Agile Project Management: How Businesses Benefit from Working in Short Iterations

In a region like Ruse, where many companies are simultaneously working on orders, investments, introducing new technologies and developing people, one of the most expensive mistakes is to manage all initiatives „like a textbook“: with a detailed plan from the very beginning and the expectation that conditions will not change. The reality is different. The client adjusts the requirements, the supplier is late, the machine stops, a key person goes on vacation, and in the end it turns out that the most important thing is not completed because the resource is scattered between too many parallel tasks.

That's why more and more organizations are moving towards an agile approach to work: short stages, clear priorities, a visible flow of tasks, and regular feedback. This article summarizes practices that have direct application in production, engineering services, logistics, service, administration, and IT.

Why does the Ruse Chamber of Commerce and Industry publish such materials?

The Ruse Chamber of Commerce and Industry works daily with enterprises from the region on topics such as competitiveness, technology implementation, change management and human resource development. In this context, we publish thematic materials with a practical focus for two reasons:

First, to translate management concepts into the "language of everyday work" in enterprises: how to reduce rework losses, how to increase predictability, and how to make better decisions with limited resources.

Second, to help companies implement improvements in stages and with lower risk. Many SMEs have good ideas but give up when change seems like a big, all-or-nothing project. A phased approach allows for a quick start, measurable results, and sustainable scaling.

Where traditional project management breaks down

The classical model relies on three assumptions:

• we know exactly what we need to do from the start
• we can predict the main risks and dependencies
• change will be rare and controllable

These assumptions are often true in activities with fixed requirements and standards. But in digitalization, automation, process optimization, development of new services or internal systems, they are usually not fulfilled.

Typical symptoms that businesses recognize:

• Scope „creeps“: small additions accumulate until the project doubles in size.
• Decisions are postponed: approvals from several managers are awaited, and the team is on pause.
• Rework becomes the norm: testing and real-world use come too late.
• There is no clear picture of what is ready: "on 90%" turns out to be "another month of work."
• Too many tasks started: people jump between topics and nothing gets finished.

It is important to be direct: the problem is rarely a „lack of discipline.“ More often, it is a management model that allows too much uncertainty to build up and explode in the end.

What does agile management mean in practice?

The agile approach changes the logic of control. Instead of trying to control the future through a detailed plan, we control risk through short cycles of:

• planning the most important things
• limited scope implementation
• result verification (with real users/internal customers)
• improvement of the way of working

The key is that each stage ends with a result that can be seen, tested, and accepted. Not a „report,“ not an „almost done,“ but an actual completed part of the solution.

What is a "result" outside of software?

In businesses, it is often perceived that agile is „for programmers.“ This is a myth. The only thing that matters is that the result is testable.

Examples:

• Production: validated machine setup, trial run, working fixture, new instruction with proven effect.
• Quality: new control plan, implemented checkpoints, reduced rejection with measurable data.
• Logistics: new receiving/shipping scheme, labeling introduced, measurably reduced picking errors.
• Service: standardized diagnostic protocol, new response times, clearly defined spare parts for key cases.
• Administration: request process, deadlines, checklists and measurably shorter processing time.

The most important thing: priorities and "owner" of the initiative

In many organizations, initiatives suffer from „collective irresponsibility.“ Everyone participates, but no one decides. The result is constant reordering of priorities, postponement of choices, and pressure on performers.

A flexible model requires clear roles:

1) Owner of the initiative

This is the person who:

• arranges tasks by importance
• says what is "good enough" to be accepted
• makes decisions in case of conflict of interest
• is responsible for the effect, not just the "performance"

Without such an owner, projects become a collection of wishes, and milestones are filled with "nice to haves."

2) Process leader

He:

• keeps the frame working
• helps problems surface early
• removes obstacles (dependencies, lack of data, blocked solutions)
• ensures that the stages end with a real result

3) Implementation Team

Not individual people in departments, but a team that can complete the result „end to end.“ When the team is highly fragmented, work is delayed by delegation and waiting.

Practical test: if a result requires 5 departments and 3 signatures, with no clear response time, the probability of delay is high. Then the first task is to create a working mini-decision structure.

Requirements as value and acceptance criteria

One of the biggest causes of rework is mixing up „need“ and „solution.“ For example:

• "We want a new system" is not a necessity.
• "We want fewer errors in expedition" is a necessity.

When requirements are described as a value, it becomes clear:

• who is it important to
• what is the benefit
• how will we measure success

How to formulate acceptance criteria

Acceptance criteria are the conditions under which we say „done.“ They must be measurable and verifiable.

Example (warehouse):

• accuracy of stock availability by location over X%
• inventory time under Y hours
• decrease in discrepancies when completing with Z%

Example (service):

• first response time under X hours
• percentage of cases resolved on first visit over Y%
• standardized protocol used in Z% of cases

This is an important management tool because it stops the "endless tinkering" and makes the work transparent.

Limiting parallel work: why "starting everything" is expensive

The most common trap in SMEs is: "We have a lot of work, so we need to work on many things at the same time." The effect is the opposite.

When a person jumps between 6 topics:

• wastes time switching
• makes more mistakes
• leaves many tasks "to 80%"
• accumulates hidden work to be completed and checked

Therefore, one of the fastest levers for improvement is to limit parallel work. Practically, this is done through a visual board with statuses (for example: to be specified, in progress, to be checked, completed) and a limit on how many tasks can be "in progress".

The effect:

• shorter time to completion
• fewer blockages
• clearer priorities
• easier load management

Performance review and analysis: a learning cycle, not a formality

Agile management works when discipline is real:

Review of the outcome

This is the moment when what is ready is shown. Not a „report“, but a real demonstration: a process, a prototype, a setup, a working part of the system.

The goal is two things:

• confirmation that the result is useful
• early detection of wrong assumptions

Process review

This is a short conversation: what to improve in the way we work. Not looking for blame, but choosing 1–2 specific improvements for the next stage.

This cycle turns the organization into a learning system. This is where competitiveness is gained.

Application in typical initiatives for businesses in the region

1) Digitalization (ERP/CRM/warehouse)

A „phased“ approach means:

• first the critical processes (e.g. receiving/shipping), then the rest
• real users participate in reviews
• success is measured (errors, time, accuracy), not "whether it was implemented"

2) Automation and technological changes

• starts with a pilot on one line/cell
• assumptions are validated (safety, capacity, quality)
• only then does it scale

3) Support, service, requests

• visual control of tasks
• clear rules about what is urgent and what is not
• limiting parallel work
• measuring time to completion and problem recurrence

How to get started: 30-day pilot

To be effective, the start must be simple and measurable:

1. Choose an initiative with a clear benefit and real unknowns.
2. Designate an owner with a mandate.
3. Plan a first stage of 2–4 weeks with a specific outcome.
4. Write acceptance criteria (3–5 measurable conditions).
5. Limit parallel work.
6. Review and select 1–2 improvements.

This way, change becomes a manageable process, not a "reform."

Conclusion

Agile project management is a practical way for businesses to reduce the risk of rework, improve predictability, and deliver value sooner. In a regional economy where resources are limited and pressure for results is high, working in stages provides a clear advantage: fewer tasks started, more completed results, and faster learning.

The Ruse Chamber of Commerce and Industry will continue to publish similar materials in order to support companies in the region with applicable management and organizational practices that accelerate improvements and reduce the cost of wrong decisions. If you would like to discuss how this approach can be applied in your organization, please contact me at sminchev@rcci.bg or 0895 890 123.

Note: The publication was prepared with the help of generative artificial intelligence, which assisted in structuring and formulating the content. The final text is the result of the author's expert contribution, which guarantees its accuracy and practical focus.