{"id":25666,"date":"2026-03-03T22:24:41","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T20:24:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/glossary\/agile-methods\/"},"modified":"2026-03-06T15:15:40","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T13:15:40","slug":"agile-methods","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/agile-methods\/","title":{"rendered":"Agile Methods"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"background:#f0f1f3;padding:1.5rem;margin-bottom:2rem;border-radius:12px;\">\n<strong>In brief:<\/strong> Agile methods are iterative, flexible ways of working that focus on rapid adaptation, continuous feedback, and cross-functional teamwork. Originally rooted in software development, they are now used across industries for innovation, project management, and organizational transformation.\n<\/div>\n<nav style=\"background:#f8f9fa;padding:1.5rem 2rem;border-radius:8px;margin-bottom:2rem;\">\n<strong style=\"font-size:1.1rem;\">Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol style=\"margin:0.75rem 0 0;padding-left:1.25rem;\">\n<li><a href=\"#definition\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#1a5276;\">What are agile methods? \u2013 Definition <\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#prinzipien\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#1a5276;\">The 4 values and 12 principles<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#frameworks\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#1a5276;\">An overview of the most important agile frameworks<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#scrum\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#1a5276;\">Scrum: The most widely used agile framework<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#kanban\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#1a5276;\">Kanban: Continuous flow instead of sprints<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#vorteile\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#1a5276;\">Benefits of agile methods<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#kmu\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#1a5276;\">Agile methods for Austrian SMEs<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#faq\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#1a5276;\">Frequently asked questions about agile methods<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#verwandte-glossar-begriffe\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#1a5276;\">Related glossary terms<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<h2 id=\"definition\">What are agile methods? \u2013 Definition <\/h2>\n<p>Agile methods are an umbrella term for work and management approaches based on the values and principles of the Agile Manifesto (2001). They prioritize individuals and interactions over processes and tools, working outcomes over comprehensive documentation, customer collaboration over contract negotiation, and responding to change over following a plan. <\/p>\n<p>At its core, this is a paradigm shift: away from the illusion that everything can be planned in advance (waterfall model) and toward an iterative way of working that accepts uncertainty as the norm and enables rapid learning cycles.<\/p>\n<p>For <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/innovation-management\/\">innovation management<\/a>, agile methods are indispensable: by definition, innovation happens under uncertainty\u2014precisely the domain for which agility was developed. Combined with <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/lean-startup\/\">Lean Startup<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/design-thinking\/\">Design Thinking<\/a>, agile methods form the methodological backbone of modern <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/innovation-process\/\">innovation processes<\/a>. <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"prinzipien\">The 4 values and 12 principles<\/h2>\n<p><strong>The 4 values of the Agile Manifesto:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Individuals and interactions<\/strong> over processes and tools<\/li>\n<li><strong>Working outcomes<\/strong> over comprehensive documentation<\/li>\n<li><strong>Customer collaboration<\/strong> over contract negotiation<\/li>\n<li><strong>Responding to change<\/strong> over following a plan<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These values are made concrete by 12 principles, including: highest priority for customer satisfaction, regular delivery of working outcomes, daily collaboration between domain experts and implementers, self-organizing teams, and regular reflection for continuous improvement.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"frameworks\">An overview of the most important agile frameworks<\/h2>\n<table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;margin:1rem 0;\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background:#f1f5f9;\">\n<th style=\"padding:0.75rem;text-align:left;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Framework<\/th>\n<th style=\"padding:0.75rem;text-align:left;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Focus<\/th>\n<th style=\"padding:0.75rem;text-align:left;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Suitable for<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Scrum<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Iterative development in sprints (1\u20134 weeks)<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Product development, complex projects<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Kanban<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Flow optimization, visualization, WIP limits<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Operational processes, service teams<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Scrumban<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Combination of Scrum and Kanban<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Teams in transition, mixed work<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">SAFe<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Scaled agility for large organizations<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Corporations with multiple agile teams<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/design-thinking\/\">Design Thinking<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">User-centered problem solving<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Innovation, problem understanding<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/lean-startup\/\">Lean Startup<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Build-Measure-Learn, MVP validation<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\"><a href=\"\/glossar\/geschaeftsmodell-innovation\/\" style=\"color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;\">Business model innovation<\/a>, Startups<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2 id=\"scrum\">Scrum: The most widely used agile framework<\/h2>\n<p>Scrum structures work into time-boxed iterations (sprints) and defines three roles, five events, and three artifacts:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Roles:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Product Owner:<\/strong> Represents the customer and business perspective and prioritizes the Product Backlog<\/li>\n<li><strong>Scrum Master:<\/strong> Coaches the team, removes impediments, and ensures adherence to the Scrum process<\/li>\n<li><strong>Development Team:<\/strong> Cross-functional, self-organizing team (3\u20139 people) that delivers the work<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Events:<\/strong> Sprint Planning \u2192 Daily Standup \u2192 Sprint Review \u2192 Sprint Retrospective \u2013 on a cadence of 1\u20134 weeks.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For innovation:<\/strong> Scrum is ideally suited for the implementation phase in the <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/innovation-process\/\">innovation process<\/a>\u2014after the problem has been understood with <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/design-thinking\/\">Design Thinking<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/lean-startup\/\">Lean Startup<\/a> has validated <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/product-market-fit\/\">product\u2013market fit<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"kanban\">Kanban: Continuous flow instead of sprints<\/h2>\n<p>Kanban (Japanese: signal card) optimizes workflow through four core practices:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Visualization:<\/strong> Make all tasks visible on a Kanban board (To Do \u2192 In Progress \u2192 Done)<\/li>\n<li><strong>WIP limits:<\/strong> Limit the number of concurrent tasks\u2014focus instead of multitasking<\/li>\n<li><strong>Flow management:<\/strong> Identify and remove bottlenecks, optimize lead time<\/li>\n<li><strong>Continuous improvement:<\/strong> Regularly analyze and adapt the system<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Kanban is often the easiest entry point into agile ways of working\u2014especially for teams that do not want to fully switch to Scrum. Ideal for <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/idea-management\/\">idea management<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/innovation-process\/\">innovation pipeline<\/a> management. <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"vorteile\">Benefits of agile methods<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Faster time-to-market:<\/strong> Iterative delivery gets outcomes to market faster<\/li>\n<li><strong>Higher quality:<\/strong> Regular feedback and testing reduce errors<\/li>\n<li><strong>Greater adaptability:<\/strong> Market changes can be addressed in real time<\/li>\n<li><strong>Higher customer satisfaction:<\/strong> Close customer involvement in the development process<\/li>\n<li><strong>More motivated teams:<\/strong> Self-organization and autonomy increase engagement<\/li>\n<li><strong>Transparency:<\/strong> Progress is visible to everyone, and issues are identified early<\/li>\n<li><strong>Risk reduction:<\/strong> Early validation quickly reveals missteps\u2014a core principle of <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/lean-startup\/\">Lean Startup<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"kmu\">Agile methods for Austrian SMEs<\/h2>\n<p>SMEs are often &#8220;unconsciously agile&#8221; \u2013 short communication channels, quick decisions, direct customer communication. Conscious agility systematically leverages these strengths: <\/p>\n<p><strong>Getting started recommendations for SMEs:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Introduce a Kanban board:<\/strong> Start with a simple Kanban board (physical or digital with Trello\/Miro) for your most important team or project<\/li>\n<li><strong>Establish a daily standup:<\/strong> A 15-minute daily check-in: What did I do? What am I doing today? Where do I need help?  <\/li>\n<li><strong>Introduce retrospectives:<\/strong> Every 2 weeks, 30 minutes: What went well? What can we improve? Agree on concrete improvement actions  <\/li>\n<li><strong>Work iteratively:<\/strong> Break large projects into 2-week cycles, review outcomes at the end of each cycle, and adjust priorities<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Avoid the mistake of forcing a complete Scrum framework\u2014with all roles and artifacts\u2014onto a 10-person company. Agility is a mindset, not a rulebook\u2014use what fits and adapt what does not work. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/innovation-coaching\/\">Innovation coaching<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/innovation-consulting\/\">innovation consulting<\/a> can support the introduction of agile ways of working and help avoid typical beginner mistakes. <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/change-management\/\">Change management<\/a> also plays a role: agile ways of working often require a shift in leadership thinking. <\/p>\n<div style=\"background:linear-gradient(135deg,#1e3a5f,#2563eb);color:#fff;padding:2rem;border-radius:12px;margin:2rem 0;text-align:center;\">\n<h3 style=\"color:#fff;margin-top:0;\">Work agile \u2013 accelerate innovation<\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-size:1.1rem;\">We help you introduce agile methods in a practical way\u2014tailored to your company size, industry, and culture. No dogma\u2014just what works. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/business-model-innovation-services\/\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#fff;color:#1e3a5f;padding:0.75rem 2rem;border-radius:8px;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;margin-top:0.5rem;\">Request agile consulting now \u2192<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<div itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/FAQPage\">\n<h2 id=\"faq\">Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)<\/h2>\n<details itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" style=\"background:#eaecee;border-radius:8px;margin-bottom:0.75rem;overflow:hidden;\">\n<summary itemprop=\"name\" style=\"padding:1rem 1.2rem;font-weight:600;cursor:pointer;color:#2c3e50;\">Are agile methods only suitable for software companies?<\/summary>\n<div itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" style=\"padding:0 1.2rem 1rem;color:#2c3e50;\">\n<div itemprop=\"text\" style=\"margin-top:0.75rem;\">\n<p>No. Agile methods are now used in almost all industries\u2014from automotive and healthcare to marketing. The core principles (iterative work, customer feedback, self-organization) are universal. However, the specific framework must be adapted to the context: Scrum in its pure form is better suited to knowledge work, while Kanban also works extremely well in operational areas such as manufacturing or service.   <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" style=\"background:#eaecee;border-radius:8px;margin-bottom:0.75rem;overflow:hidden;\">\n<summary itemprop=\"name\" style=\"padding:1rem 1.2rem;font-weight:600;cursor:pointer;color:#2c3e50;\">Does agile work without an agile corporate culture?<\/summary>\n<div itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" style=\"padding:0 1.2rem 1rem;color:#2c3e50;\">\n<div itemprop=\"text\" style=\"margin-top:0.75rem;\">\n<p>In the short term, yes; in the long term, no. Agile methods can also be introduced at team level in traditional organizations\u2014often delivering quick improvements. But without the right <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/innovation-culture\/\">culture<\/a> (trust, tolerance for mistakes, openness), agility reaches its limits: for example, when decisions are still made hierarchically or mistakes are punished instead of seen as learning opportunities. Sustainable agility requires cultural change.   <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" style=\"background:#eaecee;border-radius:8px;margin-bottom:0.75rem;overflow:hidden;\">\n<summary itemprop=\"name\" style=\"padding:1rem 1.2rem;font-weight:600;cursor:pointer;color:#2c3e50;\">What is the difference between agile and Scrum?<\/summary>\n<div itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" style=\"padding:0 1.2rem 1rem;color:#2c3e50;\">\n<div itemprop=\"text\" style=\"margin-top:0.75rem;\">\n<p>Agile is the overarching mindset and value base\u2014defined by the Agile Manifesto. Scrum is a specific framework that translates these values into a concrete way of working (sprints, roles, events). You can work agile without using Scrum (e.g., with Kanban). Conversely, you can perform Scrum rituals without truly being agile\u2014if the mindset is missing.   <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" style=\"background:#eaecee;border-radius:8px;margin-bottom:0.75rem;overflow:hidden;\">\n<summary itemprop=\"name\" style=\"padding:1rem 1.2rem;font-weight:600;cursor:pointer;color:#2c3e50;\">How do I measure the success of agile ways of working?<\/summary>\n<div itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" style=\"padding:0 1.2rem 1rem;color:#2c3e50;\">\n<div itemprop=\"text\" style=\"margin-top:0.75rem;\">\n<p>Proven metrics include: lead time (from idea to completion), cycle time (active processing time), velocity (amount of work per sprint in Scrum), customer satisfaction (e.g., NPS after deliveries), team satisfaction (regular retrospectives), and delivery reliability (are commitments met?). Avoid optimizing for speed alone\u2014quality and sustainability are just as important. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details style=\"background:#eaecee;border-radius:8px;padding:0;margin-bottom:0.75rem;\">\n<summary style=\"padding:1rem 1.2rem;font-weight:600;cursor:pointer;color:#2c3e50;list-style:none;\">What is the difference between agile and lean methodologies?<\/summary>\n<div style=\"padding:0 1.2rem 1rem 1.2rem;\">Agile focuses on iterative development through short cycles (sprints) with frequent feedback and adaptation, originally designed for software development. Lean emphasizes eliminating waste, maximizing value, and continuous improvement across any business process. Agile asks &#39;are we building the right thing?&#39; while Lean asks &#39;are we eliminating waste?&#39; Many organizations combine both \u2013 using Lean to optimize processes and reduce waste while using Agile for product development and customer responsiveness.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Related Terms<\/h2>\n<div style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:0.5rem;margin-top:0.5rem;\">\n<a style=\"display:inline-block;background:white;border:1px solid #d5d8dc;border-radius:20px;padding:0.4rem 1rem;margin:0.3rem;color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;font-size:0.95em;\" href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/innovation-management\/\">Innovation Management<\/a><br \/>\n<a style=\"display:inline-block;background:white;border:1px solid #d5d8dc;border-radius:20px;padding:0.4rem 1rem;margin:0.3rem;color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;font-size:0.95em;\" href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/design-thinking\/\">Design Thinking<\/a><br \/>\n<a style=\"display:inline-block;background:white;border:1px solid #d5d8dc;border-radius:20px;padding:0.4rem 1rem;margin:0.3rem;color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;font-size:0.95em;\" href=\"\/en\/glossary\/business-model-innovation\/\">Business Model Innovation<\/a><br \/>\n<a style=\"display:inline-block;background:white;border:1px solid #d5d8dc;border-radius:20px;padding:0.4rem 1rem;margin:0.3rem;color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;font-size:0.95em;\" href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/digital-transformation\/\">Digital Transformation<\/a><br \/>\n<a style=\"display:inline-block;background:white;border:1px solid #d5d8dc;border-radius:20px;padding:0.4rem 1rem;margin:0.3rem;color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;font-size:0.95em;\" href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/lean-startup\/\">Lean Startup<\/a><br \/>\n<a style=\"display:inline-block;background:white;border:1px solid #d5d8dc;border-radius:20px;padding:0.4rem 1rem;margin:0.3rem;color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;font-size:0.95em;\" href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/change-management\/\">Change Management<\/a>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In brief: Agile methods are iterative, flexible ways of working that focus on rapid adaptation, continuous feedback, and cross-functional teamwork. Originally rooted in software development, they are now used across&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24529,"parent":25140,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-25666","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Point-of-New-Business-Model-Innovation-Benedikt-Hasibeder-scaled.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25666","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25666"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25666\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28069,"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25666\/revisions\/28069"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25140"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25666"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}