The Bucharest University of Economic

Studies.

Non-Agile
companies:
what changed with the
pandemic

Genoveva Da Costa Lupédia, Ph.D Student,

Wu Tong, Ph.D Student.
Contents
ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................................... 2
1. Introduction. .................................................................................................................................. 3
2. Theoretical framework. ................................................................................................................ 4
2.1. COVID-19: Summary. .......................................................................................................... 4
2.2. The agile culture. ................................................................................................................... 5
2.2.1. What are agile companies? ........................................................................................... 5
2.3. Agile methodology in times of economic turmoil. ............................................................... 6
3. Methodology................................................................................................................................... 7
4. Description and analysis of data. ................................................................................................. 7
4.1. Characterization of the researched subjects. ...................................................................... 7
4.2. Perception of Agile Methodology. ........................................................................................ 8
4.3. Clear and measurable benefits: From agile. ....................................................................... 9
4.4. The big challenges. .............................................................................................................. 12
4.5. Summary. ............................................................................................................................. 13
5. Conclusion. ................................................................................................................................... 14
6. Bibliography................................................................................................................................. 16
7. Webgraphy. .................................................................................................................................. 17

1
 Non-Agile companies: what changed with the pandemic.

Genoveva Da Costa Lupédia, Ph.D Student,

Wu Tong, Ph.D Student.
The Bucharest University of Economic Studies.

ABSTRACT
The world as we know has changed, and this is already quite clear, the covid-19 pandemic has brought and
continues to bring countless challenges and paradigm shifts for companies, whether they are large, medium or
small, understanding how to adapt to this new reality is essential, but it is not always simple, and this is the reason
for new discussions inside organizations.
Companies have never dealt with anything like this before - an industrial revolution in just one year. Non-Agile
organizations around the world are suffering from a loss of profit and loss of employee and customer retention. In
a matter of weeks, companies had to digitize their processes, restructure their supply chains, review their corporate
culture and, in some cases, change their entire business model.
Looking at this new scenario, the study aims to identify the impacts and strategies of entrepreneurs from different
market segments, as well as show how the agile methodology, when properly applied, presents excellent results in
solving problems. For this, the authors intend to conduct a survey with some entrepreneurs from different
segments, which will be transcribed and submitted to content analysis.

Keywords: The Agile manifesto, COVID-19; impacts; strategies; opportunities.

2
 1. Introduction.
The year of 2020 was not easy for entrepreneurs, who had the challenge of adapting to the
new reality and not losing the quality of communication. Developing more organized and
connected processes was the only way for maintaining productivity of many companies, the
only way to make their businesses survive the crisis.
Furthermore, the impact on certain lines of business was negative, while others meet high
demands due to the changes triggered by the pandemic. Thousands of businesses around the
world were affected, the economic repercussions are serious and, according to the Organization
for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), it could become the biggest threat to the
world economy. As it had negative effects on tourism, it affected production and productivity,
the supply chain, stock exchanges and economic consequences between countries (Siddiquei
and Khan, 2020).
The COVID-19 pandemic represents one of the most significant environmental changes in the
modern history of marketing, which could impact Corporate Social Responsibility, consumer
ethics and basic marketing philosophy (He and Harris, 2020).
The pandemic has created a new level of chaos and the need to adapt. What is known about
the virus, how it spreads and how to protect itself seems to change monthly, if not weekly.
Businesses need to be able to change quickly, and agile is perfect for that (Christina Simpson,
2021). The current landscape requires change and has opened the way for a more honest
discussion of traditional models and protocols that no longer work. According to a 2020 global
survey conducted by Twilio, ninety-seven percent (97%) of business decision makers believe
the pandemic has accelerated their digital transformations and made them more agile.
The agile methodology, which is no longer considered a trend, but something that is here to
stay, was even more intensified in the pandemic, as the focus is precisely on increasing
productivity and organizing deliveries, ensuring speed and success in the results. With the home
office and the need for companies to adapt abruptly to the pandemic, the agile methodology
gained even more speed and expansion. As Agile has been preaching all along, we are now
more likely to respond to change than follow a plan. We are prioritizing individuals and
interactions rather than processes or tools. We're motivating people, giving them the work
structure, support they need, and trusting them to get the job done. These are some of the famous
values and principles behind the Agile Manifesto.

3
 2. Theoretical framework.
In order to clarify the concepts used, this section presents the theoretical assumptions for
the development of the research. Initially, there is an explanation about COVID-19: origin and
impacts and, afterwards, it is explained how the agile methodology has changed our way of
thinking in times of economic turmoil.

2.1. COVID-19: Summary.

Viruses are among the first beings on earth but they are not alive like us, they need to cling
to other living cells for their reproduction, and that is their only object, to survive and replicate.
The official name of this virus is SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 is the name of the disease it causes,
which means “disease caused by coronavirus 2019”, where “Corona” comes from “crown”.
The virus gets its name from the spikes around it.
Coronavirus is only the youngest of a family of 7 Coronaviruses known to infect humans. It
became as famous as SARS and MERS because they killed a lot of people in the 2002s, and
like Coronavirus SARS also emerged in a live animal market in China. The infectious disease
caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. The
increase in the number of cases quickly characterized the infection as an outbreak, so that, in
late January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the situation a public health
emergency of international concern (Giones et al. , 2020).
Since safe antiviral drugs are difficult to develop, the best way found to defeat the SARS-
CoV-2 virus was through group immunity, which made creating a vaccine even more crucial,
as experts believe that a sufficient number of people are vaccinated will be a safe shortcut to
group immunity that will save lives. However, the lack of (short-term) medical responses to
effective vaccines, required several world governments to use a traditional method to delay the
spread of the virus to "Quarantine", better known as social distancing avoiding close contact
with other people and agglomerations so that the virus is less likely to spread.
The use of quarantine as a governmental tool to reduce the transmission of the virus to the
population (the blockades carried out, including border controls or travel bans), triggered an
interruption of economic activities that does not resemble any previous demand or supply crisis
(Giones et al., 2020). We believe that in Romania there is a great concern of the Government
and society regarding the economic impacts of a country stopped for months, and according to
The Worldbank, the unemployment rate in 2019 was 3.91%, considered by many to be high,
and that without the quarantine impact.
Another important factor is that the pandemic is an unforeseen event, which for the most part
was not considered in the projects' business planning processes or results, regardless of how
formal or informal they were, which generated significant impacts (Giones et al., 2020 ). All of
this can have relevant social consequences and can even increase violence in the country.
Despite many uncertainties about the real impacts of the pandemic, the crisis is still unfolding,
with seemingly no end in sight, and the consequences are devastating for human health and
economic well-being.
In the conception of Kuckertz et al. 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic and blockages in
economies across the world have created a unique situation that has no documented equivalent
in the entrepreneurship literature. Thus, the need for research related to the current context is
highlighted. The next section briefly discusses the agile methodology in the midst of the
COVID-19 pandemic scenario.

4
 2.2.The agile culture.
Observing market trends is important not only to improve internal processes, but also to
provide a better experience for the end consumer. One of the ways to do this is to become one
of the agile companies on the market, using this methodology to optimize the entire workflow.
2.2.1. What are agile companies?
Agile companies are therefore the companies that use the agile manifesto in their workflows.
The traditional routine in the market, which was marked by little freedom for professionals and
hierarchical and bureaucratic decisions, is replaced by an accelerated dynamic, with a strong
digitalization of processes and greater integration between all teams and sectors. In short,
slower workflows are replaced by faster processes, allowing the company to adapt to challenges
and threats. In other words, businesses need to be quicker to react to what is happening around
them. The example of the Covid-19 pandemic shows how critical it is to have an adaptive
framework.
The Agile Manifesto originated in 2001, when 17 technology experts came together to think
of better ways to work with software. The Agile Manifesto has 12 principles that were
developed and presented to the world by the Agile Alliance (Wesley Clark, 2019). With these
principles, the main objective of the agile manifesto is to serve as a guide that points out the
directions of an agile team aiming at the potentialization of its projects and the scalability of its
results. These are the principles:
• Customer satisfaction: The highest priority is to satisfy the customer through the early
and continuous delivery of valuable software;
• Shift for competitive advantage: Changes to requirements are welcome, even at later
stages of development;
• Short deadlines: Deliver running software frequently, from every two weeks to every
two months, with a preference for shorter deadlines;
• Working together: Both business people and developers must work together on a daily
basis throughout the course of the project;
• Atmosphere and support: To build projects around motivated individuals, you need
to give them the environment and support they need, trusting them to do their job;
• Talking face-to-face: The most efficient method of conveying both external and
internal information to a development team is through a face-to-face conversation;
• Functionality: Functional software is the primary measure of progress;
• Sustainable environment: Agile processes promote a sustainable environment, with
sponsors, developers and users being able to maintain steady steps;
• High standards of technology and design: Continuous attention to technical
excellence and good design increases agility;
• Simplicity: Doing something simple is mastering the art of maximizing the amount of
work that didn't need to be done;
• Autonomy: The best architectures, requirements and designs emerge from self-
organizing teams;
• Reflections for optimizations: At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become
more effective, then adjusts and optimizes their behavior accordingly.
In addition to the 12 principles, the agile manifesto consolidated and focused on just four
primary values (Wesley Clark, 2019), which can be important to any project as long as they are
aligned with its agile values:

5
 • Individuals and interactions above processes and tools: Software development is a
human activity and communication itself can be a great ally throughout the development
process, reducing noise and bringing people together;
• Working software is better than comprehensive documentation: Rather than
following a plan, fully functioning software is the best possible indicator that the job
was done well. Clients pay by result and not by a well-prepared plan that will never
come out of the paper;
• Collaboration with the client over contract negotiation: Never act against the client
or place him against the development team. The watchword is: collaboration. Decision
making must always be in line with the client's goals;
• Responding to changes instead of following a plan: It does not mean that we should
not have a plan, but that we must be prepared for any changes, as an experienced sailor
is able to change the position of the sails to go to the final destination, avoiding being
diverted from your goals.
Agile methods have proven to be an efficient option to deliver results with quality and within
the expected deadline. Also, they are increasingly present in the current scenario of the software
development market. The many benefits of Agile hit home for software developers, and they
include (Wesley Clark, 2019):
• Predictable delivery of milestones;
• Opportunity to implement change;
• Focuses on customers or users;
• Transparency;
• Risk Reduction.
Having an Agile approach to software development most of the time is a good thing for the
companies. However, there are a few disadvantages to many of the Agile methodologies. They
can impact developers, the business people involved, and even the customers at times.
Ultimately it comes down to the management of the project and the team, and how you accept
various trade-offs of using different methods. The disadvantages of Agile are many, but nearly
all of them are avoidable or preventable, and it depends solely on the team's approach and
understanding. Major drawbacks of Agile can include (Wesley Clark, 2019):
• Longer projects;
• Many demands on clients and developers;
• Lack of design effort;
• Resource planning;
• Done and finished are different things;
• People get sidetracked;
• Technical debt.
The agile culture, therefore, is the first step for your organization to develop and embrace,
once and for all, the digital transformation. With this structure, the trend is for your business to
face challenges and take advantage of opportunities more efficiently and productively.

2.3. Agile methodology in times of economic turmoil.

The pandemic is acting as a “trigger” in the speed of digital transformation, as well as an
“awakening call” in the importance of adapting to change. As the result of an unexpected event,
the current crisis has reiterated the urgency of adapting to change within the organizational
environment, as well as all its consequent mindset, radically redefining companies' priorities.
6
 Agility is no longer seen as a methodology for developing technological products and has
become an essential competence of companies seeking to adapt to market changes. This is the
main conclusion of the 2021 edition of the study “Agility in Latin America, an 'essential'
competence of companies seeking to adapt”.
Agility was already a growing trend in the last decade, but the forced digitalization caused
by the Covid-19 pandemic has transformed the mindset of organizations, allowing them to
improve their adaptability to change, efficiency and generation of quick and horizontal
knowledge among teams to achieve its main goal, considering people working remotely. Seeing
things this way, we are faced with the possibility of continuous improvement through
adaptation, learning, research, automation, the ability to establish a plan, do, check, act faster,
reduce bureaucracy, integrated, fulfilled and productive employees, satisfied customers.
In short, the crisis and the need to leverage technology bring changes that can and should be
seen as positive, even if it is still a crisis. However, companies must be prepared for these
changes. New habits emerged that will probably remain even after the crisis, a new look at
remote work, logistical changes, the need for technological acceleration, and in parallel: the
awareness that natural selection will take place through preparation for change and innovation.
The traditional business model is not able to respond to these needs. Companies have to
become agile and face this “corporate Darwinism”. As Rita Mae Brown says, “It doesn't make
sense to do the same and expect different results”.

3. Methodology.
This study aims to demonstrate how the agile methodology, when properly applied, presents
excellent results in solving problems in the COVID-19 crisis scenario. For that, a qualitative,
descriptive and exploratory approach was used (Sampieri, Collado and Lucio, 2013).
For this, we carried out a survey through the websites WJX Survey (www.wjx.cn1) and
iSondaje (www.isondaje.ro2). The survey was anonymous, following the ethical precepts, the
confidentiality and secrecy of the identity of the participants was guaranteed, and the target
population consisted of entrepreneurs from different segments. The study had a total of 97
responses. Sampling was closed using the theoretical saturation criterion.
Data collection took place between 12/03/2021 and 12/07/2021. Furthermore, for data
analysis, the content analysis technique was used, organized into three chronological poles: (1)
pre-analysis, (2) material exploration and (3) treatment of results, inference and the
interpretation (Bardin, 2016).

4. Description and analysis of data.

Based on the results, we developed a panoramic view on the adoption of agility, considering
different aspects such as: reasons for adoption, expected benefits, current challenges and
developed strategies, talent generation and growth of agility within companies.

4.1.Characterization of the researched subjects.

We obtained 97 responses from entrepreneurs linked to different segments. (Figue 1).

1
https://www.wjx.cn/vm/moR3c7Q.aspx
2
http://www.isondaje.ro/sondaj/851018489/
7
 Figure 1. Characterization of respondents.

Source: Prepared by the authors, with the help of https://www.wjx.cn/vm/moR3c7Q.aspx and http://www.isondaje.ro/sondaj/851018489/.

When analyzing the information in Figure 1, it appears that 40.91% of respondents are from
the education sector, followed by new media companies with 22.73% and then others (where
"others" include consulting firms, agencies administrative, design companies, hospitals, e-
commerce, automobile manufacturing and security industry, agronomy) with 15.91%. In the
next section, the participants' perception of what is agile methodology is described.

4.2.Perception of Agile Methodology.

Figure 2. Perception of the Agile Methodology by the participants.

Source: Prepared by the authors, with the help of https://www.wjx.cn/vm/moR3c7Q.aspx and http://www.isondaje.ro/sondaj/851018489/

8
What does an agile company mean to you?

Quick response to It means that improving work
problems, strong efficiency is conducive to the
execution capability, high diversified development of
work efficiency and fast the company and also has
more requirements for senior
feedback.
management.
Pay more attention to employee
growth and development and
individual needs, mobilize subjective
initiative, and stimulate the vitality
and innovation of the entire team.
There are challenges and
opportunities.

Source: Prepared by the authors, with the help of https://www.wjx.cn/vm/moR3c7Q.aspx and http://www.isondaje.ro/sondaj/851018489/

As seen in figure 2, 47.73% of the people surveyed stated that they had heard about the
concept of agile methodology. We can observe, with the example of some answers obtained,
the question "What does an agile company mean to you?" that the concept of agile company is
quite broad, however there is a shared perception of the agile philosophy, as a means to carry
out a strategic transformation for the company, whether directed to the technology areas, or to
promote a transformation throughout the organization.

4.3.Clear and measurable benefits: From agile.

The urgent need of different sectors to satisfy the demands of their customers and offer
products and services that can generate a new relationship with them, forces organizations to
redefine themselves with strategies that facilitate this process. Today, with the impacts of
COVID-19 on the market, there is a need for transformation and adaptation, thus requiring
quick, focused and appropriate responses. For this, organizations need to have an organizational
structure capable of identifying these needs and responding to them efficiently.
The adoption of agility thus became a strategy to transform organizations' mentality, allowing
them to improve their adaptability to change, efficiency and rapid and horizontal knowledge
generation among teams to achieve their main objective, as we can see in the figures below
when we begin to look at the benefits of different organizations from implementing agility.

Figure 3. Adoption of agile methods during the pandemic.

Source: Prepared by the authors, with the help of https://www.wjx.cn/vm/moR3c7Q.aspx and http://www.isondaje.ro/sondaj/851018489/

9
 As shown in the figure, more than 80% of respondents said their drive to adopt agile increased
during the pandemic. Participants highlighted that agile helped them adapt to the pandemic
almost immediately. As is the case with one of the participants, in the hospital area, who said
that the use of agile methods during the pandemic reduced patient waiting times, improved
operating room efficiency and reduced medical expenses. The number of operations that can be
performed every day has increased so far and, at the same time, non-medical litigation has
decreased.
They also highlighted that Agile's short iterations and feedback loops helped them know if we
were doing the right things.

Figure 4. Impact of using agile methods.

Source: Prepared by the authors, with the help of https://www.wjx.cn/vm/moR3c7Q.aspx and http://www.isondaje.ro/sondaj/851018489/

Analyzing the impact of these factors on the transformation of organizations, we find some
aspects in which the companies observed practically reach a consensus between the five main
benefits of agile:
• Ability to manage priority changes 76.14%;
• Teams aligned – 68.18%;
• Equipment allocation efficiency – 65.91%;
• Better perception of the project – 60.23%;
• Cost reduction – 32.95%.
The benefits obtained are not only aimed at improving the business itself, but the way in
which the organization can be restructured to provide a better service or develop products that
meet the needs of its customers. In this way, transformation has a significant impact on both
the work environment and results. Hence its importance and its multiple benefits.

Figure 5. How it was used.

10
 Source: Prepared by the authors, with the help of https://www.wjx.cn/vm/moR3c7Q.aspx and http://www.isondaje.ro/sondaj/851018489/

Agile methods emerged in information technology and, at the beginning of this century, they
established themselves as a methodology that can be used to solve problems common to almost
any organization that needs to manage projects. This goes according to what we see in figure
5, agile methods are being used in different layers of the company according to the intended
objectives and the needs to be solved. However, it focuses on agile software development and
its impact on organizations' daily lives. 62.5% claimed to have used agile methods in the area
of human resources. Agile Human Resources makes the area less operational and more
strategic. Agile HR is based on the pillars of: collaborative networks, transparency, adaptability,
intrinsic motivation and more.
In other words, having a more agile HR means no longer an operational area, full of manual
and exhausting tasks, to a more strategic HR, which can focus more on the employee. By
applying Agile in day-to-day processes, HR professionals are able to create more assertive
training and development for employees, allowing each one's potential to be better used. In
addition to having a more analytical view of the area's deliveries, having inputs to participate
in the company's strategic decisions.
Followed by the administrative area with 51.14%. With the pandemic, we are discovering
new ways to manage companies, agile administration is one of them, while it points out the
strategic direction, aligning the team's expectations and dreams with the company's goals, it
also focuses on personal, professional and intellectual self-knowledge involved, teaching them
to develop strategies and make them work.
Jonathan Boilesen, CEO of Boilesen, the combination of a holistic view of the business with
knowledge of market trends, financial control and design of products and services combined
with agile tools such as Scrum and eXtreme Programming (XP), allows to obtain considerable
results in a short space of time. Also according to Jonathan Boilesen, “We have examples of
companies that, after a month of implementing agile administration, were able to triple their
revenues. And most importantly, this entire process is carried out without disregarding the
human factor.
When faced with the question about describing a project during the pandemic in which agile
made a difference, the answers were almost unanimous regarding the importance of agile in
forced immigration to digital in remote jobs. In the words of the study participants, Agility, in

11
cases of greater maturity, meant a great deal of support in migrating to remote work and
changing roles. Open-mindedness and a better understanding of the impact on business plans
facilitated the changes caused by the crisis.
Although this shift towards remote work affected one of the main principles of agility, close
communication and collaboration between teams in person, teams that had already adopted
agility were able to maintain good communication and better adapt to the change brought about
by pandemic. It is estimated that, based on this situation, the evolution of the foreseen remote
work advanced in 10 years.
Even so, the challenges of migrating work to 100% isolation are still present. The concern
now is how to maintain a sense of teamwork among employees, promote a short- and medium-
term vision, continue to advance in the transmission of culture throughout the organization and
create environments of trust among people in a new biased work environment due to this health
emergency. All this is still difficult to answer. The next section discusses some difficulties
identified by the participants in adopting agile methodologies during the pandemic and beyond.

4.4.The big challenges.

In some cases, the rather optimistic image at the theoretical level of agile methods can be
countered by a practical reality dominated by challenges, difficulties and concrete problems.
Next, some difficulties identified by the participants in the adoption of agile methods in their
organizations.

Figure 5. Main obstacles in adopting agile methods.

Source: Prepared by the authors, with the help of https://www.wjx.cn/vm/moR3c7Q.aspx and http://www.isondaje.ro/sondaj/851018489/

More than half of respondents agree that resistance to change on the part of organization
members (60.23%) and lack of knowledge on the subject (63.64%) are the main challenges they
face during the process of adopting the agile methodologies.
According to Kent Beck, the biggest barrier to the success of extreme programming is the
organizational culture (Beck, 1999). This is true for agile methods as a whole, not just extreme
programming. According to the “8th State of Agile Development Survey Results” report
(VersionOne 2013), organizational culture change capability remains the biggest barrier to

12
adoption. And, as we can see with more than half of the participants citing this aspect as one of
the biggest problems, it is that even with the constant evolution of the market, the appearance
of new technologies, COVID-19, etc., the reality identified in 2013 remains. Transforming the
organizational culture is a complicated process and it is necessary to exercise the new principles
- the agile culture - every day, until they become a habit, motivating people and clearly
presenting the benefits of this transformation, both personally and professional.
For example, the forced teleworking transition has transformed roles across teams,
departments, and even across the enterprise, which can be very daunting. Managers, for
example, fear losing their authority or asking for control, while team members may find it
difficult to work more autonomously, managing their processes and decision-making.
The lack of knowledge and experience with agile methodologies has been another latent issue
in initiatives to adopt agile methodologies, as shown by the studies. There are several features
about agile methodologies that are new and unfamiliar to many team members, they have
required a very different mindset than people are used to. A common risk caused by lack of
experience with agile is that when the team finds an agile practice difficult to apply, they simply
decide, rather than trying to change it to their specific context, or learn more about the benefits
of the practice in order to change the way the team works. Lack of skills and experience with
the methods can put the proper functioning of the team at risk. Many communication problems
tend to arise from lack of clarity and alignment among all members involved in agile practice.
Therefore, it is important to have experienced people monitored in the initial stages of adopting
agile methodologies; otherwise, initiatives for its adoption will fail. Regulatory issues and lack
of team collaboration were also some of the challenges cited by participants with 54.55% and
50% respectively.

4.5. Summary.
Through the above research and analysis, the results show that more than 80% accelerated
the adoption of agile methods during the pandemic. They agree that teams using traditional
techniques may overvalue meeting time and budget, which can affect decisions made on quality
or scope, or meet specifications that are no longer what the customer really wants. Agile teams
help companies focus on results and customer value.
More than 70% of respondents said that through agile, they became better able to adopt and
implement change at a much faster pace. Participants also highlighted agile as being much
better at handling risk than traditional techniques. Agile shortens the feedback loop and
increases collaboration, visibility, and communication—all essential to dealing with risk.
Agilists have little opportunity to hide what they're doing, so it's easy to see any problems. With
a traditional approach, problems can be hidden for months.
The entrepreneurial mindset involves experimenting with new processes to obtain better
results (Ratten, 2020), with this, it brings contributions to redirect existing processes in order
to meet COVID-19's needs. We can see from a study that the adoption of agility in different
companies is remarkable and has brought clear, measurable and almost immediate benefits to
different companies.

13
 5. Conclusion.
The present study aimed to demonstrate how the agile methodology, when properly applied,
presents excellent results in solving problems in the COVID-19 crisis scenario. The massive
spread of the new Coronavirus has severely impacted health and the economy, resulting in
overwhelming challenges across all sectors of the economy. To stand out in the competitive
and highly innovative market, actions and strategies do not depend solely on managers and
leaders but are also guided by the diversification of the field in which the organization operates.
It has become more vital than ever to work effectively while adapting to changing
circumstances. The pandemic is regularly changing what is considered essential and what is
not, how and which products reach the market, etc. Organizations are facing workforce
instability with illnesses and quarantine. The final year required flexibility, the ability to
embrace the unknown and the ability to change direction quickly with minimal losses. It
demanded that human interaction be the priority over the process and taking one step at a time
with full transparency (Christina Simpson, 2021).
The agile methodology is a management tool in which teams from various departments of a
company work side by side and can change their formation for each project. It gained ground
in companies and governments looking for solutions amidst the chaos of the pandemic. The
practicality of the method for solving unexpected mishaps, such as those created by the health
crisis, is behind the accelerated adoption of the management tool.
The success of agile is primarily due to the fact that prioritized results are delivered earlier,
and in much smaller increments than in prescriptive projects, where each step of the project
must be fully completed before proceeding to the next step. Secondarily, there is an element of
learning built into each delivery cycle and a boost in team morale.
The study above showed that those who adopted the system in the midst of the health crisis
reap good results. We analyzed 97 responses from entrepreneurs linked to different segments
that underwent or are undergoing an agile transformation. According to their self-assessments,
nearly all Agile business units responded better than non-Agile units to shocks associated with
the COVID-19 pandemic through measures of customer satisfaction, employee engagement, or
operational performance.
Participants emphasized that agile teams adapted almost perfectly to the transformations
caused by the pandemic, without substantial setbacks in productivity. In contrast, many non-
Agile teams struggled to transition, prioritize their work, and be productive in the new remote
setup. Many of the participants from agile companies also highlighted the COVID-19 pandemic
as having been not necessarily a negative event, but rather opportune, since advances were
observed that could have taken months, years, in the old way of working. Resources can now
be reallocated quickly, allowing teams to shift focus and deliver digital prototypes within days.
Another important point to mention is the fact that the pandemic showed that agile teams can
be highly effective in a remote environment. Efficient use of remote collaboration tools and
creation of virtual co-location. Many participants reported that being remote helped them to be
virtually co-located and to become more effective. The use of software, corporate emails,
WhatsApp, among other virtual resources, became the main means of communication and
organizational control. A great experience arises from this unexpected adaptation, which
changes the way in which the employee and the employer propose to routine activities and craft.
Some participants also emphasized that one of agile's greatest values for completing projects
in the current climate was its focus on delivering value that meets the needs of stakeholders.
Teams using agile don't aim to create a detailed plan and then hope for the best. They still have

14
detailed planning, but they assume the situation will change and they will need to react. It's a
different mindset.
Although a reasonable number have adopted agile practices not by choice but by necessity.
Now they need to understand how to institutionalize those practices that helped them capture
significant value. A good starting point is to carry out a diagnosis to help identify which agile
practices have worked well and which may require adjustments. From there, companies can
define a clear aspiration to implement agile techniques, including desired benefits, scope of
application, and expected implementation timelines.
Most participants agree that the central challenges lie precisely in the transformation of
mindsets, in addition to knowledge of the methodologies or tools available. Based on the
experiences obtained, many participants highlighted the importance of being patient once the
adoption process begins, as well as approaching people and listening to them personally, in
order to jointly build a new version of how to best solve the needs of its customers in the
development of products and services. Openness and listening in the communication that starts
from a new balance of power, as well as the division of big goals into small achievable
milestones, are some of the recommendations that the participants give to those who are just
starting out.
While the work can be arduous, it is worth it to balance the gains made. These gains come
from both the early realization of business goals and the reconfiguration of relationships
between people, and the marked improvement in the work environment and the commitment of
teams to achieve what is a common challenge.
Given the above, adaptation and resilience to the crisis caused by COVID-19 required the
redesign of strategies to overcome the impacts on the business and on individuals. The moment
of crisis can also expand opportunities in relation to the insertion of new products and services
and new customer niches. Resilience, strategic agility and entrepreneurship will continue to
play a key role in capturing the value of opportunities and overcoming the crisis (Liu et al.,
2020).
Finally, since the impact of agile on the transformations caused by the pandemic has not been
sufficiently tested and explored, as well as, given the sample and for being limited only in the
region of Bucharest, but at the same time the existence of promising results of its use from agile
methodology during the pandemic scenario and beyond, there is an opportunity for researchers
to act, empirical studies to understand how they are carried out in practice and what effects they
generate.

15
6. Bibliography.

1. ANTONIO MUNIZ, JÚNIOR RODRIGUES, GUILHERME SANTOS, DÉBORAH

ZAVISTANAVICIUS ZAPATA, ANA G. SOARES, ALEXSANDRO TÚLIO DE
CARVALHO (2020), Jornada do ágil escalado: entenda como a agilidade em escala
com foco nas pessoas potencializa resultados de valora os clientes, editora brasport
livros e multimídia ltda, Rio de Janeiro,Pag. 33-37;
2. CLÁUDIO BARIZON (2020), Transformação ágil: 8 hábitos para começar a
transformação digital e conquistar resultados incríveis, 3 EDIÇÃO, Pag. 115-145;
3. CHRISTINA SIMPSON(2021), agile during a pandemic, independently published,
Pag35-44;
4. GIONES, F., BREM, A., POLLACK, J. M., MICHAELIS, T. L., KLYVER, K. &
BRINCKMANN, J. (2020). Revising entrepreneurial action in response to exogenous
shocks: Considering the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Business Venturing Insights,
14(e00186), Pag1-10;
5. HE, H. & HARRIS, L. (2020). The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Corporate Social
Responsibility and Marketing Philosophy. Journal of Business Research, 116(1),Pag
176-182;
6. JIM HIGHSMITH(2010), Agile project management: creating innovative products,
SECOND EDITION, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA;
7. KUCKERTZ, A., BRÄNDLE, L., GAUDIG, A., HINDERER, S., REYES, C. A. M.,
PROCHOTTA, A. & BERGER, E. S. (2020). Startups in times of crisis - A rapid
response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Business Venturing Insights,
13(e00169), Pag.1-13;
8. NEIL PERKIN, PETER ABRAHAM (2021), Building the agile business through
digital transformation, second edition, published in great britain and united states of
america;
9. RATTEN, V. (2020). Coronavirus (COVID-19) and entrepreneurship: changing life and
work landscape. Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship, 32(5), 503-516;
10. SIDDIQUEI, M. I. & KHAN, W. (2020). Economic implications of coronavirus.
Journal of Public Affairs, 10(1002), 1-3;
11. SAMPIERI, R. H., COLLADO, C. F. & LUCIO, P. B. (2013). Metodologia da Pesquisa
(5ª ed.). Porto Alegre: Penso;
12. WESLEY CLARK(2019), Agile methodology: a beginner's guide to agile method and
principles, INDEPENDENTLY PUBLISHED, pag37-85.

16
7. Webgraphy.

1. https://www.agilealliance.org/agile101/the-agile-manifesto/;
2. https://www.yodiz.com/blog/agile-manifesto-12-principles-explained-for-sw-
development-parti/;
3. https://exame.com/revista-exame/agil-e-as-pressas-metodologia-salva-equipes-do-
caos-na-pandemia/;
4. https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/people-and-organizational-
performance/our-insights/an-operating-model-for-the-next-normal-lessons-from-agile-
organizations-in-the-crisis;
5. https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/en-o-proximo-despertar-do-agil-13135;
6. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/administra%C3%A7%C3%A3o-%C3%A1gil-
planejamento-estrat%C3%A9gico-jonathan-boilesen?trk=public_profile_article_view;
7. https://www.mjvinnovation.com/pt-br/blog/beneficios-gestao-agil-tempos-pandemia/;
8. https://www.twilio.com/covid-19-digital-engagement-report;
9. HTTPS://MEDIUM.COM/@AGILE42/INTRODUCTION-TO-AGILE-PART-2-WHAT-IS-AGILE-
F56103B9AD71;
10. https://agilemanifesto.org/;
11. http://www.scielo.org.co/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0123-
59232021000100049;
12. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOlYxd0QbYU
13. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=o+lado+positivo+da+pandemia+para+as+em
presas.

17