Gain insights into applying Agile methods in large projects and teams. Explore challenges, best practices, and strategies to secure organizational buy-in for successful implementation.

Agile methods allow us to handle rapidly changing requirements, typical in most software projects. These methods are conventionally used for small teams and software projects. However, in this course, you will learn how to effectively apply Agile methods to large software projects and large teams.

You’ll start with a recap of the Agile Manifesto, followed by a description of the common challenges associated with Agile methods in the context of large software projects. You’ll learn how Agile approaches have been applied to build responsibility. Next, you’ll learn about approaches to apply Agile methods in the processes. You will then learn best practices for applying Agile methods such as software testing, and software architecture. 

This course provides insights into successful and unsuccessful approaches to introducing agility to teams, processes, and technology aspects of large projects. It also teaches strategies to secure organizational buy-in for agility in the context of large projects and teams.

Applying Agile Methods to Large Teams and Projects

> _Sometimes it’s the headwind,_\
_which carries you higher and further._\
-- German proverb
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## Organizational structure as a source of the problem
Large companies often run large projects. The organizational structure of the companies habitually forces the projects to be run in a specific way, which gives rise to various problems. A common philosophy regarding this situation is:
> If you cannot change the organization, change organizations.


However, there are other ways to deal with these issues.




Most problems are mainly based on the structure of the company. Typically, a large company is more departmentally than project-structured. The departmental structure was originally invented to support the organizational _hierarchy_ and to _control_ the projects, not to provide the necessary support for projects. Consequently, these organizational departments seldom regard the projects as their customers. Therefore, even smaller projects could encounter these difficulties when being established in a large company.
### Struggle between the project and departments
This central tension has different effects. One is that a project will try to ignore those organizational (or cross-section) departments. If this is not possible, the project and the departments struggle with each other, wasting a lot of time, energy, and therefore money. The only resolution is to integrate all the departments, regardless of whether they focus on the organization or the project, and direct them toward the project’s goal. Keep in mind that it requires a lot of time and effort to develop a common focus and combine all the different interests of the various departments.
### Organizational structure: From control to support
Typical cross-section departments that are often established more to control than to support the projects are: 
* Project planning and controlling 
* Quality assurance and control 
* Auditing  

For an agile project, these departments can be very helpful if they work in a service-oriented fashion—with the project as their main customer. In order for the cross-section departments to be an integral part of the project, they have to be involved in the process at the outset.

## Communication and organization structure 

Large companies are typically set up using a departmental structure rather than a project structure. If we are running the first agile project in our company, we probably will not have the power to change the whole organization just to support our project. On the other hand, no project can ignore the influence of its environment. Therefore, we will have to deal with the fact that our organization’s structure does not support the project in an ideal way. If we are able to integrate the cross-section departments early on, they will start to identify themselves with the project almost from the beginning. Often, it is possible to integrate those departments without reorganizing the whole company. The cross-section departments are often quite happy to be part of the project. It is often much more efficient and motivating for the cross-section department to pull together and serve the project’s needs. The earlier they identify themselves with the project, the better their support will be because they will better understand its needs.


Learn about the importance of dealing with organizational structure and departmental roles in large projects.


Departments: From Control to Support

Learn about the importance of dealing with organizational structure and departmental roles in large projects.

Introduction to the Course

Agility and Largeness

Dealing with Large Teams

Dealing with the Process

Dealing with the Technology

Dealing with the Company

Putting It All Together: A Project Report (Case Study)

Final Thoughts

Departments: From Control to Support

Organizational structure as a source of the problem