DEVELOPING AGILECOMPETENCES FOR
THE DIGITAL AGE
By: Johann Botha
Suzanne Galletly

CONTENTS

1.

Introduction

2.

Importance of Agile in the Digital World

3.

Agile Principles and Scrum Practices in the Digital Skillset

4.

EXIN Agile Scrum Certification Program and Career Paths

5.

Summary

6.

About the Authors

7.

About EXIN

1. Introduction

Digital disruption is everywhere. Whether you are doing your shopping, listening tomusic, traveling or communicating, the chances are you are making use of digital
services in one form or another. Innovation and technology not only change jobs
continuously; they also change complete business models or even make themobsolete. Often this leads to significant disruption of the status quo, such as the way
in which successful digital platforms (where consumers sell to other consumers) havethreatened the business of taxi companies, replaced the high street shops, and taken
the place of traditional hotels.
The pace of change is such that we can say with almost certainty that the next
disruption is just around the corner – we just don’t yet know what it is. The Covid-19
pandemic served to highlight this fact even more strongly. In 2021, when many pizza
chains were thriving in the pandemic, Texas-based Cici’s filed for bankruptcy, having
failed to transform their buffet restaurant concept to a takeaway service. Anotherexample is Brooks Brothers, founded in 1818 and credited with dressing 40 presidentsof the United States. As business clothing went out of fashion, they failed to adapt
quickly enough to the ‘athleisure’ style of clothing desired by the new mass of home
workers; and filed for bankruptcy in 2020.
A corporate capability to be able to respond to this speed of innovation and change isessential to survive. Agile helps develop this capability. Together with the transition to
the world of digital services and concepts, it enables organizations to be future proof.
Digital transformation offers massive business opportunities to organizations, notjust to increase efficiency via the digital optimization of business processes, but fortruly transforming the way they conduct business and interact with their customers.
Developing an agile approach offers a way to achieve this.

Completely new services and products facilitate global competition via the digital
highway which not only offers new opportunities for the organization but also moredomains of business. In a more extreme form this can lead to a complete disruption ofyour business model – so you better change before your as yet unknown competitor
does! Examples in the domains of telco-services and fintech are everywhere. The lack of
capability in digital transformation is the main reason that over 50% of the companies
on the Fortune 500 list have disappeared since 2000 (as reported by Pierre Nanterm,
the CEO of Accenture, to the World Economic Forum) and organizations are keen to
avoid being part of this statistic. Moving with the digital times has become a matter ofpure survival for companies, both large and small and across all industry sectors.
Flexibility and responsiveness to change are key to digital transformation efforts, andthis has led to the emergence of new ways of working. The purpose of this paper is toset out EXIN’s vision on the development of Agile related skills and knowledge in thedigital world for interested parties: corporate organizations, training organizations,and business and IT professionals. This paper considers the importance of Agile, theability to sustainably transform to Agile in today’s fast-moving environment, the skills
which professionals need to acquire in order to be future-ready, and how to develop
competences related specifically to Agile and Scrum to ensure relevance in the digitalage. It provides an introduction to EXIN’s Agile Scrum certification program andassociated Career Path certifications.

2. Importance of Agile in the Digital World

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

“Now more than ever, during one of
the most uncertain periods of timein modern history, we need to relyon that defining human capacity toadapt. It’s the key to coming out of thispandemic stronger and more resilient
than we were ever before.”
ANDREW FILEVREPORTED BY FORBES, MAY 2021

2. Importance of Agile in the Digital WorldIn fast-moving times, where organizations require the flexibility to adapt quickly to

The power of the Agile Manifesto is in its simplicity;changing market needs, competitive environments and even global pandemics, aby placing a higher value on certain behaviors than on others,

traditional (waterfall) approach to the development of products and services is no

it has revolutionized the way products are developed, withlonger adequate. The traditional way of working is not only time consuming, but it also

increased focus on outcomes and value as seen from theembeds miscommunication and generates quality flaws.

customer’s perspective. It is also worth noting that twelve
principles were defined and to this day, these form the backbone

A paradigm shift is needed.

of any evaluation of whether an approach is agile or not!

Many of us still remember the days when customer requirements and project

The Agile Manifestodeliverables were defined right at the beginning of a project – with a timeline often
spanning a year or even several years – and these were then considered ‘fixed’ withno real flexibility to change during the course of the project. The result was often not
only different from what was promised – but also no longer what the customer wantedor needed because of new insights, changing market demands, and new technicaland business opportunities. As organizations started to enter into a phase of digitaltransformation, these shortcomings became even more evident.
When the Agile Manifesto was written in February of 2001 in Utah by seventeen
like-minded individuals, it offered a new way of approaching product development;
in fact, it embraced a whole new mindset. One which provides the required flexibility
and responsiveness to change, respects the autonomy of employees, and offers acustomer-centric approach where collaboration is key. All this leads to faster delivery ofhigh-quality products and services, more aligned with business needs.

INDIVIDUALS

over

AND OPERATIONSWORKING PRODUCTPROCESSES
AND TOOLSover

COMPREHENSIVE
DOCUMENTATIONCUSTOMER

over

COLLABORATIONRESPONDING TO

CONTRACTNEGOTIATIONS

over

CHANGE
Source: www.agilemanifesto.org

FOLLOWING A
PLAN

2. Importance of Agile in the Digital World
Various methods underpinned the basic precepts of the
Manifesto and the accompanying 12 principles, and evenmore methods and techniques have evolved since. They all
offer a framework for working in short, fixed timescales –usually between two and four weeks - to deliver (part of)a working product. This incremental delivery has proven to
be very valuable, not only for a quicker Return on Investment,
but also in making sure that what is delivered it better aligned
to the customer’s (often changing) needs.

2. Importance of Agile in the Digital WorldThe benefits of an Agile way of working are multiple, as
can be seen in the extract below from the 15th State ofAgile Report from 2021 (see www.stateofagile.com). The
prime benefits are clear and come to the fore in all suchmarket research reports into the benefits of adopting
Agile. It comes down to increased acceleration and ability

64% -Enhance ability to managechanging priorities
64% - Accelerate software delivery
47% - Increase team productivity

to incorporate change.

47% - Improve business/IT alignment
It is easy to see why an Agile way of working has such aprominent role in the development of products and services
in the digital age, where change is a given. It moves the

42% - Enhance software quality
41% - Enhance delivery predictability

focus away from bureaucracy, over-standardization andformalized agreements, towards a truly collaborative

40% - Improve project visibility

approach, where responding to change is built in. The
Agile way of working is now widely being applied to the

39% - Reduce project risk

development of all kinds of products. For example, NASA

39% - Better respond to volitle market
conditions

engineers use Agile methods to develop critical applications
for the Space Launch System (SLS); and Tesla’s Agile
approach has given them an edge over all other car
manufacturers when it comes to vehicle software updates.
The principles contained within the manifesto have been
incorporated into most project management philosophiesand methodologies worldwide, and they are used today
in all kinds of projects, not only for the development ofsoftware.

35% - Improve team morale
24% - Improve engineering discipline
24% - Better manage distributed teams
23% - Reduce project cost
20% - Increase software maintainability*Respondents were able to make multiple selections. 5% indicated ‘Other’.

3. Agile Principles and Scrum Practices in the
Digital Skillset

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

The digital world makes new demands on professionals in terms ofwhich skills and competences they need to master in order to survive
and even thrive. Technical skills are no longer sufficient in isolation;
the professional of today needs to have a much broader array ofcompetences in order to add value to the business.

3. Agile Principles and Scrum Practices in the
Digital Skillset

Knowledge and skills related to Agile have an important role in adding value
to digital businesses. Deloitte’s model entitled ‘Skills necessary for digitaltransformation’ can be a useful reference point when considering the competences
required to support business in the digital age.
‘Agile structure’ is mentioned as a separate required skill, due to how important
responsiveness to change is in order for digital transformation efforts to succeed.
The word ‘structure’ is interesting in this context, since agile (with a small ‘a’) ismore of a mindset than a structure; however, a structured approach (Agile with abig ‘A’) is required to enable the practical application of the agile principles. Agile
frameworks like Scrum provide an excellent structure to support working in an Agile
way.

Necessary skills

UX DESIGNAGILE STRUCTURE

Most of the other skills mentioned in Deloitte’s model also have a strong link with
Agile. The strong focus within Agile on collaboration with the customer is aligned

ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT

with the skills related to ‘Collaborative processes’ and ‘UX design.’ Professionals
with these skills regularly engage with customers and build customer feedback
into the design of products; this becomes business as usual, which means
customers get what they want and need, which in turn builds customer loyalty. An
agile mindset also supports the development of an ‘Entrepreneurial spirit’ as the

COLLABORATIVE PROCESSES
BUSINESS ACUMEN

approach significantly speeds up the development of products, which supports thebusiness in introducing new and innovative products and services in a timely way.

TECHNOLOGICAL SAVVINESS

Skills necessary for Digital Transformation
Source: Deloitte University Press | DUPress.com

4. EXIN Agile Scrum Certification Programand Career Paths
The EXIN Agile Scrum certification program supports professionals
in developing the required competences in Agile and Scrum inthe digital world.
The program covers the agile values, principles and mindset, all needed to beunderstood in order to support the development of an agile culture; as well as
the specific techniques related to the Scrum framework, so that professionals
are equipped with the right structure and practices to be able to apply an Agile
approach based on Scrum. In the Agile domain, Scrum is the most popular
framework. It is easy to adopt and learn and works very well on a team level.
This differentiates EXIN’s certification from other programs out there, which
tend to focus on either one or the other (the agile principles or the Scrum
framework) but not both combined.

4. EXIN Agile Scrum Certification Programand Career Paths“EXIN Agile Scrum brings the agile
approach to projects of any kind and is
not restricted to the software
engineering environment as
traditional SCRUM methods are.”
LUTZ WEIGELTOWNER OF NEW HORIZONS OF HAMBURG, LEIPZIGAND HANOVER, GERMAN MASTER FRANCHISEE

4. EXIN Agile Scrum Certification Programand Career Paths
The EXIN Agile Scrum certification program is depicted on the right handcorner of this page.
The EXIN Agile Scrum Foundation certificate provides professionals from

In addition, EXIN offers a number of Career Path certifications.

all types of backgrounds with an introduction to the main agile principles

Three of these Career Path certifications contain certification modules

and the core concepts of the Scrum framework.

from the EXIN Agile Scrum certification program: the EXIN Digital Service
Manager, the EXIN Digital Transformation Officer, and the Agile Service

The EXIN Agile Scrum Master and Product Owner certifications are rolebased, and help to prepare professionals to perform a particular role aspart of a Scrum-based team. These role-based certificates include practicalassignments to ensure a focus on applying knowledge in practice, as
required for the role, as opposed to just testing theoretical knowledge.
The EXIN Agile Business Professional is specifically targeted at nonIT business professionals and is focused on developing organizational
business agility. This is a stand-alone certification but can also be used asa first stepping-stone towards the Agile Coach.
On the top of the program is the EXIN Agile Coach, an assessment-based
certification, which is for very experienced professionals and is focused on
the behaviors needed to guide an organization in the transition to an agile
way of working, in a sustainable way.
Previous knowledge is recognized throughout the program, so thatprofessionals can enter the certification program at the level that is
appropriate to their level of experience, without the need to start at thebottom.

Manager.

4. EXIN Agile Scrum Certification Programand Career Paths

The EXIN Digital Service Manager certification provides three different
routes for Service Management professionals based upon three distinctive
perspectives. The Optimization perspective is focused on achieving digital
optimization. The Integration perspective is focused on enabling digital
service integration. The Transformation perspective is focused on realizing
effective digital transformation.
All the three routes to the EXIN Digital Service Manager certification startwith developing a broad spectrum of knowledge areas relevant to Service
Management, including Agile Scrum. After that, each route includes
advanced level certification to develop practical skills specific to the chosen
perspective.

4. EXIN Agile Scrum Certification Programand Career Paths

The EXIN Digital Transformation Officer certification provides the rightknowledge and skills for professionals who wish to play a crucial role inleading successful Digital Transformation. The Digital Transformation
Officer (DTO) can enable an organization to take advantage of theopportunities offered by digitization. The certification includes anawareness of (emerging) technologies and their business impact on aFoundation level, as well as the Agile Business Professional, an advanced
level certification covering the skills needed to achieve organizational
business agility.

4. EXIN Agile Scrum Certification Programand Career Paths

The EXIN Agile Service Manager certification provides the right knowledge
and skills for Service Management professionals operating in an agile
environment. This role came about by applying agile principles to Service
Management. This has led to a shift in Service Management for the better,with more focus on the customer, more agility and less waste. The EXIN
Agile Service Manager certification includes the basic required knowledgeof Agile Scrum and Service Management on a Foundation level, as wellas VeriSM™ Professional, an advanced level certification which covers the
skills needed to apply an agile approach to Service Management for thedigital age.

4. EXIN Agile Scrum Certification Programand Career Paths

The EXIN Agile Scrum certification program has been developed in close
partnership with both Subject Matter Experts and industry organizations, toensure that the content is relevant and aligned with the market need. It isregularly updated to ensure new insights and market developments are incorporated as requried.

“Being agile in today’s world is the difference between successand failure. It’s an agile mindset that distinguishes between
organizations that serve the (constantly changing) needs oftheir customers and those that don’t.
But to Be agile you also need to know how to Do Agile, andunfortunately, we have seen Agile approaches that are not true
to the letter and spirit of the Agile Manifesto and the 12 Agile
principles. I always check what we do against these to makesure that when we Do Agile, we will also truly Be agile.
That is why I love Scrum, Scrum IS agile, it’s simple to learn andeasy to use.
So, remember that success means BEING agile and DOING
Agile right.”

JOHANN BOTHASERVICE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION LEADER & AUTHOR
EXIN CHIEF EXAMINER FOR AGILE SCRUM & DIGITAL
TRANSFORMATION

4. EXIN Agile Scrum Certification Programand Career Paths
Finally, as with all EXIN’s certification programs, the EXIN Agile
Scrum certification program is strongly aligned with thee-Competency Framework (the e-CF™), an independent framework
for IT related competences which has been developed by theEuropean Union.
Each certification within the program has been mapped to the e-CF™ so there is full

EXIN’s Agile Scrum certification program is available in 8 languages.

transparency on which competences are covered and to which level, based on an

As of July 2022, more than 50,000 professionals have taken aninternationally accepted standard. The result is that successful candidates receive an

EXIN Agile Scrum exam across more than 60 countries.

internationally recognized certificate provided by an independent Exam Institute, whichallows them to demonstrate their knowledge and competences in the area of Agile andScrum to the outside world and establish themselves as valuable assets in the digitalage. The EXIN Agile Scrum certification program is:• The only certification program which combines both agnostic Agile 		principles and the Scrum framework, for maximum relevancy;• Practical to ensure what is learnt has maximum value on the work floor
for better ROI;
• Aligned to an international competency framework (e-CF™);• Developed together with industry experts and supported widely in the 		market, including external endorsement by an internationally recognized 		Thought Leader in the field of Agile and Digital Transformation;• A multi-layer program which recognizes existing knowledge;• Available in multiple languages to support local markets;• Available via multiple channels so you can take your exam anytime,
anywhere;• A globally recognized, independent certification program with no lock-in.

5. Summary

To conclude, being agile and an Agile way of working is more important now than ever before due to theforced acceleration of digital transformation as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Organizations areembracing the opportunities offered by digital transformation in order to survive and thrive. Change isa constant in the digital world and as such, the development of an agile mindset, combined with knowledge of Agile ways of working and the Scrum framework, are critical parts of the digital skillset neededby professionals today.
EXIN’s Agile Scrum certification program and the associated Career Path certifications have been created with this in mind and help professionals develop the skills they need to perform crucial roles withinorganizations and develop a career path in the Agile domain. In addition, they can achieve an independent, internationally recognized certificate to prove their worth, making them valuable assets in today’scompetitive digital age.

6. About the Authors

Johann Botha

Suzanne Galletly

Johann Botha specializes in building digital age capabilities and developing

As Portfolio Director at EXIN, Suzanne is accountable for the development

practical skills to help organizations solve problems, grow people, facilitate

and positioning of EXIN’s certification portfolio, in line with market needs anddifficult change, dream, scheme, but most importantly, DO!

industry trends. Next to her role within EXIN, Suzanne is also Chief Examiner for
VeriSM™ at the International Foundation for Digital Competences (IFDC)

He received global recognition for his role in Digital Transformation, Agile,.

Service Management, Entrepreneurship, Customer Experience Management,

Suzanne is a certified Digital Transformation Officer and Agile Scrum Master.

DevOps, Leadership, and Business Management & Strategy from institutions

She has 7 years’ experience in the IT services industry followed by more than 16

like the itSMF, HDI and Thinkers360.

years’ experience of competence development in the IT education industry andis a passionate advocate of lifelong learning.

Johann is the CEO of getITright®, the Chief Examiner for the EXIN Agile andDigital Transformation portfolio, a part-time lecturer at Nelson Mandela University, and an executive coach and advisor to tech start-ups, operating globallywith offices in South African and the Netherlands.

Suzanne Galletly profile image: © VC Utrecht / Mediamakers Joris Louwes

7. About EXIN

We are EXIN, an independent examination institute focusing oncompetencies required in the digital world. We offer an end-to-end
solution for certifying professionals. We are proud to be part of the
Software Improvement Group (SIG), as together, we are creating ahealthier digital world. While SIG focuses on assessing and certifying IT Processes and Technology, we have our focus on People.
Together, we cover the trifecta of People, Process, and Technology.

www.exin.com

We have a long-standing reputation, having been founded in 1984
by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs to deliver independent
IT certifications. Since then, millions of professionals worldwide
have successfully achieved an EXIN certification in a wide variety
of fields. EXIN has a strong portfolio of certifications created using
our high-quality processes in collaboration with leading experts intheir respective fields.
EXIN® is a registered trademark of EXIN Holding BV.