Methodology

Process Drift

Process Drift occurs when a team does not follow defined processes consistently, resulting in inconsistencies and repeated mistakes. This occurs due to a lack of adherence or a lack of clear documentation.

Context

Teams that adopt agile methodologies but, under deadline pressure, start taking informal shortcuts that gradually drift away from the agreed process.

Problem

The slow erosion of established standards, in favour of temporary shortcuts, goes unnoticed until the same mistakes start recurring.

Consequences

Recurring mistakes that had already been solved before.
Loss of predictability in deliveries.
Harder onboarding for new members, who find no single process to follow.

Observed signs

Symptoms

Difficulty in maintaining a consistent process.
Lack of knowledge of standards of other projects.

What to do about it

Mitigation strategies

Create visual process maps (e.g. BPMN flows) and supporting documentation (e.g. a page in Confluence).
Run quarterly process retrospectives for continuous improvement.
Assign process champions to guide adherence.

References

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