AGILE DEFINITIONS
See Agile definition and agile project management. What agile is. We will help define agile on this page
Business Terms Understood!
We admit it, we’re bad for it too!
Every industry has its own Jargon. Industry Jargon is/are terms that are completely understandable to those within that same industry, but not to others who don’t live in that ‘world’.
It can almost seem like an entirely foreign language if you don’t live it every day.
Asking the right questions
For instance, when you hear Agile, it is a bit of a buzzword lately right? But what does it mean?
Is Agile a program?
An acronym?
Why should businesses care?
How does it benefit the end-user (staff ) and decision-makers?
Answers
We’re breaking down some of the most popular Jargon in the businesses we serve. We hope to help you ask the right follow-up questions.
Lead your team with confidence. Clean out the cobwebs and transition to agile. So what does that mean? We’re getting to that now!
You will find your answers to business process definitions all here!
Plus, when you’re finished, check out our Blog for more insights.
What is SOP?
Translation: Standard Operating Procedure (Acronym: SOP)
SOPs are the instructions for how your business operates. There is a step-by-step list detailing how things should be done. Think about it as guidance on when to do them, and what you should do if you need more help. SOPs are created so that anyone in a company can complete important tasks. For example: running payroll, processing an order, or onboarding new customers.
Why is SOP important?
SOPs are important because you don’t want all the information about how to do things in your company stuck in someone’s head. They may leave or go on vacation and your business still needs to run. SOPs are the answer for making sure anyone can jump in if the person that usually does that job can’t do it anymore.
Having SOPs protects you and your customers from business disruption. It also increases the value of your business.
What is the definition of Agile?
Translation: Agile Software Development
Agile Software Development is a method some technology teams use to create software. The Agile teams use iterative cycles to quickly test their work, gather feedback and improve on it. They do this over and over again until their work meets customer needs. So in many cases, they continue to improve on software forever until the software isn’t used anymore.
Where can Agile method be applied?
Agile methods can also be used in non-technology teams, like marketing or project management. Using Agile methods can drastically reduce how long it takes to complete projects. It can also produce a better result because Agile teams are constantly collecting feedback from the people who actually use the product or service, and they can make changes to improve it very quickly.
What is Process Optimization?
Translation: make things work better
Process Optimization is a fancy way of saying that you’re going to make your business run better. All businesses have processes (the things you do every day to deliver your product or service to your customer). Businesses have processes that are outdated, inefficient, or just plain broken and it makes it difficult to deliver products or services well. Process Optimization is the act of fixing those issues.
Does business size matter when using Process Optimization?
Process Optimization is something all businesses need to do, regardless of their size. For example, the way you processed a customer order when the business first began will not work for how you need to process a customer order 5 years later. The need to optimize processes comes from success and growth within the business and it should be celebrated!
What do we mean by Development?
Translation: writing code to make computers do things
The word development can mean a lot of different things based on the context. For example, business development means generating sales. In our world, development means fixing, improving, or creating software.
Who can benefit from Development?
People who know how to write code (the instructions for how computers and software work) complete Development. Their job titles are usually some combination of computer engineers, software developers or code ninjas. They know different development languages, like React, PHP, JavaScript (and MANY more). This means they can write code in those languages that makes software do what they need it to do.
What is PO?
Translation: Product Owner (Acronym: PO)
A PO is a member of a technology team. They translate business goals into functional and technical requirements for software developers. Requirements are the instructions for how a piece of software should work. However, they are more complex than you may think. A PO must think about how one piece of the software works with all others or what should happen if there’s an error. In many cases, a PO will consider about what all the different pieces of information needed to make the pieces work. Not to mention many other small details that go into how the software works.
Does my technology team need PO?
POs are essential for all technology teams. They increase the speed the software developers can work and avoid bugs and errors in software. Besides, they help software developers manage their work and gather information for them. On top of that, they help other teams in the business get what they need in the timeframe they need it.
Sometimes you may think that when you need something from your technology team it ‘goes into a black hole and never comes out’.
This is common when there is no PO on the team. All technology teams are intensely busy and without a PO things fall through the cracks and don’t get completed. Having a PO means you have visibility into where your request is in the development lifecycle and when it gets worked on, that it will be what you need.
What is BA?
Translation: Business Analyst (Acronym: BA)
A BA is someone who works on figuring out the business value and requirements of doing new things in the business. They understand about how all teams work and the products or services the business delivers to customers. A BA can look at the big picture and also the small details of an idea and figure out how to make it happen.
Which business model should use BA?
BAs are essential for all businesses because they help take good, valuable ideas and make them happen. They work with all different teams and often report into the Operations or Project Management department. BAs tend to have a singular focus in their role which means that they can get things done quickly
Work with EGI
We can provide clarity to the problems you’re having, we’ll work side-by-side with you, and get things done, and we might even make it fun along the way. Contact us today to get started on your project.