.
• Promote discussion and feedback: stakeholders and development team members may question priorities in the product backlog. In these cases, it’s important to talk to each other and collect feedback to understand whether the change is motivated or not.
• Reorganize continuously – also known as product backlog grooming or backlog refining: the product backlog is a living document and, as a result, it evolves, changes, grows and shrinks over time. Therefore, it needs to be continually reordered and reorganized.

How to structure the product backlog

The product backlog can include hundreds of tasks, and arranging those items by size and relevance is one of the product manager’s most important tasks.

Smaller tasks and work items are usually achieved by subdividing the larger work items.

The items that are included in the product backlog must fall under the INVEST method items:

• Independent: each element must be independent of one another and each must serve a different function.
• Negotiable: each element must be open for trading.
• Valuable: each element must bring value and benefits to the customer, team and stakeholders.
• Estimable: the team should be able to estimate how long the item will take to process.
• Sized appropriately
• Testable

 

The organization of activities in a product backlog should follow the DEEP method, which stands for:

• Detailed appropriately
• Estimated appropriately – in other words, to the best of the team’s ability. Clearly, when the business is brand new, it will be more difficult to give a fair estimate.
• Emergent: The product backlog evolves continuously. As new items are added, existing items are modified or refined.
• Prioritized: When deciding how to rank work items in the product backlog, the product manager uses the acronym DIVE which stands for:
  • Dependencies: For example, if task A depends on task B, B should be ranked higher than A.
  • Insure against risks: activities that help in minimizing risk have higher priority.
  • Business value: the more valuable the activities are to the customer and the company, the higher priority they get.
  • Estimated effort: How much time is expected to be required to perform the task?

 

The product backlog is therefore a strong tool for the product manager, as it serves as a transition from strategic thinking to practical day-to-day work.

Product Backlog is easier with a little help

Project management software like Twproject can make your life easier managing your product backlog. It is not just a matter of writing it, but also about organizing it by priority, measure it, schedule it sprint by sprint and assign it to the write person.

With Twproject, in the Kanban board, you can do all of them in a very handy way.

Remember, product backlog is a paper that promotes focus, transparency and collaboration.

Proper planning and organization is an essential part of success.

See here an example of how to manage a project with SCRUM in Twproject.

When properly created and managed, the product backlog becomes a tool that helps teams manage constant change, achieve maximum productivity, and deliver maximum value to both company and customer.