The origin of agile is best understood by looking at the technological revolutions that have taken place. In our opinion, ways of organizing are always linked to what you produce. Those products have changed a lot over the past centuries:

18th and 19th century: the rise of the steam engine. This meant the emergence of professional management. The new machinery required far-reaching division of tasks, roles and responsibilities. A “manager” oversaw this.

19th and 20th century: the rise of the internal combustion engine. These engines enable products that are even more complex: cars, for example, with many parts. It meant even more extensive processes, where efficiency became the goal. Think for example of the Toyota production philosophy and lean management.

20th and 21st century: the rise of software and the internet. This technology differs fundamentally from the others: software is constantly adaptable and can be distributed and updated indefinitely thanks to the internet. This means that change is the order of the day and therefore new agile forms of organization and management are needed.

The focus is no longer on efficiency, but on adaptability, speed and effectiveness.The software developers and teams, without being fully aware of it, have started the agile revolution. They found that they were unable to work with elaborate plans, entangling hierarchies and lengthy process descriptions. It had to be done differently. So they developed new ways of thinking, working and organizing that revolve around agility.