Since the early 90s organizations have searched for ways to accelerate the development and implementation of new business systems. As it turns out, the ability for organizations to rapidly respond to changes in the marketplace, regulatory environment and demand of the customers is a critical competitive advantage. Over the last few years organizations have been experimenting with a new methodology that is thought to provide time savings when it comes to business systems development and implementation. Perhaps the most common methodology being considered is Agile. Agile refers to an approach for software development rather than just a methodology. It is a member of the same class o methodologies as Lean, RUP and Extreme Programming (XP).

This s the story about how an onsite/offshore team delivered a fixed-bid project using agile practices. The delivery effort was very successful. This article highlights our approach, challenges and successes.

Remember the last time you went grocery shopping without a list and you had your toddler, your mother, or spousal unit with you? Or when you stopped by the beer store and found yourself standing in the chip aisle, dazed and confused by the choices? Did you get what you needed? Did you spend as much money as you expected to? Mary Gorman discusses the value of starting out with clear requirements when shopping for commercial off-the-shelf software.

Michele Sliger is often asked if the agile approach can be used for things other than software development. She gave the question some consideration and found the following example of a non-IT case of agility in action, which she highlights in this week's column.