Global Projects - Agile Teams

Our agile teams are largely self-governing, cross-functional groups that work together for the entire project process to bring customers the peace of mind they need while we develop and assemble their tightening solution. An agile team assigned to a specific tightening project proposal is a team of five key members: a project manager, design/project engineer, controls engineer, purchasing manager and the assembly team. As the team works to make a customer’s tightening solution a reality, they use the Agile approach, along with flexible and scalable resources provided by the Global Project network, throughout the project life cycle.

Agility is a way of working that Atlas Copco Global Projects adapted successfully from software development for engineering. The Agile development approach breaks large, complex goals into modules that can be completed one after the other. Agile teams self-govern and prioritize these modules together, personally committing to achieving specific goals throughout the project life cycle.

Frequent, daily communication with all parties involved, the customer and the agile team, allows for openness and transparency. The assigned agile team members meet every weekday for 15 minutes to discuss project updates, obstacles faced and tasks still to come. Throughout the entire process, the customer is involved from the start. Constant feedback loops with the customer provides direct communication opportunities. Open, transparent communication with the customer and the assigned agile team reduces miscommunication and promotes a sense of security and peace of mind throughout the entire process. Challenges throughout a project can be tackled and worked through quickly.

The Agile approach provides a lightweight framework during the project life cycle. This means that the entire project timeline, every task and goal to be achieved until the end, is broken into small increments to be worked on by team members. This maximizes productivity and allows for unexpected project changes or adaptations to be considered while the team works directly with the customer. The only due date involved in the entire project process is at the end, when the final product is to be delivered and installed in the customer’s facility. Without due dates, complex layers of control and approvals are reduced, leaving room for changes or updates to the project that can often happen.

Since incorporating Agile into the Global Projects process framework, the project life cycle has been successful in avoiding delays that can occur without early customer involvement. With continuous customer communication and the commitment of a cross-functional team of experts, projects can be completed quicker with quality of the highest caliber. Agile teams are more prepared to take on and adapt to ever-changing requests from the customer or from things outside of their control. The experts of our Global Projects network and those on our agile teams are ready to innovate your tightening solution.

To learn more about our agile teams or our Global Project network, contact us today.