Agile Glossary: 400 Must-Know Essential Agile Terms Defined

Agile is a popular method in software development and project management, but it comes with a lot of specific terms and jargon that can be confusing. This glossary is here to help clear things up. We’ve put together a list of 400 key Agile terms, explained in simple, easy-to-understand language. Whether you’re new to Agile or just need a refresher, this guide will help you get a grip on the essential terms and concepts. Let’s dive in and make sense of Agile together.

I’ve also made an editable version of the glossary, along with a PDF file, available in both English and Persian. (Download Agile Glossary PDF/DOC Files for free). Feel free to contribute, optimize, or enhance it to make it even better!

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1. Agile

Agile is a project management methodology that emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, and iterative development, allowing teams to adapt to changes and deliver value incrementally.

2. ATDD (Acceptance Test-Driven Development)

Acceptance Test-Driven Development is a development methodology where acceptance criteria are defined before development begins. These criteria are then used to create automated tests that guide the development process and ensure that the final product meets the specified requirements.

3. Acceptance Criteria

Acceptance Criteria are the conditions that a User Story must meet to be considered complete and acceptable by the customer or Product Owner. They provide clear, testable requirements that guide development and ensure the delivered functionality meets expectations.

4. Action Item

An action item is a task or activity that is assigned to a team member to be completed within a specific timeframe, often arising from meetings or project discussions.

5. Activity-Based Costing (ABC)

ABC is a method of assigning costs to products or services based on the activities and resources that go into producing them, offering more accurate cost information.

6. Adaptive Leadership

Adaptive leadership emphasizes flexibility and responsiveness, encouraging leaders to support their teams through change by fostering resilience, continuous learning, and innovative problem-solving.

7. Adaptive Planning

A flexible approach to planning that allows teams to adjust their plans based on new information, feedback, and changes in the environment.

8. Adaptive Project Framework (APF)

APF is a project management methodology that focuses on adapting to changing project conditions and requirements through iterative cycles, continuous stakeholder engagement, and flexible planning.

9. Affinity Estimation

Affinity Estimation is an Agile technique used to quickly estimate a large number of User Stories. Team members group stories by relative size or complexity, facilitating faster consensus on estimates.

10. Agile Architecture

Agile Architecture refers to the practice of designing and evolving the architecture of a system in an iterative and incremental manner. It emphasizes building a flexible and scalable architecture that can adapt to changing requirements and support continuous delivery.

11. Adaptive Case Management (ACM)

A management approach that deals with unstructured and unpredictable work, enabling teams to adapt and respond in real-time.

12. Agile Mind Mapping

A visual strategy for organizing information, ideas, and concepts in a way that reflects the agile mindset, enhancing team brainstorming and planning.

13. Agile Center of Excellence (CoE)

An Agile Center of Excellence is a dedicated group within an organization that provides expertise, best practices, and support for Agile adoption and implementation. The CoE aims to drive consistency, improve processes, and foster a culture of continuous improvement across the organization.

14. Agile Charter

An Agile Charter is a collaborative document that outlines the team’s mission, goals, roles, and working agreements. It provides a shared understanding of the team’s purpose and serves as a reference for guiding behavior and decision-making throughout the project.

15. Agile Coach

An Agile Coach is a professional who helps teams and organizations adopt Agile practices and improve their processes. They provide guidance, support, and training to foster an Agile mindset and culture.

16. Agile Contract

An Agile Contract is a type of contract designed to support Agile development practices. It emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, and iterative delivery, allowing for changes in scope and priorities as the project evolves.

17. Agile Engineering Practices

These are technical practices that support Agile development, such as continuous integration, automated testing, refactoring, and pair programming. They ensure high-quality code and maintainability.

18. Agile Estimation

Agile Estimation involves techniques for forecasting the effort or complexity of tasks and User Stories. Common methods include Story Points, T-shirt sizes (small, medium, large), and Planning Poker. Estimation helps in planning and managing work in a predictable manner.

19. Agile Fluency Model

The Agile Fluency Model is a framework that describes four distinct zones of Agile proficiency: Focusing, Delivering, Optimizing, and Strengthening. Each zone represents increasing levels of Agile fluency and capability within a team or organization.

20. Agile Fluency Path

The Agile Fluency Path is a model that describes the stages teams go through as they develop their Agile skills. It helps organizations understand and support the progression of Agile maturity.

21. Agile Games

Agile games are interactive simulations and activities designed to teach Agile principles and practices in a fun and engaging way, often used for team building and reinforcing concepts like collaboration and iterative development.

22. Agile Governance

Agile Governance refers to the policies, procedures, and structures that ensure Agile practices align with organizational goals and compliance requirements. It balances flexibility with control to support Agile delivery.

23. Agile Heat Map

An Agile Heat Map is a visual tool used to represent the status or health of various Agile practices within a team or organization. It highlights areas of strength and those needing improvement.

24. Agile Inception Deck

A set of collaborative exercises used at the start of a project to align the team on vision, goals, and approach, ensuring a shared understanding and commitment.

25. Agile Kickoff:

The initial meeting or series of meetings where the Agile team and stakeholders come together to align on the project vision, goals, and initial plans. It sets the stage for collaboration and shared understanding.

26. Agile Leadership

Agile Leadership refers to leadership practices that support Agile principles and values. Agile leaders empower teams, foster collaboration, encourage innovation, and facilitate continuous improvement.

27. Agile Lifecycle

The Agile Lifecycle is the series of phases that a project goes through from initiation to completion in an Agile environment. It includes planning, execution, review, and continuous improvement, with iterations or increments.

28. Agile Manifesto

The Agile Manifesto is a foundational document for Agile software development, created by 17 industry leaders in 2001. It outlines four key values (Individuals and interactions over processes and tools, Working software over comprehensive documentation, Customer collaboration over contract negotiation, and Responding to change over following a plan) and twelve principles that prioritize flexibility, collaboration, and customer satisfaction.

29. Agile Maturity Assessment

An Agile Maturity Assessment evaluates an organization’s or team’s proficiency in Agile practices. It identifies strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement, helping guide the Agile transformation journey.

30. Agile Maturity Model

An Agile Maturity Model is a framework that assesses an organization’s maturity in adopting Agile practices. It identifies different levels of maturity and provides a roadmap for continuous improvement in Agile capabilities and culture.

31. Agile Metrics

Agile Metrics are measurements used to assess the performance and effectiveness of Agile teams and processes. Common metrics include Velocity, Lead Time, Cycle Time, Burndown/Burnup Charts, and Cumulative Flow Diagrams. These metrics help teams monitor progress, identify bottlenecks, and drive continuous improvement.

32. Agile Metrics Dashboard

An Agile Metrics Dashboard is a visual tool that displays key Agile metrics and performance indicators. It provides real-time insights into team progress, productivity, and areas for improvement.

33. Agile Mindset

The Agile Mindset is a way of thinking that values adaptability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and customer-centric development. It embraces change, encourages innovation, and focuses on delivering value through iterative and incremental processes.

34. Agile Modeling

Agile Modeling is a practice that involves creating models (such as diagrams or mockups) to understand and communicate requirements and design decisions in an Agile project. It emphasizes simplicity, collaboration, and iterative refinement.

35. Agile PMO (Project Management Office)

An Agile PMO supports Agile teams and projects by providing governance, best practices, and tools tailored to Agile methodologies, fostering alignment with organizational goals.

36. Agile Playbook

An Agile playbook is a collection of best practices, guidelines, and tools tailored for an organization to support Agile implementation. It serves as a reference for teams to ensure consistency and alignment with Agile principles.

37. Agile Portfolio Management

Agile Portfolio Management is the practice of managing a collection of projects and programs in a way that aligns with the strategic goals of the organization. It ensures that resources are allocated effectively and that high-value initiatives are prioritized.

38. Agile Product Roadmapping:

Agile product roadmapping is the process of creating a flexible, high-level plan that outlines the vision, direction, and progress of a product over time. It prioritizes features and goals while allowing for adjustments based on feedback and changing priorities.

39. Agile Program Management

Agile Program Management involves coordinating multiple Agile projects and teams to achieve strategic business goals. It focuses on managing dependencies, aligning work with business objectives, and delivering value across the organization.

40. Agile Project Charter

An Agile Project Charter is a document that outlines the vision, objectives, scope, and stakeholders of an Agile project. It serves as a reference point for the team and helps align efforts with business goals.

41. Agile Project Management (APM)

Agile Project Management is an approach to managing projects that emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, and customer-centric development. It uses iterative cycles (Sprints or iterations) to deliver incremental value and allows for continuous adaptation to changing requirements.

42. Agile Release Plan

An Agile Release Plan outlines the timeline and sequence of releases for a product. It includes milestones, major features, and dependencies, helping the team align their work with business goals and deliver value incrementally.

43. Agile Release Train (ART)

In the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), an Agile Release Train is a long-lived team of Agile teams that, along with other stakeholders, incrementally develops, delivers, and operates one or more solutions in a value stream. ARTs synchronize on a common cadence and deliver value through Program Increments (PIs).

44. Agile Requirements

Agile Requirements are dynamic and evolve throughout the project. They are captured in User Stories, Epics, and acceptance criteria, and are prioritized based on business value and feedback.

45. Agile Retrospective

An Agile Retrospective is a meeting held at the end of an iteration or Sprint where the team reflects on what went well, what didn’t, and how to improve. The goal is continuous improvement and adapting processes to be more effective.

46. Agile Retrospective Formats:

Various structured formats used during retrospectives to reflect on past iterations and identify ways to improve, such as “Start, Stop, Continue,” “Mad, Sad, Glad,” and “4Ls” (Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed for). These techniques help teams reflect, learn, and plan improvements.

47. Agile Retrospective Prime Directive

A statement used to set a positive tone at the beginning of a retrospective. It asserts that everyone did the best job they could, given what they knew at the time, their skills and abilities, the resources available, and the situation at hand.

48. Agile Risk Management

Agile Risk Management involves identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks throughout the Agile development process. It focuses on continuous risk assessment and proactive management to ensure project success.

49. Agile Roadmap

An Agile Roadmap is a high-level visual representation of the product’s development plan over time. It outlines major milestones, releases, and features, providing a strategic view of the product’s evolution while allowing for flexibility and adaptation.

50. Agile Scaling Frameworks

Agile Scaling Frameworks are methodologies designed to implement Agile practices across large organizations or multiple teams. Examples include SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework), LeSS (Large Scale Scrum), and DAD (Disciplined Agile Delivery).

‌ ‌51. Agile Spike Solution

An Agile Spike Solution is a research activity or experiment to explore a potential solution or gather information. It is used to reduce uncertainty and make better-informed decisions.

52. Agile T-Shirt Sizing

Agile T-Shirt Sizing is a relative estimation technique where team members categorize tasks into sizes (e.g., XS, S, M, L, XL) to estimate effort or complexity.

‌ ‌53. Agile Team Charter

A document that outlines the team’s mission, objectives, roles, and operating norms. It serves as a guiding framework for the team, ensuring alignment and a shared understanding of how they will work together.

54. Agile Team Facilitator (ATF)

An ATF is a role focused on ensuring that Agile ceremonies and practices are effective. They help the team with collaboration, communication, and continuous improvement.

55. Agile Technical Practices

Agile technical practices, such as Test-Driven Development (TDD), Continuous Integration (CI), and Pair Programming, are essential methods used to maintain code quality, reduce technical debt, and enable rapid feature delivery.

56. Agile Testing Quadrants:

The Agile Testing Quadrants framework categorizes different types of testing into four quadrants to ensure comprehensive test coverage. These quadrants include technology-facing tests that support the team, business-facing tests that critique the product, technology-facing tests that critique the product, and business-facing tests that support the team.

57. Agile Tooling

Agile Tooling refers to the software and tools used to support Agile practices and processes. Examples include project management tools (e.g., Jira, Trello), CI/CD pipelines (e.g., Jenkins, GitLab CI), and collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Confluence).

58. Agile Transformation

Agile Transformation is the process of transitioning an entire organization from traditional management and development practices to Agile methodologies. It involves changing mindsets, culture, processes, and tools to achieve greater adaptability, collaboration, and customer focus.

59. Agile Transformation Roadmap

An Agile Transformation Roadmap is a structured plan outlining the steps, milestones, and activities required to transition an organization from traditional practices to Agile methodologies.

60. Agile Triad

A collaborative group in Agile projects typically composed of a Product Owner, Scrum Master, and the Development Team. This trio works closely to ensure that the project is aligned with business goals and Agile principles.

61. Agile Unified Process (AUP)

AUP is a simplified version of the Rational Unified Process (RUP) that incorporates Agile practices, focusing on iterative development, stakeholder collaboration, and flexibility in software projects.

62. Agile Values

Agile Values are the core principles outlined in the Agile Manifesto: individuals and interactions over processes and tools, working software over comprehensive documentation, customer collaboration over contract negotiation, and responding to change over following a plan.

63. Agile Workflows

Agile Workflows refer to the specific sequences of processes and practices used by Agile teams to manage their work, from ideation to delivery, ensuring continuous flow and improvement.

64. Agile Workspace

A physical or virtual environment designed to support Agile practices. It typically includes open spaces for collaboration, areas for stand-up meetings, and tools for visual management like whiteboards or digital boards.

65. AgilePM (Agile Project Management)

AgilePM is a project management framework that combines Agile principles with a structured project management approach, offering flexibility while ensuring control and governance.

66. Agility Health Radar

A diagnostic tool used to assess the maturity and health of Agile teams. It provides a visual representation of various dimensions of Agile performance, helping teams identify strengths and areas for improvement.

67. Analogous Estimating

Analogous estimating is a technique that uses historical data from similar projects to estimate the duration, cost, or resources needed for a current project.

68. Assumption Log

An assumption log is a document that lists all project assumptions and constraints, helping to manage uncertainty and plan for potential risks.

69. Automated Testing

Automated Testing involves using software tools to run tests on the codebase automatically. It ensures that new changes do not break existing functionality, speeds up the testing process, and improves the reliability and consistency of tests.

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70. Backlog

The Backlog is a prioritized list of work items or features that the development team needs to address. It is divided into the Product Backlog, which contains all desired work items for the product, and the Sprint Backlog, which includes items selected for the current Sprint.

71. Backlog Churn

Backlog Churn refers to the frequent addition, removal, or reprioritization of items in the backlog. It can indicate instability or changing priorities within a project.

72. Backlog Grooming (Refinement)

Backlog Grooming, also known as Backlog Refinement, is the ongoing process of reviewing and prioritizing the Product Backlog. The team discusses, estimates, and refines User Stories to ensure they are ready for upcoming Sprints.

73. Backlog Management

The process of continuously updating and prioritizing the backlog to ensure that it reflects the current needs and priorities of the stakeholders. It involves adding new items, refining existing ones, and removing outdated tasks.

74. Backlog Prioritization

Backlog Prioritization is the process of ordering the items in the backlog based on their importance, value, and urgency to ensure the team works on the most valuable tasks first.

‌ ‌75. Balanced Scorecard

A balanced scorecard is a strategic planning and management tool that tracks organizational performance against goals across multiple perspectives, including financial, customer, internal processes, and learning and growth.

76. Baseline

A baseline is an approved version of a project plan that serves as a reference point for measuring project performance and progress, including scope, schedule, and cost baselines.

77. Business Model Innovation (BMI)

The process of creating, refining, or transforming business models to achieve competitive advantage and drive growth.

78. Baseline Schedule

A baseline schedule is the original project timeline approved by stakeholders, serving as a standard for measuring and comparing actual progress.

79. Behavior-Driven Development (BDD)

Behavior-Driven Development is an Agile software development practice that encourages collaboration between developers, testers, and business stakeholders. It involves writing test cases in natural language that describe the desired behavior of the system.

80. Behavioral Personas

Behavioral Personas are detailed profiles that represent different segments of users based on behavior patterns, preferences, and needs. They guide design and development decisions.

81. Benchmarking

Benchmarking is the process of comparing project processes, performance metrics, and practices against industry standards or best practices to identify areas for improvement.

82. Benefits Realization

Benefits realization is the process of ensuring that the outcomes of a project deliver the intended benefits and value to the organization and stakeholders.

83. Big Room Planning (PI Planning)

Big Room Planning, also known as Program Increment (PI) Planning in SAFe, is a large-scale event where all Agile teams within an Agile Release Train (ART) come together to plan and coordinate their work for the next PI. It fosters alignment, collaboration, and shared understanding of goals and dependencies.

84. Blameless Post-Mortem

A retrospective meeting held after a major incident or failure where the focus is on understanding what happened and how to improve without assigning blame to individuals.

85. Blended Agile

Blended Agile is the practice of combining elements from different Agile methodologies (like Scrum, Kanban, and XP) to create a customized approach that best fits the team’s or organization’s needs.

86. Boundary Spanning

Boundary Spanning involves activities that connect and integrate different teams, departments, or organizations to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing. It helps overcome silos and enhances cross-functional teamwork.

87. Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a group creativity technique used to generate a large number of ideas for the solution to a problem, fostering open thinking and innovation.

88. Build-Measure-Learn Loop

A Lean Startup concept where teams build a product, measure its performance, learn from the results, and iterate to improve the product continuously.

89. Burndown Chart

A Burndown Chart is a graphical representation that shows the amount of work remaining versus time in a Sprint. It helps track progress and predict whether the team will complete their work by the end of the Sprint. The chart typically shows a downward trend as work is completed.

90. Burnup Chart

A Burnup Chart is a graphical representation that shows the amount of work completed versus the total amount of work. Unlike a Burndown Chart, it tracks progress towards a goal and can illustrate scope changes over time.

91. Business Agility

Business agility is the ability of an organization to quickly adapt to market changes, customer demands, and emerging opportunities. It involves adopting Agile principles not just in software development, but across the entire organization.

92. Business Case

A business case is a document that justifies the initiation of a project, outlining the benefits, costs, risks, and return on investment to secure stakeholder approval.

93. Business Value Points (BVP)

A metric used to quantify the business value of different features or user stories, helping teams prioritize work based on value delivered to the customer.

94. Business Model Canvas

The Business Model Canvas is a strategic management tool used to visualize and develop business models. It covers key aspects such as value proposition, customer segments, and revenue streams.

95. Business Process Reengineering (BPR)

BPR involves the radical redesign of business processes to achieve significant improvements in performance, efficiency, and effectiveness.

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96. Cadence

The regular, rhythmic flow of work in Agile teams, ensuring that events like sprints, iterations, and releases occur at consistent intervals.

97. Capacity Planning

Capacity planning involves determining the resources required to meet project demands and ensuring that the necessary resources are available when needed.

98. Capacity Utilization

Capacity utilization measures the extent to which an organization’s resources are being used effectively, indicating potential areas for improvement or need for additional resources.

99. Change Control

Change control is a structured process for managing changes to the project scope, schedule, or budget, ensuring that changes are evaluated, approved, and documented systematically.

100. Change Control Board (CCB)

In Agile projects, the CCB is a group responsible for reviewing and approving changes to the project scope, ensuring that any changes align with project goals and stakeholder expectations.

101. Change Management Plan

A change management plan is a formal document that outlines how changes to the project scope, schedule, and resources will be managed and controlled.

102. Code Review

Code Review is the practice of systematically examining code changes by team members other than the author. It helps improve code quality, share knowledge, and catch potential issues early.

103. Code Smells

Indications in the code that may signal deeper problems. These are not bugs but rather symptoms of poor design or implementation practices that can lead to refactoring needs. Common examples include large classes, long methods, and duplicate code.

104. Collaborative Games

Collaborative games are techniques used in Agile to encourage team collaboration and creative problem-solving. Examples include Planning Poker, the Product Box exercise, and the Speed Boat retrospective.

105. Collective Ownership

A principle where the entire team shares responsibility for the codebase and project outcomes. It encourages collaboration, knowledge sharing, and accountability among team members.

106. Cone of Uncertainty

The Cone of Uncertainty illustrates how project uncertainty decreases over time as more information becomes available. It highlights the importance of iterative refinement and learning in Agile projects.

107. Configuration Management

Configuration management involves maintaining consistency of a product’s performance and functionality by managing changes to its design, documentation, and other aspects.

108. Context Switching

Context switching refers to the productivity loss that occurs when team members frequently shift between different tasks. Agile encourages minimizing context switching to maintain focus and efficiency.

109. Contingency Plan

A contingency plan is a predefined strategy or set of actions to be taken if identified risks or unexpected events occur, ensuring project continuity.

110. Continuous Delivery (CD)

Continuous Delivery is an extension of Continuous Integration. It involves automatically preparing code changes for a release to production, ensuring that the software can be reliably deployed at any time. This practice aims to make deployments predictable and routine, reducing the risks associated with releasing new features.

111. Continuous Discovery

An ongoing process where teams continuously engage with users, conduct experiments, and gather feedback to inform and improve their product. It ensures that the product evolves based on real user needs and insights.

112. Continuous Exploration (CE)

Continuous Exploration is a practice in Agile that involves ongoing discovery and refinement of new features and capabilities. It ensures that the product evolves based on user feedback and market changes.

113. Continuous Feedback Loop

A mechanism for providing constant feedback throughout the development process to ensure that the product meets customer needs and quality standards.

114. Continuous Funding

Continuous Funding is an approach where project funding is allocated incrementally based on achieving specific milestones or delivering value, rather than being fixed upfront. This aligns financial investment with Agile principles of iterative delivery.

115. Continuous Integration (CI)

Continuous Integration is a practice in software development where developers frequently merge their code changes into a shared repository, followed by automated builds and tests. This practice helps to detect and address integration issues early, ensuring that the software remains in a deployable state.

116. Continuous Planning

Continuous planning is the practice of regularly revisiting and adjusting plans based on feedback, new information, and changing priorities. It ensures that the team’s work remains aligned with business goals.

117. Continuous Refactoring

Continuous Refactoring is the ongoing practice of improving the internal structure of code without changing its external behavior. It helps maintain code quality and adaptability over time.

118. Cost Performance Index (CPI)

CPI is a measure of cost efficiency in a project, calculated as the ratio of earned value (EV) to actual cost (AC). A CPI greater than 1 indicates better than expected cost performance.

119. Cost of Delay

Cost of delay quantifies the financial impact of postponing work, helping teams prioritize features by understanding the potential revenue or value lost due to delays in delivery.

120. Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA)

CBA evaluates the economic feasibility of projects by comparing their total expected costs and benefits, aiding in decision-making.

121. Crisis Management

Crisis management is the process of handling unexpected and disruptive events that threaten to harm the project, organization, or stakeholders, with the aim of minimizing impact.

122. Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM)

CCPM is a method of planning and managing projects that focuses on resource availability and includes buffers to protect the critical chain from delays.

123. Critical Path Method (CPM)

CPM is a project management technique used to identify the sequence of crucial steps (or tasks) that determine the minimum project duration, helping managers prioritize and allocate resources effectively.

124. Cross-Functional Team

A Cross-Functional Team is a group of people with different functional expertise working toward a common goal. In Agile, these teams are self-organizing and possess all the skills necessary to deliver a product increment.

125. Crystal Clear

Crystal Clear is a lightweight Agile framework focused on small teams developing software in a low-criticality environment, emphasizing communication, simplicity, and frequent delivery of usable code.

126. Cumulative Flow Diagram (CFD)

A Cumulative Flow Diagram is a visual tool used to show the progress of work items through various stages of a workflow over time. It helps teams understand bottlenecks, cycle times, and overall work distribution.

127. Customer Advisory Board (CAB)

A Customer Advisory Board is a group of key customers who provide feedback, insights, and guidance on a product or service. It helps ensure that development aligns with customer needs and preferences.

128. Customer Development

An iterative process of understanding customer needs and validating product ideas. It emphasizes direct interaction with customers to gather insights and feedback, ensuring that the product meets real market demands.

129. Customer Feedback Loop

A Customer Feedback Loop is a process of collecting, analyzing, and acting on feedback from customers. It ensures that the product evolves based on real user needs and experiences.

130. Customer Journey Mapping

A technique used to visualize the end-to-end experience of a user interacting with a product or service. It helps identify pain points, opportunities for improvement, and areas where the user experience can be enhanced.

131. Customer Persona

A semi-fictional representation of the ideal customer based on market research and real data about existing customers, used to guide product development and marketing.

132. Cycle Time

Cycle Time is the amount of time it takes for a work item to move from the start of the process to completion. It helps teams measure efficiency and identify areas for process improvement.

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133. Daily Kanban

Daily Kanban is a short, daily meeting where team members review the Kanban board, discuss progress, and address any blocks or impediments. It ensures continuous flow and team alignment.

134. Daily Stand-up (Daily Scrum)

The Daily Stand-up, or Daily Scrum, is a short, time-boxed meeting (usually 15 minutes) held every day for the development team to synchronize activities, discuss progress, and identify any obstacles. Team members typically answer three questions: What did I do yesterday? What will I do today? Are there any impediments in my way?

135. Dark Scrum

A term describing the misuse or misapplication of Scrum practices, often leading to a toxic work environment. This can include excessive micromanagement, lack of empowerment, and focusing on velocity over quality.

136. Definition of Awesome (DoA)

The Definition of Awesome is a set of criteria that defines what makes a product or feature exceptional and delightful to users. It goes beyond the Definition of Done to ensure a high-quality user experience.

137. Definition of Done (DoD)

The Definition of Done is a clear and concise list of criteria that a User Story or task must meet to be considered complete. It ensures consistency and quality in the team’s deliverables.

138. Definition of Ready (DoR)

The Definition of Ready is a set of criteria that a User Story must meet before it can be considered ready for development. It ensures that the team has a clear understanding of the requirements and is prepared to start work on the story.

139. Deliverable

A deliverable is a tangible or intangible output produced as a result of project work, which must be provided to a client or stakeholder according to the project plan.

140. Deliverable-Based Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

A deliverable-based WBS is a hierarchical decomposition of the project scope based on deliverables rather than tasks or activities.

141. Delphi Technique

The Delphi technique is a structured communication method used for forecasting and decision-making, involving a panel of experts who provide estimates and feedback in multiple rounds.

142. Dependency

A dependency is a relationship between tasks in a project where one task relies on the completion or initiation of another task, affecting the project schedule and workflow.

143. Dependency Injection

Dependency injection is a design pattern used in software development and project management to manage dependencies and ensure that modules or components are loosely coupled.

144. Dependency Management

Dependency Management in Agile involves identifying, tracking, and mitigating dependencies between tasks or teams to ensure smooth and efficient project progress.

145. Dependency Mapping

Dependency Mapping is the practice of identifying and visualizing dependencies between tasks, teams, or systems. It helps in managing and mitigating risks associated with dependencies.

146. Design Sprint

A time-boxed process, typically lasting five days, where teams focus on solving a specific problem through designing, prototyping, and testing ideas with customers.

147. Design Thinking

Design Thinking is a human-centered approach to innovation that integrates the needs of users, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success. It emphasizes empathy, ideation, and experimentation.

148. DesignOps

The orchestration and optimization of people, processes, and craft in order to amplify design’s value and impact at scale.

149. DevOps Value Stream Mapping (VSM)

A method used to visualize and analyze the flow of work in a DevOps environment, identifying areas for improvement to enhance delivery speed and quality.

150. DevOps

DevOps is a set of practices that integrates software development (Dev) and IT operations (Ops) to shorten the development lifecycle and deliver high-quality software continuously. It emphasizes collaboration, automation, and monitoring throughout the development and deployment processes.

151. DevOps Culture

DevOps Culture refers to the collaborative and communicative environment between development and operations teams. It promotes continuous integration, continuous delivery, and automation to improve software delivery and reliability.

152. DevOps Maturity Model

The DevOps maturity model assesses an organization’s DevOps practices, identifying strengths and areas for improvement to enhance collaboration, automation, and continuous delivery capabilities.

153. DevOps Pipeline

An automated set of processes and tools that enable continuous integration, continuous delivery, and continuous deployment. It streamlines the flow of code from development to production, ensuring faster and more reliable releases.

154. DevSecOps:

The practice of integrating security practices within the DevOps process, ensuring that software is developed, tested, and deployed with security in mind from the start.

155. Disciplined Agile Delivery (DAD)

A process decision framework that integrates various Agile and Lean practices, providing guidance on how to apply them in a scalable and context-sensitive manner.

156. Dual-Track Agile

Dual-Track Agile is an approach that separates discovery and delivery activities into parallel tracks. The discovery track focuses on understanding user needs and defining requirements, while the delivery track focuses on building and delivering the product.

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157. Earned Schedule (ES)

ES is an extension of Earned Value Management (EVM) that focuses on schedule performance, comparing actual time to the earned schedule to assess time-related progress.

158. Earned Value Management (EVM)

EVM is a project management technique that integrates scope, time, and cost data to assess project performance and progress, providing a comprehensive view of project health.

159. Effort Estimation

Effort estimation is the process of predicting the amount of effort (usually measured in person-hours or person-days) required to complete a project task.

160. Elevator Pitch

An Elevator Pitch is a brief, persuasive speech used to spark interest in a project or idea. In Agile, it’s often used to quickly convey the value proposition of a product or feature.

161. Evidence-Based Management (EBM)

A framework for improving outcomes by using metrics and evidence to guide continuous improvement and decision-making processes.

162. Empathy Interviews

Empathy Interviews are a technique used to gain deep insights into users’ experiences, emotions, and needs. They involve open-ended questions and active listening to understand users’ perspectives.

163. Empathy Map

A collaborative tool used to gain a deeper insight into customers’ needs by visualizing what they say, think, feel, and do. A Persona Empathy Map is a tool used to gain deeper insights into a user persona’s feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. It helps teams create more user-centric products and experiences.

164. Empirical Process Control

Empirical process control relies on observation, experimentation, and adaptation, emphasizing transparency, inspection, and adaptation to manage complex work in an Agile environment.

165. Enabler Story

A type of user story that supports the development of the system, infrastructure, or architecture but does not deliver direct user value on its own.

166. Enterprise Agile Coach

An Enterprise Agile Coach is a professional who guides and supports an entire organization in adopting and scaling Agile practices. They focus on aligning Agile transformations with business objectives and culture.

167. Epic

An Epic is a large body of work that can be broken down into smaller tasks or User Stories. Epics span multiple Sprints and represent significant areas of functionality or major features in the product.

168. Epic Breakdown

Epic Breakdown is the process of decomposing a large Epic into smaller, manageable User Stories or tasks. It facilitates better planning, estimation, and execution.

169. Epic Hypothesis Statement

An Epic Hypothesis Statement is a structured format for defining the expected outcome and value of an Epic. It helps teams align on the purpose and success criteria of large initiatives.

170. Exploration Enabler

In Agile, an exploration enabler is a type of work item that allows the team to investigate new technologies, tools, or approaches. This helps reduce uncertainty and technical risk before full implementation.

171. Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA)

Exploratory Data Analysis is an approach used to analyze data sets to summarize their main characteristics, often with visual methods. In Agile, it helps teams understand data trends and patterns to inform decision-making.

172. Exploratory Testing Charter

An Exploratory Testing Charter is a brief document that outlines the goals, scope, and focus areas for an exploratory testing session. It guides testers in their exploratory efforts while allowing flexibility.

173. Exploratory Testing

Exploratory testing is an unscripted, hands-on approach to testing software where testers explore the application to identify defects and issues. It complements automated testing by uncovering unexpected behaviors and edge cases.

174. Extreme Programming (XP)

Extreme Programming (XP) is an Agile framework that emphasizes technical excellence and customer satisfaction. It includes practices such as Test-Driven Development (TDD), continuous integration, pair programming, and frequent releases in short development cycles to improve software quality and responsiveness to changing customer requirements.

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175. Fail Fast

Fail Fast is a principle that encourages rapid experimentation and learning from failures early in the development process, minimizing risks and costs associated with late-stage issues.

176. Fast Tracking

Fast tracking is a schedule compression technique where activities that are normally done in sequence are performed in parallel to reduce the project duration.

177. Feasibility Study

A feasibility study assesses the practicality and viability of a proposed project, examining factors such as technical, economic, legal, and scheduling feasibility.

178. Feature Branching

Feature branching is a version control strategy where developers create separate branches for each feature or task. This allows for parallel development and easier integration of new features into the main codebase.

179. Flow Metrics

Metrics that measure the efficiency and effectiveness of the development process, such as cycle time, lead time, and work in progress (WIP).

180. Feature Breakdown Structure (FBS)

A hierarchical decomposition of features into smaller, more manageable components. It helps teams organize and plan their work by breaking down complex features into smaller tasks that can be easily estimated and tracked.

181. Flow-Based Leadership

A leadership approach that focuses on enabling and optimizing the flow of work through the system, removing impediments, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

182. Feature Creep

The uncontrolled addition of new features to a product, which can lead to delays, cost overruns, and a diluted product vision.

183. Feature Driven Development (FDD)

Feature Driven Development is an Agile methodology that focuses on designing and building features in a structured and iterative manner. It involves regular progress reporting and is driven by feature lists.

184. Feature Injection

Feature Injection is a technique used to identify and prioritize features based on their ability to deliver business value. It involves understanding the desired outcomes and working backward to determine the necessary features.

185. Feature Parity

Feature Parity refers to ensuring that a new version of a product has all the features that were available in the previous version. It is crucial during migrations or major updates.

186. Feature Prioritization

Feature prioritization is the process of ranking features based on criteria like business value, customer needs, and technical feasibility, using techniques such as MoSCoW or WSJF to ensure the most valuable work is tackled first.

187. Feature Toggle (Feature Flag)

A Feature Toggle is a technique in software development that allows features to be turned on or off without deploying new code. This enables teams to deploy code to production with unfinished features hidden, allowing for safer and more controlled releases.

188. Feature-Driven Development (FDD)

Feature-Driven Development is an Agile methodology focused on building and delivering features. It involves five main activities: developing an overall model, building a feature list, planning by feature, designing by feature, and building by feature. FDD emphasizes frequent, tangible deliveries of working software.

189. Feeding Buffer

A feeding buffer is a time buffer added to non-critical paths that feed into the critical path to protect the schedule from delays in those tasks.

190. Fibonacci Sequence Estimation

Fibonacci Sequence Estimation is a technique where Story Points are assigned using the Fibonacci sequence (1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, etc.). It helps teams estimate effort more accurately by reflecting the increasing uncertainty with larger tasks.

191. Fishbone Diagram (Ishikawa)

A fishbone diagram, also known as an Ishikawa diagram, is a visual tool used to identify and analyze the root causes of problems, structured like a fish skeleton.

192. Fist to Five

Fist to Five is a consensus-building technique where team members show their level of agreement with a decision or proposal by holding up a number of fingers (from a closed fist to five fingers).

193. Float (Slack)

Float, or slack, is the amount of time a task can be delayed without affecting the project’s overall timeline or the start of subsequent tasks.

194. Flow Efficiency

Flow efficiency measures the proportion of value-added work time to total cycle time, highlighting bottlenecks and inefficiencies to help teams streamline processes and deliver value faster.

195. Force Field Analysis

Force field analysis is a decision-making tool used to identify and analyze the forces that support or hinder a change or project initiative.

196. Force-Ranked Backlog

A prioritization technique where every item in the backlog is ranked in a strict order of importance. This helps teams focus on the highest value tasks but can be challenging to maintain as priorities shift.

197. Functional Requirements

Functional requirements define the specific behaviors, functions, and features that a project’s deliverable must have to meet the needs of stakeholders.

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198. Gantt Chart

A Gantt chart is a visual project management tool that displays tasks or activities against a timeline, showing start and end dates, durations, and dependencies between tasks.

199. Gate Review

A gate review is a formal checkpoint at which project stakeholders evaluate progress and decide whether to proceed to the next phase, make adjustments, or terminate the project.

200. Gemba Walk

A Lean practice where leaders and team members go to the actual place (Gemba) where work is done to observe processes, engage with employees, and identify opportunities for improvement.

201. Governance Framework

A governance framework is a structured set of rules, procedures, and policies that guide project execution, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and compliance with standards.

202. Growth Hacking

Growth Hacking is a data-driven approach to rapidly experiment with different marketing and product development strategies to identify the most effective ways to grow a business.

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203. Hackathon

A Hackathon is an event where teams rapidly develop and prototype ideas over a short period, often 24–48 hours. It fosters innovation and creative problem-solving within Agile environments.

204. Hypothesis Kanban

A method of managing experiments and hypotheses in a lean startup or agile environment, visualizing the flow of hypotheses from formulation to validation.

205. Histogram

A histogram is a graphical representation of data distribution, showing the frequency of data points within specified ranges, useful for identifying patterns and trends.

206. Horizontal Slicing

Horizontal Slicing is the practice of breaking down features into smaller, more manageable tasks that span across different layers of the application, such as UI, backend, and database.

207. Hypothesis-Driven Development

An approach where development is guided by hypotheses that are tested through experimentation, allowing teams to validate assumptions and make data-driven decisions.

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208. INVEST Criteria

A set of guidelines for creating well-formed user stories. INVEST stands for Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, and Testable, ensuring that stories are clear, complete, and actionable.

209. Impact Effort Matrix

The Impact Effort Matrix is a prioritization tool used to evaluate and prioritize tasks based on their potential impact and the effort required to complete them. It helps teams focus on high-impact, low-effort tasks.

210. Impact Estimation Table

An Impact Estimation Table is a tool used to assess the potential impact of different features or changes on various aspects of the project, such as user satisfaction, cost, and technical complexity.

211. Impact Mapping

Impact mapping is a strategic planning technique used to visualize the connections between business goals, user needs, and product features. It helps teams ensure that their work aligns with organizational objectives.

212. Increment

An Increment is the sum of all the Product Backlog items completed during a Sprint and all previous Sprints. It represents a step towards the final product, and each Increment must be potentially shippable, meaning it meets the Definition of Done and could be released if the Product Owner decides to do so.

213. Incremental Delivery

Incremental Delivery is the practice of delivering small, usable portions of a product to customers regularly. Each increment builds on the previous one, allowing for continuous feedback and improvement.

214. Incremental Development

Incremental Development is a software development approach where the product is designed, implemented, and tested incrementally until the product is finished. Each increment adds usable functionality, allowing for early and continuous delivery of value.

215. Incremental Funding Methodology (IFM)

The Incremental Funding Methodology is an approach to project funding that releases funds incrementally based on progress and value delivery. It supports Agile principles by allowing for adaptive planning and continuous improvement.

216. Incremental Innovation

The process of making small, continuous improvements to a product or process. This approach allows teams to deliver value incrementally and adapt to changing requirements without major disruptions.

217. Information Radiator

An Information Radiator is a highly visible display that provides an overview of project status and key metrics. Examples include Kanban Boards, Burndown Charts, and Cumulative Flow Diagrams. These tools help keep the team and stakeholders informed and aligned.

218. Initiating Process Group

The initiating process group consists of processes performed to define a new project or a new phase of an existing project by obtaining authorization and setting the groundwork for the project.

219. Innovation Accounting

Innovation Accounting is a Lean Startup concept that focuses on measuring progress and success in terms of validated learning and innovation metrics, rather than traditional financial metrics.

220. Innovation Games

Innovation Games are collaborative activities used to engage stakeholders in generating ideas, prioritizing features, and solving problems creatively in an Agile environment.

221. Integrated Change Control

Integrated change control is a process used to review, approve, and manage changes to the project’s scope, schedule, and cost in a coordinated manner.

222. Integrated Master Plan (IMP)

An IMP is a top-level project plan that integrates the project’s major milestones, deliverables, and tasks, providing a roadmap for project execution.

223. Issue Log

An issue log is a document used to track and manage issues that arise during a project, including their status, impact, and resolution.

224. Iteration

An Iteration, similar to a Sprint in Scrum, is a time-boxed period during which Agile teams develop and deliver a set amount of functionality. Iterations typically last from one to four weeks and aim to produce a working increment of the product.

225. Iteration Goal

A concise statement of what the team plans to achieve during an iteration, providing focus and alignment for the team’s efforts.

226. Iteration Planning

The process of planning the work to be completed in the upcoming iteration, including selecting user stories, defining tasks, and estimating effort.

227. Iteration Zero

The initial phase in an Agile project where the team sets up the infrastructure, tools, and environment needed for development. It may also include initial planning and backlog creation.

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228. Job Stories

An alternative to user stories, focusing on the job to be done rather than the user. The format typically follows: “When [situation], I want to [motivation], so I can [expected outcome].”

229. Joint Application Development (JAD)

JAD is a collaborative approach that involves stakeholders and project team members working together in facilitated workshops to define project requirements and design solutions.

230. Just-in-Time (JIT)

JIT is a production and inventory management strategy that aims to reduce waste by receiving goods only as they are needed in the production process.

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231. Kaizen

Kaizen is a Japanese term meaning “continuous improvement.” In Agile, it refers to the practice of continuously seeking ways to improve processes, products, and performance.

232. Kanban

Kanban is an Agile method that focuses on visualizing work, limiting work in progress (WIP), and improving flow. It uses a Kanban board, which is divided into columns representing different stages of the workflow. Teams pull work items from a backlog into progress as capacity allows, promoting continuous delivery and process improvement.

233. Kanban Board

A Kanban Board is a visual tool used to manage and track the flow of work in a Kanban system. It typically has columns such as “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “Done,” helping teams visualize their workflow and limit Work In Progress (WIP).

234. Kanban Cadence

The regular, predictable timing of key Kanban events, such as replenishment, review, and delivery meetings, to maintain a steady workflow.

235. Kanban Swimlanes

Horizontal lanes on a Kanban board that categorize work items by type, priority, or team. Swimlanes help visualize work, manage different types of tasks, and highlight who is responsible for each item.

236. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

KPIs are measurable values that indicate how effectively a project is achieving its key objectives, providing insights into performance and progress towards goals.

237. Key Risk Indicator (KRI)

KRIs are metrics used to signal potential risks in a project, helping project managers to identify and mitigate risks before they impact the project.

238. Kickoff Meeting

A kickoff meeting is the initial meeting of a project team and stakeholders to discuss project objectives, scope, roles, and responsibilities, setting the stage for project execution.

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239. Lag Time

Lag time is the amount of time that must pass between the completion of one task and the start of another, often used in scheduling to manage dependencies.

240. Large-Scale Scrum (LeSS)

LeSS is a framework for scaling Scrum to multiple teams working on a single product, maintaining the simplicity of Scrum while providing additional structure for larger-scale projects.

241. Lead Time

Lead time is the total time taken from when a work item is created until it is completed and delivered. It includes both development and any waiting or queue time.

242. Lean

Lean is a project management philosophy focused on minimizing waste, maximizing value, and optimizing processes to improve efficiency and deliver high-quality outcomes.

243. Lean Agile Procurement

Lean Agile Procurement applies Agile and Lean principles to the procurement process, aiming to increase speed, flexibility, and collaboration between buyers and suppliers.

244. Lean Analytics

Lean Analytics involves using data and metrics to drive Lean practices and decision-making. It focuses on measuring what matters and using insights to improve processes and outcomes.

245. Lean Canvas

A one-page business model template that helps teams quickly capture and iterate on their business ideas, focusing on customer problems, solutions, and key metrics.

246. Lean Coffee

Lean Coffee is a structured, but agenda-less, meeting format where participants gather, propose topics, vote on priorities, and discuss the most voted topics in a time-boxed manner. It promotes focused and democratic discussions.

247. Lean Experimentation

A method of testing hypotheses quickly and cheaply to validate ideas before investing significant resources. It involves running small, controlled experiments to learn and make data-driven decisions.

248. Lean Change Canvas

A tool used to plan and manage change initiatives, incorporating lean principles to ensure the changes are value-driven and iterative.

249. Lean Governance

Lean governance applies Lean principles to organizational oversight, focusing on creating value, minimizing waste, and enabling faster decision-making to support Agile practices and continuous improvement.

250. Lean Inception

Lean Inception is a collaborative workshop that helps teams align on the vision, goals, and initial backlog for a project. It combines Lean Startup principles with Agile practices to kickstart projects effectively.

251. Lean Metrics

Lean Metrics are measurements used to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of Lean processes. Common metrics include Cycle Time, Lead Time, and throughput.

252. Lean Portfolio Management

Applying Lean principles to manage a portfolio of projects or products. It emphasizes value delivery, continuous improvement, and strategic alignment with organizational goals.

253. Lean Software Development

Lean Software Development is an Agile methodology derived from Lean manufacturing principles, focusing on delivering value to the customer efficiently by eliminating waste, enhancing flow, and continuously improving processes. It emphasizes principles such as just-in-time development, minimizing work in progress, and empowering teams.

254. Lean Startup

The Lean Startup methodology applies Agile principles to the process of creating new businesses or products. It emphasizes rapid iteration, validated learning, and pivoting based on customer feedback to build sustainable and successful ventures.

255. Lean Thinking

Lean Thinking is a philosophy derived from Lean manufacturing principles that focus on maximizing value by minimizing waste. In Agile, Lean Thinking guides the creation of efficient processes, continuous improvement, and delivering value to customers.

256. Lean UX

A design approach that focuses on user experience and incorporates Agile principles, emphasizing rapid experimentation, validated learning, and collaborative design.

257. Lean-Agile Mindset

The Lean-Agile Mindset combines principles from Lean thinking and Agile practices. It emphasizes delivering value, eliminating waste, optimizing flow, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

258. Lessons Learned

Lessons learned are documented experiences and insights gained during a project, used to improve future project performance and avoid repeating mistakes.

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259. MVP 2.0 (Minimum Viable Product 2.0)

An evolved concept of MVP that focuses not just on the minimum features needed to validate a hypothesis but also on providing a compelling user experience. It balances functionality with usability.

260. Management 3.0

A modern approach to leadership and management that emphasizes employee engagement, empowerment, and collaboration, aligning with Agile values.

261. Management Reserve

A management reserve is a budget set aside for unforeseen work that is within the scope of the project, providing a buffer against unknown risks.

262. Matrix Organization

A matrix organization is a structure where team members report to multiple managers, such as a project manager and a functional manager, fostering collaboration across departments.

263. Microservices Architecture

A software architectural style that structures an application as a collection of loosely coupled services, each implementing a specific business capability.

264. Milestone

A milestone is a significant point or event in a project timeline that marks the completion of a major phase or deliverable, helping to track progress and celebrate achievements.

265. Mind Mapping

Mind mapping is a visual brainstorming tool that helps project teams organize and represent ideas, tasks, and information around a central concept, enhancing creativity and planning.

266. Minimum Business Increment (MBI)

An MBI is the smallest amount of functionality that delivers value to the business and can be released independently. It helps in releasing valuable increments more frequently.

267. Minimum Lovable Product (MLP)

The Minimum Lovable Product is an evolution of the MVP concept. It focuses on creating a product that not only meets minimum functionality but also delights users, increasing adoption and engagement.

268. Minimum Marketable Feature (MMF)

The smallest set of functionality that provides value to customers and can be marketed or released. MMFs help teams focus on delivering incremental value and getting feedback early.

269. Minimum Viable Architecture (MVA)

The Minimum Viable Architecture is the simplest architecture that can support the initial release of a product while allowing for future scalability and flexibility. It aligns with Agile principles by avoiding over-engineering.

270. Minimum Viable Bureaucracy (MVB)

Minimum Viable Bureaucracy is the concept of implementing the least amount of formal processes and documentation necessary to maintain control and governance while enabling Agile practices.

271. Minimum Viable Governance (MVG)

Minimum Viable Governance is the concept of implementing the minimal necessary governance structures to ensure control and compliance while maintaining Agile flexibility and speed.

272. Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

A Minimum Viable Product is the smallest version of a product that can be released to customers to validate assumptions and gather feedback. It includes only the core features necessary to solve the user’s problem and provide value.

273. MoSCoW Method

The MoSCoW method is a prioritization technique used to categorize project requirements into four groups: Must have, Should have, Could have, and Won’t have.

274. Mob Programming

Mob programming is an Agile development practice where the entire team works together on the same task, at the same time, on the same computer. It promotes collaboration, knowledge sharing, and collective code ownership.

275. Mob Testing

Mob Testing is a collaborative approach where the entire team works together on testing activities. It leverages collective knowledge and skills to improve test coverage and quality.

276. Monte Carlo Analysis

Monte Carlo analysis is a risk management technique that uses probability distributions to simulate and predict the impact of risks on project outcomes.

277. Monte Carlo Simulation

Monte Carlo simulation is a statistical technique used to predict the likely outcomes of a project based on historical data. It helps teams understand the probability of completing tasks within a given timeframe.

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278. Net Present Value (NPV)

NPV is a financial metric that calculates the present value of future cash flows generated by a project, used to assess its profitability and feasibility.

279. Net Promoter Score (NPS)

A metric used to measure customer loyalty and satisfaction. In Agile projects, NPS can be used to gather feedback on product releases and iterations, helping teams understand how well they’re meeting customer needs.

280. Nexus

Nexus is a framework for scaling Scrum to multiple teams working on a single product. It introduces additional roles, artifacts, and events to coordinate and manage dependencies between teams.

281. Niko-Niko Calendar

A Niko-Niko calendar is a visual tool used to track the team’s mood or happiness over time. Team members mark their daily mood on the calendar, providing insights into team morale and identifying potential issues early.

282. NoEstimates

A movement within the Agile community that questions the value of traditional estimation practices. It advocates for focusing on delivering small, incremental work items quickly rather than spending time on detailed estimates.

283. Non-Functional Requirements (NFRs)

Requirements that define the system’s operational characteristics, such as performance, security, usability, and reliability, rather than specific behaviors.

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284. OKR (Objectives and Key Results)

OKRs are a goal-setting framework used to define and track objectives and their outcomes. They help Agile teams align their efforts with organizational goals and measure progress through key results.

285. Opportunity Canvas

A tool for exploring and validating new product ideas. It helps teams capture key aspects such as the problem to be solved, the target audience, the value proposition, and potential solutions.

286. Outcome Mapping (OM)

A planning and monitoring approach that focuses on changes in behaviors, relationships, actions, and activities of stakeholders that lead to desired outcomes.

287. Opportunity Cost

Opportunity cost is the potential benefit lost when choosing one alternative over another, considered in project decision-making to evaluate the best course of action.

288. Organizational Breakdown Structure (OBS)

An OBS is a hierarchical model that represents the project’s organizational structure and defines the roles and responsibilities of team members.

289. Organizational Process Assets (OPA)

OPAs are the plans, processes, policies, procedures, and knowledge bases specific to and used by an organization, influencing project management practices.

290. Outcome-Based Planning

A planning approach that focuses on the desired outcomes or results rather than specific outputs or deliverables. It aligns the team’s efforts with the overall business goals and ensures that work is driven by value.

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291. PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique)

PERT is a project management tool used to plan and control large projects by analyzing the time required to complete each task and identifying the minimum time needed to complete the entire project.

292. PRINCE2 (PRojects IN Controlled Environments)

PRINCE2 is a structured project management methodology that provides detailed guidelines and templates for managing projects, emphasizing control, organization, and scalability.

‌293. Pair Programming

Pair Programming is an Agile practice where two developers work together at one workstation. One developer, the “driver,” writes code, while the other, the “observer” or “navigator,” reviews each line of code as it is written. This practice improves code quality and fosters knowledge sharing within the team.

294. Pair Testing

A collaborative testing approach where two testers work together at the same computer to test the software. This enhances knowledge sharing, creativity, and the ability to find defects.

295. Predictive Analytics

The use of data, statistical algorithms, and machine learning techniques to identify the likelihood of future outcomes based on historical data.

296. Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule)

The Pareto Principle states that roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. In Agile, it is used to prioritize work that will deliver the most significant impact with the least effort.

297. Parking Lot Diagram

A visual tool used in meetings to capture and “park” topics or issues that arise but are not immediately relevant to the current discussion, allowing the team to stay focused.

298. Persona Hypotheses

Persona Hypotheses are initial assumptions about user personas that are used to guide product development. These hypotheses are validated and refined through user research and feedback.

299. Phase Gate (Stage Gate)

A phase gate, or stage gate, is a review point at the end of a project phase where progress is evaluated, and decisions are made to continue, modify, or halt the project.

300. Planned Value (PV)

PV is the authorized budget assigned to scheduled work, used in Earned Value Management (EVM) to measure project performance against the project plan.

301. Planning Horizon

The timeframe for which detailed planning and forecasting can be reasonably accurate, typically shorter in Agile due to the iterative nature of work.

302. Planning Onion

A concept that visualizes different levels of planning, from strategic to tactical. It includes layers such as vision, roadmap, release planning, iteration planning, and daily planning, emphasizing the need for alignment across these levels.

303. Planning Poker

Planning Poker is an estimation technique used by Agile teams to estimate the effort required for User Stories. Team members use cards with numbers (often based on the Fibonacci sequence) to independently estimate and then discuss their estimates to reach a consensus.

304. Portfolio Kanban

An approach to managing a portfolio of projects using Kanban principles. It helps visualize and optimize the flow of work across multiple projects and teams.

305. Pre-Mortem

A Pre-Mortem is a proactive risk management exercise where the team imagines a future failure and works backward to identify potential risks and preventive actions.

306. Product Backlog

The Product Backlog is a prioritized list of all the work that needs to be done on a project. It includes User Stories, bugs, features, and technical tasks. The Product Owner manages the backlog and ensures it reflects the evolving needs and priorities of the project.

307. Product Discovery

The process of understanding customer needs, validating ideas, and defining what to build. It involves activities like user research, prototyping, and usability testing.

308. Product Increment (PI)

In Agile, a Product Increment (PI) is the sum of all completed backlog items at the end of a sprint or iteration. It is a potentially shippable product that includes all new features and improvements made during the sprint.

309. Product Owner

The Product Owner is a key role in Scrum, responsible for defining and prioritizing the Product Backlog to ensure the development team delivers maximum value. The Product Owner acts as the voice of the customer and ensures that the team is working on the most valuable features.

310. Product Vision

A high-level description of the future state of a product, including its purpose, target customers, and key features, serving as a guide for the development team.

311. Product-Market Fit

The degree to which a product satisfies a strong market demand. Achieving product-market fit means that the product meets the needs of the target audience and is positioned for growth and success in the market.

312. Program Backlog

In SAFe, the Program Backlog is a prioritized list of features, enablers, and other work items that are intended to be delivered by an Agile Release Train (ART) over a specific time period.

313. Program Increment (PI)

A Program Increment is a time-boxed period, typically 8 to 12 weeks, during which an Agile Release Train delivers incremental value in the form of working, tested software and systems. Each PI includes multiple iterations and ends with a System Demo and PI Planning event.

314. Project Closeout

Project closeout is the final phase of the project lifecycle, involving the completion of all project work, documentation, and the formal acceptance of the project deliverables by stakeholders.

315. Project Dashboard

A project dashboard is a visual tool that provides an at-a-glance view of project performance, key metrics, and progress, helping stakeholders stay informed.

316. Project Integration Management

Project integration management involves coordinating all elements of a project, ensuring that project processes and activities are aligned and work together seamlessly.

317. Project Lifecycle

The project lifecycle refers to the series of phases that a project goes through from initiation to closure, typically including initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and controlling, and closing.

318. Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK)

The PMBOK is a set of standard terminology, best practices, and guidelines for project management published by the Project Management Institute (PMI).

319. Project Portfolio Management (PPM)

PPM is the centralized management of multiple projects and programs to achieve strategic objectives, optimize resource allocation, and balance risks and rewards across the portfolio.

320. Project Risk Management

Project risk management involves identifying, analyzing, and responding to project risks to minimize their impact on project objectives and ensure successful delivery.

321. Project Scope Statement

A project scope statement is a detailed document that defines the project’s deliverables, boundaries, and acceptance criteria, establishing a clear understanding of what will be included and excluded from the project.

322. Project Sponsor

A project sponsor is a senior executive who champions the project, provides strategic direction, secures funding, and supports the project manager.

323. Psychological Safety

Psychological Safety is the belief that team members can speak up, share ideas, and take risks without fear of negative consequences. It is crucial for fostering innovation and effective collaboration in Agile teams.

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324. Quality Assurance (QA)

QA involves the systematic processes and activities implemented to ensure that a project’s deliverables meet the required quality standards and satisfy stakeholder expectations.

325. Quality Control (QC)

QC is the process of monitoring and measuring project outputs to ensure they meet the defined quality standards and identifying ways to eliminate causes of unsatisfactory performance.

326. Quality Management Plan

A quality management plan is a document that outlines the quality standards, objectives, roles, responsibilities, and processes for ensuring project deliverables meet the required quality.

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327. RACI Matrix

A RACI matrix is a responsibility assignment chart that defines roles and responsibilities for project tasks, using categories: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed.

328. Real Options

Real Options is a decision-making framework that applies financial options theory to project management. It emphasizes keeping options open and deferring decisions until the last responsible moment to reduce uncertainty.

329. Refactoring

Refactoring is the process of restructuring existing code without changing its external behavior. The goal is to improve code readability, reduce complexity, and enhance maintainability while preserving functionality.

330. Relative Sizing

Relative sizing is an estimation technique where tasks or user stories are compared to each other in terms of size or effort, rather than assigning absolute values. Common methods include using story points or T-shirt sizes (small, medium, large).

331. Release Planning

Release Planning is the process of defining and scheduling the release of product increments. It aligns the team’s work with business goals and timelines, ensuring that deliverables meet market needs.

332. Release Train Engineer (RTE)

The RTE is a role in the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) responsible for facilitating program-level processes and execution. The RTE coordinates activities across multiple Agile teams within an Agile Release Train (ART).

333. Requirements Management

Requirements management is the process of documenting, analyzing, tracking, and managing changes to project requirements throughout the project lifecycle.

334. Risk-Based Testing (RBT)

A testing approach that prioritizes tests based on the risk of failure and its impact, focusing on areas that are most critical to business success.

335. Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM)

An RTM is a document that maps and traces project requirements to their origins and ensures they are fulfilled throughout the project lifecycle.

336. Resource Allocation

Resource allocation is the process of assigning available resources to project tasks in the most efficient and effective way to achieve project objectives.

337. Resource Leveling

Resource leveling is a technique used to resolve resource conflicts and ensure balanced workloads by adjusting project schedules based on resource availability and constraints.

338. Retrospective

A Retrospective is a meeting held at regular intervals (often at the end of each Sprint) where the team reflects on their processes and performance. The goal is to identify improvements, celebrate successes, and address challenges to enhance team effectiveness and satisfaction.

339. Risk Adjusted Backlog

A backlog that has been adjusted to account for risk, ensuring that high-risk items are addressed early and that the team is prepared for potential issues.

340. Risk Appetite

Risk appetite is the amount and type of risk that an organization is willing to take on in pursuit of its objectives, guiding decision-making and risk management strategies.

341. Risk Burndown Chart

A Risk Burndown Chart is a visual tool that tracks the reduction of project risks over time. It helps teams monitor risk mitigation efforts and ensure that potential issues are being addressed.

342. Risk Register

A risk register is a tool used to document and track potential risks throughout the project lifecycle, including their likelihood, impact, mitigation strategies, and status.

343. Roadmap

A roadmap is a high-level visual summary that maps out the vision and direction of a product over time. In Agile, roadmaps provide a flexible plan that can adapt to changing priorities and market conditions.

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344. SWOT Analysis

SWOT analysis is a strategic planning tool used to identify a project’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, helping teams develop strategies to leverage advantages and mitigate risks.

345. Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe)

The Scaled Agile Framework is a set of organization and workflow patterns intended to guide enterprises in scaling Lean and Agile practices. SAFe integrates principles from Agile, Lean, and DevOps to help large organizations deliver high-quality products and services efficiently.

346. Scaled Daily Scrum

Scaled Daily Scrum is a synchronization meeting for Scrum teams within a larger organization, where representatives from each team discuss progress, impediments, and coordination needs across teams.

347. Schedule Performance Index (SPI)

SPI is a measure of schedule efficiency in a project, calculated as the ratio of earned value (EV) to planned value (PV). An SPI greater than 1 indicates better than expected schedule performance.

348. Story Splitting

A technique used to break down large user stories into smaller, more manageable pieces to ensure they can be completed within a single iteration.

349. Scope Baseline

The scope baseline is an approved version of the project scope statement, work breakdown structure (WBS), and WBS dictionary, used as a basis for comparison throughout the project.

350. Scope Creep

Scope Creep refers to the uncontrolled expansion of project scope without corresponding adjustments to time, cost, and resources, often resulting in project delays and cost overruns.

351. Scrum

Scrum is a widely-used Agile framework that helps teams work together. It encourages teams to learn through experiences, self-organize while working on a problem, and reflect on their wins and losses to continuously improve. Scrum structures development into cycles of work called Sprints, typically lasting 2–4 weeks, and includes key roles like Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Development Team.

352. Scrum Board

A Scrum Board is a visual tool used to manage and track the progress of tasks during a Sprint. It typically has columns for “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “Done,” helping the team visualize their workflow.

353. Scrum Master

The Scrum Master is a facilitator for the Scrum team, responsible for ensuring that the Scrum process is followed correctly. The Scrum Master helps remove impediments, fosters an environment for high performance, and ensures that the team adheres to Scrum principles.

354. Scrum of Scrums

Scrum of Scrums is a scaled Agile technique used to coordinate work across multiple Scrum teams. Representatives from each team meet regularly to discuss progress, dependencies, and impediments, ensuring alignment and collaboration across teams working on the same project.

355. ScrumBan

ScrumBan is a hybrid Agile framework that combines elements of Scrum and Kanban. It retains the structure of Scrum with time-boxed Sprints and roles but uses Kanban’s focus on continuous flow and visual management to improve efficiency and flexibility.

356. Servant Leadership

Servant Leadership is a leadership philosophy in which the primary goal of the leader is to serve the team. In Agile, this approach is embodied by roles like the Scrum Master, who supports the team by removing impediments, facilitating processes, and fostering a collaborative environment.

357. Service Blueprinting

Service Blueprinting is a technique used to map out the service delivery process, identifying customer interactions and supporting processes to improve service quality and efficiency.

358. Service Level Agreement (SLA)

A Service Level Agreement is a formal agreement between service providers and clients that defines the expected level of service. In Agile, SLAs help manage expectations and ensure quality.

359. Session-Based Testing

Session-Based Testing is a time-boxed, structured approach to exploratory testing. Testers work in sessions with specific objectives, and debrief afterward to discuss findings and plan the next steps.

360. Shared Resources

Resources that are used by multiple teams or projects, such as specialized skills, tools, or equipment. Effective management of shared resources is crucial to avoid bottlenecks and ensure smooth workflow.

361. Shift-Left Testing

The practice of starting testing activities earlier in the development process, integrating testing into every phase to identify and fix defects sooner.

362. Shift-Right Testing

A testing approach that focuses on monitoring and validating the product in the live environment. It complements traditional pre-release testing by ensuring that the product performs as expected in real-world conditions.

363. Six Sigma

Six Sigma is a data-driven methodology for improving processes by identifying and eliminating defects, reducing variability, and enhancing quality.

364. Spike

A Spike is a time-boxed research activity aimed at investigating a specific problem or exploring a solution. Spikes help teams gain the knowledge needed to estimate and implement future work more accurately.

365. Sprint

A Sprint is a time-boxed iteration, usually lasting between 2 to 4 weeks, during which a Scrum team works to complete a set number of User Stories or tasks. The goal of each Sprint is to produce a potentially shippable product increment.

366. Sprint Goal

A Sprint Goal is a concise statement that defines the purpose and value of a sprint. It provides a clear focus for the team, guiding their work and helping to measure the success of the sprint.

367. Sprint Review

The Sprint Review is a meeting held at the end of a Sprint where the team presents the Increment to stakeholders and discusses what was accomplished. It provides an opportunity for feedback and ensures the product is evolving in the right direction.

368. Stakeholder Analysis

Stakeholder analysis is the process of identifying and assessing the interests, influence, and expectations of stakeholders, ensuring effective communication and engagement throughout the project.

369. Stakeholder Engagement Plan

A stakeholder engagement plan outlines strategies for effectively engaging stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle, addressing their needs and expectations and ensuring their support.

370. Stakeholder Management

Stakeholder management involves identifying, analyzing, and engaging with project stakeholders to ensure their needs and expectations are met and to foster positive relationships.

371. Stakeholder Register

A stakeholder register is a document that lists all project stakeholders, their interests, influence, and engagement strategies, used to manage stakeholder relationships.

372. Story Decomposition

The process of breaking down large user stories (epics) into smaller, more manageable stories. This helps teams deliver value incrementally and ensures that work items are small enough to be completed within a sprint.

373. Story Elaboration

Story elaboration involves refining user stories by adding details, clarifying requirements, and ensuring they are ready for implementation, helping teams understand what needs to be built and how to approach the work effectively.

374. Story Map

A Story Map is a visual representation of the User Stories needed to build a product. It helps teams understand the big picture, prioritize features, and plan releases by organizing stories in a way that reflects user journeys.

375. Story Points

Story Points are a unit of measure used to estimate the relative effort required to implement a User Story. They help teams assess the complexity, risk, and amount of work involved without tying estimates to specific time durations, promoting more accurate and flexible planning.

376. Swarming

A practice where the entire team focuses on completing one high-priority item at a time, reducing work in progress (WIP) and accelerating delivery.

377. System Thinking

An approach to problem-solving that views problems as part of an overall system, rather than focusing on individual components, to understand the broader context and interdependencies.

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378. Technical Debt

Technical Debt refers to the implied cost of additional rework caused by choosing an easy (limited) solution now instead of using a better approach that would take longer. Managing technical debt is crucial for maintaining software quality and long-term agility.

379. Technical Spike

A time-boxed research activity aimed at reducing technical uncertainty or risk by exploring potential solutions and gaining insights.

380. Team Topologies

A model that focuses on organizing teams based on the flow of change and software architecture, aiming to optimize team communication and alignment with business goals.

381. Test Automation Pyramid

The Test Automation Pyramid is a strategy for test automation that emphasizes having a large number of unit tests at the base, fewer integration tests in the middle, and even fewer UI tests at the top. It ensures a balanced approach to automated testing.

382. Test-Driven Development (TDD)

Test-Driven Development is a software development practice where developers write automated tests before writing the code that needs to pass those tests. This approach helps ensure that the code is thoroughly tested and designed for testability from the outset, leading to higher quality and more maintainable software.

383. Three Amigos

A collaboration technique involving three roles — typically a developer, a tester, and a product owner — who come together to discuss and refine user stories before development begins. This ensures a shared understanding and better quality outcomes.

384. Time and Materials (T&M) Contract

A T&M contract is a type of contract where the buyer pays the seller for the time spent and materials used to complete the work, offering flexibility but requiring careful monitoring to control costs.

385. Timeboxing

Timeboxing is a project management technique where a fixed period is allocated for an activity or task, helping teams focus and manage time effectively.

386. Total Quality Management (TQM)

TQM is a management approach focused on long-term success through customer satisfaction, involving all members of an organization in improving processes, products, and services.

387. Tribe

In Agile, a Tribe is a large group of multiple squads (teams) that work on related products or services. Tribes are used in frameworks like Spotify’s model to scale Agile practices across larger organizations.

388. Triple Constraint

The triple constraint, also known as the project management triangle, refers to the three primary constraints of scope, time, and cost, which must be balanced to achieve project success.

389. Trunk-Based Development

Trunk-Based Development is a version control strategy where developers integrate their work frequently into the main codebase (trunk). This practice reduces integration challenges and encourages continuous integration.

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390. User Persona

A User Persona is a fictional character created to represent a user type that might use a product, service, or site. Personas help Agile teams understand user needs, behaviors, and goals, guiding design and development decisions.

391. User Story

A User Story is a simple, clear description of a feature from the perspective of the end-user or customer. It typically follows the format: “As a [user role], I want [feature] so that [benefit].” User Stories help ensure the development team understands the user’s needs and the value of the feature.

392. User Story Mapping

A visual exercise that helps teams understand the customer journey, prioritize work, and plan releases by mapping out user stories in the context of user activities and goals.

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393. Value Stream Mapping

Value Stream Mapping is a Lean technique used to analyze and design the flow of materials and information required to bring a product or service to a consumer. In Agile, it helps identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies in the development process.

394. Value-Driven Development

Value-Driven Development is an approach that prioritizes delivering the highest value features and functionalities first. It emphasizes understanding customer needs and ensuring that every increment of work adds significant value to the product.

395. Velocity

Velocity is a metric used in Scrum to measure the amount of work a team can handle during a single Sprint. It is typically calculated by summing the story points of all the User Stories completed in a Sprint. Velocity helps teams predict how much work they can commit to in future Sprints.

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396. Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF)

WSJF is a prioritization model used in Agile to sequence jobs based on their relative value. It calculates the cost of delay divided by the job size, helping teams focus on delivering maximum value quickly.

397. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

A WBS is a hierarchical decomposition of the total scope of work required to complete a project. In Agile, it helps teams break down complex projects into manageable tasks and deliverables.

398. Work In Progress (WIP) Limit

A WIP Limit is a constraint in Kanban that restricts the number of work items that can be in progress at any given time. It helps manage flow, reduce context switching, and improve focus and efficiency.

399. Work Package

A work package is a smaller, manageable unit of work that is part of a project’s work breakdown structure (WBS), detailing the tasks, resources, and timelines required to complete it.

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400. XP Ceremonies

XP Ceremonies are specific practices in Extreme Programming that include activities like Planning Game, Stand-Up Meetings, Pair Programming, and Iteration Retrospectives, designed to enhance collaboration and improve code quality.

Conclusion

I hope this glossary has helped you understand Agile better. Knowing these 400 terms will make it easier to talk about Agile and use it in your work. Remember, Agile is all about learning and improving, so keep exploring and growing your knowledge. Thanks for checking out this glossary, and good luck with your Agile projects!‌ ‌

Mohammad Rahighi

Agile & Digital Transformation Enthusiastic

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