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Comparing Agile Maturity Assessment Tools 2024

Comparing Agile Maturity Assessment Tools 2024
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Nimrod Kramer
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Explore the top Agile maturity assessment tools for 2024, comparing their features, ease of use, and best applications for your team.

Looking to measure your team's Agile progress? Here's a quick rundown of 5 top Agile maturity assessment tools for 2024:

  1. Info-Tech Research Group: Deep analysis, actionable insights
  2. Agilebin's Simple Tool: Quick, easy-to-use voting system
  3. AgilityHealth Radars: Visual data across teams and portfolios
  4. Team and Technical Agility Assessment: SAFe-based survey
  5. Smartsheet's Models: Ready-made templates for various platforms

Quick Comparison:

Tool Ease of Use Depth Best For
Info-Tech Medium High Large companies
Agilebin High Low Startups, quick checks
AgilityHealth Medium High Multi-team orgs
TTA Assessment Medium Medium SAFe users
Smartsheet High Medium Flexible teams

Key takeaways: • Match the tool to your team's size and needs • Balance ease of use with depth of insights • Use results to improve, not criticize • Reassess regularly - Agile maturity is ongoing

Remember: Only 15% of teams consider themselves Agile pros. These tools can help you join that top group.

Info-Tech Research Group's Tool

Info-Tech Research Group

Info-Tech Research Group's Agile Maturity Assessment Tool helps teams find gaps in their Agile practices after scaling across IT. It's part of their "Extend Agile Practices Beyond IT" blueprint.

The tool focuses on:

  • Spotting Agile maturity gaps
  • Prepping for business-wide Agile
  • Checking skills for Agile success

Here's the kicker: Info-Tech says Agile is about PEOPLE, not just processes. Their assessment looks at:

  • Key Agile skills
  • Skill levels
  • Standard skill expectations

Using the tool? Here's how:

  1. Pick your Agile skills to measure
  2. Choose how you'll assess
  3. Plan your rollout

Now, let's talk results. Info-Tech members report:

  • Saving $32,499 on average
  • Cutting 20 days from projects

Don't just take their word for it. Katz Media Corporation tried it out:

"Best: Primary stakeholders were all on site along with InfoTech, staff engagement, shared examples, prepared agenda, recap and actionable recommendations."

They gave it a perfect 10/10. Plus, they saved $32,499 and 20 days.

So, if you're looking to check your Agile game, Info-Tech's tool might be your secret weapon.

2. Agilebin's Simple Tool

Agilebin

Agilebin keeps things simple. They've got a bunch of easy-to-use tools for Agile teams, including a basic maturity assessment.

But let's talk about their coolest tool: the "Fist of Five" voting system.

Here's how it works:

  1. Start a vote
  2. Share a link
  3. Team votes (0-5 fingers)
  4. See results instantly

It's that easy. No setup, no fuss.

The tool then interprets the results:

Average What It Means
0.00 - 0.50 Yikes!
0.51 - 1.50 Houston, we have a problem
1.51 - 2.50 Fix this ASAP
2.51 - 3.50 Not urgent, but needs work
3.51 - 4.50 We're on the right track
4.51 - 5.00 Nailed it!

This quick vote can speed up decisions, flag issues early, and get everyone involved.

Agilebin's got other tools too, like Agilebin Poker for story points and a Retrospective Board. All free, all ready to go.

Now, these aren't full-blown maturity assessments. But they can help teams practice Agile and get better over time.

For teams wanting a no-frills Agile approach, Agilebin's a solid start. Need something deeper? You might need to look elsewhere or mix Agilebin with other methods.

3. AgilityHealth Radars

AgilityHealth Radars

AgilityHealth Radars is a tool that measures agile maturity across teams, programs, and portfolios. It uses online surveys to assess key areas like performance and culture.

Here's the gist:

  1. Employees fill out surveys
  2. AgilityHealth crunches the numbers
  3. You get a PDF with results

The tool looks at five main performance areas:

  • Predictability
  • Value Delivered
  • Time to Market
  • Quality
  • Response to Change

A study of 4,616 teams found a 37% performance boost when focusing on key practices like short iterations and self-organization.

AgilityHealth Radars connects with tools like Jira for a complete picture of team performance. It offers six main features:

  1. Managing cross-functional teams
  2. Measuring maturity and performance
  3. Helping teams grow
  4. Aligning teams to outcomes/OKRs
  5. Developing talent
  6. Enabling learning at scale

For Scrum Masters, it's a great tool for team discussions and coaching. Teams can use it to run health checks and tackle common issues.

Pricing starts at $599 per team per year, with a Starter level at $60 per person per year. They offer a free version and trial.

James T., a Senior Director of Product Management, said:

"AgilityHealth is responsible for the overall shift in mindset to Continuous Improvement and transformation towards Enterprise Business Agility maturity. If organizations are embarking on the journey towards true Business Agility or in the throes of it looking for maturation, AgilityHealth is a must-have platform."

For SAFe® users, AgilityHealth partnered with Scaled Agile® to provide 9 assessments measuring SAFe® maturity across teams, trains, and portfolios.

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4. Team and Technical Agility Assessment

Team and Technical Agility Assessment

The Team and Technical Agility (TTA) Assessment helps teams check how well they're doing with Agile. It's part of SAFe and looks at three main things:

  1. Agile Teams
  2. Teams of Agile Teams
  3. Built-In Quality

How It Works

It's a survey. Team members rate statements about their work from 1 (True) to 5 (False). They can also pick "Not Applicable". Questions cover stuff like:

  • Does the team have different skills?
  • Is there a dedicated Product Owner?
  • How do they handle technical debt?

Key Features

  • Checks both team stuff and tech practices
  • Breaks down results into categories
  • Gives tips on how to get better

When to Use It

Do this assessment:

  • Every Program Increment (PI)
  • Once a year
  • When starting something new

Benefits

Benefit What It Means
Spot Strengths See what the team's good at
Find Weak Spots Figure out where to improve
See Progress Check if things are getting better
Start Talks Get the team chatting about Agile

Tips for Good Results

  • Get a Scrum Master or pro to run it
  • Agree on why you're doing it
  • Use what you learn to set clear goals

The TTA Assessment is a handy tool for teams wanting to up their Agile game. It shows where you're at and helps you figure out where to go next.

5. Smartsheet's Models and Assessments

Smartsheet

Smartsheet's Agile tools help teams measure their Agile skills. Let's break it down:

Agile Maturity Matrix

It's a simple 2x2 grid. Teams use it to:

  • See where they're at with Agile
  • Find what to improve
  • Plan how to get better

Teams can check themselves or get help from others.

Assessment Templates

Smartsheet has ready-to-use templates:

Template What it's for
Team Matrix Set goals, track progress
Model Plan Agile adoption
Lifecycle Assessment Rank Agile skills from 0 to 4
Presentation Show progress to bosses
Checklist Keep Agile practices on track

You can use these in Excel, Google Sheets, PowerPoint, or Google Slides.

Maturity Levels

Smartsheet uses five levels:

  1. Ad hoc (newbie)
  2. Repeatable (teamwork)
  3. Consistent (Agile pro)
  4. Measured (always improving)
  5. Optimized (peak performance)

How to Use It

Here's the deal:

  • Check your progress regularly
  • Use the board view daily
  • Cut down on meetings
  • Share results with your team

The Big Picture

A survey found only 15% of teams are Agile pros. Smartsheet's tools can help you join that top group.

Good and Bad Points

Let's compare the Agile maturity assessment tools we've discussed:

Tool Pros Cons
Info-Tech Research Group Thorough evaluation, actionable insights Can be tricky for newbies
Agilebin's Simple Tool User-friendly, quick results Might lack depth
AgilityHealth Radars Visual data, multi-faceted Potential data overload
Team and Technical Agility Assessment Covers team and tech aspects May miss some org levels
Smartsheet's Models Ready-to-use, works on various platforms Might need tweaking

What to Keep in Mind

1. Is it easy to use?

Agilebin's Simple Tool is a breeze. One team knocked out their assessment in just 30 minutes. Talk about efficiency!

2. How deep does it go?

Info-Tech's tool digs deep. A Fortune 500 project manager saw their sprint velocity jump 20% in six months after using it.

3. How's the visual appeal?

AgilityHealth Radars shine here. A Scrum Master found that stakeholders got on board faster when they could see the data in charts.

4. Can it flex?

Smartsheet's models are adaptable. One Agile coach's team boosted their assessment efficiency by 40% using these templates in Google Sheets.

5. Does it match real-world practices?

Here's a reality check: an Agile Research Network study found only 15% of teams consider themselves Agile pros. That's a big gap between tool assessments and actual implementation.

Picking Your Tool

Think about your team's size, experience, and needs. A startup might love Agilebin's quick-and-dirty approach, while a big company could benefit from Info-Tech's deep dive.

Wrap-up

Picking the right Agile maturity tool matters. Here's what you need to know:

  1. Match tool to team needs

Different teams, different tools:

  • Startups? Try Agilebin's quick check
  • Big companies? Info-Tech's deep dive might work better
  1. Balance ease and depth
Tool Easy to Use? How Deep?
Agilebin Very Not much
Info-Tech So-so Very
AgilityHealth So-so Very
Smartsheet Very Medium
  1. Get actionable insights

Pick a tool that tells you what to do next. The Team and Technical Agility Assessment points out where to improve team work and tech practices.

  1. Include everyone

From coders to product owners, get the whole team involved.

  1. Know your goals

What do you want? Faster sprints? Better teamwork? Smoother processes?

  1. Keep checking

Agile maturity doesn't stop. Schedule regular check-ups.

  1. Use results wisely

These tools are for getting better, not pointing fingers. Make a growth plan, don't criticize.

FAQs

What is Agile maturity?

Agile maturity shows how well a Scrum team uses Agile practices. It's not about reaching a final stage. Instead, it's an ongoing journey of improvement.

A mature Agile team:

  • Lives and breathes Agile values
  • Always looks for ways to get better
  • Weaves Agile principles into their daily work

What is the self assessment tool for agile adoption and maturity?

The main tool is the Agile maturity matrix. It's a visual way for teams to:

  • Keep tabs on their Agile practices
  • Share progress with others
  • Spot areas to improve

Here's a simple example:

Practice Beginner Intermediate Advanced
Sprints 4+ weeks 2-3 weeks 1-2 weeks
Demos Rarely Sometimes Every sprint
Retrospectives Never Monthly Every sprint
Backlog management Ad-hoc Partially organized Fully prioritized

Teams can use this to track progress and set goals.

When self-assessing, teams might ask:

  1. Are our sprints 4 weeks or less?
  2. Do we demo after each sprint?
  3. Do we finish all backlog items by sprint's end?
  4. Do we hold retrospectives after each sprint?
  5. Are we keeping an eye on work in progress?
  6. Do we measure velocity with a burn-up chart?

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