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What Is a 3-2-1 Backup Strategy?

Posted in: backup, backup and disaster recovery, data backup, IT Strategy, Security, tape backup - Aug 27, 2021

The importance of having a backup for your files is not a new concept; most people would agree that backing up data is crucial. However, not every company implements a robust enterprise backup strategy, causing billions of dollars worth of lost data.

As the number of places a person or company can store data increases, one of the best backup strategies is sometimes forgotten. The often overlooked 3-2-1 backup strategy is a foundational approach that should still be applied today.

What Is a 3-2-1 Backup Strategy?

Simply put, a 3-2-1 backup strategy will protect your data against the unforeseeable, whether it be a server crash, cyberattack, or natural disaster. A 3-2-1 backup plan puts multiple data preservation concepts into practice. Here’s the framework:

Create 3 copies of the data
Use 2 different media types
Store 1 copy offsite

3 Copies of the Data

A sound backup system will always preserve at least three copies or versions of data over different periods in time. Having three copies of the data ensures you can recover from accidents that affect multiple versions.

For this example, let’s use a file named sunset.jpeg, which is a picture of a sunset you took on your last summer vacation. It lives on your desktop and represents the first version of your data.

2 Different Media Types

Say you add that picture to an external hard drive — if you or your company uses Mac, you might be using the Time Machine drive. As part of the process, your external hard drive will hold the backup of sunset.jpg.

Now you have a second copy on a different device, or medium, from the first. If something happens to your desktop the picture is permanently deleted there, you can recover it from the Time Machine drive.

1 Offsite Copy

After the scare of losing your sunset picture, you decide you need additional backup, so you consider your third backup: a completely different form of media than your computer or external hard drive. Importantly, you need this data to be accessible in a different way.

So now, in addition to your picture living on your desktop and external drive, you put sunset.jpeg on the cloud. A cloud storage service acts as an online backup method, making it the third copy of your picture. Because this cloud backup exists on a separate network, it won’t be affected if your local network is compromised.

At the enterprise level, creating a tape backup is a more secure way to safeguard sensitive data. Tape backups are more secure than disk and flash backups because they create an air gap — a barrier between the data and the rest of the network, hosted offsite and not accessible online.

Read more: Are Air Gapped Networks Secure?

Why Are Backups Important?

Many of us have experienced the heartache of permanently losing data. Whether it be a corrupted file or a white paper we forgot to save, losing data can be heartbreaking.

On a corporate level, however, these losses are more than just sad. They can be costly, too. As we’ve seen from recent cyberattacks, data breaches hurt your brand and could you to lose your entire business.

Therefore, the third copy of your data must be stored seperately, in a safe place that won’t be affected if your local or cloud storage gets hacked, fails, or experiences a physical disaster like a fire or flood.

Is Having a Backup Strategy Enough?

To be clear: It’s not enough to have a backup strategy in place. There is always the possibility that you or your business will experience a devastating loss of data, even if you adhere to backup strategy best practices.

So how can you recover once you experience a loss? Always have a disaster recovery plan in place. A recovery plan will help DevOps respond in an effective manner and help minimize recovery time and losses.

Here is an example of what you may want to include in your recovery plan:

List of all assets
Description of critical resources, equipment, and staff required for recovery
Recovery time targets
Checklist of next steps to follow in the short and long term

Once you’ve recovered from a disaster, you must take steps to prevent a recurring event. Perform an audit to gather information and learn from the event. Reconsider your current backup software and solutions, making sure your backups don’t all live in the same place

A recovery plan will help your business get back to being operational after an emergency. To help safeguard against such events in the first place, be sure to have a 3-2-1 backup strategy in place.

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What Is the Supply Chain Management Process?

Posted in: Innovation, IT Strategy, SCM, supply chain, supply chain management - Aug 27, 2021

When you hear the word supply chain, you may experience a variety of emotions. Recent disruptions in the global supply chain have lead to crowded ports, part shortages, and delayed deliveries. In this article, we’ll walk through the basics of supply chain management, and discuss the technology solutions that can help.

What Is Supply Chain Management?

Supply chain management (SCM) is the organization of resources as they move from point of origin to end consumer. It refers to the various processes involved in transportation, order processing, warehousing, inventory control, product planning, and production management.

A supply chain is a channel that brings a good or service from the producer to the consumer. A business’s supply chain can be either complete — comprising all the links from raw material to end customer — or partial.

SCM is the organization of resources as they move from point of origin to end consumer.

Businesses that follow sound supply chain principles have an advantage over others that don’t. For example, they can maintain product quality, charge competitive prices, and provide high levels of customer satisfaction.

Further, a well-managed supply chain may considerably lower a company’s operational expenses, resulting in higher profits. Finding small efficiencies in any step of the process, from concept to end product, can create huge savings overall.

The SCM process incorporates all the different tasks, policies, and controls of the supply chain. This process is usually understood as the coordination, interaction, integration, planning, design, control, and monitoring of activities along the various supply stages. The goal is to meet the customer’s demand while maximizing the efficiency of resource use.

Impact of Technology on SCM

Supply Chain Management has gone through a lot of changes in the last few years. These changes are due to high competition in logistics, as well as globalization. Digital transformation has also contributed a lot in improving the way companies managed their supply chains.

It’s important for business owners today to understand the impact of technology on supply chain management, and how they can benefit from it. SCM software allows for real-time tracking and analysis, and makes this information available to all stakeholders in the supply chain; information is stored and disseminated in the cloud.

It has never been easier to share information with distributed businesses and consumers.

In addition, real-time traffic data impacts the shipping and receiving of parts for product manufacturing. Along the same line, the Internet of Things (IoT) and improved tracking software make it easier for users at the end of the supply chain to see the movement and handling of goods in production and distribution.

What’s more, innovations in supply chain tech have made driverless deliveries, smart road technology, and robotic warehouses more feasible and cost-efficient. All told, it has never been easier to share information with distributed businesses and consumers.

SCM Best Practices

Supply chain management is a complicated endeavor. Here are the best ways to deal with it:

Maintain clear communication throughout the supply chain.
Invest in a diverse range of suppliers.
Find a balance between cost-effectiveness and flexibility.
Leverage digital transformation to improve efficiency.
Ensure the supply chain is in sync with company goals.

Supply Chain Management Software

Your company will be more agile and capable of meeting consumer needs if you can use the proper supply chain management software. Consider how digital supply chain technology can improve your operations, depending on your industry:

Oracle Supply Chain Management is appropriate for a wide spectrum of companies, from large corporations to small businesses.
Vizient is ideal for pharmacies and health care institutions.
SAP Supply Chain Management is best suited to companies that produce complex goods.
ArrowStream is ideal for food service establishments.
Magaya Supply Chain is the best option for transportation and logistics companies.
iM3SCM is suitable for small and midsize businesses that need increased warehouse visibility.
Logility is the best choice for consumer products and retail businesses.

SCM plays a vital role in the efficiency of any organization. When supply chain managers use collaboration tools, they can accomplish their goals more effectively and efficiently.

The greatest benefit of supply chain collaboration technology is the ability to accelerate processes and enable companies to make data-driven decisions in real time. By leveraging SCM technology, organizations can reduce costs and risks — which ultimately leads to success for companies across all industries.

Read next: What Is Predictive Analytics?

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What Is Predictive Analytics?

Posted in: analytics, Big Data, IT Strategy, machine learning, machine learning algorithms, predictive analysis tools, predictive analytics, predictive business performance metrics, predictive marketing - Aug 27, 2021

A growing number of companies use predictive analytics, causing decision-makers elsewhere to strongly consider following suit. That’s understandable, but it’s vital to understand how the technology works and what it can do before investing in it.

What Is Predictive Analytics and How Does It Work?

Predictive analytics is a type of data analysis that uses machine learning and algorithms to predict future events or trends. Additionally, it’s a statistical method that can take past or current information to make predictions.

Users generally interact with predictive analytics tools via specialized dashboards that generate data streams based on specific questions posed. Someone might wonder, “What percentage of this month’s sales will come from new customers versus returning ones?” or “What’s the likelihood of running out of a certain item this month?” Data analytics can answer those queries and many others.

Predictive Analytics vs. Prescriptive Analytics

As people learn more about predictive analytics, they’ll likely come across content about prescriptive analytics, too. While they have similar names, these technologies are not the same.

Predictive products give details about future events. prescriptive tools offer solutions based on what the data shows.

Predictive products give details about future events, helping people plan for them. In contrast, prescriptive tools offer solutions based on what the data shows. Users often depend on them to solve known problems.

Types of Predictive Analytics Forecasting Models

Numerous predictive analytics exist to help users make accurate and useful forecasts. Some of the broadly utilized types include:

Neural networks: Using algorithms to find relationships between datasets
Regression techniques: Showing relationships between variables
Decision trees: Displaying the possibilities stemming from each choice made
Time series models: Generating trend data across a specific period
Clustering: Grouping data according to shared characteristics
Outliers: Highlighting data that deviates from the norm

What Are the Benefits of Predictive Analytics?

Many people understandably want to know how predictive analytics could help them before deciding to use such solutions. For starters, predictive tools enable company leaders to move away from gut instinct and assumptions. Relatedly, they cut down on time-intensive decision-making processes and eliminate guesswork.

Predictive tools enable company leaders to move away from gut instinct and assumptions.

Predictive analytics algorithms are well-suited to intensive data processing. Thus, they can
work with larger amounts of information faster than humans could alone. It’s then possible to identify patterns people may otherwise miss.

This technology can also improve the processes associated with product launches, supply chain decisions, and customer outreach efforts, among others. Not surprisingly, having a predictive analytics strategy can also help companies achieve better marketplace performance. One study showed that 63% of business representatives cited their data analytics programs as creating a competitive advantage.

How Do Companies Use Predictive Analytics?

Health Care

Hospitals can use predictive analytics to determine patient survival rates, allowing the best resource allocation. One study combined algorithms and patient medical record data to assess a person’s likelihood of hospital readmission within 30 days. Hospital administrators found that this analytics application reduced that rate, resulting in improved outcomes.

Marketing

Marketing teams often depend on predictive analytics to assess how a campaign or new product launch will perform. One company claims 85% accuracy with technology predicting which actors will generate the most profits if placed in lead roles.

Similarly, event planners and tour managers rely on algorithmic predictions when choosing which markets to visit, as well as the audience segments to target. They can also assess how fast a certain date may sell out.

Retail

Retailers rely on predictive tools to understand likely sales trends, as well as preventing product depletion or overstock issues. They know factors such as weather and preferences can make sales fluctuate, and want details on the elements that drive or decrease consumer demand.

Human Resources

Hiring managers apply predictive analytics in numerous ways. For example, they may do so to gauge a potential candidate’s suitability. Alternatively, predictions may let them intervene to communicate with disgruntled employees. Then it’s possible to address matters before the workers leave the organization.

Further, analytics could determine how a company’s workforce needs may change in the coming months, letting managers prepare.

What Are Some Examples of Predictive Analytics Platforms?

Business leaders must examine their organizations’ specific needs before investing in predictive analytics tools. However, some may wish to start their searches by looking at some of the industry-leading offerings. For example, Board offers automated predictive modeling features to speed utilization. SAP Analytics Cloud has tailored fast-start solutions that allow people to start analyzing data in days rather than weeks.

A selling point associated with Alteryx is that it caters to people without coding experience who consider themselves citizen data scientists. Then, at the other end of the spectrum, there’s the KNIME Analytics Platform. It’s geared towards people with formal data science backgrounds. This open-source option lets users build and optimize their models, plus create data visualizations to aid stakeholder comprehension.

Data Quality Matters

No matter when or how a company’s decision-makers want to start using algorithms to predict the future, high quality data is essential for success. If a company feeds incorrect or duplicate information into a powerful tool, the results may not have the accuracy and dependability a business leader needs to feel confident.

Read next: What Is Vector Similarity Search?

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Are You a Data Hoarder? The Dangers of Data Hoarders in Business

Posted in: archive storage, big data security, big data storage, Blogs, cloud data security, Cloud Storage, cloud storage providers, data security, Security - Aug 26, 2021

In a time when data storage seems to be pretty much unlimited, organizations are storing vast amounts of old, redundant information. Here we’ll explore the ramifications of data hoarders for your business.

What Is Data Hoarding?

Data hoarding is the accumulation of saved files and information over time, whether on a personal computer or on a shared network within a corporation. Whether digital hoarding is happening at an individual or enterprise level, it’s a huge security vulnerability.

Data hoarding is the accumulation of saved files and information over time.

Data is arguably the lifeblood of a company. It informs key decision makers on everything from how to budget for the upcoming quarter to where inefficiencies lie. The more you lose sight over data and its storage, the more likely your business will suffer a breach in data security. Data hoarding costs your company in more ways than one.

Data Hoarding Impacts

Hoarding excess amounts of old files can negatively impact data security. Files often contain sensitive information, and if they’re unencrypted, they’re at risk of getting hacked or stolen.

Furthermore, storing excess files severely hampers your organization’s flexibility and efficiency. When old and redundant files clog up your data stores, it makes the information harder to find.

Contrary to the idea that you’re doing your team or your organization a favor by saving files for future reference, you’re throwing those files into a blackhole that you’ll have a hard time retrieving them from — if the need ever actually arises.

Costs of Data Hoarders

If sensitive information gets leaked or hacked, your company brand suffers as a result. You may have to win back the trust of key clients. Data hoarding and its associated security risks can cost your company its reputation, but it can also incur huge operational costs.

In relation to data loss and breach of security, your company may get charged with a fine for breach of data protection, copyright laws, or other compliance issues.

Purchasing more storage than you need encourages data hoarding.

In addition, cloud storage makes it incredibly easy to purchase more storage as needed. With limitless cloud space, it’s logical when network users don’t think twice about saving files. However, the costs of increasing cloud storage capacity quickly add up. This is especially the case with businesses with multiple locations, as the cloud may host a copy of the data for each location.

The other side of this add-it-when-you-need-it mentality is that some businesses purchase more storage capacity than they actually need. This not only encourages future data hoarding, but it also costs companies around the world more than $62 billion every year, according to Business Insider.

Tips to Limit Data Hoarding in Your Business

You can start rethinking your company’s approach to data storage and management with these tips.

The CIO should set the right cultural tone around data security and storage best practices.
Remind network users on a regular basis that they should refrain from saving personal data, including photos and emails, on the cloud.
Create a company policy with a “spring cleaning” schedule. Multiple times per year, users should manually delete old and redundant files. At the IT level, implement processes to automatically purge old data after a set period of time has lapsed.
Some cloud service providers have monitoring tools that assesses how much data is being used and how frequently users open files. This can assist in deciding which files you can purge.

Mitigating the Risks of Data Hoarders

It’s easy for companies to store excess amounts of data, whether intentionally or accidentally. Plus, the growing capacities of cloud servers make it ever easier to add more data storage space. However, hanging on to old data and keeping copies of copies puts your company’s data at risk, hampers efficiency, and can incur financial and reputational costs.

There are some steps your company can start taking now in order to limit data hoarding. With the CIO leading from the front on best practices, implement new storage practices and take advantage of monitoring tools. These small but effective changes to your company’s culture will encourage mindful file saving and deletion.

The post Are You a Data Hoarder? The Dangers of Data Hoarders in Business appeared first on CIO Insight.

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Best Agile Project Management Tools for 2021

Posted in: agile, Agile Project Management, Asana, ClickUp, Collaboration, Enterprise Apps, github, IT Strategy, JIRA, monday.com, Project Management, Targetprocess, Wrike - Aug 25, 2021

Agile project management has grown in popularity for software development teams globally, but also for other businesses that balance multiple projects and deadlines.

With the growing number of agile adopters, many business technology companies have developed agile project management tools, or software that aids in iterative communication, collaboration, deadline management, and deployment.

Because agile project management tools can include any combination of the agile features included in this article, it’s difficult for prospective customers to research their options and find the solution that best fits their needs.

To guide your decision-making process, read on for the best tools in the project management sphere and the areas in which each tool outshines its competitors.

More on this topic: COVID’s Impact on Agile Project Management

Top Agile Project Management Tools for Your Business

What Are Agile Project Management Tools?

Agile project management is a popular project management methodology in the specialist-client relationship that focuses on frequent iterations of project deliverables, constant and open communication, and openness to project scope changes and fixes over time. Agile PM tools are software platforms that assist the team in creating and delivering on project goals with an agile approach.

These tools are designed to help the project team collaborate with an external client or an internal ops team. Although agile project management platforms are often used for communication and timeline updates, collaborative creation frequently happens on them, too.

Agile vs. Waterfall Methods: Agile vs. Waterfall: Differences in Software Development Methodologies

Top Agile Project Management Tools

Wrike

Best for Gantt Charts, Timelines, and Spreadsheets

Wrike is an agile collaboration tool that provides basic project templates, reporting, communication integrations, and other key project management tools. Its user interface focuses less on design elements and more on diverse features and views. Users are most often drawn to the detailed Gantt chart and timeline offerings that go beyond the product features of most similar tools.

Its subscription packages increase in price quickly. However, Wrike offers a fairly robust free version that could be a good fit for teams that don’t require certain advanced features like shareable dashboards and additional integrations.

Features:

Live activity stream and real-time updates across global, project, and task levels
Interactive board, spreadsheet, and timeline views
Cloud storage and productivity integrations
Enterprise security features, such as SSO and 2FA
Custom workflows and user groups

Asana

Best for Built-in Communication

Asana is a leading collaboration platform that excels in setting and communicating expectations across agile teams. The embedded messaging system and process management—through rules, forms, templates, and approvals—help users at all levels to update others on their progress.

Several of the other agile collaboration tools on this list integrate with external messaging platforms like Slack, but with Asana, messaging and communication are natively built into the software. Note that Asana has a Slack integration, though.

Although Asana does offer a free version of its software, the features within that package are limited and do not include tools like reporting, admin console, or private team management.

Features:

Unlimited projects, tasks, messages, and activity logs
Unlimited file storage space
List, board, and calendar view options for project and deadline management
Quality assurance through goal setting, a custom rules builder, and custom fields locks
Over 100 free integrations available

monday.com

Best for Friendly UX

monday.com is a collaboration platform that offers several similar features to competitors like Wrike and Asana, but its focus on simplified user experiences sets it apart. The dashboard and data viewpoints are flexible, but more important than that, monday.com offers dozens of productivity templates that can be customized and combined to fit specific projects. Existing templates limit coding requirements and give newer developers and non-developer teammates alike a starting point for project development.

Although monday.com is primarily designed for project management in agile groups, the free tier is a strong productivity suite for individual users that simply need a tool to help them better manage personal deadlines, data, and projects.

Features:

Over 200 productivity templates included
Timeline, Gantt, chart, and calendar views available
Automation actions available in standard, pro, and enterprise tiers
Integrations available in standard, pro, and enterprise tiers
Advanced security and governance features available in enterprise package, including GDPR and HIPAA

Jira Software

Best for Integrations

Most agile software platforms include a few dozen integration opportunities, but Jira was actually designed with integration as a core offering. Whereas most products in the agile PM software market offer 100 to 200 integrations, the Atlassian Marketplace for Jira includes over 3,000 integration choices.

Parent company, Atlassian, also extends Atlassian Open DevOps to Jira Software customers. This solution is preconfigured to include a combination of the company’s top products and third-party integrations as an out-of-the-box solution for teams that opt in.

Jira also offers one of the strongest free package versions, including features like backlogs, reporting, customizable workflows, integrations, automation, roadmaps, dependency management, and basic security — all at no additional cost.

Features:

Admin controls, such as domain verification, account capture, and session duration management
Long-term project planning through roadmaps
Reporting and customizable workflows
Security features, such as SSO, password policies, encryption, mobile device management, and disaster recovery
Capacity planning and project archiving in premium and enterprise packages

Targetprocess

Best for DevOps Teams

Targetprocess can be used in several different agile scenarios, but it’s actually best suited for internal software development or project management, most commonly known as DevOps. The idea behind Targetprocess and similar DevOps tools is to make information easily accessible to all users, regardless of account access level. Further, this tool enables communicating all data and project changes quickly and effectively to stakeholders across departments.

One of Targetprocess’s core offerings is product management, or several features that ensure Targetprocess users and non-users within the same company receive relevant, timely information on project launches. These features include backlog prioritization and grooming, release planning and estimation, and service desk and ticketing management.

Targetprocess itself is limited in some areas, such as analytics and templates, but its two-way integrations and partnerships with platforms like Azure DevOps and Atlassian Jira Software help to fill in the gaps.

Features:

Offers the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) and Large-Scale Scrum (LeSS) solutions to customers
Two-way Integration with tools like Azure DevOps and Atlassian Jira Software
Service Desk app to collect feedback and suggestions from stakeholders without user accounts
24/7 security monitoring and GDPR compliance-driven encryption
Customizable fields, rules, practices, rich domains, and mashups

ClickUp

Best for Buyers on a Budget

ClickUp has quickly proven itself a strong solution for businesses that don’t want or can’t make a huge investment in additional software. The free version of ClickUp is more comprehensive than most free agile project management platforms, including features like unlimited users, unlimited tasks, two-factor authentication (2FA), 24/7 support, and 100mb of storage space.

ClickUp’s unlimited, business, and enterprise tiers offer a few additional features, particularly in the realms of security, advanced user management, and integrations. But the free package offers unlimited users, so even larger enterprises can test this software without investing in dozens of seats.

The software has also saved some users money because it combines the features of other product types into one platform. Some products it has been known to replace for customers include Trello, Airtable, Todoist, Microsoft Excel, and Jira Software.

Features:

Unlimited tasks and users, even in the free version
2FA, guest and user permissions management, and private space management
Timeline, workload, table, and Gantt views available
Task and document management
Goal development and monitoring across users

GitHub Project Management

Best for Open Source Development and Collaboration

Github is a well-known community of software developers that use Git as version control for community software development. But what most users don’t know is that GitHub offers project management for enterprises, or the ability to privatize workspaces so development teams can code and collaborate separately from the greater community. Out of all of the software options on this agile list, GitHub is perhaps the most flexible, with an open source format limited by little more than the expertise of your team.

Some of the top features in the GitHub Project Management Solution include product backlogging and dashboards, sprint planning and visualization, and workflow automation. The open source format also makes customized security solutions easier for your team, with code scanning in the developer workflow, custom queries, and automated monitoring.

GitHub is a strong solution for mature developer teams, but if your team lacks coding expertise, a more templated solution may be a better fit.

Features:

Collaborative coding and real-time updates
Workflow automation with iterant security and dependency monitoring
Adaptable open source code and workflows from the open source community
Scaleable policies with traceability through deployment
Learning Lab for developer-led learning and coding

Other Agile Tools to Consider: Best Agile Software & Tools for Project Management

Who Needs Agile Project Management Solutions?

Small and Midsize Companies

Agile tools are a great, affordable way to make sure all team members in a smaller organization are aligned on tasks, communication, and deadlines.

Smaller Teams Within Larger Enterprises

Agile tools don’t fit well with larger enterprises but can work really well for smaller teams within the organization. Tools that feature robust reporting and visualization features are especially helpful when communicating project progress internally and externally.

Software Development Teams

Whether they’re developing for internal company needs or for an external client, software development teams can benefit from the organization, iterative design, and single-platform communication that many agile solutions offer.

Third-Party Software Consultants and Developers

Although they are not the primary developers or engineers behind the customer software, third-party consultants can benefit from an agile methodology when guiding customers through software customizations and projects. These tools focus the timeline, hold both parties accountable, and ensure everyone has access to the same documentation and project updates.

Employees Who Work in Sprints

Agile project management is typically associated with software and technology development, but iterant “sprint” style project management can be used in projects ranging from internal events planning to content creation. Users who work on regular sprint timelines with set deadlines and expectations can benefit from agile software, especially collaboration and productivity tools.

Key Features of Agile Project Management Software

Real-Time Updates and Versioning

Many agile solutions are hosted on a public or private cloud, so project changes are updated in real time for all users. However, project management tools also lean heavily on version control and archiving, making it easy to refer to or even revert back to a previous version from an older project iteration.

Communication, Notification, and Threading

Agile tools offer third-party integrations or embedded tools to make communication possible amongst teammates. Typically, these features offer customizable notifications and threading, or the ability to only tag and notify users who are needed on that particular thread of the project.

Task Assignment and Management

An important quality of agile tools is task management, or the ability to delegate tasks and subtasks to different team members. Not every user should be able to sign off on all tasks, but it should be clear to all users who is responsible for each task and what kind of progress they’re making.

Collaborative Coding and Content Creation

An all-in-one agile platform includes a collaborative workspace where teammates can move beyond discussing project tasks and actually make the updates to code, data, and overall project details as needed.

Navigable Dashboards

Not all users will be experienced developers, so navigability and at-a-glance details are good features to help everyone keep up with project updates and progress. Several platforms offer customizable dashboards, making it possible for users to adjust their primary panels based on their project roles and requirements.

Reporting and Other Visualizations

In agile platforms that offer collaborative content creation and workspaces, users can typically extract that data and create reports or data visualizations at each step of a project. This visual information can help less technical members of the team visualize what’s happening. it can also help with progress reporting to external stakeholders who don’t have regular access to agile platforms.

Learn More: What is Data Visualization?

Release Planning and Deadline Management

One of the quintessential factors of agile project management is planning and managing iterative deadlines. Simple calendars and messaging software can help users to discuss these deadlines, but Gantt charts, timelines, and other estimation tools in agile software help everyone to see deadline shifts, dependencies, and contingencies. Further, they display what users are completing each subtask leading up to a deadline or new release.

Issue Tracking

Agile development is all about iterative development. But more importantly, it’s about the flexibility to address concerns and scope changes as needed. Issue tracking is a common agile platform feature that helps agile teams flag potential problem areas. Further, issue tracking can also include automated monitoring within the platform.

Considering Security: Why is Risk Management Important?

Automation Pipelines or CI/CD

Although not every agile tool offers automation pipelines, they’re a great feature for teams that want to ensure smooth deployments, limit user error, and juggle multiple projects at once. Automation pipelines are particularly useful for DevOps teams that need continuous integration (CI) and continuous development (CD), or CI/CD.

More on DevOps Tools: Best DevOps Tools & Software of 2021

Tips for Choosing an Agile Project Management Solution

Consider Price Point

Some of the best agile tools come at higher subscription costs, but several tools offer free versions or free trial periods with limited features. Look for the free tiersof popular agile options and take a closer look at the features included. Depending on your needs, you may not need to heavily invest to optimize your agile toolkit.

Research Integrations With Other Business Software

Most agile tools integrate well with other business software because of the goal to assist with project development, but some tools offer more pre-built integrations than others. Before you commit to a solution, take a look at its integration library and review integration opportunities for business software you already use in your development workflow.

Look for Customizability

Open source tools are the clear winners for customizability, but most agile software offers some customizable features for developers. If your industry use cases are highly specific, you’ll want to find a solution you can customize accordingly.

Think About Your Primary Users

Who will be the primary users of the software? Chances are, they’re already familiar with some of the solutions on the agile product market, or they know the kinds of questions you should be asking vendors while you search. Talk to these stakeholders and figure out the main pain points the software should help them solve.

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