Companies test their flexibility and adaptability with an agility assessment

With our quiz template, you can find out how flexibly your company can respond to market changes and challenges. Test your adaptability quickly and easily!

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Why conduct regular agility checks?

In an era of advancing digitalization and constantly changing market conditions, companies are increasingly required to adapt their strategies.

To remain competitive, speed and a high degree of adaptability are essential.

This applies not only to products and services, but also to internal structures and processes.

An agility check in the form of an online quiz enables companies to measure and reflect on their agility in a targeted manner.

By analyzing areas such as leadership, teamwork, communication processes, and work methods, companies can determine how flexibly they currently respond to change.

The agility check provides valuable insights into weaknesses and areas for improvement that are crucial for future changes.

This enables companies to respond more quickly and effectively to market challenges and secure their long-term competitiveness.

Contents of the template:

Survey on Self-Organization
Survey on Corporate Governance
Assessment of Internal Transparency
Perceptions of Corporate Culture
Survey on Mindfulness
Self-Assessment of Organizational Agility

Objectives of the survey:

Self-reflection and dialogue
Identifying areas for improvement
Enhancing agility and flexibility
Gaining a competitive edge

Helpful features for the survey:

Survey options: Anonymous, partially anonymous, personalized
Invitation options: Link, email, QR code, and more
AI analysis of results, including recommendations for action

Data protection „made in Germany“ (GDPR)

Anonymity function for honest feedback

Frequently asked questions about agility

What is agility?

Agility refers to the ability of individuals, teams, or entire organizations to respond quickly, flexibly, and proactively to changes in their environment.

The concept originally emerged from software development, for example through the Agile Manifesto, but has long since evolved into a fundamental mindset and approach in numerous fields—from corporate management and project management to employee development.

Agility does not only stand for speed, but above all for adaptability, personal responsibility, and continuous learning.

It is considered a key competency in a world increasingly characterized by complexity, dynamism, and uncertainty—often described using the acronym VUCA: Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity.

What are the aspects of agility?

Flexibility: The ability to quickly adapt plans, strategies, or methods when needed.
Responsiveness: Acting quickly and effectively when unexpected challenges or opportunities arise.
Collaboration: Open communication and teamwork to achieve objectives efficiently.
Iterative work: A step-by-step approach in which results are regularly reviewed and adjusted, for example in Scrum or Kanban methods.
Willingness to learn: The readiness to learn from experience and continuously improve.

What is the difference between agility and flexibility?

The difference between agility and flexibility lies primarily in their objectives and scope.

While both terms refer to adaptability, they differ in their depth and strategic focus.

1. Definition and focus

Agility

Agility is the ability to use change proactively and strategically in order to seize opportunities and drive innovation.
The focus is on long-term success, continuous improvement, and dynamic adaptation.

Flexibility

Flexibility refers to the ability to respond to changes at short notice without necessarily making strategic adjustments.
The focus is on short-term adaptation to new requirements or conditions.

2. Approach and mindset

Agility

Proactive and iterative approaches that promote continuous improvement, such as Scrum and Kanban.
Strong customer orientation and data-driven decision-making are central.

Flexibility

A reactive approach that enables adjustments when requirements change.
Adjustments are often situation-dependent and less strategic.

3. Structure and processes

Agility

Agility requires clearly defined structures that enable dynamic action, such as cross-functional teams.
It combines stability and adaptability through agile methods.

Flexibility

Flexibility is less structured and relies on spontaneous adjustments.
Adjustments are often made through individual decisions or external requirements.

4. Examples

Agility

A company introduces agile frameworks such as Scrum to develop products further in short cycles and integrate customer feedback directly.

Flexibility

A team changes its working hours at short notice to ensure that an urgent project is completed.

What are the benefits of agility?

Introducing agility in companies and teams offers numerous benefits that positively affect efficiency, innovation, and flexibility.

Here are some of the most important benefits of agility:

1. Benefit: Rapid adaptation to change

Benefit: Agility enables companies to respond quickly to changes in the market, customer requirements, or the competitive landscape.

Example: A company can quickly adapt its products or services to new trends or technologies without extensive, lengthy planning phases.

2. Benefit: Customer centricity

Benefit: Agility places the customer at the center by continuously gathering feedback and incorporating it into product development or service delivery.

Example: Through regular customer interactions, companies can better address customers’ actual needs and wishes and implement them more quickly.

3. Benefit: Increased flexibility

Benefit: Agility gives companies the flexibility to quickly adapt their work processes and priorities in response to new requirements or problems.

Example: A project team can shift its focus to a new feature or objective when market conditions change.

4. Benefit: Faster feedback and continuous improvement

Benefit: Agility promotes rapid feedback, enabling companies to continuously improve their strategies, products, or services.

Example: With short cycles, such as Scrum sprints, teams can make improvements after each iteration to increase the quality and success of their work.

5. Benefit: Promoting innovation

Benefit: Agility creates space for creativity and new ideas by allowing regular testing and experimentation and implementing innovations more quickly.

Example: Teams can test and adapt new ideas in small, iterative steps instead of launching large, risky projects all at once.

6. Benefit: Better collaboration and communication

Benefit: Agility promotes close collaboration between different teams and departments and improves internal communication.

Example: Daily meetings, such as the Daily Scrum in Scrum methodologies, ensure regular exchange and rapid identification of problems within the team.

7. Benefit: Reducing risks

Benefit: Through an iterative approach and early identification of problems, risks can be recognized and mitigated at an early stage.

Example: Smaller product changes that are tested regularly help minimize errors and prevent major problems before they become critical.

8. Benefit: Increasing employee satisfaction

Benefit: Agility gives employees greater personal responsibility and influence over decisions, leading to higher motivation and engagement.

Example: Through collaboration in cross-functional teams and trust in each employee’s abilities, team members can contribute their ideas and take responsibility.

9. Benefit: Better use of resources

Benefit: Agility leads to more efficient use of resources because teams work in a focused and targeted way on the most important tasks.

Example: Instead of wasting resources on unclear or distant objectives, agile processes always work according to current needs and the highest priorities.

10. Benefit: Continuous delivery of value

Benefit: By regularly delivering small, functional increments, companies can continuously provide value while monitoring progress.

Example: Instead of delivering a project only after months of work, companies can offer customers regular updates and improvements, leading to higher satisfaction.

11. Benefit: Increased transparency

Benefit: Agility creates a transparent way of working because information about progress, problems, and results is shared regularly.

Example: Regular retrospectives and reviews assess the entire process, keeping all team members and stakeholders informed about the project’s status.

What are the goals of agility?

The goals of agility in companies focus on promoting flexibility, efficiency, and innovation in order to remain competitive in the long term.

Here are the key objectives:

1. Goal: Rapid adaptation to change

Responsiveness to market trends, customer needs, and external challenges.
Minimizing risks through early course corrections.

2. Goal: Customer centricity

Products and services should be better tailored to customer needs.
Continuous customer feedback is incorporated into development and improvement.

3. Goal: Increasing efficiency

Optimize processes to use time, costs, and resources more efficiently.
Eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy and unnecessary steps.

4. Goal: Promoting innovation

Create space for creativity and new ideas.
Implement new technologies, methods, and approaches more quickly.

5. Goal: Improved collaboration

Promote teamwork and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Build an open communication culture and transparent information exchange.

6. Goal: Increasing employee satisfaction

Promote personal responsibility and opportunities for participation.
Create a work environment that supports engagement and motivation.

7. Goal: Securing competitiveness

Bring products and services to market more quickly and effectively.
Achieve competitive advantages through flexibility and innovation.

8. Goal: Better decision-making

Use data and feedback continuously to make well-informed decisions.
Use an iterative approach to minimize risks and maximize success.

What are the dimensions of agility?

The dimensions of agility encompass various areas that together define a company’s or team’s ability to adapt and evolve.

Here are the key dimensions of agility:

1. Dimension: Strategic agility

Definition

The ability to flexibly adapt long-term goals and strategies to new market conditions and trends.

Example

Early identification of market opportunities and risks.
Rapid adaptation of corporate strategy to disruptive change.

2. Dimension: Operational agility

Definition

The ability to design operational processes and ways of working efficiently and flexibly.

Flexibility

Introduction of agile working methods such as Scrum or Kanban.
Optimization of production processes through iterative improvements.

3. Dimension: Structural agility

Definition

The ability to design organizational structures flexibly in order to enable rapid decisions and adjustments.

Examples:

Use of flat hierarchies and cross-functional teams.
Dynamic resource allocation based on project needs.

4. Dimension: Market agility

Definition

The ability to adapt to changing customer needs and market requirements.

Examples

Development of customer-oriented products through continuous customer feedback.
Rapid introduction of new offerings or business models.

What are the different models of agility?

There are various models that describe and promote agility in companies, teams, and processes.

These models aim to enable rapid adaptability, flexibility, and continuous improvement.

Here are some of the best-known models of agility:

1. Model: Agile Manifesto

The Agile Manifesto was formulated in 2001 by a group of software developers and forms the basis for many agile methods.

It emphasizes four core values and twelve principles that promote agility in the development process:

The 4 values of the Agile Manifesto:

Individuals and interactions are valued more than processes and tools.
Working software is valued more than comprehensive documentation.
Customer collaboration is valued more than contract negotiation.
Responding to change is valued more than following a plan.

The 12 principles of the Agile Manifesto:

The customer must regularly receive new, working software.
Changes to requirements are welcome at any time, even late in development.
Close collaboration between business professionals and developers is crucial.
The focus is on the continuous delivery of working software.
Sustainable development is essential to ensure stable product quality.

2. Model: Scrum

Scrum is one of the best-known agile models and is based on an iterative process carried out in regular cycles, known as sprints.

It is primarily used in software and product development, but can also be applied to other areas.

Scrum promotes close collaboration and continuous improvement.

The main roles in Scrum:

Product Owner: Responsible for defining and prioritizing requirements.
Scrum Master: Supports the team and ensures that Scrum practices are followed.
Development Team: Works on requirements and regularly delivers functioning product increments.

Scrum elements:

Sprint: A short period, typically two to four weeks, during which part of the product is developed.
Daily Scrum: A daily 15-minute meeting to discuss progress.
Sprint Review & Retrospective: Meetings at the end of a sprint to evaluate the work and identify opportunities for improvement.

3. Model: Kanban

Kanban is another agile model that originally came from manufacturing and is now used in many areas, including software development and marketing.

It helps visualize workflow and identify bottlenecks at an early stage.

Core principles of Kanban:

Visualizing workflow: All tasks are displayed on a Kanban board to make progress and bottlenecks visible.
Limiting work in progress: This ensures that the team is not overloaded and that work is completed efficiently.
Continuous improvement: The focus is on continuously adapting and optimizing the work process.

Kanban elements:

Kanban board: A visual workspace that displays tasks at different stages of the work process, such as “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “Done.”
Work in Progress (WIP) limits: Limits on the number of tasks that can be worked on simultaneously.

4. Model: Lean

The Lean model aims to minimize waste in processes and maximize value for the customer.

It originated in manufacturing and was later applied to software development and other industries.

Key Lean principles:

Value: Determine what is valuable to the customer.
Value stream: Identify all steps in the process required to create a product or service.
Flow: Ensure the continuous flow of tasks or products through the process.
Pull: Treat customer needs as the driver of the production process.
Perfection: Strive for continuous improvement in order to further increase value.

5. Model: Extreme Programming (XP)

Extreme Programming (XP) is an agile method that focuses on technical excellence and close collaboration within the team.

It was developed specifically for software development and promotes writing clean, well-tested code.

Key XP practices:

Pair programming: Two developers work together on a codebase.
Test-driven development (TDD): Tests are written before the actual code.
Continuous integration: Frequent and regular integration of code to identify errors early.

Why is agility important in a company?

Agility in companies is crucial for remaining competitive and successful in a rapidly changing world.

Here are the main reasons why agility is so important for companies:

1. Reason: Flexibility and adaptability

Companies can respond more quickly to market changes, technological developments, and customer needs.

Risks are minimized because adjustments can be made at an early stage.

2. Reason: Increasing competitiveness

Agility enables companies to bring innovations to market more quickly and serve customers better.

This allows companies to stand out from the competition.

3. Reason: Customer orientation

Agile approaches such as Scrum or Design Thinking place customer needs at the center.

Products and services are continuously improved based on feedback.

4. Reason: More efficient processes

Through iterative work and flat hierarchies, decisions are made more quickly and resources are used more efficiently.

Teams work independently and more productively.

5. Reason: Employee satisfaction

Agility promotes open communication, collaboration, and personal responsibility.

Employees feel more involved and motivated, leading to higher job satisfaction.

6. Reason: Promoting innovation

Agility creates space for creativity and new ideas.

Companies can respond quickly to new trends and develop innovative solutions.

7. Reason: Better management of uncertainty

In an uncertain or rapidly changing environment, agility helps manage risks more effectively and seize opportunities.

What methods and strategies are available for improving agility within a company?

Agility in a company means responding to change in a flexible, fast, and adaptable way.

Various methods and strategies can be used to improve agility.

Here are the most effective approaches:

1. Method: Introduce agile frameworks

Scrum: A structured approach with clear roles—Scrum Master, Product Owner, and team—and defined sprints for iterative work.
Kanban: Visualization of work processes with a focus on continuous improvement and minimizing work in progress.
SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework): A scalable agile framework for larger organizations.
Goal: Create transparency, clearly define priorities, and optimize processes.

2. Method: Promote an agile corporate culture

Open communication: Encourage regular meetings and transparent flows of information.
Positive attitude toward mistakes: Encourage employees to take risks and learn from mistakes.
Customer orientation: Focus on customers’ needs and wishes.
Goal: Create a culture that promotes flexibility, innovation, and teamwork.

3. Method: Continuous learning and professional development

Training: Provide training on agile methods and tools for employees and managers.
Workshops: Use interactive formats to teach agile mindsets and practices.
Coaching: Involve agile coaches who support teams and managers.
Goal: Strengthen knowledge and skills for agile work throughout the company.

4. Method: Promote self-organization and personal responsibility

Empowerment: Give teams greater decision-making freedom and responsibility.
Cross-functional teams: Bring together teams with different competencies to solve complex problems collaboratively.
Goal-oriented work: Set clear objectives instead of giving detailed work instructions.
Goal: Promote teams’ flexibility and creativity.

5. Method: Use agile tools

Project management tools: Trello, Jira, or Asana for organizing and tracking tasks.
Communication tools: Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Zoom for effective collaboration.
Retrospective tools: Tools such as Miro or FunRetro to regularly identify opportunities for improvement.
Goal: Make processes more efficient and facilitate collaboration.

6. Method: Systematically integrate customer feedback

Regular surveys: Conduct customer surveys to measure needs and satisfaction.
MVP (Minimum Viable Product): Quickly test and optimize initial versions of a product.
Iteration: Improve products or services based on customer feedback.
Goal: Place customer orientation at the center.

7. Method: Agile performance management

OKRs (Objectives and Key Results): A goal-setting framework that defines clear objectives and measurable results.
Feedback loops: Regular feedback discussions for continuous adjustment and improvement.
Iterative planning: Short-term planning instead of rigid annual objectives.
Goal: Adapt objectives flexibly to change and review progress regularly.

8. Method: Introduce continuous delivery and DevOps

Automation: Automate processes such as testing, deployment, and monitoring.
Interdisciplinary collaboration: Enable development and operations teams to work more closely together.
Iterative development: Frequent releases with short development cycles.
Goal: Ensure fast, stable, and high-quality delivery.

9. Method: Build agile leadership

Servant leadership: Managers act as supporters of teams, removing obstacles and providing guidance.
Coaching mindset: Managers support employees and help them develop their potential.
Flexible thinking: Managers are open to change and encourage adaptation.
Goal: Align leadership with agile principles.

10. Method: Regular retrospectives and reviews

Retrospectives: After each sprint, teams analyze what went well and what can be improved.
Reviews: Share results with stakeholders and gather feedback.
Process optimization: Incorporate insights into the next iteration.
Goal: Ensure continuous improvement.

11. Method: Adapt the organizational structure

Flat hierarchies: Shorten decision-making paths and enable greater personal responsibility.
Agile networks: Move away from rigid departments toward flexible, project-based teams.
Decentralized decision-making: Empower teams to make decisions autonomously.
Goal: Increase the company’s flexibility and responsiveness.

12. Method: Introduce a culture of experimentation and innovation

Design Thinking: A creative problem-solving approach focused on the user.
Lean Startup: Quickly develop prototypes and improve them using customer feedback.
Test-and-learn approach: Test hypotheses and make decisions based on the results.
Goal: Promote innovation and respond more quickly to change.

Which metrics are suitable for measuring agility?

Key performance indicators (KPIs) for agility are used to measure the progress and effectiveness of agile methods within a company or team.

Here are some of the most common KPIs for assessing agility:

1. KPI: Velocity

What it measures: The amount of work, such as user stories, story points, or tasks, that a team completes in a sprint or iteration.
Goal: Continuously improve work speed without compromising quality.

2. KPI: Lead time

What it measures: The time from requesting a feature or task to its completion.
Goal: Minimize lead time for faster results and market adaptation.

3. KPI: Cycle time

What it measures: The time required to complete a task or feature from the start of active work through completion.
Goal: Optimize efficiency in the work process.

4. KPI: Delivery frequency

What it measures: How often a team delivers functioning results, such as software releases.
Goal: Provide regular, incremental deliveries that offer customers value quickly.

5. KPI: Defect rate

What it measures: The number of defects or shortcomings in delivered products or solutions.
Goal: Reduce the defect rate through improved quality assurance and continuous feedback.

6. KPI: Customer satisfaction

What it measures: Customer satisfaction with the delivered product or service, for example measured through a Net Promoter Score or surveys.
Goal: Ensure that delivered results meet customer expectations.

7. KPI: Employee satisfaction (team satisfaction)

What it measures: Employee satisfaction and engagement, often measured through regular surveys.
Goal: Build a motivated team that continuously improves.

8. KPI: Adaptability

What it measures: The ability of a team or company to respond quickly to changes in the market, customer requirements, or projects.
Goal: Increase flexibility and innovative capacity.

9. KPI: Retrospective effectiveness

What it measures: How effectively actions identified in retrospectives are implemented to improve processes.
Goal: Continuously improve teamwork and processes.

10. KPI: Time to value

What it measures: The time required to deliver customer or business value.
Goal: Accelerate value creation to satisfy customers more quickly.

11. KPI: Work in progress (WIP)

What it measures: The number of tasks or projects being worked on simultaneously.
Goal: Reduce multitasking and overload in order to increase efficiency.

12. KPI: Innovation rate

What it measures: The proportion of new ideas or products that have been successfully implemented.
Goal: Promote creativity and competitiveness.