Businesses Adopting Agile Approach Since Pandemic, Yet 57% of Employers Face Challenges

• More than four in five (83%) of Singapore
  employers have accelerated the adoption of the Agile methodology since the
  pandemic
• 78% of employers are currently using Agile
  in their workplace; the ‘ability to adapt and respond to rapid changes’ is the
  main driving factor for its implementation
• More than half of employers (57%) cite
  ‘not everybody on the team understands the requirements’ as a challenge in
  adopting the Agile methodology

SINGAPORE
– Media OutReach – 1
July 2021 – As Singapore’s economy continues to recover, companies
are adopting the Agile approach in order to transform and adapt to the unpredictable
business climate due to the COVID-19 pandemic. More than four in five (83%) of Singapore
employers agree that the pandemic has accelerated the adoption of Agile
methodology and also believe that Agile skills are key in preparing workers for
the digital age. However, more than half of employers (57%) face the challenge
of adopting the Agile methodology due to the lack of teams’ understanding of
methodology requirements.

These are some of the key findings from NTUC
LearningHub (NTUC LHUB)’s latest Industry Insights Survey 2021 report on Agile
in Singapore. The
report is based on a survey with 300 senior and middle management employers
across industries in Singapore and an interview with Shane Hastie, ICAgile’s
Director of Community Development.

Despite the rise of Agile, employers face several challenges
in implementing the Agile methodology into the workplace. The main challenge is
the lack of team coordination, where ‘not everybody on the team understands the
requirements’ (57%) and ‘a lot of time and commitment is needed to collaborate
among the team’ (55%). The new mode of working also poses an issue in the
adoption of Agile, with 48% of employers indicating that ‘work-from-home arrangements make team
communication more challenging’.

Although obstacles abound, adopting an Agile
mindset is crucial, especially in today’s world of constant change and
uncertainty. Almost two quarters (71%) of employers currently using the Agile methodology
chose to do so due to the ability to adapt and respond to rapid changes. Many of
these employers (75%) also believe that the Agile methodology has helped
employees in their efficacy and productivity at work.

Commenting on the findings, NTUC LHUB’s Head of Infocomm
Technology, Isa Nasser, says, “In 2021, where only uncertainty is certain, we
must brace for a ‘never normal’. The key to survival is strategic planning and
an Agile approach to how we operate and adapt to new challenges. An Agile-ready
workforce is more likely to triumph over any adversity as it can swiftly adapt
and adjust to operate successfully compared to non-Agile teams. Employers and
employees must work together to make the organisational shift to Agile through
upskilling.”

“Agile skill set is rising in demand across industries.
We recommend that individuals start taking the initiative to upskill in Agile,
in order to work in cross-functional teams and effectively respond to changes
at the workplace. Having this ability to be creative and innovate solutions
will boost their overall employability, as job roles are constantly evolving with
digitalisation. This is why in order to make training in Agile accessible, we
have accredited course in Agile Coaching, Agile Team Facilitation and Agile
Marketing with ICAgile,” adds Isa.  

Shane
Hastie, Director of Community Development, ICAgile, comments, “A learning organisation is what is needed for
the 21^st century because evolution is necessary to respond to the
constant change around us. Relentless learning will be a differentiating factor
for both companies and workers. If businesses don’t evolve, they will rapidly
become irrelevant and disappear.”

To download the Industry
Insights Report on Agile Approach (Project Management), visit: www.ntuclearninghub.com/Agile-2021/