It’s no secret that the Agile process is fast becoming the preferred way to manage projects. In the year ahead, Agile is expected to become even more widely used. Organizations, teams and even project management software are increasingly responding to a demand for more adaptive and evolutionary processes. And for good reason. In a fast-changing business world that needs to respond to rapid market and technology shifts, Agile delivers.

According to the VersionOne 2012 Agile Dev Survey, 90% of participants said that implementing an Agile practice improved their ability to manage changing priorities. Agile is perfect for any project that requires a series of versions or iterations that need to be reviewed and improved on until the final product is ready for prime time. For example, instead of waiting six months for a deliverable that is either flawed or no longer meeting the current requirements, Agile lets you produce a first draft within as little as two weeks (or less) for immediate feedback—and from here you can improve upon each version until it’s complete.

There are a lot more benefits to using Agile. Here are 13 reasons why teams like yours are using this flexible project management process more and more:

1. Agile is evolutionary, giving teams an opportunity to learn with each new iteration or draft.
2. Agile lets teams deliver a prototype and improve upon it with every cycle.
3. Teams can manage shifting priorities more effectively.
4. This fast and flexible process increases productivity.
5. Agile supports regular and collaborative troubleshooting.
6. The inherent collaborative nature of Agile improves project visibility.
7. Agile helps teams and individuals effectively prioritize work and features.
8. Teams can anticipate incoming project changes.
9. Teams can make quick-course corrections based on stakeholder feedback.
10. Teams can prototype a solution or process for the next version of the project.
11. Stakeholders and clients can provide feedback as the project evolves—without holding the project up (because the feedback is part of the process).
12. Teams get rapid feedback from each version or iteration.
13. Empowers project teams to work creatively and effectively.

We can thank a team of inventive software developers for the birth of Agile; now, a wide variety of teams, from consulting agencies to marketing are using Agile. To see how, check out our eBook, Agile for Marketing Teams.

Tell us why you use an Agile process for managing your projects.