This document outlines 5 key steps to establishing a smooth workflow using an agile approach: 1) Establish the workflow by mapping out major processes and stages, 2) Define policies for each stage, 3) Visualize work by adding cards for features and tasks, 4) Define work-in-progress limits for stages, and 5) Continuously improve by reviewing metrics and looking for areas of improvement. Following these steps helps minimize bottlenecks, focus work, and continuously refine the workflow.

1. Brought to you by
Agile workflow examples & best practices
Agile for Agencies

2. 5 Key Steps to a smooth Workflow

3. Continuously Improve
1 Establish a Workflow
Define Stage Policies
Visualize Work
Define Work In Progress Limits
2
3
4
5
5 Key Steps to a smooth Workflow

4. Establish a Workflow
1

5. Establish a Workflow1

6. Establish a Workflow1
Start by inviting your team and identifying the major
processes of your department or organization and then
mapping them to a Blossom Board.
!
Add, edit or remove stages to visualize your Workflow to
match your project’s needs.
!
Aim to minimize the number of stages, so you can
effectively identify bottlenecks in your workflow.
!
Learn more about defining the stages of your workflow

7. Define Stage Policies
2

8. Define Stage Policies2

9. Define Stage Policies2
Make sure every involved team member understands
the policies well.

10. Describe what each stage is in a stage policy. This clarifies
what it means for a card to be in a stage. Considerations
or requirements that should be met at a certain stage of
the process can be defined as well in a stage’s policy.
!
Stage policies set quality standards and minimum
requirements for cards to be in a specific column.
!
Learn more about defining stage policies
Define Stage Policies2

11. Visualize Work
3

12. Visualize Work3
Start adding cards that represent features (campaigns,
tasks) which are worth doing. Cards have a short title that
everyone in your team can recognize and understand.

13. Each card shows the reason why it is being built, who is
currently involved and an optional state, for example if it
is "Blocked" or "Ready for the next Stage". By doing this
work gets visible to all involved stakeholders,
collaboration and communication increases instantly.
!
Learn more about adding the right features to your Board
Visualize Work3

14. Define WIP Limits
4

15. Define Work In Progress Limits4

16. Reduce the time a card takes to go through from the first
to the last stage by adding card limits to stages of the
board in which work is being performed.
!
Setting the optimal amount of work that your team can
handle at one time will lead to a smooth & continuous
workflow and it improves quality because you can give
greater focus to fewer tasks. These benefits improve
efficiency and you eventually get more work done in less
time.
4 Define Work In Progress Limits

17. If you bring in too many tasks into a column with WIP
limits, we give you a gentle reminder that you’re likely
trading focus for doing that extra task.
!
Learn more about defining the right WIP limits
4 Define Work In Progress Limits

18. Continuously Improve
5

19. Continuously Improve5

20. Regularly view key metrics, like high cycle time and your
most recently shipped work, to determine where you can
improve.
!
After the first (and every upcoming) iteration you can
analyze how smoothly the cards flowed through the
process and look where you can improve idle time (for
example of cards that have been marked as ready), and
reflect why bottlenecks and blockers happened.
Continuously Improve5

21. Look for metrics that are out of the ordinary and discuss
why these anomalies have occurred. Improvements (and
suggestions) nearly always follow.
!
Learn more about Blossom’s Performance Analytics
Continuously Improve5

22. Thank you for reading!
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
If you found this useful, share it with your followers:

23. Learn more
View an example team workflow in Blossom

24. Case Studies of Agile Agencies
Agile web design and the agency model
Our step by step journey to becoming a lean PR agency
Agile design: What we’ve learned
Creating an Agile Design Process
3 Reasons I Choose Agile Design over Waterfall
The Niche Agency: Agile in Ad Land?
Why agile marketing works and how to make it work for you!
Your Digital Marketing Needs an Agile Approach
Lean Advertising & The Age of Disruption