How We Transformed Project Management with Agile Iterations and Kanban in TAPD

Origin

In the wave of the internet, we realized that static project‑management methods could not keep up with rapid company growth, prompting a shift to agile transformation with the help of an agile coach.

Agile Practice – Iteration

Demand Grooming

The purpose is to ensure that the top items of the product backlog are ready for the next iteration, including creation, estimation, and prioritization.

Tapd’s demand module manages the product backlog; priorities are set via the “Priority” field, and quarterly tasks are placed in the demand pool.

Timebox for this stage is 1–2 hours per bi‑weekly iteration, attended by project members, PO, and SM. The output is the refined backlog.

Our refined backlog.

Iteration Planning

Sprint planning selects work from the backlog for the next sprint and aligns on delivery.

In Tapd we create a sprint and assign demands directly from the demand pool to the sprint.

After planning we can view each sprint and its demands.

Timebox up to 4 hours, attended by the same roles. Outputs include an updated backlog, sprint goal, sprint backlog, split tasks, and a Definition of Done.

Updated backlog (entire demand pool)

Sprint goal

Sprint backlog

Split tasks

Definition of Done

Daily Standup

A brief daily meeting for team synchronization and collaboration.

Physical boards are ideal, but remote work leads us to use Tapd’s online board, filtering tasks per person.

Timebox 15 minutes, same attendees. Outputs: updated task list and an impediment/risk list.

Updated iteration task list

Impediment/risk list

Iteration Review

Review delivered increments and adjust the backlog as needed.

Input is the DoD‑compliant demand list; we showcase completed demands and sprint goals.

After review, PO records follow‑up items for the next sprint.

Timebox up to 2 hours, same attendees. Output: updated backlog for the next iteration.

Updated backlog based on review feedback

Iteration Retrospective

The team reflects on the sprint and creates improvement actions for the next sprint.

Data from Tapd such as completed demand count, velocity, work‑hour burn‑down and demand‑count burn‑down charts are used.

Timebox up to 3 hours, same attendees. Outputs: improvement list and action items.

Improvement list

Action items

Agile Practice – Introducing Kanban

Kanban vs Iteration

Kanban is continuous, while iteration repeats a cycle; Kanban suits teams handling many uncertain tasks.

Iteration with Kanban

Our board has three states: To‑Do, In‑Progress, Done.

We split iteration demands into tasks, assign owners, and track them on the online board during standup. After standup, owners update progress in the iteration demand.

The online board provides richer statistics for review and retrospective.

Conclusion

Tools are static; people adapt them. Successful agile adoption requires leadership support, stable team composition, and willingness to learn.

Key conditions for agile success: leader’s commitment, long‑term team collaboration, and team’s openness to agile.