Section 2.3. What Do We Need to React to with Agility?

2.3. What Do We Need to React to with Agility?

In general, the "changes" that agility refers to have been changes in requirements. Agile processes have been designed for situations when requirements are either not well known or quickly changing. Usually, "agile" refers to a process, but in a broader sense, agility denotes the ability to deliver functionality in a timely manner and the ability to adjust to externally imposed change. In these terms, "change" usually means changing requirements, but it can also mean changes in things like technology requirements, assigned personnel, or management.

In fact, an organization demonstrates agility, or a lack thereof, in response to a wide variety of changesnot just changes in requirements. For example, a plan-driven organization with a solid training and mentoring program may be quite agile when dealing with changes in personnel, but it is unlikely that it will be agile in response to changes in the customer's needs. Similarly, an XP organization may be quite agile when the customer's needs change, but the level of automation and uniqueness of their process may make them less agile in dealing with changes in personnel. For these reasons, we must ask, "What kind of agility do we need?"