Agile Methodology in SAP

According to Enterprise Apps Today, 98% of companies using the Agile methodology raised their incomes. As a result, for instance, in the USA, 71% of businesses employ the mentioned approach to planning regularly nowadays. Experts, in turn, claim that the specified method is prevalent in the SAP implementation processes.

Agile is one of the best software development methodologies available in the market that generally any proven software development company will prefer to use. It enables the developers and the customers to have an open conversation about the project and make it better. But sometimes, when the software development team doesn’t have experienced developers, Agile methodologies will not give expected results. Therefore, businesses must hire an agile software development team that has experience and expertise to work on both small & large-scale projects. The developers must be able to take full advantage of all the features, techniques, and perks of the agile method and offer the best software solution within the budget and before the deadline.

Why Is Agile the Most Attractive Methodology for a Client When Implementing SAP?

The described method offers the following benefits for businesses:

1. Essentially reduced SAP implementation cost and time. Agile allows you to detect wrong approaches to project-making at the early stages, which helps avoid extra resource expenses.
2. Significantly decreased risks. The specified methodology implies a thoughtful iterative approach to project creation as well as daily interaction between clients and IT agencies.
3. Flexibility together with choices. Development squads have a certain maximum capacity, but they still may be scaled up or down to make on-cloud, on-premises, hybrid, and mobile software in a more efficient way.

The specified pros are fair only if you introduce SAP by employing the services of reputable IT companies (like LeverX), though.

What Issues May Appear When Implementing SAP Using Agile?

Problems by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Pix4free

Here, IT specialists can face the subsequent difficulties:

1. Necessity to evaluate SAP implementation cost and time before the working process starts. So, IT specialists should not only satisfy their clients but also meet preset deadlines as well as budgets.
2. Need to engage development teams having skilled professionals from different IT branches (except Scrum).
3. Necessity to quickly make changes as projects progress. And that’s, although MVP typically appears only after the entire work completion, as SAP is a finished product.

Dubious IT agencies are unlikely to deal with the described challenges. That’s why experts recommend choosing only reputable companies to introduce SAP solutions.

Key Features Allowing You Successfully Implement SAP Using Agile

Success by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Pix4free

Zippia analysts report that Agile projects stand out for their high success rate. For example, such projects are 1.5 times more successful than Waterfall ones. However, that’s true only if an Agile strategy has certain specific features.

What Should Be Known About Product Owners?

Reliable POs need to meet the following requirements:

• they should be able to set the right priorities and make timely decisions;
• such specialists have to properly define client requirements as user stories;
• PO should take responsibility for the quality of IT projects to the company;
• Product Owners need to have the necessary amount of time to deal with all their duties.

Finally, POs are the main specialists protecting clients’ interests as well as linking business and technology strategies.

SAP Development Team in the Agile Methodology

Such collectives should include only proficient and responsible employees. That’s because the success of Agile strategies is highly dependent on strict adherence to deadlines within both sprints in particular and projects generally. A successful development team of an effective SAP software company also has to be motivated. This involves the subsequent things:

• gaming approach to assignment performance;
• tracking the progress of each employee and sending reports on their working efficiency;
• availability of bonuses for successfully completing assigned tasks on time;
• daily meetings and regular training sessions.

Employees should be able to easily communicate with each other and have the possibility to consult with skilled team leads.

Role of a Scrum Master

Scrum is a framework used to create complex software products. SM performs a leading role within this framework. Such specialists are responsible for the success of each separate employee and a team generally. So, an experienced Scrum Master may help an SAP software company to essentially increase its effectiveness.

Workflow Control Execution

This process includes the following stages:

1. Initial planning and preparation for the project. Here, discussing all details of a future SAP solution with a client is necessary.
2. Research conduction. Requirements are evaluated and prioritized at this point.
3. Implementation of the needed operations. This implies iterative configuring and testing integrated businesses together with system environments, loading data, setting up processes, as well as adapting interfaces.
4. Deployment. Within this stage, it’s necessary to conduct training, check the readiness of a client’s company, and switch business operations to a new SAP system.

The main attention should be paid to created functions, requirements defined during the project making, and demand accomplishment.

Bottom Line

Summary by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Pix4free

It’s possible to get the most positive effects when using the Agile methodology as a part of SAP solution creation if you do the following things:

• simplify the working process and eliminate “losses”;
• create iterative value;
• enhance project progress visibility (considering a working system as the main progress sign, adding functionality in small portions, and frequent revision of requirements);
• involving clients in all processes;
• flexibility (the ability to make changes in small batches).

You may get additional information on this topic in thematic blogs (for example, at leverx.com).