Why the Agile approach
At LARUS, we believe in the power of the Agile approach to transform the way businesses operate in today’s dynamic business environment. That’s why we’ve embraced the Agile manifesto and its set of values and principles to guide our approach to both project management and work processes. This versatile and efficient method reflects in a productive teamwork, in a collaborative relationship with customers and, in general, in a flexible approach to problem-solving.
Companies can implement an Agile approach through specific methodologies. We have chosen the Spotify Model, an agile software development approach that is scalable, flexible and quickly adaptable to changes. It improves our work processes thanks to its unique practices designed to promote autonomy, self-organization and collaboration among teams. These are crucial features for a company like ours, which operates in a rapidly evolving market and offers a portfolio of complex products and services.
The power of Spotify Model
We chose the Spotify Model as it is an effective approach to scaling Agile. We understand how important it is to stay agile, that’s why our teams work in sprints, short periods of time during which specific tasks are completed and delivered.
We organize our teams into “tribes”, “squads,” and “chapters”:
- A tribe consist of several coordinated squads that work together following a common overall vision and strategy;
- A squad is an autonomous team within a tribe that works on a specific component or feature of a product;
- A chapter is a group of individuals that share a specific expertise or skill whose purpose is to promote cross-functional collaboration and knowledge sharing.
Our Consulting, Project, Solution, Labs, Academy and R&D Tribes are thus able to quickly adjust and deliver value. In this way they ensure that the final results meet any customer’s needs.
The Agile frameworks
LARUS tribes use Agile frameworks such as Scrum, Kanban and XP. They also set regular meetings, such as daily stand-ups and retrospectives, to make sure that everyone is on the same wavelength and, if needed, promptly address any obstacles. Furthermore, they regularly evaluate their processes and make the adjustments needed to increase efficiency and effectiveness.
In this way we have increased our level of transparency and communication within our teams. Their members are empowered to speak up and share their thoughts. This also leads to better decision-making and more efficient issue management.
LARUS choose an Agile mindset
For LARUS Agile is a mindset and a culture that we embody in every project we undertake. Our values perfectly align with those of the Agile philosophy: flexibility, collaboration, innovation, passion and pragmatism.
- We believe that flexibility is key to success in today’s constantly changing business environment. Agile allows us to adapt when customers’ needs change which is essential to meet their highest expectations.
- Collaboration is one of LARUS core values. Working together as a team is crucial to achieve success. Agile encourages transparent communication and active participation of all team members, which means a more productive team-work, more creative solutions, greater efficiency in everyday jobs.
- Innovation is of course another key value for LARUS. Agile methodologies promote experimentation and continuous improvement, which allows us to develop new solutions, always staying ahead of the curve.
- We always put passion in what we do and are proud of the difference we make while delivering high-quality products and services to our customers.
- LARUS also embodies pragmatism because it allows us to always find the most efficient and effective solution to any issue.
How clients are involved
We build all our contracts following Agile approach. In this way we set project and sprint timelines, define costs, but leave the scope open and updatable.
Unlike traditional approaches, our customers are key members of the project team. They play an active role not only in defining the project’s requirements and goals but also in regularly prioritizing, planning and reviewing them together with the development team. This close collaboration allows our team to quickly adapt to changing requirements according to feedback.
Clients can participate in the development of the project. With Scrum we involve clients throughout the entire project. If necessary, they can make real-time adjustments, in this way ensuring that it stays aligned with their evolving expectations. Here the customer is represented by the Product Owner and is expected to provide input and feedback. He/she is also in charge of defining and prioritizing the project’s requirements.
Agile thus empowers clients to be closely involved in every step of the development process. At the same time it also enables developers to better understand their needs and meet their requirements.
A wider agile approach
In conclusion, the Agile manifesto and its values and principles perfectly match LARUS values both internally and externally. By embracing it, we’re able to foster a positive and productive work environment for our team members while delivering top-level products and services to our customers. At the same time, our tailored-made agile contracts enable clients to be closely and actively involved in the day-to-day development process. In this way we are always able to align the project with their goals and objectives.