Project Management
Success consists of the fact that one has exactly the abilities, which are in demand for the moment. – Henry Ford
Product and project management are about far more than only managing and finalising projects. It is our priority to ensure that your product or service is in line with the market. We rely on agile project management with a focus on a minimum viable product that allows us to bring your ideas to the market as quickly as possible!
OUR CUSTOMERS
Successfully Implement Agile Project Management
What is agile project management?
Agile is initially regarded as the mindset on which the principles and practices such as Scrum, Lean, Design Thinking, etc. are based.
In the agile mindset, there is an “inner perception” that changes are constantly happening and cannot be prevented but merely ignored.
Thus, change can be used to the advantage of the organisation. In the first step, the mindset draws on the four pairs of values from the agile manifesto. In essence, it is about people and communication, fast product delivery, customer orientation, and value creation.
Why agile project management?
Agile project management facilitates a quick start to a project, as not all aspects have to be determined and approved at the beginning. Through participation in meetings, usability tests, sprint planning, and personal acceptance of sprint results, a company has a direct influence on the progress of the project. This results in more effective workflows, which in turn lead to the early detection and elimination of errors. This method of working helps achieve more effective results that are customised to the customer’s and user’s needs. Agile project management creates long-term customer loyalty and allows you to react quickly to changing competitive requirements or customer’s needs.
What is agile planning?
Agile planning takes place across the entire project in a light-weight framework. To enable effective planning, all stakeholders should participate as much as possible. The responsibility and self-organisation of agile planning lie with the executing project members. Special attention should be given to more transparent interactions.
Agile planning sets milestones, but keeps the path to the objective uncovered and allows for changes to future milestones. It also leads to testable partial results (iterations).
What we do
Data Collection and Documentation
After we define the system context and analyse the stakeholders, we identify the appropriate requirements. Many different concepts and techniques help us with this. For example, real customer’s demands can be established through workshops where their requirements are defined. In these workshops, requirements are derived from goals and scenarios and are then refined and evaluated. From this, a consensus among stakeholders can be reached.
Conceptualisation of the Project and Strategies
We define problems, goals and strategies through close consultation with our clients. It is important for us to work closely together and to involve you in the development of our strategies. These are designed to expand your product’s lifespan and to make your business more profitable. Many years of expertise help us to determine a convincing, goal-oriented and individual concept for your project.
Specialisations
We provide you with experts who are trained to directly meet your project requirements. The following are available to you: Business Analyst, PMO Management, Support and Assistance, IT Project Manager, SCRUM Master, Change and Quality Manager, Product and Release Manager. This high level of flexibility guarantees that we can react and adapt quickly to your needs.
Project Monitoring
We constantly monitor the progress of your project, in terms of both proactive and operational project management. This is a prerequisite for a smooth and schedule-oriented process. We take responsibility for the success of your projects and ensure the achievement of all project goals concerning time, quality and scope, as well as the professional leadership of our team.
Our Approach
Design Thinking, Lean and Agile – The Combination Makes the Difference
At Digital Loop, we are all about collaborating and working together with our clients to achieve their goals. Learning is a team effort, and collaboration is key to this shared journey.
“Design thinking” is about individual skills and learning the pursuit of knowledge. It helps us design a solution to complex technological issues.
“Lean” offers a different way of thinking about managing the work system. It involves investigating uncertainties whilst quickly launching a tangible marketable product, also called a Minimum Viable Product (MVP).
In conditions of great uncertainty, “Agile” offers opportunities to create software that are dynamic and easily adaptable to changes. It is not only about pivoting: it is also about scaling and developing solutions, over time. In agile project work, our ability to respond to upcoming changes should not be neglected. Accordingly, today’s solution may be different from tomorrow’s. The heart of agile is therefore the smooth adaptation of software, to ever-changing needs.
The Most Important Steps in our Project Workflow
Working with SCRUM
In our project workflow, we strongly lean towards SCRUM project management, in which the main focus is to deliver consistently. Each iteration leads to the next piece of the software development jigsaw – working software and supporting elements, such as documentation, that are available to the client until the final product is ready.
Typically, each iteration takes for two to four weeks and has a fixed time of completion. Due to its time-bound nature, the iteration process is systematic, and the scope of each iteration is only as broad, as the assigned time permits.
To ensure that the features match their needs, it is important that customers give feedback during an iteration. If changes are requested, we incorporate them directly in the next iteration or immediately send them to production. Our core values are transparent communication and continuous improvement, to maintain a coherent and balanced workflow.
Our Experts on the Importance of Good Project Management
Agile Mindset
In a world filled with buzzwords, Digital Loop tackles new ways of working and thinking. We take complete responsibility for what you want and need. Personally, I’m proud to be part of a team that doesn’t just do their tasks, but also enjoys bringing projects to life and getting people to actually make use of them. An online shop, a marketplace, a web service or a website: we CAN plan it and carry it out – for and with you.
Product Owner
We focus on adding value to your product. As the main interface between you and our agile developer team, we ensure that your goals and visions are integrated with each step of the development process. Thanks to our agile approach, we are able to promptly adapt to your wishes, as well as to new technologies and trends. We are happy to advise you on the development of your online shop.
Scrum Master
The success of a project depends on the motivation of the team. As a Scrum Master, I do NOT want to motivate people. I rather want to create a trusted environment in which they motivate themselves and leave room for innovative ideas, to be shared between the team and the client. Internal cooperation and stable team structures are the base for the successful implementation of your product.
Frequently Asked Questions in Project Management
What skills do project members need for agile project management?
There is no general answer to this. To begin with, the differences between classic and agile project management need to be explained.
Traditional project management relies on strict targets to achieve goals, resources are clearly allocated and costs estimated in advance. Moreover, a deadline is set by which the project must be completed. The conventional approach gives orientation and certainty to stakeholders of the project.
In contrast to the classic approach, agile project management offers high flexibility. Changes in goals and plans and new customer needs can be incorporated quickly and easily, based on regular intermediary results. Unlike classical project management, in agile project management, it is uncertain if a strategy is getting closer to the goal. The differences demonstrate that there is a completely new way of thinking that lies behind the traditional approach.
An agile project manager is a decision-maker and should have great communication skills as they have to continuously mediate between different stakeholders. This competence is in line with the ability to work as a team. Additionally, a project manager should not only be a decision-maker, but also share decisions and accept changes in goals and plans.
Would you also like to work in an agile way? Digital Loop is your partner when it comes to agile project management.
Is Kanban suited for agile project management?
Besides Scrum, Kanban is another popular method for agile project management. With the help of Kanban, projects and processes can be optimised quickly and effectively. Thereby, all work steps are visualised in a structured way on a Kanban board, which enables a clear overview of the distribution of tasks, for all project members. The underlying idea is to enable a smooth workflow through the production process. It is done through clearly defined guidelines and feedback loops to solidify the transfer of knowledge. Kanban can be easily implemented, in both the real and digital world.
Do you have further questions? We are happy to advise you – arrange a free initial consultation now.
What are some common features of project management software?
Classic project management software helps you meet project budgets and timelines. Project members find time tracking, email integration, budget management and data sharing features most helpful. In marketing, collecting ideas, tracking status and managing tasks are further essential functions. Software for agile project management also offers communication tools, integration of feedbacks and the collection of measurement data.
We are happy to advise you on the choice of the most suitable project management software.
What distinguishes Digital Loop from other agencies in project management?
As a modern digital marketing agency, we are not discouraged by change. Instead, we proactively embrace change and see it as an opportunity for progress. We incorporate this approach in our projects, thereby helping your company to grow and work more efficiently.
We emphasise close collaboration with you and are committed to meet the demands of your business. We provide you with qualified and agile project managers, who support you in the introduction and training of agile project management software.
What are the roles in SCRUM?
SCRUM defines three central roles: the SCRUM Master, the Product Owner and the SCRUM Team (development team).
The SCRUM Master is responsible for the execution of sprints and project. They act as the interface between the product owner and the development team and ensures smooth communication.
Whilst the SCRUM Master ensures the execution of the sprints, the Product Owner is responsible for the successful and profitable implementation of the project. Although they have the power of making decisions, they always involve the SCRUM team and the stakeholders.
The SCRUM team implements the relevant requirements for the project within the set deadlines. The development team covers all the skills needed to implement the project. People can also specialise in specific areas.
If you have further questions about agile project management and SCRUM, we are happy to arrange a free initial consultation with you.
What is a sprint in SCRUM?
In a SCRUM sprint, all project members complete predefined milestones within a set period and submit these for review. These milestones are the result of so-called “sprint plannings“. The SCRUM team discusses goals and subsequent tasks. Ideally, all SCRUM members are involved and determine the duration of a sprint together. However, in case of doubt, the SCRUM master will define it. As a rule of thumb, a sprint usually lasts between 2 and 4 weeks.
Do you need support with the implementation of SCRUM? We are happy to advise you.
Interested in our service?
Contact us!
Steinsdorfstraße 2
80538 München
089 – 41 61 47 83 0
089 – 41 61 47 83 4
contact@digital-loop.com