Latest Agile Trends in 2025 and Beyond

Agile software development methodologies and trends have been around since 2001, and they were widely adopted by developers and technologists in the following decades. But Agile is no longer just for software development; it’s become accepted as a cross-organizational strategy that enables businesses to foster collaboration, accelerate innovation and stay competitive. 

As technology accelerates and data-driven decision-making becomes more complex, many traditional approaches to project management struggle to keep pace. Agile, however, empowers businesses to embrace efficiency, relevance and customer-centricity – and to respond to shifting market demands with speed and precision.  

According to the State of Agile Marketing Report 2024, 86% of marketers plan to transition some or all their teams to Agile methodologies, underscoring its growing influence across functions. In 2025, Agile is more than a buzzword – it’s a lifeline for organizations aiming to thrive in a landscape defined by constant change. 

Top 10 Latest Trends in Agile 

Agile adoption has been instrumental in addressing a lot of business needs – such as building more efficient systems, improving team collaboration and boosting productivity. According to the same State of Agile Marketing Report 2024, fully Agile marketing functions consistently outperform those that are only partially Agile – highlighting the importance of a comprehensive approach. This shift shows that organizations are moving in the right direction. However, to successfully implement an Agile framework within your organization, staying informed about the latest Agile trends is essential. 

Here are the latest Agile trends for 2025. 

Design thinking 

Design thinking focuses on creating customer-centric products that align closely with the needs and expectations of end users. It emphasizes understanding the user to deliver solutions that drive value and satisfaction. 

While design thinking centers on finding and solving problems, Agile methodologies prioritize project delivery through iterative feedback loops. Together, they create a powerful synergy. 

Incorporating Agile processes during the early stages of design thinking projects can significantly reduce risks and minimize expensive redesign efforts. This integration not only shortens development and testing cycles but also ensures faster delivery of impactful solutions. 

Netflix offers a great example of combining design thinking with Agile. As streaming emerged, they shifted from DVD to streaming subscriptions; they’ve also added features like trailers and original content – and are industry leaders in offering data-driven recommendations. 

Agile adoption throughout the entire business 

A key trend for 2025 is the growing emphasis on adopting an Agile Mindset within business practices. This mindset encourages continuous learning, adaptability and collaboration across all levels of the organization. 

According to the Agile Business Consortium, an agile business can quickly and effectively respond to changes and challenges both inside and outside the organization. Business agility is all about how a company adapts to fast market changes and how they’re able to stay flexible managing operations and resources to create value. To improve this flexibility, businesses should focus on strategy, organization and operations while looking for new opportunities and emerging markets. 

When faced with unexpected situations or when products become outdated or consumer interest drops, agile businesses can easily adjust their focus to deliver new kinds of value to their customers.  

The widespread adoption of Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) 

Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) is an approach to scaling Agile methodology throughout the larger organization to boost efficiency, resilience and cooperation across multiple teams.  

While Agile has been historically used mostly by small teams, Scaled Agile helps larger organizations manage big projects more effectively by improving workflows and tracking progress. It focuses on delivering value quickly and efficiently. 

Barclays offers a recent example of SAFe adoption. To increase efficiency, the financial services company expanded an Agile learning and delivery approach to create a more collaborative workspace. As a result, Barclays experienced faster delivery, shorter release cycles, high-quality solutions, quicker time-to-market for new products and improved feedback and responsiveness.  

The continued popularity of Scrum methodologies 

If you’re a project manager looking to coordinate tasks shared by cross-functional teams, the Scrum framework is an ideal choice. It describes distinct events, artefacts and roles, and guides the way they interact to more efficiently deliver products and outcomes. With Scrum, teams can deliver functional code at the end of each sprint, boosting efficiency and teamwork. 

Industries like finance, healthcare, education, automotive, manufacturing and hospitality are increasingly adopting Scrum to improve teamwork and productivity across departments. 

The prominence of AI and machine learning methodologies  

AI and machine learning are transforming Agile, revolutionizing how teams work and helping businesses stay ahead. These emerging technologies improve team efficiency and facilitate data-driven decision-making. They enable quicker decisions, efficient automation and more accurate testing and development.  

By automating tasks and generating insights, AI boosts creativity and efficiency. This enables teams to move quickly through their planning and execution stages. Additionally, these technologies improve code accuracy, detect bugs and streamline processes, speeding up product launches. As AI and machine learning continue to evolve, they’ll help businesses meet customer demands by accelerating release cycles and improving product quality. 

Business value-focused user stories 

A key Agile trend in 2025 is the use of business value-focused user stories. These stories help teams prioritize work that aligns with their goals and delivers the greatest impact. They highlight the value they bring to customers, stakeholders and the organization. By defining clear outcomes for each story, teams can make better decisions and track progress. Regular updates keep stories relevant as priorities shift, encouraging teamwork and delivering impactful results. This approach helps Agile teams stay focused on delivering high-value outcomes that align with organizational objectives. 

Greater adoption of Value Stream Management 

Value Stream Management (VSM) is gaining traction for evaluating deliverables across the entire software development lifecycle (SDLC). Value stream mapping focuses on getting the most value out of work – not just on finishing tasks. It helps teams think about the entire process and its impact. Using VSM can improve customer and team satisfaction. 

Increases in cloud-based agility 

Agile teams are turning to cloud technology to improve forecasting and workflows – as well as speed up development, testing and product releases. By moving away from traditional server-based systems, you can reduce infrastructure and operational costs. Using cloud-based Agile methods gives organizations an edge by improving efficiency, flexibility and response to market demands. Cloud technology is proving to be a powerful tool for lowering costs, driving agility and improving customer service. 

Combining DevOps + Agile 

Organizations are embracing the combination of DevOps and Agile methodologies. As software products mature, their development complexity also increases, making enhancements and testing more time consuming. This creates bottlenecks for operations teams. They struggle to expedite the delivery of release cycles due to a lack of quick fixes, easy-to-implement solutions, proper planning and structure.  

To overcome these challenges, organizations adopt DevOps practices that foster collaboration between teams. To stay competitive, companies are investing heavily in enhancing their DevOps capabilities. This focus on DevOps skill-building is expected to intensify in 2025. 

Agile expands beyond IT 

Agile, once primarily associated with software developer and IT teams, is making its way into non-IT departments like sales, marketing, finance and human resources. This trend is set to grow as more non-IT teams look for ways to improve workflows, boost productivity and deliver greater value to stakeholders. Using frameworks like Scrum, Lean and Kanban, these teams can align their goals, foster collaboration and adapt more effectively to change. 

Unlock Agile’s Full Value with Material 

Agile is a proven way to improve flexibility and efficiency. But unlocking Agile’s full value requires dedicated leadership, skilled implementation teams and a comprehensive strategy. It takes a culture shift that won’t happen overnight – and it may require a partner with deep expertise in Agile practices.  

Material is that partner. We can help you embrace Agile, improve efficiency, get to market quicker and reduce costs. Reach out today and let’s start the conversation.