Business analysis glossary
Agile
What it is
Agile is an approach to delivering work in small steps, with frequent feedback and the ability to change direction. It values working solutions, collaboration with users and responding to change over following a rigid plan. Popular agile methods include Scrum and Kanban, and they share ideas such as short cycles, working software and regular reflection.
Why it matters
Requirements often change as people learn. Agile lets teams deliver value early and adjust without waiting for a long project to end. Business analysis does not disappear in agile; the work happens continuously, in smaller pieces, with the analyst closely involved with the team every day.
Example
Instead of delivering the whole claims portal after a year, Tidewater Insurance releases claim tracking first, then document upload, collecting customer feedback after each release to decide what comes next. Each release is small enough to understand and test, so mistakes are cheap and corrections are quick.