Agile Tools and Techniques

While most recognized Agile certification programs (such as the PMI-ACP) do come at a cost, there are currently two free Agile certification options. 

Scrum Fundamentals Certified by Scrum study: This course is for anyone who wants to learn more about the basics of Scrum. It also awards you a free Scrum certification once you have completed the 40-question, multiple-choice exam. 

Agile Scrum Training by Master of Project Academy: This is a free online course that provides a brief overview of Agile and Scrum. At the end of the 30-minute course, you will receive a digital course completion certificate. 

edX offers several free Agile courses, such as Agile Leadership Principles. However, while the course is free, if you want to obtain an instructor-signed certificate with the institution’s logo to verify completion, it will cost you. 

Like edX, Udemy also offers many free Agile courses, such as Basics of Scrum, Agile, and Project Delivery. However, you will not receive a certificate at the end of the course.

The Scrum Training Institute gives away a free Scrum certification to one lucky person every quarter. While this is perhaps one of the best Scrum certifications available, it typically carries a cost of over $1,000. 

If you are looking for Agile certification for beginners, International Scrum Assembly offers free online training. While its free courses can help you prepare for several different Scrum or Agile certificates, the actual certificates require you to pay a fee.

Leading companies that use Agile methodology

Agile is used by a growing number of companies across all industries. While technology is still the most common industry for Agile, finance, professional services, insurance, government, and many other sectors are also embracing it.

Some of the most well-known companies that use Agile methodology are:

• Amazon – Some form of Agile was present at Amazon as early as 1999, but it was between 2004 and 2009 that the organization achieved the widespread adoption of Scrum. It’s now one of the most common and well-known examples of Agile project management.
• Cisco – Cisco adopted Agile in 2015 to lower defects, reduce employee overtime, and improve product delivery times.
• Google – Google is one of the best-known companies that use Scrum. The company has many applications such as Gmail, Google Maps, Google Calendar, etc. that all need regular updates. To handle the updating, testing, and release of so many products quickly and consistently, Google utilized the Scrum framework.
• ego – Lego adopted Agile back in 2015 to improve communication, focus, and productivity. It helped them achieve more accurate estimates, reduce paperwork, and become more efficient.
• Netflix – Netflix is a great example of a company that uses Agile project management to remain innovative and stay ahead of the competition. Netflix uses Agile to create television shows and movies to provide content quickly and consistently for all demographics.
• Microsoft – Microsoft uses Agile for both small and enterprise-sized projects. The company first implemented a small-scale Agile model and then scaled and modified it for larger projects and solutions.
• Spotify – Spotify embraced Agile software development practices to compete with well-established competitors such as Apple, Google, and Amazon.