How Agile Helps You Manage a Distributed Development Team
Rapid and constant advances in technology have made communicating with people located in other parts of the country — or even on the other side of the world — easier than ever before.
The combination of globalized communication and a continuously growing IT industry means that more and more companies are adopting the distributed-team model in some form — whether by hiring individual contributors located in various parts of the world, or by engaging a software-development team in another country on a project basis.
Working With a Distributed Software-Development Team
Traditionally, companies undertaking a new software project would either draw on their existing team or scale up by hiring new employees. While that approach carries advantages that can be hard to replicate outside of office walls, the shift toward distributed development teams offers real business benefits, including:
- Lower costs: Collaborating with a distributed development team can reduce labor costs and generate savings in adjacent areas such as real estate and HR overhead.
- Access to a larger talent pool: This is especially valuable when a project demands a specific skill set not readily available in the local market.
- A longer work day: Time zone differences can create friction, but when managed properly they can actually be an asset — working with a team on the other side of the world makes it possible to sustain a near-continuous development cycle.
When it comes to actually running a distributed development team, managers and clients often worry about visibility. The core fear is an inability to regularly track project progress and communicate ideas in a timely way. One methodology addresses these concerns directly and allows everyone involved to work in a highly collaborative and productive manner — and that methodology is Agile.
Why Agile Is a Strong Fit for Distributed Teams
Agile methodologies have been around for quite some time and are increasingly the default choice for both small and large software projects. Beyond their well-documented higher project success rates compared to traditional methods like Waterfall, several characteristics built into Agile make it particularly effective in a distributed context.
How Agile Benefits Distributed Development Teams
- Increases productivity: Because Agile operates on a progressive development model, developers can focus on delivering the most critical parts of the software first, and course-correct when priorities shift.
- Provides transparency: The nature of Agile encourages ongoing client involvement and gives stakeholders meaningful insight into the project's progress and overall direction at any point in the cycle.
- Improves communication: Communication is frequently cited as the primary challenge of distributed team arrangements. Agile's tooling and ceremonies are specifically designed to keep geographically dispersed contributors aligned.
Tools and Techniques
Agile comes with a practical set of tools and techniques that translate well to distributed environments.
- An extensive toolkit for task management: A range of tools exists to help developers manage and track tasks, collaborate with colleagues, and monitor project progression. Kanban boards, for example, allow developers to pull tasks from a prioritized list independently — meaning they can begin work on new tasks without waiting for manager approval or coordination.
- Two-to-four week sprints: By developing software in increments of two to four weeks, teams can deliver working features sooner, surface potential risks earlier, and adjust the project's direction before problems compound.
- Daily Scrum meetings (stand-ups): With the help of virtual communication tools, daily stand-ups allow the entire team — regardless of location — to synchronize their work, surface blockers, and align on the day's priorities.
As technology continues to advance, more companies will look to tap into the benefits a globalized workforce can offer. Agile's structure, transparency, and iterative delivery model make it one of the most practical frameworks available for managing that kind of distributed collaboration effectively.