Listen to this articleAgile Worx is one of the leading providers of Predictive Agile Analytics. It utilizes a special research based Metagility approach proven to help clients put their agile implementation into hyper-drive and achieve market leadership. Below is our interview with David Bishop, Founder and CEO of Agile Worx:
Q: What’s Agile Worx startup story?
A: Five years ago, my colleagues and I worked for a company in the smart metering industry, which had set about adopting agile/scrum methodology. Competition in the industry was fierce, and company leadership needed to get their product out the door faster without compromising quality. We believed agile/scrum was the best way to do this, but didn’t know how to go about it, especially with embedded systems development. We tried and failed multiple times, spending thousands of dollars on consultants in the process. On the 3rd try, we hit the nail on the head. So much so, that the company became #1 in its market. I asked my colleagues, “What if we could bottle this process and sell it?” That’s exactly what we set about doing. But we approached it in a very methodical way. We conducted a research study over a 5-year period of how the most successful companies adopt and manage agility. What resulted from this study was a playbook called “Metagility™” that allows other businesses to duplicate the same success! We then productized this playbook into Agile Worx™, an agile management platform that gives executive leadership the reporting capability and management guidance to put their agile/scrum implementation into overdrive, thereby maximizing innovative capability and market share.
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Q: What were some of the lessons learned from your research, and how does Agile Worx™ address them?
A:
* Executive engagement is critical to agile business transformation. All too often, agile/scrum is treated as if it is just another development process that only programmers and testers need to be concerned with. Agility is not just a development method; it’s a new way of doing business. Unless that business transformation takes place from the top down, the results will be marginal. Agile Worx™ supports this top down approach by providing all levels of management the visibility to see what is going on with their programs, projects, and teams, and the dials and knobs to affect change. Many ALM (agile lifecycle management) tools focus mostly on managing artifacts, such as requirements, tasks, user stories, etc., which reinforces the “bottom up” mindset and leaves upper management out of the picture.
* Hybrid Agility may be the best approach. With some development contexts, such as embedded systems, a hybrid approach of agile and waterfall characteristics may be the best solution. The key is getting the right mix, or combination for your situation. We believe we have determined the best recipe with our research-based Metagility™ playbook, which is baked directly in to the Agile Worx™ product.
* Coaching is always needed. Even the best ball teams always have a coach. Agile/scrum teams are no different. Market landscapes change over time, and so a business and its agile solution need to adapt. Many of our case studies expressed a need for continuous coaching. Agile Worx™ combines an extensive knowledge base and virtual agile coach that adapts to changing business needs.
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Q: You’ve recently announced the release of the Agile Worx™ agile management platform; tell us something more?
A: Yes, we’ve just released Agile Worx™ Basic, which provides agility based reporting, analytics, and an agile management knowledge base. It integrates with other tools in the enterprise, such as lifecycle management, requirements management, configuration management, budgeting, etc. to draw data and facilitate change. It solves the problem that many managers and executives have of obtaining agile-based intelligence for programs, projects, and teams. Agile Worx™ basic is only the beginning; it lays the groundwork for exciting feature functionality to come.
Q: What kinds of feedback are you getting from early users?
A: Users love our unique user interface that gives them instant status on the front page. Unlike other reporting tools, users don’t have to sift thru tons of charts and links to get the information they need. Users also like the SaaS format, which eliminates support issues with installation.
Q: Could you tell us more about your pricing plans?
A: Agile Worx is offered in three service levels; these include Basic, Pro, and Enterprise. Agile Worx basic is offered at only $99/month per user, which provides our agile based reporting and analytics. For $249/month per user, customers will get predictive capability, virtual coaching, and additional support. Finally, our enterprise customers can sign up for $849/month per user for enterprise integration, customization, enhanced support, and “boots on the ground” consulting for an additional hourly rate. The best part about our pricing plans is that there is no license minimum. Although many providers may be cheap on a per license basis, most require a minimum number of licenses, which can amount to several thousand dollars per year. With Agile Worx™, there is no contract, no commitment!
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Q: What are your plans for next 12 months?
A: We’re going to be very busy! Our next step is to complete development of our predictive analytics engine, which will allow users to see not only what is happening today, but also tomorrow. With the help of Metagility™ it allows them to see the impact of their decisions so they can better position themselves in the market. Next, we will be releasing our virtual agile coach, which will guide users on how to get the most out of their agile implementation based on our Metagility™ approach. There is a cottage industry right now in agile coaching and many users have a strong need for guidance. Agile Worx builds this intelligence directly into the tool, so you don’t have to hire so many consultants to help you manage things! Finally, our Agile Worx Enterprise solution will offer a co-branded solution with SAP based on their HANA platform. This solution will provide enhanced analytics, integration with more enterprise applications, and offer higher degrees of customization.
Q: How would you convince the reader to start using Agile Worx?
A: Users can sign up to be beta customers for our Agile Worx Basic release absolutely free for 90 days. This gives them the chance to use an entirely new tool with no risk, and the opportunity to influence its evolution.
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