Businesses would have the strongest chance of a successful adoption and long-term transformation if they use a robust Agile project management tool, create a reference model, set up a training plan, improve their approach to planning and budgeting, and baseline key metrics.
In the State of Agile Marketing Report in 2021, more than half of marketers described themselves as Agile. However, as companies shift their focus from “do we need to be Agile?” to “how can we be Agile?” the solutions become more complicated. It’s no longer enough to find proof that Agile works in marketing; companies must now create rollout blueprints, scaling models, along with change management strategies.
Tools for Agile Project Management
Tools aid companies in implementing Agile frameworks; they are not a substitute for change or a quick fix for transformation.
Also Read: How to Implement Effective Marketing Automation
Businesses must remember the following essentials to get the best out of their purchase:
- Set a deadline for usage – Without a deadline, people would continue to fall back on their old job management habits forever. Teams must make time to enter all of their work into the tool. If necessary, businesses should enlist the help of their vendor to ensure that the transition is completed according to best practices.
- Encourage leaders to use the tool – Leaders around the marketing department should be familiar with the tool and use it often. Knowing that their leader is looking at the tool would ensure the employees keep it up to date.
- Start small before buying big – If a company is new to agility, it can experiment with low-cost, lightweight solutions before committing to a multi-year deal with an expensive vendor. They need a tool to provide help and exposure, but they don’t want to be forced into a way of working that’s dictated by the tool. They can try out a few collaborative tools that are available in the market for free with limited functionality, before deciding if they want to purchase when the time comes.
Consistent Processes and Practices
For teams to work successfully together there must be a high degree of similarity in their working styles. This is especially relevant if companies want to make employees move between teams. Every time a new team member joins, they should not have to relearn the Agile process. All Agile marketing teams must adhere to a reference model developed by the company.
Training and Education
The most common obstacle to greater marketing agility is a lack of awareness about Agile, so it’s no surprise that some of the most widely mentioned improvements that help marketers maintain agility have to do with education.
Adult learners get only about 10% of their learning from structured training sessions, so a mix of coaching and training is necessary. The remaining 90% comes from on-the-job training, which is an excellent implementation of Agile coaching.
As a result, when planning a rollout, companies should have workshops and other training sessions, but complement it with real-world application and real-time coaching to ensure that it sticks.
Also Read: Overcoming the tough challenges in agile marketing
Baseline for Measuring the Impact of Agile Marketing
Marketing leaders must monitor whether agility is performing as expected. Businesses must consider evaluating their process productivity if they want to move faster. Typical Agile metrics like cycle time, velocity, and throughput are often used by agile marketers.
If marketing effects are the primary target, current KPIs must be used to capture the current level of effectiveness. If businesses do not see the impact they expected, they should look at their procedures to make sure everything is set up correctly.
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