written by
Sean Thomas

How PMI ACP Certification Can Open Opportunities Other Than Software

ACP Agile Management 5 min read

The Agile Certified Practitioner (ACP) is one of the most renowned credentials on agile methodologies for project managers. It is offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI) and it can open new doors for your career and validate your knowledge of the core foundations of the agile methodology.

Since the inception of the Agile Methodology, it has made waves in software development. Even today, it is closely attributed to the software development industry. However, although Agile was conceptualized for the software industry, it’s value-driven approach can improve project management in various other domains as well.

Therefore, for Agile Certified Practitioners, there are plenty of career opportunities beyond the scope of software development. If you pass the PMI ACP exam you can benefit from the methodology built on principles of flexibility, and apply its core concepts in a number of other industries. In this article, we discuss how PMI ACP can open you to opportunities other than software.

Manufacturing

Just like the software industry, the manufacturing industry goes through drastic and rapid changes from time to time. With the help of cutting-edge technologies such as #D printing, robotics, and artificial intelligence, manufacturing businesses are able to improve their techniques and make their internal processes efficient.

Due to such rapid developments, manufacturing businesses need to revamp their project management processes. They need to remain up to date with emerging technologies, handle rapid change, meet the requirements of their customers and minimize the time between development and marketing. This is why the Agile Methodology is the perfect techniques for keeping up with the speed of the manufacturing industry.

Usually, teams are given conceptual outlines of the manufacturing requirements and they have to make these concepts a reality. The Agile Methodology promotes incremental development and delivery of products, which allows teams to minimize development time and deliver new products to customers in little consumers.

As a result, companies utilizing agile principles can manufacture goods and have an advantage over companies that are still using traditional methods. As manufacturing companies continue to improve their technological capabilities, they would need a PMI Agile Certified Professionals to implement the core concepts of Agile.

Construction

In construction, unnecessary delays always pose a significant hurdle. Since it is impossible to predict these delays, managers have a difficult time sticking to preplanned schedules. For instance, small factors such as failed delivery and unexpected rain can hinder construction processes and dismantle the construction plan entirely.

Traditional construction methods are not meant to counter these problems effectively. On the other hand, the Agile Methodology encourages teams to work with shorter planning cycles, which prevents teams from going off track. Since construction already delivers products incrementally, managers can easily implement the Agile structure in construction and improvise project schedule and delivery.

Besides delays, managers in construction also need to resolve issues related to labor costs that arise due to these delays. For instance, if you call the entire construction crew at the sites and it suddenly starts to rain. The manager would still need to pay the labor, even when no work is done.

Construction site birds
Photographer: 贝莉儿 DANIST | Source: Unsplash

The Agile methodology gets around these problems through the smart allocation of resources and by setting short-term milestones. Managers can ensure that they only have the resources they need for a particular task, instead of inviting the whole crew. As a result, the overhead cost due to delays is minimized. Due to these benefits, construction companies looking to implement Agile would value PMI-ACP credential holders.

Marketing Agencies

Similar to other industries in this list, marketing agencies need to carry out rapid implementation to stay relevant. However, many marketing agencies and departments suffer from the slow execution of projects.

As a result, the marketing pipeline can slow down significantly and turn into multi-week processes due to small delays. From project approval, content creation, and design to client approval and project prioritization, everything needs to be executed in a small timeframe.

To make matters worse, clients can request for unexpected changes and sometimes, even reject the entire marketing proposal, rendering all of the company’s effort useless. The implementation of agile methodologies can streamline the marketing pipeline.

With the help of Agile, managers can complete in a continuous flow and make room for improvement. Similar to the software industry, marketing agencies can work in sprints and dedicate teams to different aspects of the campaign.

From digital design, content creation, SEO to project approval and initiation, every component of marketing is streamlined for efficiency. Managers can prioritize projects according to their urgency and priority.

At the same time, marketing agencies can also benefit from the collaborative approach of the agile methodology. Marketing agencies highly depend on the relationships with their customers for generating recurring revenue.

When these clients are distanced from the internal processes, they only see the final product. On the other hand, agile promotes active lines of communication between stakeholders and project teams. As a result, it is easier to obtain continuous feedback and tailor the marketing campaigns according to the customer’s needs.

Retail

The retail industry is no longer the same industry as it was before. E-commerce has completely transformed how retail service functions. In contrast to previous retail environments, nowadays, retail trends, supply and demand requirements change at a rapid pace.

Consumers want their product to reach in a matter of days despite thousands of miles away from the manufacturers. As a result, it is extremely difficult for retail owners to fulfill the requirements of their customers sufficiently.

The Agile methodology can help retail managers cope with the changing requirements. By breaking down specific product lines to different teams and maintaining an active line of communication with customers, retail services can be better prepared for rapid changes in demand.

Photographer: Blake Wisz | Source: Unsplash

As experts of various industries become familiar with the benefits of the Agile, the demand for PMI Agile Certified Practitioners will increase. Consequently, PMI ACP credential holders would apply the principles, tools, and practices of Agile to develop value-driven and result-oriented project frameworks in industries other than software.